Advice on casting painted tubes in Clear PR

[grz5]

I'm looking into trying to paint designs onto my pen tubes then casting them in clear PR and I have a few questions.

1) I've seen a lot of people use acrylic paints but is it possible to use enamel paints instead?

2) Does the painted surface need to be covered by a protective layer prior to casting to prevent leaching?

 

[ZanderPommo]

I got on to ask the opposite question, and we answered each others. Ive only used enamels (with great success so far) and was wondering if acrylics worked!

 

[grz5]

I got on to ask the opposite question, and we answered each others. Ive only used enamels (with great success so far) and was wondering if acrylics worked!

Do you have to apply a primer and a protective coat to get a good bond and prevent leaching? Also just for the sake of asking does epoxy bond well to the enamel paint? I've seen cases where people mix enamel paint to tint the epoxy but I nothing on putting epoxy on top of the paint.

 

[Richard Gibson]

I got on to ask the opposite question, and we answered each others. Ive only used enamels (with great success so far) and was wondering if acrylics worked!

Do you have to apply a primer and a protective coat to get a good bond and prevent leaching? Also just for the sake of asking does epoxy bond well to the enamel paint? I've seen cases where people mix enamel paint to tint the epoxy but I nothing on putting epoxy on top of the paint.

Why would you be applying epoxy to the painted tubes when you are casting them in clear PR??

 

[grz5]

I got on to ask the opposite question, and we answered each others. Ive only used enamels (with great success so far) and was wondering if acrylics worked!

Do you have to apply a primer and a protective coat to get a good bond and prevent leaching? Also just for the sake of asking does epoxy bond well to the enamel paint? I've seen cases where people mix enamel paint to tint the epoxy but I nothing on putting epoxy on top of the paint.

Why would you be applying epoxy to the painted tubes when you are casting them in clear acrylic??

I want to try and make a 'bump layer," for a finishing technique I'm trying to replicate :biggrin:. Basically I want to use paints to replicate the effect and then cast in clear PR to make a protective layer.

 

[jjudge]

I've ruined 5 watch-parts pen blanks (over blank paint, over carbon fiber sleeves, etc.) because the resin will either bubble too much (Alumite) or dissolve the paint (Castin'Craft).

Using Castin' Craft -- it appears to act as a solvent, and screwed up my painted pen blanks (cheap lacquer based black paint).

I am trying shellac and acrylic spray sealant, to isolate the paint layer. We'll see how that goes.

I've put down epoxy over it, then cast in Alumite and in Castin' Craft -- either lots of bubble appear (even after ultrasonic degassing and warming the Alumite) or a white cloudy layer appears on the surface of the epoxy (with Castin' Craft)

If I can't isolate the layer and get the resin to NOT bubble, then I need to move to some other kind of paint (e.g. ,Testors, whatever).

-- joe

 

[mwhatch]

There are a lot of great artists out there. What's the secret?

Morton

 

[Russianwolf]

My next test will be white glue (elmer's) over the paint.

 

[Seer]

Why not spray a decal sealant over the paint like you would with decals that are cast?

 

[gingerwood]

Clear fingernail polish works well.

 

[Haynie]

What about clear epoxy.

A friend of mine makes bass lures and his wife is jealous of his finger nail polish collection.

 

[jjudge]

I tried normal epoxy, not the ice or clear epoxy (used in jewelry).

However, with Alumite, and as others posted in other threads ... you get bubbles evidence near the epoxy surface. Something about those 2.

So, go with Castin Craft (polyesther?) vs. Alumite (urethane) resin = my advice.

 

[bruce119]

I work with PR. A coat of CA over paint will work with a painted tube. I'm using a high temp BBQ paint. I an just now playing with carbon fibers and epoxy. I find the PR dose not like epoxy then again a coat of CA solved the problem. It's an extra PIA step but I haven't found a better way yet.

Oh a little secret tip. When putting the CA on be sure to leave some on the ends to seal the end of the tube that's where most of the trouble is.

Good Luck