# Advice on back painting



## qquake (Mar 25, 2020)

I ordered this blank not realizing just how translucent it is. I will be painting the tube, coloring the epoxy, and back painting the blank. But what color? Black? Gold? Copper?


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## Kenny Durrant (Mar 25, 2020)

I try to use a color that will enhance the blank. I wouldn’t use black because it might kill the red in the blank.


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## jttheclockman (Mar 25, 2020)

I would experiment. May want to try metallic blue. Here is an example. I had shown this when I made this pen set. I tried white and it washed it out(left) I tried a brown/red mix and it muddied the blank (bottom right side of blank) and settled on metallic blue which brought out the orange and highlighted the black (top right) I should have mentioned I tried black also but made the blank too dark and washed out the whites. Also mention I only back painted the blank and no need to paint tubes. I never do that. I will at time add some color to epoxy but not always. I did not in this case. All the Sierra pens I just shown were back painted with a color close to the blank color but that was because there were no veins running through them.


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## its_virgil (Mar 25, 2020)

Drill and turn between centers with or without the tube. If you use the tube do not glue it in place but the ends will need to be milled. Yes, the blank can be turned without the tube or with the tube inserted but not glued in place. 

Paint several colors of paint on a dowel rod and insert it into the blank moving the blank to the different colors. Pick the one you like best. Keep the stick, or sticks, for use next time.

Do a good turn daily! Don


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## magpens (Mar 25, 2020)

I would use copper-red on that one.

EDIT: . I like Don's idea (post immediately above) of a painted stick to check out the effect of a particular color.


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## ramaroodle (Mar 25, 2020)

jttheclockman said:


> I would experiment. May want to try metallic blue. Here is an example. I had shown this when I made this pen set. I tried white and it washed it out(left) I tried a brown/red mix and it muddied the blank (bottom right side of blank) and settled on metallic blue which brought out the orange and highlighted the black (top right) I should have mentioned I tried black also but made the blank too dark and washed out the whites. Also mention I only back painted the blank and no need to paint tubes. I never do that. I will at time add some color to epoxy but not always. I did not in this case. All the Sierra pens I just shown were back painted with a color close to the blank color but that was because there were no veins running through them. View attachment 235663View attachment 235664


Ooooo! I like that look.


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## jttheclockman (Mar 25, 2020)

its_virgil said:


> Drill and turn between centers with or without the tube. If you use the tube do not glue it in place but the ends will need to be milled. Yes, the blank can be turned without the tube or with the tube inserted but not glued in place.
> 
> Paint several colors of paint on a dowel rod and insert it into the blank moving the blank to the different colors. Pick the one you like best. Keep the stick, or sticks, for use next time.
> 
> Do a good turn daily! Don


You can turn with tube if you use bushings but not if you TBC. The blank will spin on the tube. Drill and turn blank round down close to finish size and do as Don suggested. Find color, paint and glue in tube and finish turning to proper size. I remember years ago someone made the color stick and shown that idea. I bet is has to be over 10 years ago. Maybe it was Don.


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## FrankH (Mar 25, 2020)

Wow!  I would never have thought to paint metallic blue.  the pen and letter opener are fantastic.


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## jttheclockman (Mar 25, 2020)

FrankH said:


> Wow!  I would never have thought to paint metallic blue.  the pen and letter opener are fantastic.


That is the thing you never know what colors will do for a blank I wish I had taken a photo of the black sample I did and shown that compared to blue. Huge difference. But I threw it out.


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## TonyL (Mar 25, 2020)

I would love to see how it looks when you are done. I have reverse painted and painted tubes, but for something that see-thru, I can always see the drill marks (I even sanded them how and didn't like the way it came out) . Good luck and let us see it please. Thank you.


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## qquake (Mar 26, 2020)

I haven't decided what to do yet. This blank isn't just translucent, it's almost clear in places. Whatever color I use will definitely show through. I think black would be too dark. I'm leaning towards something metallic, but I just don't know.


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## TonyL (Mar 26, 2020)

Rust-colored /red primer?


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## MPVic (Mar 26, 2020)

its_virgil said:


> Drill and turn between centers with or without the tube. If you use the tube do not glue it in place but the ends will need to be milled. Yes, the blank can be turned without the tube or with the tube inserted but not glued in place.
> 
> Paint several colors of paint on a dowel rod and insert it into the blank moving the blank to the different colors. Pick the one you like best. Keep the stick, or sticks, for use next time.
> 
> Do a good turn daily! Don


Test stick is an excellent idea!


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## Larryreitz (Mar 26, 2020)

Jim, thanks for posting this.  I didn't look at it last night and boy am I glad I clicked on it this AM.  Thanks to the advice offered by John T and Don Ward  this thread is one of the most useful I have ever read.
Larry


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## qquake (Mar 26, 2020)

TonyL said:


> Rust-colored /red primer?



That's not a bad idea.


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## Curly (Mar 26, 2020)

I've mentioned it before but it bears repeating. Polish the end of the blank and then cut a thin slice off. Now you can put it on any colour you want to see the effect. Coloured paper, spray bomb lids, fabrics, nail polish bottles, anything. Once you find the colour you like you can get some of it in your favourite paint and use it. Also good for seeing what colours can do to enhance a blank or kill it.


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## mick (Mar 28, 2020)

Like Magpens suggested a nice coppery red would pop! I want add something tho. Since the blank is so transparent. If after drilling the hole isrough or looks too dull or cloudy run some rolled up sandpaper through it and then polish a bit. You'll be surprised the difference it will make. 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## qquake (Mar 28, 2020)

Ah, the old "sandpaper on a stick" trick! I used to use that a lot building rockets.

I bought this today.


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## mick (Mar 28, 2020)

That is perfect! 

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## qquake (Mar 28, 2020)

Even without sanding the inside of the hole, you can clearly see the brass tube through it.


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## qquake (Mar 28, 2020)

We'll see.


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## mick (Mar 28, 2020)

That color is going to be fantastic! Be sure you post the finished pen.

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## qquake (Mar 28, 2020)

I colored the epoxy too. I'll turn it tomorrow.


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## qquake (Mar 29, 2020)

Hard to say until I finish shaping and polishing it.


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## qquake (Mar 29, 2020)

I don't like it. I'm guessing the radial scratches are drill marks. I thought the paint would hide them. I should have used the sandpaper-on-a-stick like Mick suggested. I do have enough of the blank left to try again.


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## jttheclockman (Mar 29, 2020)

A blank that transparent definitely needs to have the inside sanded and polished. As I always say take a blank and break it down to layers. When all said and done. Top coat, blank material, inside blank material, adhesive, and then tube. Looks like the color will work for you though.


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## qquake (Mar 29, 2020)

I've been thinking about it, and even if I polished the inside, it still wouldn't look good. If I back paint it, the paint would show. If I paint the brass tube and/or color the epoxy, it would show. I can't imagine the blank looking good no matter what I do.


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## jttheclockman (Mar 29, 2020)

qquake said:


> I've been thinking about it, and even if I polished the inside, it still wouldn't look good. If I back paint it, the paint would show. If I paint the brass tube and/or color the epoxy, it would show. I can't imagine the blank looking good no matter what I do.


How do you figure that. Those type blanks are used alot. The key to a good paint job is to spray it and not brush it. Spray in from both ends and let drip free. Do it all the time. Just need to make sure the hole is large enough that you do not scrape it when putting tube in. You can do it. Do not give up.


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## TonyL (Mar 29, 2020)

Does any one have an issue with seeing the drill marks when painting the inside of the barrel? I have even sanded the inside of the tubes almost to the point of almost changing the inside diameter of the barrel.


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## qquake (Mar 29, 2020)

I suppose to the uninitiated they might look like part of the design. But I still think they're ugly.


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## TonyL (Mar 29, 2020)

qquake said:


> I suppose to the uninitiated they might look like part of the design. But I still think they're ugly.


Nice finish though. As I wrote, I bought special mandrel to sand the inside...it was smoother, but still not to my liking.


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## qquake (Mar 30, 2020)

I think the problem is, parts of this blank aren't just translucent, they're downright clear. Normally, with translucent blanks, I back paint, paint the tube, and color the epoxy to prevent seeing the "glow" (for lack of a better term) from the brass tube showing through. Especially at the ends, where the material is the thinnest. But with this blank, everything you do is going to show through.


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## qquake (Mar 30, 2020)

I decided to experiment with the other half of the blank. I'll sand the inside and see how it looks.


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## Xel (Mar 30, 2020)

TonyL said:


> Does any one have an issue with seeing the drill marks when painting the inside of the barrel?


Have you tried chemical polishing with DCM? My drill bit left spiral gouges in a dear - but rather transparent - blank. I used an extra induction hotplate instead of the hairdryer and a small bottle of Goof-Off for the chemical itself, but everything else was basically the same set-up (including the adequate ventilation!).  Downsides were 1) still having to manually sand the worst of it, and 2) the inside being so smooth resulted in decreased paint adhesion to the inside of the tube.  Still think it was worth it.

Maybe it'll help.


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## qquake (Mar 30, 2020)

Do you have any photos of your blank, especially before and after?


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## TonyL (Mar 30, 2020)

Xel said:


> Have you tried chemical polishing with DCM? My drill bit left spiral gouges in a dear - but rather transparent - blank. I used an extra induction hotplate instead of the hairdryer and a small bottle of Goof-Off for the chemical itself, but everything else was basically the same set-up (including the adequate ventilation!).  Downsides were 1) still having to manually sand the worst of it, and 2) the inside being so smooth resulted in decreased paint adhesion to the inside of the tube.  Still think it was worth it.
> 
> Maybe it'll help.


Thank you. I will read. I did try acetone, but not the above, Thx.


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## TonyL (Mar 30, 2020)

Hi. thank you. i read the above post years ago. And forgot why i never tried it.


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## TonyL (Mar 30, 2020)

qquake said:


> Do you have any photos of your blank, especially before and after?


the link has before and after shots by Brad.


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## qquake (Mar 30, 2020)

I meant photos of Xel's blank.


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## TonyL (Mar 30, 2020)

qquake said:


> I meant photos of Xel's blank.


sorry about that.


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## jttheclockman (Mar 30, 2020)

Just be aware if you are using any type of polish inside it needs to be stripped before back painting or it will not stick well. I have had luck with starting with 220 grit paper and then 320 and 400 and then 600 wet sanding paper. Just like the outside of a blank, remember to sand lengthwise not with the spirals of the drill bits.


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## Xel (Mar 30, 2020)

qquake said:


> Do you have any photos of your blank, especially before and after?


Not of the drilled hole since I didn't take a picture, but I can get you close. The blank on the left shows a similar "haze" to the one I was working with: just imagine it in the center surrounding a hole. Right was chemically polished, backpainted black, and the tube pushed in VERY carefully (again, paint adhesion problem when it's that smooth) with multi-stage CA flooding. I'm pleased with how it turned out, though perhaps I'll try John's suggestion of scuffing the inside next time.


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## qquake (Mar 30, 2020)

The black painted blank looks great. I thought about back painting mine black, but I think it has too much black in it already.


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## randyrls (Mar 31, 2020)

That blank is lovely, the brass isn't...  So omit the tube.  I've seen and never made pens that were transparent so the mechanism showed thru mostly on fountain pens.


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## pshrynk (Mar 31, 2020)

Xel said:


> Not of the drilled hole since I didn't take a picture, but I can get you close. The blank on the left shows a similar "haze" to the one I was working with: just imagine it in the center surrounding a hole. Right was chemically polished, backpainted black, and the tube pushed in VERY carefully (again, paint adhesion problem when it's that smooth) with multi-stage CA flooding. I'm pleased with how it turned out, though perhaps I'll try John's suggestion of scuffing the inside next time.


Is that gold leaf?  Dear Lord, how much do you charge for those pens?


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## mick (Mar 31, 2020)

qquake said:


> I suppose to the uninitiated they might look like part of the design. But I still think they're ugly.


I've not done many pens using a clear blank, but enough that I mentioned the inside sanding. It's been my experiencethat, like you said, nothing I did looked good. I've since begun thinking of transparent blanks as only good for kitless fountain pens that use no tube and polished the same inside and out. 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## woodenbuffalo27 (May 14, 2021)

its_virgil said:


> Drill and turn between centers with or without the tube. If you use the tube do not glue it in place but the ends will need to be milled. Yes, the blank can be turned without the tube or with the tube inserted but not glued in place.
> 
> Paint several colors of paint on a dowel rod and insert it into the blank moving the blank to the different colors. Pick the one you like best. Keep the stick, or sticks, for use next time.
> 
> Do a good turn daily! Don



I'm turning pens for my seniors, need to have them done by Monday. Using Pen Makers Choice Crocus blanks from Craft Supplies USA on Aero kits. I turned my one extra just on the brass to see how I liked it, didn't like it. I've been trying to reason out the different colors to paint the insides with, while keeping them all the same, and without screwing up, you had the solution! Turning without the brass tube inserted and the painted rod is perfection. Just what I needed!


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