# Painting tube and /or blank?



## Mack C. (Sep 30, 2008)

I will be turning a Sierra Click with a red acrylic blank for the 2nd time. The brass tube showed through on the 1st attempt.

I have read some threads where it was suggested to paint the tube and/or the inside of the blank as well.

This seemed like a great idea, so I trot off to the hobby shop to buy some acrylic paint.

5 shades of red available, no problem to pick out the colour nearest to the blank. Do you want oil base or water soluble? Huh! Do you want gloss or flat? Another Huh!

Long story short, for $2.99 + tax I come away with 1/3 fluid oz. of water soluble flat red acrylic paint.

Here's where you people come in -- do I use it to paint the tube and inside the blank or do I go back and exchange it for oil base gloss.


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## hilltopper46 (Sep 30, 2008)

I use a satin or flat spray paint and spray down through the center of the blank. My theory is the flat paint will bind with the glue better.

After the paint dries for a few hours, I hold my finger over end of the blank and stand under a bright fluorescent light and hold the other end up to my eye, to make sure the center of the blank now lets little or no light through.  

Once I am happy with the amount of paint in the blank I let it dry until I cannot smell the paint any more with my nose right at the end of the blank..  This may take longer than you like.  I then use epoxy to glue the tubes because it doesn't seem to react or dissolve the paint.

Hope this helps.


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## Snorton20 (Sep 30, 2008)

Personally, I use Testors enamel and use an epoxy based glue.  Using the epoxy glue prevents the paint from bleeding and the possibility of the tube showing through the blank. (I have had this problem with CA glue.)  Doing it this way I only had to paint the blank which saves time and hassle.  Also if you use my method and use a Gorilla Glue or Sumo Glue put a rubber band around it after the tube is set in place otherwise there might be a possibility of the tube exiting the blank when the glue is setting up. After an hour of two the glue has set up, take a razor and cut the excess glue and rubber band off.  Also to Paint the inside of the blank I use CHEAP Q-TIPS two coats. Hope this helps.


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## marcruby (Sep 30, 2008)

I always paint the blank, sometimes I will also paint the tube.  Water based paints are fine, just remember to use epoxy, not CA with whatever paint you choose.


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## NewLondon88 (Sep 30, 2008)

I more or less combine what everyone else is saying .. I use epoxy on the tubes, but I color the epoxy first.

I picked up a cheap set of pastel sticks (like colored chalk) in a variety of colors. I shave off a little into the epoxy before I mix the two parts. That way, I have colored epoxy on the tube, so even if you could see through the blank, you wouldn't know it because the tube is now about the same color.

If you have pigments for casting resins, you could use that also. In fact, the white is opaque and probably makes a good base.


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## BruceA (Oct 1, 2008)

*Another suggestion*

I've concluded you can do three things - paint the inside of the blank, paint the tube, and tint the epoxy.  If you paint the tube, I'm finding that is the first barrier to cover brass.  When I paint the blank, I paint a brass tube at the same time so I'm double-covered.  

For paint, Walmart has a $9.95 acrylic paint set that are perfect.  It cleans up with water, and includes 32 colors.  Check it out.

You can purchase inexpensive brushes at Harbor Freight - like 30 for $2.99.

The Testor's is expensive, and requires paint thinner to clean up.


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## JohnU (Oct 1, 2008)

I often paint my tubes and blanks with acrylic craft paint from walmart.  I let them set over night so they dry well.  I usually mix a little water with them to thin it out so I dont add too much thickness to get in the way of pushing the tubes in the drilled hole and scrape the paint off.


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## Rudy Vey (Oct 1, 2008)

When I do acrylics, I paint both the inside of the blank and the outside of the brass tube with Testor's model paint - I try to match the color of the blank.
For glue I use 5 min epoxy - so far I have had no failures.


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## rherrell (Oct 1, 2008)

mackc said:


> Here's where you people come in -- do I use it to paint the tube and inside the blank or do I go back and exchange it for oil base gloss.


Exchange it for white. I only use white (powder coat) and Brass Ager, a chemical that turns brass kinda black. I use white on all the lighter colors and the Brass Ager on the dark. White will liven up red, red will subdue it.


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## TellicoTurning (Oct 1, 2008)

I've only painted two or three tubes.. kinda of a new technique for me, but I use the Testor's hobby paints and also add a drop or two of what ever color I was using to the epoxy when I glued the tubes in... worked out great.... one occasion I even mixed colors to get a pink color for the Granddaughter's gift pen.


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## Mack C. (Oct 1, 2008)

Thanks everyone for your input with respect to my question. It appears there are many solutions. I will endeavour to give them all try.


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## rjwolfe3 (Oct 1, 2008)

BruceA said:


> I've concluded you can do three things - paint the inside of the blank, paint the tube, and tint the epoxy. If you paint the tube, I'm finding that is the first barrier to cover brass. When I paint the blank, I paint a brass tube at the same time so I'm double-covered.
> 
> For paint, Walmart has a $9.95 acrylic paint set that are perfect. It cleans up with water, and includes 32 colors. Check it out.
> 
> ...


 

At my Walmart this paint set is half price for less than $5.  I picked up 2 sets today.  They said they are discontinuing them.  Get them while they last.


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## ranchonodinero (Oct 8, 2008)

I tinted or dyed the epoxy.  Local woodworking store pointed me in the right direction as far as which dyes work with epoxy.  I've only tried white so far, but was very pleased.


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## bitshird (Oct 8, 2008)

I chicken, I powder coat the tubes, either white, black or 90% reflective chrome, I also use resin dye to color white and black epoxy, Sorry, I haven't had to yet, if I can get by with white, a lot of times I'll use polyurethane glue "Gorilla or Sumo" . done a bunch of PR and only had one show through, that's when I started doing it this way, Powder coating rigs go on sale at Harbor freight for 59.95 and powder is cheap, it also can be used to color resin for casting. Not as good as polyester pigment but it works.


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