Acrylic pen tubes show through

[Tiger]

I've noticed that on the acrylic pens that I've made over the years the brass tube shows through in places. It's not evident everywhere on the pen but and it's happened on different color acrylic blanks. Is this common?

[dai sensei]

Yes. You can paint your tubes, or buy precoated ones, or paint the inside of the blanks before gluing up, all help the issue.

[_fly_]

:whs: Painting the inside of the blank works a treat. Its amazing what 2 different colours can look like

[Jim Carroll]

The next question will be what type of paint are you using.

[Treecycle]

Any spray can that is cheap. They all seem to work ok.

[_fly_]

Those cheap acrylic paints they sell in the junk shops work fine.
saw 6 different colours for 11 bucks yesterday. Those ones they sell everywhere for 2.50 a tube.
These are to paint inside the blank before glueing std tubes..

Guessing any spray can is if you want to paint tubes before glueing.

[cookie48]

I use little model paint cans. Have not run out and still lots left in cans. Apply to inside of blanks with cotton bud. Works a treat. Just try and use similar colour to main colour of blanks. That is what I do anyway.

[_fly_]

Yep, The old model airplane paint (enamel) is even better for the inside of blanks.

[dartman]

I have been using colored sharpies with no ill effects.

[Treecycle]

Good idea Dartman. At least with them you don't get any buildup so if the hole in the blank is a neat fit, it won't be too tight and scrape the paint off. Also no drying time.

[dai sensei]

I have been using colored sharpies with no ill effects.

I assume you mean black, not much good for white. Also, do not cast with using sharpies, it can dissolve discolouring the resin

[Tiger]

Thanks to everyone who has contributed here, another thing to think about when making pens.

[rodent]

As Brian at pops shed Woodturning Tools, Woodturning Timber, Woodturner Accessories, Woodcarver Supplies, Woodturning Equipment - Pop's Shed (http://www.popsshed.com.au/)
he got some in for us that were pre coated white . They come in 12inch lengths .:2tsup:

[bdar]

A tip I got from Marla was to use silver spray paint. I didn't have silver but I have chrome. I used it to spray the drilled hole of my pink camo Sierra and it came up well.

[Tiger]

I've got some white acrylic paint at home that was used to paint doors I think, will that do?

Also what colour do you use, does it depend on the actual blank if so, how do you determine what colour to use?

[thompy]

i use discarded nail polish, and go with usually matching the colours sometimes a contrast can be really neat and highlight an element, depends on what your after and experience plays a part, i like the nail polish as its brush on, acetone off, dry in 5 mins and a wide colour selection for nix if you have a missus / mum / sister / aunt / etc. sometimes i'm even allowed to use current ones for a bribe..."i'll make you a purple one..can i use your purple?" your luck may vary..

Neal.

[Pariss]

i use discarded nail polish, and go with usually matching the colours sometimes a contrast can be really neat and highlight an element, depends on what your after and experience plays a part, i like the nail polish as its brush on, acetone off, dry in 5 mins and a wide colour selection for nix if you have a missus / mum / sister / aunt / etc. sometimes i'm even allowed to use current ones for a bribe..."i'll make you a purple one..can i use your purple?" your luck may vary..

Neal.

Also, another great use for nail polish is in place of 'Locktite' on small bolts & screws that seem to always work loose. I always carry a couple of bottles of nail polish in my work 'carry-in tool kit', as well as a tube of red lipstick (for marking out opposing drill points using the 'touch together' method), and boy, do I get some comments & looks. :oo::rolleyes::no:

[thompy]

hahahaha... man, old lockies bags of tricks eh...i used to use nail polish into the screw heads to tell me if a staffer had tried to key retrieve before calling me on the S&G's, heh and the 590 cylinder screws i think they were, always coming loose.

Neal.

[Tiger]

Also, another great use for nail polish is in place of 'Locktite' on small bolts & screws that seem to always work loose.

Well that's your story...

[Tiger]

Thanks Neal but just thinking about this whole thing you never see the tube when you first turn the pen so what happens in the ensuing months, why does the acrylic blank become see through?

Asked about the nail polish and was given a less than friendly reception, what about your run of the mill acrylic white house paint?

[thompy]

In some pens i've left the tube intentionally unpainted for a particular effect, i usually guage an acrylics transparency by having a sneak peak down the tube after drilling but prior to the tube installment, this also gives you an idea of how the pattern externally will be as you'll turn it very close to the pattern you'll be looking at.

i cant say as i've ever had the issue where an acrylic has become more transparent. Perhaps if left on a dashboard copping the uv or sun all day or chemicals reacting with the resign in some way, in any case a looked after acrylic should remain at the level you left it.

and yeap i did say your luck may vary...i did say discarded though, so no longer in fashion very old bottles, can get em quite cheaply at $2 stores or chemists selling out old ranges etc. if your reception at home got frosty.

I found the nail enamel route worked for me and does exactly what i want it to and expect it to, doesnt react with my glue or acrylic, dries fast, doesnt use airborne delivery, cleans up with acetone (i use it for ca cleaning too), and gives me an available range of colours cheaply..

i cant speak for acrylic house paint, not tried it. give it a go if its a readily available source for you.

Neal

[Tiger]

After a little bit of begging I've been offered some nail polish but it has glitter in it, what do you think?

[Jack.Tar]

I paint the inside of all my acrylic blanks now with a spray can, I just give it a quick squirt from each end, wait for that to dry (doesn't take long) then do it again. Works great and it is very easy which is awesome because I am very lazy.

[thompy]

small glitter flakes can add a sparkle, depending on how transparent the acrylic is, and what colour the nail polish is under your primary acrylic colours.

I'll post some pics below with sml breifs, if thats a help.

Pic 1. This pen was so transparent i had no choise but to use the white to highlight the colours, and whitewash the brass so it didnt detract from the main focus of the pen, it did make it difficult to capture the depth in the pen though, open the pic full screen size too, where its white in the pic pretty much was frosty is the best description i can use, almost totally clear the white your seeing is the tube paint...

pic 2. unpainted, but if you blow the pic up full size you'll see the glue bubbles and swirls over the brass beneath the acrylic, i was shooting for a "sand under water" kind of effect, and it features in parts of the pen that were less than full in the acrylic colour, i rekon i nailed it.

pic 3. This one was almost as transparent as the two above but using the purple with light glitter on the tube really both hid the transparency and added to the pen i think, glitzy!!

Hope thats a help, can do some pretty cool stuff with tube colours and acrylics, and close to tube turnings, have a play and see how you do, you can also buy spare tubes usually and have a play around without buying the full kit, then you can kit up whatever one you feel fits the kit or your most happy with.

Neal.

[thompy]

Ohh almost forgot to add a tip for ya tiger, as frosty as the reception might be, i wonder if it would be so bad if you offered to buy her next bottle new for your pick of her old ones...rotate her stocks and yours by default.

or buying her more and more till she overflows the bathroom / dresser drawer and begs you to take some...

heh more than one way to colour a tube i rekon.

Neal.

[Tiger]

Thanks Neal, very helpful expecially the pics.