StompBoxes and art!

[Kaiowas]

I'd appreciate if you guys could tell me some tricks or direct me to some articles about painting and making "pretty" the boxes for the effects.

"Is not how good you're but how good you look doing it", or so they say, i don't truly believe it ...but i think it could apply to stompboxes!!!

And by the way you've got here a GREAT community!!!

PD: excuse me ion the future if my question are to silly (kind of new in this) and for my  grammar, i'm from Colombia...so i don't have a perfect english...PLEASE!! BE PATIENCE WITH ME!

[Marcus Dahl]

Ag lot of the boxes I paint I use Rustolium Hammered paints. It easy to use Wash your box with soap and water. This is to get any dirt and greese of of it. Let dry, and then apply the paint as directed.

For other types of paint it becomes a little more complex, but I've found the Duplicolor products to be [retty good to use. It's just like painting a car. Sand the boxes surface area with a 200 grit sanding paper. This is to reduce scratches and dings as much as posible, and to give your primer something to hold on to.

After you've smoothed the box within reason apply your primer, sand with a more fine grit of sand paper. You will have to wait about 30min between sanding and coats of primer. I've been useing 1000 grit, but I believe the instructions say to use a 600. You would repeat this until you have no more scratches and dings. Sand primer one more time with a 1000 and up grit. Make sure between every coat of primer you dust off or wash the box after sanding to remove primer dust.  Now your ready to apply the paint.  

Everything is done with even strokes. This is especially true with your paint. You want to apply your first coat rather thin. Bassically dusting the box. Let it site for 5 -10 min. Then apply your second coat a little thicker with strokes that are at a moderate, but noy fast pace. By applying this way you will overlap the paint as you move across your pedal. You may have to move across the pedal 2 or three times. Bassically the paint needs to look wet, but not over done because then it will run. Let the box sit for 5-10 min and repeat the process. Depending on the color of paint you may have do up to 4 times, but no less than 3. After your paint drys for a couple of days you are ready for what ever graphic you want.

There are many different way to do this. Some use paint pens to label and do there art, some like me use a computer and printer with some Avery white sticker paper, and other like model care decal paper that you can print on from your computer. I've found the Avery white label or sticker paper works best by clear coating the paper before cutting. 2 or 3 coats is all thats needed. Let dry in between coats. about 10min. Then cut and apply. The model decal paper is pretty much the same except 1 thing. When you go to apply you must use water. Maybe Jack Orman or one of the other formites can tell you more on this process.

After applying your graphic it must be clear coated. This can take as long or as fast as you want. On the pedals I use the Hammered paints on I do the Dupont clear coat like you do the painting. By applying a dusting first, let dry for 5-10min, then apply a wet coat. Just like useing the paint, but with each coat you want lay down a thicker coat within reason. You don't want it to run. 3 passes is all that's really needed between coats. With my graphics, I can use a half a can of clear coat. That's with the Hammered paint and the Avery grahics.  If you use the model decals, you will probably use less.

Now if you have apply a decal of some sort do a couple of coats first so that you don't remove your decal. With the Dupont paint I like to sand between clear coats with a 1000-1500 grit sand paper. You don't have to do much. Just a quick go over. Apply your clear let dry for 30min-1hr. the lightly sand you surface. Dust off apply your next layer of clear. I wouldn't wash between coats, but make sure you don't have any dust from sanding on there. You can do this as may times as you want. This will help to achieve a real pretty shine.

Anybody else. :?: I think I'm going to go clear coat some more.   :wink:

[moosapotamus]

Here's where the t-shirt iron-on stuff for dark colored fabric made it's first appearance...



Avery makes it. There have been lots of threads about where to get it, how to use it, and so on...

Search the forum for more info. Try "iron-on" or "t-shirt" for starters.

~ Charlie

[petemoore]

With extra holes etc.
 Looks real good the way I covered it in leather in about 20 min total...Still I could add an emblem, and or  paint/laquer

[Bucksears]

My trick from here on out is this:
I paint my boxes flat white. Then, I design the graphics in Adobe Illustrator; I scan in the box face w/holes so I can get the alignment right. The graphics are printed out on a 1 sheet, 8 1/2" x 11" clear decal page. I cut the graphic out, put it on and clear coat over it. With the clear decal, anything white on the graphic shows through to the case.
The first two I did with individual decals to go around each knob and the main graphic for the case. Works great and you can get about three or four Hammond 1590BB-size faces on one sheet. And you don't need to have 10 different cans of spray paint around the house. Kinda the same concept as the Menatone pedals. They just have the colored graphics on the face and the rest is metal.
I have a pic of the Rodent I did, but no web page. Let me know if anyone would like it e-mailed.

[Kaiowas]

Thank you guys!! hopefully that would help a lot wiht the painting job!!!

I know can put my Blues Breaker PRETTY!!!