not sure about the terminology in US. In europe paint thinner would mean thinner and thats for car-paint. Thinner has a very strong odour.

What is called terpentine in Europe is White spirit in US and GB. Most non-water house hold paints are solluble with white spirit.

However laquers/paints in rattle cans (allthough for household and hobby use) are mostly solluble with thinner. Probably easyer to spray, and quicker drying.

Alkyd resin paint can be used over dryed thinner based paints, but NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND (if you spray thinner based paint over dryed alkyd resin paint, the paint will crumble).

In your case no problem, you'll start the proces with the spray can.

Coud be the glitter will get solved in it though. I would not touch it untill is has dryed completely.

Hi bart [finally!], and thank you again. Based on the two tests I have just done, I think I will take your advice on clear alkyd resin.

Here's an issue with the Krylon - because it goes on so thin and watery, the glitter bits "fall right through" it, right next to the back of the top sheet, and all flatten out against it; they are not "held in suspension", like a fly in amber, and that suspension and resultant multi-direction of the bits is what gives glitter its....glitter. When the bits at the "top" all flatten against the back of the top sheet it looks too much like silver spray paint. So Krylon is out. One thing has been settled for good! :)

So, two more questions for your very patient self - is the alkyd resin sort of thick? That is, once it is applied, and the glitter is added, will it suspend the bits or allow them to sink to the surface and flatten against the sheet? We don't want the latter...

Second, I'm thinking I'll just use the alkyd resin to affix the glitter to the sanded back of the top sheet, let dry, and then simply roll on a couple more layers as a sealant, no backing required. This is exactly what you did only your bottom would be my top [shiny sheet]. An alkyd base colour could be added between clear coats. The question is would this mean that only water-based contact cement could be used for applying to the shell? I.E. would solvent-based contact cement dissolve the alkyd? Sorry I have such a hard time getting these relationships/reactions straight...

If the alkyd is not suitable I will stay with acrylic gel, but it is going to be more expensive.

The great thing about the glitter I'm using is, it is actual glass with actual silver, [as opposed to hex glitter which is cross-cut from sheets of poly-whatever], so I don't think many adhesives would dissolve it. Relevant to that I have some "Glitter Brilliants" from Elmers from some early testing. The glitter is gold but a brash gold, too much. I soaked some in acetone and sure enough it removes the gold slowly, turning it a nice pale gold while not dissolving the actual hex bits.

Now I'm going to google alkyd resin for all it's worth.....

Mitch

Pics -

1) sanded Dura Lar [in case anyone doesn't know what sanded plastic looks like]

2) back of patch using Krylon [you can see the multi-directional placement of bits]

3) front of patch using Krylon [bits flattened against surface lose much of their glitter]

Test patch with acrylic gel is still drying; last time I glued the glitter to the construction paper backing first, then coated the top sheet with gel and overlaid it, weighted down. This time the gel was applied to the back of the top sheet, hopefully the bits will be suspended in it...

Mitch

in the procedure I followed the bits were very multidirectional. The paint was thick enough for that. Not easy to tell from the pictures of the red premier orphan kit, but the sparkles look really great and "move"aroundwhen you walk around the kit.

no backing and the use of water based contact cement would seem the way to go.

solvent based contact cement will dissolve the paint (i tested that once).

seems like you're nearly there

my info is helpfull for you (and others)

your actual tests are helpfull for me (and others), for future projects

Looks like your getting somewhere! This is very interesting to me, sorry I cant suggest anything, I dont know anything about the materials being used here. But Im having fun watching.

So, do you have a kit waiting for this wrap.?

bartw, I went back and visited your thread with the red sparkle kit, once again, outstanding work!

Yes it's all good! I am nearly there. It's between acrylic gel and alkyd resin now. Solvent-based contact cement for the final stage [attach to drum shell] is ruled out; contains acetone, which attacks acrylic big time and also alkyd as per your test. Happily, the highest recommended contact cement, 3M 30NF, is water-based. Hopefully I can get some up here in Canada...

I do have a kit for this wrap - the "Ghost Kit" Club Dates I turned into the "Rustic Mahogany" kit. The bare mahogany was cool for awhile but I want silver glitter now! It's been building up lol. I play rock and psych rock a little more flash is called for...:)

Pics show [very poorly] test patch with gel first, then glitter. The other gel test had the glitter on the backing first, then the top sheet added - this is gel and glitter right on the top sheet. The gel totally disappears the opaqueness from the sanding, and hopefully the sanding gave the gel something to grip.

I have a consideration about the sanding - if I don't sand, and over time the Dura Lar separates from the gel here and there on the finished shell, it wouldn't matter; those areas would simply appear to have a little more depth [based on the first test where the Dura Lar popped off and I stuck it back on]. If I do sand and there is separation, it will look terrible due to the opaqueness. OTOH sanding reduces the chance of separation......I think I'm gonna sand.

Mitch

Those samples look real nice, I also dig silver sparkle, Im lucky to find them Camcos. Im sure you will nail this wrap making idea and end up with a gorgeous kit.

Keep yer stick on the ice, were all in this together!

Stick firmly planted on ice here! Today I'll see what the Home Hardware up the street has in the way of clear alkyd resin, if anything. Might have to drive to a big box...

I wish I had a better camera to show how truly amazing this looks; even in daylight it retains a subtle ginger-aled look, exactly what I wanted. In tungsten - fergeddaboutit! Out of this world!

When the kit is done I'll set it up out back in the sun and get a good camera...

[edit] I forgot to mention - applying the first sealant coat to the exposed glitter [back of top sheet] is a bit of an issue; today I'm going to try rolling on the gel, with one of those cheap sponge type rollers. If it picks up/removes too much glitter, then spraying the first sealant coat will be necessary. At that point I would make the colour layer the first sealant layer; find some acrylic off-white paint in a rattle can. I definitely cannot brush on the first sealant coat, it would be like trying to paint sandpaper that has loose grit...

Mitch

I have settled now finally on materials. The wrap will be comprised of four ingredients; Dura Lar; gloss polymer medium [not gel]; glitter; acrylic spray paint.

The gloss polymer medium was $48/3.78L [about a gallon], as opposed to $78 for the same amount of gel. Dries crystal clear in about 8 hours. I was extremely pleased to note on getting home and reading the label closely that this is made in Kingston Ontario. I might just contact them to thank them...:)

The polymer has about twice the flow of the gel, more like say, thick egg-nog as opposed to say, mayonnaise. The cap has a pour-hole similar to what you find on ketchup bottles these days; you pour it on the surface and spread it around, easy. Long "open" time to work with this stuff; you could probably cover a whole section of wrap and then add glitter. I need to work in sections though because I have to apply lots of glitter [for weight/coverage] to each section and only have 1lb of it. So I need to apply and reclaim each time. This was the case last time anyway; I'll let you know if it changes but it might be good to order 2lbs of glitter if you're doing this.

I didn't take a pic of the paint I'm using becasue any acrylic spray paint will do. I chose the colour "Parchment" as a sealant because it matches the colour of the glitter [pic 3]. Please take special note of pic #4 - I'm crimping the finished wrap and it's not marking the piece; no foggy white fold mark where the crimp was, no cracking off of the polymer/glitter/paint combo. This is what's known as success! I'm ready to go and just waiting for the damp weather to pass.......

More to come!

Mitch

Great!

persistence rewarded.