Brass tubes show through on clear acrylic pens. help

[Chris Yarish]

I am curious what "tried, tested and true" methods people have employed to mask the ugly brass tubes when making an acrylic pen that has a transluscent nature to it.
I have heard that white primer works, but what have you all used to cure this problem?
I obviously want to match the tube color with the blank color, but the ones I am making are the Craftsupplies ones under the names "White Marble Celluloid" http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store/Turning_Materials___Pen_Blanks___Pen_Makers_Choice _Celluloid_Pen_Blank___celluloid?Args=
and "Polar Ice Acrylic" http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/st...rs_choice?Args=


I use epoxy, not CA, to secure my tubes to the blank, if that makes a difference.


Thanks.

[Stephen Massman]

I paint the inside of the blanks with a closest color. I use model car paints.

[Paul Douglass]

Yes, you paint the tube and the inside of the hole. A lot of people use Testors paint like you use on model cars and things. Other paints will work just as well. For the white marble use white paint, etc. Let the paint dry real well before glueing in the tube. Epoxy is fine.

[George Clark]

How about these tubes?

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/st...leon_tube?Args=

[David Walser]

Chris,

Here's another reference to Ed Davidson's tutorials: In his "Bucks" tutorial (showing how to prepare and finish pen blanks made from shredded US currency cast in plastic), he suggests using an alcohol based dye instead of painting the brass tubes. The reason: Some paints are not compatible with the glues we use and some paints will not adhere firmly to brass. If, for whatever reason, the paint causes the glue joint to fail between the blank and the brass tube, you've got a problem. The dye works to hide the tube and it avoids the potential for glue joint failure.

Of course, if you know that the paint you're using will not cause problems and you find painting easier than using the dye, go for it. I like using dye because it dries so much quicker than paint and because it's easier for me to control the mess. (I dye the inside of the blanks while watching TV in the family room with my wife. I could never paint inside the house.) YMMV.

Here's a link to Ed's tutorial page: http://yoyospin.com/tutorials/ Scan down to 'EPR "Bucks" (shredded US currency) Pen Turning - Part 1 ... Blank Prep'.

Good Luck!

[Ben Gastfriend]

I've used CSUSA's chamelon tubes for the higher-end pens, but for slimlines, paying a price at or more than the price of the actual kit doesn't make sense. I go with a thin coat of white spray paint (or black for darker colored acrylics.)

[Mark Hix]

My last batch I use Rustoleum spray paint...it was handy. Worked fine. I made sure it was good and dry. I was doing mostly red blanks w/ translucent parts....it was the only red I had.

[David Drickhamer]

I use Rustolium primer on tubes. Any other paint I use seems to be attacked by CA. I've also mixed powered charcoal with epoxy.

[paul wiser]

psi has 10 inch white tubes you can cut to size

[Bernie Weishapl]

On acrylic pens I also use paint my tube either white or dark after scuffing with sandpaper. I use epoxy on acrylic and it doesn't attack the paint like CA will. I also think it holds better.

[John Grabowski]

I agree with Bernie...Epoxy is the way to go...You can also color the epoxy as you are gluing the tubes in...I have been painting the inside of the blank and then coloring the epoxy with the same paint that I use for the coloring of the hole in the blank...works great.

JG