Paint Pen on pre-painted enclosures? ZVEX?

[KerryF]

How will a paint pen do on an already spray painted enclosure (ordered painted)?  Will it eat away at the paint?  Will it stick?  Just want to make sure before I do anything.

Thanks,
Kerry

[rockgardenlove]

It works fine, but it'll wear off.  Hit it up with some clear afterwards.  Some kinds of paint pens run in clear, some don't.  Test on some scrap.

Btw, Vex's boxes are actually painted, at least that's the impression I get. 

[Processaurus]

The Z style is Testors Model paint.  Its enamal and gets pretty strong if you can leave it alone for a week.  Don't know if they make enamal paint pens, that would be awsome for throwing labeling together quick.

[zachary vex]

we only use paint pens for signing/dating/serial-numbering the pedals.  after that's dry, we clear-coat over those spots with fingernail polish.  it has to be applied with an experienced hand... when i do it, it has lots of brush strokes.  it's very smelly, and i believe it causes cancer in California, so i'm glad i live in Minnesota.  actually, i recommend a fume hood if you're doing large batches.

[Barcode80]

they make the same testor model paint in convenient paint pens, and they aren't bad for designs/labeling if you clear coat 'em

[Processaurus]

we clear-coat over those spots with fingernail polish.  it has to be applied with an experienced hand...

fingernail polish, great idea.  I wonder if they make industrial strength finger polish.  Experienced hand = any marginally feminine girl

[Steve Newton]

...and I believe it causes cancer in California...

I really did Laugh Out Loud at that

[KerryF]

...and I believe it causes cancer in California...

haha just like radio shack solder 

Anyway, whats hard about the nail polish?  Wouldnt it look uneven if it was just over the writing?

[Shed_FX]

Hi,
Just happened to be messing around with stuff like this today. One thing to try is using Tip-ex pens which are roller ball pens that hold correction fluid or "liquid paper". This works really well for doing text on boxes with a line thickness of about 1-2mm. I got some good results with it. Ive even clear coated it afterwards and it sets really nicely.
The other letters on the box i did today were done by hand with a brush. I cut the bristles down to a length of about 3-4 mm to stop the brush spreading as i applied the paint. This gave pretty sweet results and im certainly not an artist!
Oh and i used standard enamel modelling paints.

Hope this is of interest.

[hairyandy]

we only use paint pens for signing/dating/serial-numbering the pedals.  after that's dry, we clear-coat over those spots with fingernail polish.  it has to be applied with an experienced hand... when i do it, it has lots of brush strokes.  it's very smelly, and i believe it causes cancer in California, so i'm glad i live in Minnesota.  actually, i recommend a fume hood if you're doing large batches.

I've tried using fingernail polish as a clear coat over silver and gold paint pens as well as black Sharpie and they all ran.  Any recommendations on good fingernail polish/paint pen combinations Zach?

Andy

[markm]

Hi,
Just happened to be messing around with stuff like this today. One thing to try is using Tip-ex pens which are roller ball pens that hold correction fluid or "liquid paper". This works really well for doing text on boxes with a line thickness of about 1-2mm. I got some good results with it. Ive even clear coated it afterwards and it sets really nicely.
The other letters on the box i did today were done by hand with a brush. I cut the bristles down to a length of about 3-4 mm to stop the brush spreading as i applied the paint. This gave pretty sweet results and im certainly not an artist!
Oh and i used standard enamel modelling paints.

Hope this is of interest.

Any pics??

[freakshow__]

I have a lot of expierience in using paint pens guys.... I use the deco-color paint pens that can be found at craft stores such as A.C. moore. Testors pens suck....the tips are too large and you need to shave them with a razor blade to make them usable for small writing. The deco-color pens come in a million colors, are long lasting, and come in fine and extra fine tips.

[big bustle]

I have a lot of expierience in using paint pens guys.... I use the deco-color paint pens that can be found at craft stores such as A.C. moore. Testors pens suck....the tips are too large and you need to shave them with a razor blade to make them usable for small writing. The deco-color pens come in a million colors, are long lasting, and come in fine and extra fine tips.

got any pictures of your work?

[zachary vex]

i use the deco-colors.  always have.

[stm]

I don't like finger enamel since it is designed to be removed with certain solvents, as oppossed to point and clear coat which are suppossed to stay.  To cover a number or lettering I'd rather use clear coat.  If you just want to cover the letters instead of the complete surface, then apply the clear coat spray with the aid of a stencil neatly cut with an oval or rounded-corner rectangle.

[djwackfriz]

Sorry to bump a very old thread, but I could use a little more info!

I used Decocolor paint pens (oil based, I assume) directly onto a cleaned and sanded aluminum enclosure. I then got some automotive grade acrylic clear-coat, and applied a dust coat. About 30 minutes later I applied another dust coat, and within seconds all of my lovely artwork turned into a smeared black blob....

Any suggestions for a good brand of clear coat over these Decocolor pens? Or at the very least, a way to shoot clear that reduces the chance of melting the undercoat?

[Mark Hammer]

Fine tip paint pens ARE difficult to work with, and the results come off easier than you'd think unless youcover them in clear coat.  On the other hand, because they are tricky to get the hang of (and Zach is right about needing multiple strokes over the same area), it's a blessing in disguise that they can be wiped off so easily.  When I'm legending with them, I keep some Q-tips (cotton tipped applicators, as used for cleaning one's ears) and some methyl hydrate handy.  A little dab of methyl hydrate on the Q-tip appied to the mistake and poof it vanishes and the surface dries almost instantly, allowing you to try again.  Think of it as a pedal-decorating Mulligan.