Puzzle pieces blank

[qquake]

I ordered this blank for my mom, because she likes jigsaw puzzles. The resin is clear, so I need to paint the tubes and reverse paint the blank. But what color? I was thinking white, since if I use one of the puzzle pieces colors, it would tend to hide those pieces. But what about something like black or silver? I can't decide.

 

[mredburn]

Dove Grey. Like auto primer grey, the lighter colored one.

 

[magpens]

I would suggest white or silver (sparkly, if possible ... you can get nail polish like that, but nail polish may dry too quickly)

A bright purple might work also, since that color is not already there.

 

[KenV]

I have has some interesting positive effects with multi color -- streaks of the primary colors in the colored block might be interesting.

With all of these ideas and clear resin -- if it does not look like you want, wire brush takes the paint out and you can try something else

 

[Curly]

If it were me I would do as others have suggested a number of times in past threads and get a dowel and paint it with a number of different colours. Drill the blank and put the dowel in the hole and if you like the effect that colour has on the blank, use it. If not, move on to the next colour. You could also do the same with coloured paper rolled into a tube.

I also think, because there is clear between the puzzle pieces, you should polish the drilled hole with sand papers to remove any scores from the bit. You might even drill a 64th undersize to allow for the sanding. A wood dowel chucked into a drill with a slot about 2" long, cut with a bandsaw, thin handsaw or even a hacksaw, along the length, will hold a strip of sandpaper wrapped around the dowel. Spin it in the hole moving back and forth. Running through the grits from 220 to 400 should be enough.

 

[SteveG]

Black is a common "GO TO" color for blank/tube coloring. It looks like the little pieces are opaque, so black would serve to outline each piece, probably to good effect.

The technique of trying out various colors is less effective if the blank is much thicker than it will ultimately end up being. So you will want to do that color testing with the ruff blank already drilled to size and partially turned, and with both the inner and outer surfaces polished up a bit to get the best "read" on what color to use. Have fun!

 

[OOPS]

I can't wait to see the finished pen!

 

[qquake]

Everyone's good ideas made my decision harder. So I went with my first choice, white. Once I turn and polish them, I'll know if it was the right color.

 

[KenV]

There are no wrong choices in this kind of project. Just different choices.

Looking forward to seeing pictures of the outcome.

 

[stuckinohio]

I'm anxious to see this too!

 

[qquake]

White looks okay, but I can't help but wonder what black or silver would have looked like. Regardless, my mom will love it. There were some air bubbles and one small chip in the lower body. I filled them with thick CA, and will finish it tomorrow.

 

[SteveG]

These turnings with white under-paint look good, but they also reinforce my vote for black. Silver will probably look fairly similar to the white. Keep having fun!

 

[qquake]

Finally got it done. It turned out pretty good. You can see the finished pen here:

Ultra Cigar Puzzle Pieces