Paint markers run when I apply Minwax Polyurethane, argh!

[dap9]

I'm trying to label pots and jacks w/ these paint markers I have:  DecoColor by Marvy Uchida.  Then I spray Minwax Polyurethane, but that makes the marker run.  Here's the marker type I use:



The Minwax I have is the Fast Drying Polyurethane Semi-Gloss. 

Am I putting too much Poly on at one time?  Or is there some kind of chemical thing going on.  Any tips?  I have some water slide decal, but I'm not sure how well it will show up on the darker painted enclosures.  Thanks.

[devi ever]

Yeah... paints + clear coats are infuriating to figure out what works best with what.

Sorry... I know that wasn't helpful... just sharing your frustration.

[dap9]

Yeah... paints + clear coats are infuriating to figure out what works best with what.

Sorry... I know that wasn't helpful... just sharing your frustration.

Well, at least I'm not alone in this!  Have any recommended combos?  My workbench is beginning to look like a Grafitti Artist's supply closet 

[PRR]

Paint is just varnish plus pigment.

The number of "legal" varnish formulas is shrinking because of environmental and toxicity concerns.

So when you put wet varnish on dry paint, you have wet paint again.

Odds are that plain old neat shellac will not soften your marker-paint. It also may lift off at a touch or a stomp.

[sean k]

My brother and best friend are both painters.. and very good colour matchers.

Paint is carrier, binder and pigment. Often, especially with well designed modern paint chemistry. if the carrier is gone (as in its completely dry) then the binder and pigment are fused and as impermiable as they are going to get... but other coats may not stick for that reason.

So with a well thought out paint system, thats what they call them now, there are times after application when the step step can be done and become permanent.

It may be that you're not waiting long enough... or it could be that no matter how long you wait...

Laquers are maybe your best option for a final coat or go to an art shop and grab a can of sealer.

I know I never do it but it always says on the cans and tubes to test... who does?

[G. Hoffman]

Odds are that plain old neat shellac will not soften your marker-paint. It also may lift off at a touch or a stomp.

Baloney.  Shellac sticks to ANYTHING, as long as the prep work was done right.  Well, maybe not Teflon, but short of that.  And, aside from alcohol, it is remarkably robust.  It will get moisture blushing pretty easy, but that will disappear  as the water evaporates.  Spray it thin, and it is the world's most wonderful finishing product.  (And to think - it's made from bug sweat!)

But the important point is that shellac will stick to just about anything.  Which leads to Shellacs single greatest virture - it is the perfect inter-coat sealer for absolutely any finishing project you have. 

So, MY advice?  Get a can of Zinser's spray shellac (most of the brands of pre-mixed shellac on the market are worthless - they sit in warehouses and go bad, have all kinds of contminants, and are not worth using - until Zinser came out with their new shellac a few years ago, the only way to use it was to mix your own - a finicky process that takes a day or more.  We never have to do so any more), spray a coat or three, let it dry, and THEN spray your poly. 

Problem: solved.  Probably.

We use shellac all the time for similar things on guitars.  Now, you do need to use a spray shellac (or use it in a spray gun), because it can soften your lettering (or a Sharpie signature on a guitar, etc.) if you try to brush the shellac on, but if you spray it it shouldn't be a problem.  Though of course, as with all finishing techniques, try it in an "inconspicuous spot" first, but I would be surprised if it didn't do the trick.


Gabriel



(Kind of off the point, but if you are ever finishing and start getting fish eyes, don't start using fisheye flowout - you'll have to use it in everything you do for the rest of your life.  Instead, spray a coat of shellac and carefully clean your equipment.)

[GibsonGM]

+1 Gabriel. I'm a painter; shellac is magic.  Plain and simple.   If you don't want to go that route, you could try a water-based spray poly, but I dunno....might lift later, it depends on the chain of solvents you've used in your finishing process (oil vs. water based, put simply).

The 'stuff' that keeps the paint or marker wet until you apply it is the solvent.  If you add another coat of something with the same solvent as the last, dry coat, you'll 're-melt' it (causing runs).  The likelihood of any paint having an alcohol base is negligible, therefore the shellac is a great idea.  And it takes anything on top of it! 
This is what is used, in brush form generally, to allow one to paint over poly'd kitchen cabinets without peeling/chipping.  Good stuff!

[G. Hoffman]

This is what is used, in brush form generally, to allow one to paint over poly'd kitchen cabinets without peeling/chipping.  Good stuff!

However, alcohol IS a solvent.  It's not likely to make the paint pens run if you spray it, but with the abrasion of a brush it might. 

Of course, I have a real spray booth, so I'm always pretty partial to spraying any finish.  Still, its the way to go here.


Gabriel

[Paul Marossy]

However, alcohol IS a solvent.  It's not likely to make the paint pens run if you spray it, but with the abrasion of a brush it might. 

Yep, good old rubbing alcohol is a great solvent. It will remove "permanent" marker from most things, and I have found that it will even start to eat at some brands of spray paint if you use enough and leave it on long enough. It does also remove paint pen that is still relatively fresh, at least for the brands of paint pens I have used.

[dap9]

Thanks guys.  I'll swing by Home Depot and get some of that Zinssers and give that a go :fingerscrossed: