Thread: Best paint to use for translucent/see-through acrylics

No hard and fast rules on what to use. Something that is fast dying so you can get on with things. I have used some of the cheap cans from Supercheap and they were fine. Just make sure it is dry before applying the glue so it doesn't soften up again and scrape off as you slide the brass tube in. Good idea to paint both the inside of the blank and also the outside of the brass tube.

Unfortunately this is the pitfall of the beautiful clear acrylic. I use a quick drying kids acrylic paint. I paint both the outside of the tube and the inside of the drilled pen blank. You can do several things, either use straight white, which brightens the colour, or use black which darkens the colour, or as I have done with the one pictured, I mixed p a colour similar to the blank and did the inside of the blank with that. You tend to lose some of the transparency appeal, but still lovely to look at. I don't think they thought things through about seeing though a 2mm wall. But as treecyle said, wait til paint fully dries before applying the epoxy, oh and scuff the tube before you paint.

Thanks Treecycle and Fumbler, 100% agree that it needs to be fast drying. Last paint I used was from the 2 dollar shop and it took days to dry, it was enamel though. Are you guys doing anything about the drilling marks left in the blank or are you just painting over the marks?

Unless you are doing something wrong, the bore of the blank should be reasonably smooth with no major gouges and painting should camouflage any minor imperfections.

Originally Posted by Tiger

Thanks Treecycle and Fumbler, 100% agree that it needs to be fast drying. Last paint I used was from the 2 dollar shop and it took days to dry, it was enamel though. Are you guys doing anything about the drilling marks left in the blank or are you just painting over the marks?

As Treecycle said there should be be any distinguishable cut marks or gouges from the drill, it should just be pasty and opaque. If you are seriously after the perfect polished blank inside then you need to go through the grits of wet dry, but then u run the risk of not having it fit the tube properly.

when you epoxy or CA glue the tube in, it acts actually returns the drilled hole clear again. Try it on a test piece, drill a hole, then put epoxy in the tube and you'll see the drill marks disappear. I found the biggest issue I had was I could see the scoring of the tube. As I noted before the CA made it crystal clear so all was revealed.

unless I am keeping the wall of the pen thick enough to not see the tube I won't use see through acrylics anymore.

acrylic - not enamel, dries in an hour, if that, it also depends on how thick you paint.

also u can buy pre-painted white and blackened tubes , 1 I know of is for the sierra.

I use nail polish for the inside of the blanks. You can buy cheap sets on Ebay. I have a drill reamers for the blanks, as you need to have a hole larger than required and there isn't always the drill size your need, plus it gives a better finish than a drill.