Spraying conundrum

[Joe McMahon]

I am making plaques for Christmas gifts using resawn walnut burl. I have finished them with multiple layers of Birchwood Casey gun stock finish and then took them to be laser engraved with my children's baptismal certificates. Tape was placed over the surface and then lasered through the tape, leaving the tape and black laser marks where engraved. After engraving, I plan on leaving the tape on and spraying gold paint on the surface, filling in the engraves areas.

I bought a rattle can of metallic gold spray paint and have sprayed five coats onto the surface of the plaques. While the tape is now entirely gold colore, the laser etched parts are still black. It appears that the spray isn't getting into the lasered places. Admittedly, some are quite small, yet no paint is apparent. I am reluctant to remove the tape as it would never go back correctly.

Why doesn't the spray cover the black areas? Are the droplets of metallic paint too large? Should I get a non metallic spray paint and try that? Should I get a bottle of liquid paint and try to brush it in?

[Scott Holmes]

Burned walnut is porous; the charred wood may not accept paint well. Also the spray way have too much turbulence to get into the small laser detail.

I have cherry veneer business cards with the info laser-cut into the surface; I used a shellac burn-in knife to fill the void on some of my cards with white, gold, maroon (TX A&M Univ.) or burnt orange (for a Univ. of TX grad)

You could try a colored grain filler while the tape is still on the project.