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I'm being asked to gold fill a logo engraved into the lid of wood box. I've never found a gold paint that looks good, and paint filling wood is usually just asking for trouble, so I don't think I want to go there...
You guys talk about gold foil- I've never used the stuff. I see that it's adhesive backed and I assume laserable. Not sure it's do-able to after-fill wood engraving. Is it? If so, is it a vector-cut-afterward thing, push in what you need in and weed off the rest?
This may not be what you are after but there are four main methods I use:
1) Application of 23.5 Carat Gold Leaf
2) Hand Painting in with either One Shot Metallic Gold (looks very good indeed, very close to a real gold look)
3) “Flooding” with metallic acrylic artists paint, there are many threads on this forum about filling engraving using acrylic
3) Masking before engraving and spray painting with a rattle can. Ensure your masking tape is well adhered and the adhesive in the tape will not be too affected by the solvents in the rattle can paint.
Having said all that, filling with Gold Leaf on laser engraved wood can be problematic due to the grain of the wood left from laser engraving - some woods are better than others.
Not sure if this was of use in your case.
I use 1 Shot Metallic Gold also. I looks good on dark wood
thanks for the responses :)
I'll have to look into the 1-shot, see if anyone local has some. While I love Testor's model paint, their metallics (silver and gold) just don't look right to me when painting anything broader than text. And even when it looks 'good', the gold still looks like gold paint rather than resembling actual gold.
I could possibly tool engrave the logo(s), which would eliminate any 'fluffy' grain issues. The problem is, the logo goes on the inside/bottom of the lid. Do-able, but not sure what the boxes look like...
Time to ask for a test unit.
Kev
I doubt that gold foil will work. I found a very good gold paint at Hobby Lobby. It's called Precious Metals gold leaf. A 1.75 oz. jar is about $5. The picture doesn't quite show how real this color is.
Hi Kev, When I hurriedly replied to your post earlier on I did not realise it was you, with your new rainbow avatar!
I needed some One Shot paint just before Christmas and could not get it in time - but then found it on Amazon! So you could always try there if you are stuck in your area (I am in the UK).
Hope you have a fantastic new year.
One Shot brand paint is not a hobby product like Testor's paints. It is a relatively expensive material used by professional sign painters. I use it for painting engravings I have carved on my CNC router and it looks good. I don't know about filling large grooves with any paint though. The work I do looks a lot like Mike Null's example.
I primarily use Rustoleum Metallic Gold from a rattle can. It's the best imitation gold paint I've seen other than Matthews. Honestly when you're talking about interior paint, you have a lot more options. They can put crap in the paint to make it sparkle that won't last outside.
On exterior uses, you can use Modern Masters (which I'm honestly not a big fan of but many people love it) or Nova Color (they have 4-5 to choose from. I mix them to get a color I want). One Shot gold looks dull in comparison to all of these. Many in the sign industry have stopped using One Shot. Ever since they changed their formula, the performance just isn't there.
For what it is worth. The last time I did gold lettering was for the name signs on a boat. Teak panels router deeply on my CNC. I used Faux Gold Leaf. It came out looking great but it was a pain in the toosh to apply. It should hold up, but only as well as the clear coat that covers it. Next time I will use Modern Masters for exterior stuff.
Thanks all, again--
Turns out I mis-read the engraving location, it's not inside the lid after all, just on top. And the boxes are black piano finish, dead flat with a beveled edge. Means it won't have to engraved very deep, just enough to hold paint. Against the black most any gold might look okay, but the Hobby Lobby stuff sounds promising, that plaque looks good Mike! :cool:
Here is a laser foil plaque video.............
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJhQC2Ull1Y
Coming from a sign painting background, I never did like One Shot Imitation Gold or Metallic Gold.
They never could match the reflectivity/brilliance of real gold leaf.
In my opinion, the best water based product to imitate gold is Rustoleum Metallic Accents. Nova is also very good but for me the additional shipping cost priced it too far above what I could buy locally in the Rustoleum brand.
I get it in 32oz. jars and it's about $22.00 to 25.00 depending where you buy it.
They have more than one shade of gold, going from a yellowish to a bronze like shade. The silver metallics are also very good.
I like the Metallic Gold Mine for gold and the Metallic Sterling for silver.
I have not used them for outdoor projects, so I can't comment on durability.
They last a long time in the jar and the paint does not skin over, unlike a lot of solvent based paints and even some acrylics.