# Correct paint with acrylic?



## keithbyrd (Jun 14, 2017)

I am looking at painting pictures on tubes and casting them making tube in blanks.  Before I waste a lot of time and supplies is there a paint that works best or won't work at all for this?  I have cast with alumilite but not any of the other resins but no objection to branching out.


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## chartle (Jun 14, 2017)

I would first do some tests, but I think something like Testors model paint would work. Maybe oils. No water based acrylics.


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## keithbyrd (Jun 14, 2017)

I agree Cliff - Does the water based acrylics react negatively to alumilite?


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## chartle (Jun 14, 2017)

Alumilite hates water. It's a polyurethane based resin like original gorilla glue.


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## KenV (Jun 14, 2017)

Keith

Have you looked at the work of Bob in SF with paint and casting?


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## bmachin (Jun 14, 2017)

Cliff,

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty certain that water in acrylic paint is just a vehicle.  Once the paint is completely dry there's not going to be a problem.  Waterborne is probably a more accurate term than water based, since the water takes no part in forming the paint film.  Sort of like mineral spirits or lacquer thinner.

It would certainly be worth running a test though.

FWIW,

Bill


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## chartle (Jun 14, 2017)

bmachin said:


> Once the paint is completely dry



Is the issue. Also not sure how it would handle the heat, but I'm not sure how hot Alumiite gets.


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## bmachin (Jun 14, 2017)

Keith,

Alumilite does not get all that hot in reasonable quantities; i.e. pen blank sizes. 

I don't think you can go wrong with either oils or acrylics, but some quick and dirty experiments with whatever you have on hand would be cheap enough.  Just put some paint swatches of different types on some sort of substrate, let it dry, build a dam around them, cover with alumilite and see what happens.  Use whatever you have on hand and you aren't out anything.

Bill


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## keithbyrd (Jun 15, 2017)

yes - I have but will go back through it!  Good suggestion!
Thanks!


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## keithbyrd (Jun 15, 2017)

bmachin said:


> Keith,
> 
> Alumilite does not get all that hot in reasonable quantities; i.e. pen blank sizes.
> 
> ...



Thanks Bill - I will set. u some tests and post back what works!!


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## chartle (Jun 15, 2017)

keithbyrd said:


> yes - I have but will go back through it!  Good suggestion!
> Thanks!



I think for this application I think cleaning the tube is probably more important than just for gluing. I would put the tube on the lathe and maybe get some 500 grit paper on it to clean it and scratch it up a bit.

I've done this when I wanted the brass to show.


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