Swirl finishes, "Dragonfly style !" (56k warning for pictures !)

[SteveB]

Wow, really nice stuff!

Dragonfly, what brand of craft paint do you feel has the best pigment to thinness ratio?

Thanks,
Steve

[Dragonfly]

Ive been using "Anitas" with good results.

[jmdfd415]

Ive been using "Anitas" with good results.

same here ive also used some "folk art" brand and they seem pretty much the same the only thing different is the price.  oh and i went to hobby lobby today and they were having a sale on all their acrylic paints 

[Barcode80]

i did a really good looking swirl of metallic gold and purple, pics soon, just waiting on clear to dry!

[sixstringphil]

Here's my final product. Learned from a few mistakes on this one, but still very happy with it. It's going to be the final home for my beginner project NPN Boost.

[GravityRobert]

Gorgeous, maybe the best i've seen sofar 

[soggybag]

Great stuff. How do finish these, do you use a spray on clear coat?

[dxm1]

Ive been using "Anitas" with good results.

same here ive also used some "folk art" brand and they seem pretty much the same the only thing different is the price.  oh and i went to hobby lobby today and they were having a sale on all their acrylic paints 

Anita's - 2 oz. for $0.50, 8 oz. for $1.50.

Shipping was $6.50 to CA, so a large order is better. This is about half of what I could find these two brands for locally (shipping included).

http://www.craftsetc.com/store/department.aspx?dep=50&cat=60&subcat=11&IsOnSale=0&IsFeatured=0&IsNew=0&perpage=30&pg=3

[sixstringphil]

I just used a Krylon crystal clear acrylic spray paint that was in the same section of Hobby Lobby as the acrylic colors. It had a different label that the normal cans of krylon that I've seen at WalMart, but I think it's possibly the same stuff. I started with a light coat, then several heavy coats and sanded in between with fine grades of sandpaper.  Because of some of the mistakes I made (like touching the swirl colors before they were completely dry) I had to use ALOT of clear to get it smooth and even. Then just a little turtle wax rubbing compound followed by a couple coats of car wax.

My colors were probably a little thin. I didn't get the separate color definition that dragonfly gets with his.  But I thought it turned out pretty good for a first run. I'll definately try some more of these.

[sixstringphil]

How did you mark the knobs?

[greigoroth]

Here's my final product. Learned from a few mistakes on this one, but still very happy with it. It's going to be the final home for my beginner project NPN Boost.

Holy crap!!!

That is the single best looking pedal I have ever seen.

DFly, you may look upon your apprentices and smile!

[greigoroth]

I just used a Krylon crystal clear acrylic spray paint that was in the same section of Hobby Lobby as the acrylic colors. It had a different label that the normal cans of krylon that I've seen at WalMart, but I think it's possibly the same stuff. I started with a light coat, then several heavy coats and sanded in between with fine grades of sandpaper.  Because of some of the mistakes I made (like touching the swirl colors before they were completely dry) I had to use ALOT of clear to get it smooth and even. Then just a little turtle wax rubbing compound followed by a couple coats of car wax.

My colors were probably a little thin. I didn't get the separate color definition that dragonfly gets with his.  But I thought it turned out pretty good for a first run. I'll definately try some more of these.

Which grades of sandpaper did you use? I don't know if it is just the photo, but I think the lack of separation is what makes this pedal a total gem! What colours did you use exactly? I only ask because your pedal is so sweet I want to know every tiny detail!

BTW: I have been thinking about colour coding my pedals - something I've been thinking about for a while, but it would work even better with the swirls I reckon, so that you would get some variation.
Greens: Overdrive/Boost (I have been forever scarred by the association of green with TS9s)
Reds: Dist/Fuzz (red=angry=dist!)
Blues: Modulation effects (blue=watery/washy sounds)

Would make for a cool pedal board!

[jayp5150]

Man, every one of these are outstanding... you guys have gotten to me.

I'm building a Sparkle Boost for my dad today, and I'm going to have to give this a shot.

Luckily, my wife's an artist--I've got a closet full of acrylic bwahahahahahahahahahah...

Sorry.

I'm cool now. I'll hit back with results today or tomorrow.

[jayp5150]

OK, I couldn't wait lol.

Here's my 1st attempt, still drying.



It's black, metallic silver sterling, and metallic aluminum.

Those little boogers/specks are from the metallic aluminum (the lighter silver) being too old, I think. It was way thick, and I just went with it, and thinned it out anyhow. I knew better, but it's cool.

Looks like marble even more now. I'll get finished pics up tomorrow or so.

Thanks so much to Dragonfly for sharing this technique. It's one of those things that's practically impossible to "screw up," but takes tons of practice to actually control, you know?

I'll try not to over-use it, D. lol

PS - yes, that is a Pizza Hut medium hand tossed pan... shhhh. 

[sixstringphil]

Which grades of sandpaper did you use? I don't know if it is just the photo, but I think the lack of separation is what makes this pedal a total gem! What colours did you use exactly? I only ask because your pedal is so sweet I want to know every tiny detail!

Once I started spryaing clear, I used 800 and then 1000 in between coats, but I put a good thick layer on last and didn't sand it. Getting it really smooth before the last coat of clear makes a HUGE difference!
For the colors, I bought an 8-pack of basic colors at hobby lobby. I used blue (can't remember the exact name, but I think it's the standard basic blue), white, and a 50/50 mix of blue/white. I also did a base coat of the mixed blue/white as recommended by Dragonfly.

[Dragonfly]

you guys are awesome !  BEAUTIFUL pedals.... you make me proud ! 

[Marcos - Munky]

Wow, nice stuff. I made another one, but isn't anything near these cool enclosures . But I'm getting the point. It's drying from the first layer of clear coat right now, so I think I will be able to take a picture tomorrow only. How many layers of clear coat are you guys doing?

[Dragonfly]

I went a different route with this one....satin !

[sixstringphil]

I went a different route with this one....satin !

Very nice. How does the satin look up close? I've got a can that I haven't used yet.
Also, do you mind sharing your source for those knobs?

[John Lyons]

That's my favorite one so far Andy! The others are great but I dig the earth tones.
I love those knobs as well. No swirl but here's one of mine with brown "cupcake" knobs.
John