Painting/finishing/decorating for lazy people - tips, please

[patricks]

Hi everyone,

I'd like some tips on super-easy ways to finish pedals. Painting them properly takes forever, and I don't fancy handling the acid involved in etching. Does anyone have a secret finish-a-pedal-in-a-day method that looks half decent?

Cheers
Pat

[GGBB]

Print on a clear vinyl decal and stick it on the raw box - that's the EHX look.

[jimilee]

Rustoleum and paint pens.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[patricks]

Print on a clear vinyl decal and stick it on the raw box - that's the EHX look.

Yeah, my first few were done that way (although with regular sticker paper, which won't be very hard-wearing in the long run). I spent ages doing the graphics, but the time spent says more about my skills with graphics programs than anything else

Rustoleum and paint pens.

That's probably the direction I'm going to end up going, thanks
I'm looking into Enviro-tex, too - an art shop near me has a similar brand called Liquitex. That'll be the a happy balance if it'll stick to bare (sanded but not primed) aluminium.

[jimilee]

Enviro is very cool, but it isn't a day job for sure.usually takes me 72 hrs. If you just use clear coat, you can get a decal and everything coated in about 24 to 36 hrs. Rustoleum paint and clear really speeds things up and gives a decently protected finish.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[amptramp]

Dupli-Color Metalcast will give you a finish that looks like anodized aluminum.  All you do is wash, sand with 400 grit and spray.  Examples here:

http://duplicolor.com/product/metalcast-anodized-automotive-paint

The lazy way to get lettering?  Dymo.

[alanp]

Natural aluminium finish, with either India Ink, acrylic paint, or Dymo labelling. Super-lazy, but it's what I do.

[patricks]

Enviro is very cool, but it isn't a day job for sure.usually takes me 72 hrs.

Bummer. The appeal with Liquitex is that they have a range of compatible tints and paint pens, so I could get a tinted clearcoat and do the lettering by hand. Still might be possible to set it up in a day and then let it cure for a few days. As long as it bonds directly to aluminium, though.

The lazy way to get lettering?  Dymo.

Got a Dymo labeller 
I like those anodized colours, too! I'll have to see where in Oz I can get 'em.

Natural aluminium finish, with either India Ink, acrylic paint, or Dymo labelling. Super-lazy, but it's what I do.

Do you clear coat, or just leave it as-is?

[Rixen]

Duplicolor is stocked by Repco here in NZ and Australia, so might be worth you having a look there..

[patricks]

Excellent, thanks! I'll check 'em out

[karbomusic]

I'm looking into Enviro-tex.

I *love* that stuff but you burn labor keeping it from running (in an ugly way) on the sides etc. You can speed the set time up to a couple of hours if you use a space heater and get the ambient temp up around 95F. Beautiful finish but since it is a gravity sensitive product the sides are something you need a plan for such as brushing it every few minutes. Since curing is based on temperature, I can have a box ready to handle in 3-4 hours or so (give or take, depending).

Edit: You can also likely bake it at a slightly higher temp and cure even faster but if memory serves it will yellow a bit with temps that high.

[peterc]

Here some panels I have done using Laser and Inkjet adhesive transparencies.

I like to stick a layer of clear transparency over the printed one. It gives a lovely depth to it and protects the original print.
http://www.avforums.co.za/index.php/topic,56337.0.html

Peter

[duck_arse]

peterc - this happened:

Sorry Guest, you are banned from using this forum!
This ban is not set to expire.

[DougH]

Hammertone spray paint.

[thermionix]

For the TRUELY lazy, most common enclosure sizes are available pre-finished, from Mammoth and others, in a variety of colors.  I need to get one of those Dymos.

[patricks]

Hammertone spray paint.

Yup, did this with a box on the weekend. I got a coat of primer plus two coats of the hammered paint on in an afternoon and it's looking good.

I guess it's the prep work I'm trying to avoid. I've read some tutorials that say to prep the box thoroughly, then do two or more coats each primer, paint, and clear, allowing time to fully cure in between and sanding between coats as well, and that's a total turn off. The "slap it on and see" approach with the hammered paint is working so far

For the TRUELY lazy, most common enclosure sizes are available pre-finished, from Mammoth and others, in a variety of colors.

I'm also a tightarse 
Those boxes are great, but pricey

The combined paint-and-primer plus dymo labels option is looking like the best so far

[karbomusic]

I've read some tutorials that say to prep the box thoroughly, then do two or more coats each primer, paint, and clear, allowing time to fully cure in between and sanding between coats as well, and that's a total turn off.

I'd read the can and see what it says. They usually have a grace period (for example the first hour) where you can apply multiple really thin coats which dry pretty quickly. Then after that time window expires, you have to wait 24 hours (or some other number) before adding additional coats. Usually when I do them I do multiple very thin coats about a minute apart so for 15 coats that's 15 minutes of time (if I actually needed that many). The key is that each one is near dry or dry to the touch before you start the next one but depends on the paint being used.

[stringsthings]

I've read some tutorials that say to prep the box thoroughly, then do two or more coats each primer, paint, and clear, allowing time to fully cure in between and sanding between coats as well, and that's a total turn off.

I'd read the can and see what it says. They usually have a grace period (for example the first hour) where you can apply multiple really thin coats which dry pretty quickly. Then after that time window expires, you have to wait 24 hours (or some other number) before adding additional coats. Usually when I do them I do multiple very thin coats about a minute apart so for 15 coats that's 15 minutes of time (if I actually needed that many). The key is that each one is near dry or dry to the touch before you start the next one but depends on the paint being used.

I use this process with Rustoleum spray paint.   Three light coats of primer, 3-4 light coats of color, 3-4 light coats of clear coat.  That's all in one go.  I'll wait 1-2 minutes between coats.
If I do a waterslide decal, I'll stop at the color coats.  I like to wait 48 hours before applying the decal.  Then 3-4 light coats of clear coat.  Before assembly, I like to wait at least 48 hours, usually a day or two more.

[patricks]

Thanks karbo and strings. That sort of process fits nicely with a "paint this weekend, decals and clear next weekend" approach, which suits me just fine. It also means I can get good mileage out of the primer I've already got

[alanp]

Natural aluminium finish, with either India Ink, acrylic paint, or Dymo labelling. Super-lazy, but it's what I do.

Do you clear coat, or just leave it as-is?

I clearcoat with clear nail polish -- turns out very nice, tough as... well, finger nails plus you don't need to bake it, or leave it to dry long.