Can one use Acrylic paints to color PR?

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
E

Edward Cypher

Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2011
Messages
1,901
Location
Denver, Colorado
I am just getting into pourning my own blanks. First ones pored last sunday at a friends house and are still there. I used pearl-ex and I have a few of those colors and have also ordered lusters from Coastal Scents but I was wondering if I could use Acrylic paint as a base additive to the PR as I used to do a lot of ceramics and have hundreds of bottles of them laying in wait. They are brands like ceramichrome, acrylics, and some store brands from hobby lobby and michaels.

Thanks for any information on this topic.

ED
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Ed,

Paints are often used by casters to get the color that is desired. The paints will give you an opaque blank most times. You just don't get the pearlescense depth you do with the powders.

Try mixing both. You get the color you want and the depth.

But short answer to your question is Yes it will work. Have caution with the amount of paint as it my inhibit some of the curing if you put too much into the mixture.
 
:)Thanks Fred!! Now I have a use for those hundreds of two oz bottles of paint. The kids are all grown and no longer do ceramics so I have all of them sitting in the basement.


PTownSubbie said:
Ed,

Paints are often used by casters to get the color that is desired. The paints will give you an opaque blank most times. You just don't get the pearlescense depth you do with the powders.

Try mixing both. You get the color you want and the depth.

But short answer to your question is Yes it will work. Have caution with the amount of paint as it my inhibit some of the curing if you put too much into the mixture.
Click to expand...
 
Dawn is sport on! (Dat's why she da Princess). I tried using acrylic paint mixed in PR blanks and it always gave me trouble curing correctly.

Since I have changed over to the Castin Craft color pigments (and their clones by other resin sellers) I've had no more problems.

There is nothing more frustrating than getting the blank colored exactly the way you want it, then it fails to cure correctly.
 
I've used the paint and it did work, but like the others said, I wouldn't do it again. It cures at a much different speed than everything else and you usually don't get a usable blank as a result. Overloading the resin with any pigment can result in uncured or improperly cured blanks. Oil based paints do work properly though, you have to experiment with curing times. Andy hit it with using the castin craft opaque dyes. They work wonders. You can find the same stuff in larger quantities at www.uscomposites.com under polyester resin pigments. A little goes a LONG way with that stuff. Mix it in with the mica powders and you'll get outstanding character in your colors.

However, you still have promise with all those acrylic paints! If I remember reading correctly (and I think this came from Andy, but correct me if I'm wrong) that ceramichrome paint is great for reverse painting blanks and tubes.

Here's my very first blank done with paints and micas:
 
Last edited:
In my very limited use of PR, I have used artist oils to color the PR. Blend the color with a very small amount of Mineral spirits to make it easier to mix in the PR. I haven't yet tried this with Alumilite.
Charles
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom