Acrylic blanks questions

[Tiger]

2 concerns I have with acrylics. Firstly the orange peel effect that seems to occur sometimes, i believe its where the CA glue reacts with the paint used inside the blank. Does the same thing occur if you use epoxy?

I paint the inside of the barrel, it doesn't seem to make much difference whether i use oil based paint or acrylic paint, it takes many hours to dry, i think i heard that you can put the blank into a toaster oven to speed up the paint drying, dies this work or is there a better way? The inside painting of the blank is so the brass tube doesn't show through. I should say that i sand the inside of the blank to give the paint something to key to.

 

[gbpens]

Painting the inside of the blank keeps the tube AND the glue from showing through. If the paint is not dry any glue will remove some paint as you push the tube in the blank. Overnight drying is definitely recommended. Using a circular file on the inside of the tube is a good idea. Make sure the tube fits freely in the blank so the it will not scrape off any paint when gluing the tube in.

 

[Chasper]

When fully dried, neither oil or acrylic paint react to CA or epoxy. I prefer air movement to an oven to accelerate drying, a fan will help, sitting the painted blanks outside in the sun on a breezy day is even better.

I've painted thousands of blanks with acrylic and enamel and never had orange peeling.

 

[BSea]

I also prefer air movement over heat. I have a small fan that I put my blanks in front of. I have to anchor them down, and I leave them that way over night.

I'll have to remember the breezy day suggestion.

 

[Tiger]

Thanks for your thoughts on this, it would seem that maybe I was a bit hasty then in gluing the blank, from memory I did let the paint dry overnight, maybe I should have waited longer. Glad to hear that acrylic paint will work as I have plenty of it around.

 

[commercialbuilder]

I use the craft acrylic paint that Michael's sells with good luck. I paint the inside of the blank a thin coat with a q- tip and I can use a hair dryer or heat gun and dry it in a few minutes. I apply a second coat the same way and have glued the tubes in with in 30 minutes of starting the painting process with no ill effects.
I prefer epoxy glue but either will work.

 

[Tiger]

Thanks Commercial, 30 mins is pretty good. I thought about using a heat gun but was concerned that it might melt/distort the acrylic blank.

 

[thewishman]

Cheap spray paint works for me.

 

[Tom T]

I use spray paint from both ends. Set the blank on the end to let excess paint run out. I do not wait as long as I should. And am not an artist with the paint can. I set the blanks on a block in a small box and spray in the tube quickly from each end. Trying not to get extra paint in the tube. I like what was said about the tubes being loose in the blank. I per fit all of them before painting. If to tight the tube will scrap the paint. I some times buy white tubes if available in the size I need and also paint the black. That way I get a double layer of protection if there is a small amount of scraping. I do all this prior to turning. Blank is still square.

 

[Tiger]

Have used spray paint which comes in a can and it still takes hours to dry, maybe it was too thick a coat?

 

[F6maniac]

I have had the same problem as Tiger and I paint both the tube and the blank. I notice on some transparent blanks that I can see cracking in the paint which must be from the epoxy pulling the paint off the sides of the blank. I live in the desert where it is dry and hot and always wait overnight, a minimum of 14 - 16 hours after painting to glue. I have notice that often before painting the hole in the blank that the drill bit polishes the inside. Maybe a light pass of abrasive through the hole will allow the paint to grip the sides better. I'd be concerned about scratches showing through the blank.

Do any of you sand the hole in the blank prior to painting?