# Back Painting / Tube Painting , Opinions/Paints



## adirondak5 (Sep 7, 2016)

Hi all , I'm fairly new to pen making & turning . Hopefully I posted in the proper forum . I am actively researching this now but thought I would also ask your opinions here . What is a good paint for back painting AA blanks and such , tubes also . Do you try to color match as close as possible , say a translucent blue with white ribbons , what colors would you back paint with ? What paints would you use ? 
Thanks for looking .


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## mike4066 (Sep 7, 2016)

I use inexpensive acrylic paint that you can buy at any store with a craft / paint section. 

As for the color, it depends on what you want.  I use a similar color as the blank, or black/white if I don't have something close.   Remember that the color you use on the back painting can affect the acrylic color.  

Also let the paint CURE before trying to glue up. If not the glue can smear the paint and make the tube show through once turned down, or the blank won't stick to the tube (DAMHIK).  I usually let mine sit overnight before gluing the tubes.


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## mike4066 (Sep 7, 2016)

Here is an example of the same blank reverse painted two different colors, one is white, the other is black. 

(not my pens, they were part of a demo at the MPG in Ohio this year)


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## randyrls (Sep 7, 2016)

Paint the inside of the tube (not the blank) with spray paint in a rattle can.  WEAR GLOVES!!!!   

I paint ALL ACRYLIC blanks!!!  On very transparent blanks, you can sometimes see the glue.  It isn't pretty.  Hold the drilled blank up to a light.  If you can see light coming thru the side of the blank, paint the blank.  See first line in paragraph.

White will make the colors lighter and more vibrant.  Black or gray will mute the colors.
On a white blank, the blank will take up the color of the spray paint.  (hint, hint).

These two pens were made for a baby shower.  The mother to be was having twins.  One boy, one girl.  The blanks are the same.  The inside of one sprayed with hot pink, the other with baby blue.

View in Gallery


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## lhowell (Sep 7, 2016)

It depends on what look you are going for. I usually will paint the inside of the hole drilled in the blank with flat black spray paint but it will darken the entire blank up tremendously. If I want to color match I use Testor's model paints or cheap nail polish (don't tell my wife I use her nail polish!!) and once again paint the inside of the hole in the blanks. 
The reason I prefer to paint the inside of the blank is painting the tube can still show through imperfections and glue bubbles if you do not have a perfect fit between the tube and hole in the blanks.


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## Rounder (Sep 7, 2016)

You can also take a dowel rod and paint several different colors in bands on it. You can then slide it through your blank and see the different affect of particular colors.


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## adirondak5 (Sep 7, 2016)

Thanks a lot folks ! Looking through youtube and google searches provided some good insight , but the answers and pictures here provided more . Its nice to have access to that base of knowledge


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## mg_dreyer (Sep 9, 2016)

The yellow pens above were part of my demo in Ohio. I use Testors paint to paint the hole with a q-tip. For 7 mm you will also want to over-drill. I use a 9/16" bit to give me the clearance for the paint. Never had an issue with the 10 mm and bigger. I know a lot of people suggest painting the tube and it works, but what you are trying to accomplish is bouncing the light back to the blank. Painting the hole the light will reflect through the blank and then back. Painting the tube the light now must pass through glue also. Both work. You can choose my experimenting. Just my opinion.


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## mg_dreyer (Sep 9, 2016)

As you can see for the demo pens above you can also take advantage of the fitting to fool the eye on the color. The darker pen has black fittings to enhance the dark tones, the light used silver. Adjacent colors impact the perceived colors.


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## Edgar (Sep 9, 2016)

I also use spray paint in the shake/rattle cans - generally Krylon acrylic paint. I spray the inside of the blank 1-2 sec from each side and I also paint the tube (probably not needed, but I do it anyway). Usually I paint the tube & blank the same color, but sometimes I do use different colors (I can't give a specific reason why - sometimes it just strikes me that they should be different or maybe I just want to experiment.)

The paint must be allowed to cure fully. I generally give it at least 2-3 days, sometimes more. Depending on build-up, it may be necessary to run the drill bit through the blank again before glue-up. I do this by hand to avoid heating the paint with power drilling.

As you have seen, there are lots of ways to approach this. Try several & see which you like best. You might even wind up with your own variation.


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## adirondak5 (Sep 9, 2016)

mg_dreyer said:


> The yellow pens above were part of my demo in Ohio. I use Testors paint to paint the hole with a q-tip. For 7 mm you will also want to over-drill. I use a 9/16" bit to give me the clearance for the paint. Never had an issue with the 10 mm and bigger. I know a lot of people suggest painting the tube and it works, but what you are trying to accomplish is bouncing the light back to the blank. Painting the hole the light will reflect through the blank and then back. Painting the tube the light now must pass through glue also. Both work. You can choose my experimenting. Just my opinion.





mg_dreyer said:


> As you can see for the demo pens above you can also take advantage of the fitting to fool the eye on the color. The darker pen has black fittings to enhance the dark tones, the light used silver. Adjacent colors impact the perceived colors.




mg , thanks for the advice and added prospective on hardware color , those yellow pens really show what you are saying , and they are beautifully done .




Edgar said:


> I also use spray paint in the shake/rattle cans - generally Krylon acrylic paint. I spray the inside of the blank 1-2 sec from each side and I also paint the tube (probably not needed, but I do it anyway). Usually I paint the tube & blank the same color, but sometimes I do use different colors (I can't give a specific reason why - sometimes it just strikes me that they should be different or maybe I just want to experiment.)
> 
> The paint must be allowed to cure fully. I generally give it at least 2-3 days, sometimes more. Depending on build-up, it may be necessary to run the drill bit through the blank again before glue-up. I do this by hand to avoid heating the paint with power drilling.
> 
> As you have seen, there are lots of ways to approach this. Try several & see which you like best. You might even wind up with your own variation.



Edgar , thanks for your take on this . Its a big help getting all these prospectives on this , I am probably over thinking this as I do most things but I like going into projects with at least an educated idea of what I am trying to accomplish and why .


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## KenV (Sep 9, 2016)

Ed at Exotic Blanks has a video or two showing some techniques 

I sometimes use more than one color in streaks, where each color provides reinforcement to different hues in the blank.

Silver may be the overall best fall-back option, and for blanks that are transparent or translucent, polishing scratches out of the inside of the blank changes the appearance.

Play with it and have fun learning ---


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## Dalepix (Sep 9, 2016)

Has anyone tried using something like the Krylon "Looking Glass" mirror paint inside the blank?  I was wondering if it would up the albedo and what effect that might have.


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## adirondak5 (Sep 9, 2016)

KenV said:


> Ed at Exotic Blanks has a video or two showing some techniques
> 
> I sometimes use more than one color in streaks, where each color provides reinforcement to different hues in the blank.
> 
> ...



Yep Ken , I watched Ed's video's yesterday , he's got some good ones . I like his method being I am in a basement shop and have 3 young Grandsons my wife and I are raising . The acrylic paints a q-tip method looks to be the most convenient in my case , so that's what I'm gonna try first . I've picked up some of the 2 oz bottles of paint from Michaels @ .79 a bottle so it'll be a cheap experiment . I've already prepped a paint stick with all the primary colors like Ed had in his video , and I also noted his comment and yours about silver , I made sure that was on the Michaels list . Thanks for the reply


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## Warren White (Sep 9, 2016)

*Just my .02 worth...*

... What I do is paint the inside of the blank with Rust-oleum spray white primer.  They have some that say on the can that it bonds to plastic.  I use white on everything because, for me, it enhances the color in the blank.

I have occasionally tried painting the tubes as well, but it doesn't seem to add anything to the result.

I spray from both ends; let it dry and apply 3 or 4 coats.  I then let it dry for a few days before I epoxy the tubes in.  I think it is important not to rush the process.


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## Curly (Sep 9, 2016)

mg_dreyer said:


> ........For 7 mm you will also want to over-drill. I use a 9/16" bit to give me the clearance for the paint. Never had an issue with the 10 mm and bigger.......



Are you sure you meant to write 9/16" and not something closer to 5/16"?


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## mg_dreyer (Sep 9, 2016)

Curly you are correct on the typo 9/32


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## adirondak5 (Sep 13, 2016)

First back painted blank , also painted the brass tube , Teal Tempest AA blank from Exotic Blanks . I painted the brass tube and inner hole in blank silver , this blank was pretty translucent once it was turned down , I got good coverage with the acrylic paint and you can't see any glue gaps , used epoxy . Thanks for all the tips folks


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