Painting silicone.

[jason1976]

I'm sure there is a thread about htis, but for all my search, I can't find it.

I'm working on something for my girlfriend. I'm makeing some parts out of 100% silicone (caulk) and i need to paint them. I was originaly going to mix the paint into the silicone, but she want's a much more advanced paint job, so I told her that I would ask the pros, what they do to paint silicone.

It needs to be durable, flexable, and not rub off.

 

[Ozymandius]

Two ways to do it.

1. A silicone base paint like Fuse FX from Reynolds. Durable and binds with the silicone. Good coverage.

2. Alcohol makeup paints like Skin Illustrator. It's my go-to paint for detailing silicone appliances. You can do nice washes with these as they work like water colors.

 

[jason1976]

Thanks those both sound great.

Here's what I'm working on. She loves stuffed animals. And she started making some of here own last year. She has this one she is working on, that she wants custom eyes for. She was going to come up with some way of doing hard eyes for it. (like an epoxy, or resin, or something like that.) But me and my big mouth, said "you know what would be cool, is if it had soft eyes" "Most stuff animals, are all nice and soft, and then they have these really hard eyes, Wouldn't it be cool, if the eyes were soft too?" "I could do them in silicone for you." She loved the idea, but then she started getting really fussy about the color scheme, and wanted to know why we couldn't just paint the silicone, so I told her I would ask here if there was any good ways.

I'm a tenable painter, but she is great at it, so I will just make the silicone eyes, with the base color in them, and then she can just paint on the other colors.

 

[Ozymandius]

In that case you want the Fuse FX. It should flow close enough to oil paints to be comfortable for her and it will have a nice sheen to it.

Good luck and be sure to post pics.

 

[fettster]

Fuse fx are NOT going to work on caulk silicone! They are specifically made for platinum silicone and will not cure against a rtv.

The simplest way to paint it is mix the same silicone you are casting with in some oil paints to colour and thin with White spirit.

 

[Mostly Fantasy]

I second the oil paints suggestion. I mix in a little of Dick Blick oil colors to the silicone, and you can thin it down with either silicone oil (200 fluid) or cyclohexane.

 

[jason1976]

Fuse fx are NOT going to work on caulk silicone! They are specifically made for platinum silicone and will not cure against a rtv.

The simplest way to paint it is mix the same silicone you are casting with in some oil paints to colour and thin with White spirit.

Thanks for the great info. That sounds a lot cheeper then the Fuse FX. Though I have to ask, What is "White spirit"?

 

[Cyberman]

Yeah a lot cheaper aswell... making your own mixes :thumbsup

 

[fettster]

Thanks for the great info. That sounds a lot cheeper then the Fuse FX. Though I have to ask, What is "White spirit"?

White spirit is chemically called naphtha , basically zippo lighter fluid

 

[Ozymandius]

Duh, (slaps forehead). Fuse FX are platinum. :confused

I really need to stay off the forum at 3 in the morning. That was just embarassing.

Thanks for the save, Fettster. I'm going to go put on a helmet now and drool in the corner.