The "I'm painting a Captain America Shield" thread

[jtirado]

Hello, I've followed this thread so long...feels like I actually know some of u. I've been a life long Captain America fan (reading the comics as a child)and this has been one project that has brought me personal satisfaction...I've posted some pics of my journey...thank you Valor and to all of you who have contributed to this thread.

 

[DFanatic]

Hello, I've followed this thread so long...feels like I actually know some of u. I've been a life long Captain America fan (reading the comics as a child)and this has been one project that has brought me personal satisfaction...I've posted some pics of my journey...thank you Valor and to all of you who have contributed to this thread.

Great set of pictures, man. Always nice to see peoples journey towards the finished product. The shield came out great, congratulations. That case you got for it is also pretty cool. Is custom made or did you get that somewhere?

 

[jtirado]

The case is custom made, I wanted to display and have easy access to the shield, the hinged door is held shut by a magnet. I'm looking to put in 5mm polyester felt, haven't decided whether to keep it black or put in Royal blue...? Thanks, appreciate the feedback.

 

[AgentOfShield]

You could try lining the interior of the case with a dark blue maybe?

 

[drakeprimeone]

I vote keep it black

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[mtrixman]

I vote for black as well. It looks classy. Great work on the shield!

 

[jtirado]

Thank you....Black it is..!!! This case is so BIG, still can't believe how hauntingly perfect it frames the shield. Only issue I came across is that when I opened the glass door, the weight would shift the case, make it tilt to one side. So I picked up some picture hanging strips, meant to hang a picture (up to 16 lbs). I use it instead to actor the base to the wall, keep it from moving when the door is opened....it works!!!

 

[jtirado]

I decided to clear coat the shield, based on everyone else's results...just seemed as if it would improve the overall aesthetics while providing a layer of protection.

 

[Workodactyl]

Hey everyone!

I've been scouring the forums to complete a shield of my own. I want to thank Valor for his help with the star, straps, and information. The star arrived today and the craftsmanship is flawless! I have my shield sitting next to me and I believe I have all the tools I need to begin painting. Unfortunately, the weather is not cooperating. It dipped down to 19* this morning. But Saturday it will be 55* and 50% humidity. I hope this isn't too cold to paint. I built a stand tonight to hold my shield vertical for painting.

In any case, after reading everyone's story of painting, I'm sufficiently concerned, and as a result, I want to have my plan flawless (though I know I'll probably screw up--so I was sure to pick up plenty of acetone haha).

So I'm attaching my strategy to complete the painting. I was hoping you guys could take a look at it and provide any suggestions.

1. Bend and mold star over bowling ball and make flush with shield
2. Wearing gloves, clean shield with acetone.
3. Tape off all rings with Frog Tape.
4. Screw shield to Painting Stand.
5. Wearing gloves, clean center circle with acetone.
6. Let shield dry.
7. Let paint sit in warm water for 20 min.
8. Shake vigorously before painting.
9. Paint center of shield blue
a. 3-4 coats
b. Increase amount of paint on coats to get full effect.
c. Let coats stand 10-15 min between coats.
10. Let paint dry for 3 days.
11. Tape over blue center.
12. Remove tape from red rings
13. Paint red rings.
a. 3-4 coats
b. Increase amount of paint on coats to get full effect.
c. Let coats stand 10-15 min between coats.
14. Let paint dry for 3 days.
15. Remove all tape.
16. Remove shield from painting stand.
17. Acetone star area.
18. Epoxy Star to front of shield.
a. Careful to remove any glue that squeezes out.
19. Epoxy brackets for straps

Is the timing between coats correct? I was told that keeping the can of paint about 8-12" is good and to be sure mind the curve in the shield to allow the paint to spread evenly. How fast would you make a pass with the paint over the shield? If you have any other advice, I'd really appreciate it. Hopefully this is a good organized list of everything I've read in the forums and hopefully useful for newcomers painting their own shield.

Thanks again in advance!

Also not to steal any thunder from Jtirado--that shield looks AMAZING. Definitely an inspiration. Also appreciated all the close up pictures of your work. They've been very helpful.

Joe

 

[drakeprimeone]

I usually only wait a day between doing the blue and red. 20 min between coats sounds good. Will you be letting it dry in a temperature controlled area?

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[Workodactyl]

I usually only wait a day between doing the blue and red. 20 min between coats sounds good. Will you be letting it dry in a temperature controlled area?

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Okay, cool. I'd rather let the paint dry for 1 day. The sooner the shield is finished, the better. I can also do 20 minutes between coats. I plan on doing this either in my shed or my garage. The garage has a more stable temperature, that will be about 65*F. I'm just concerned about the paint spraying around the garage. I was thinking of using cardboard to catch any excess paint.

Edit:

Also, I wanted to ask. What epoxy and clear coat would you guys use? I'm seeing all sorts of clear coat by Duplicolor (I figured stick with Duplicolor since I'm using metalcast), but I'm not sure which one. I wasn't going to clear coat, until I saw a recommendation upon receiving the star from Valor, otherwise the star will rust. Also if the star will rust, will the unpainted ring rust as well? Would I clear coat the entire shield, or just the one ring that isn't painted?

Same goes for Epoxy. I see JB Weld and read people have used that here. But I'm not sure which is the most commonly used Epoxy for the shield.

Thanks!

 

[drakeprimeone]

Good luck on your painting! Use your garage and just buy a cheap plastic drop cloth, the paint shouldn't be going all over the place if you are doing it right. I used my garage and brought the shield into my adjoining laundry room to let the coats dry. I did this because I found leaving it in the garage left it exposed to dust/debris falling on to the paint. If that's not an option make sure it's drying in a place where this can't happen or build a plastic cover to protect it.

Don't overstress the painting, know that you might have to repaint a few times and be ok with that. Most of us painted and repainted until we got it right. You can always start over if you aren't happy with the results.

Neither the star, the back of the shield, nor the unpainted ring will "flash rust" so long as you are keeping them both somewhere relatively humidity free. Don't worry about rushing your shield build because of that. You will want to clear coat the entire shield and not just the unpainted parts.

As far as which type of clear to use that will depend largely on you and how glossy or satin you want your finish. I went the duplicolor route so I used duplicolor perfect match clear coat for a bit of a glossy look and just to keep everything consistent however I think I'm going to try the Testors paint and gloss coat laquer route next time for a more satin finish.

As far as epoxy goes JB weld is the most common. I've used JB quick for a quicker setting time. Either route just be careful with how much you apply particularly at the points of the star. You want enough so that the points aren't free to snag but not too much that it comes squirting out. Cleaning it off the shield can be a pain and a mess. I've used a Q-tip dipped in acetone for cleanup. Because of all these reasons it's advisable to attach the star before you start painting.

EDIT: Attaching the Star can be done a couple ways. I stopped using the glue method a while back and am out of practice with gluing so after re thinking this and re reading past posts the most preferable way will be masking a bare star shaped area while you paint the shield. Attach star last. Just be very very careful not to get the JB Weld on your painted areas.

Good luck and post your pics :thumbsup

 

[Workodactyl]

Good luck on your painting! Use your garage and just buy a cheap plastic drop cloth, the paint shouldn't be going all over the place if you are doing it right. I used my garage and brought the shield into my adjoining laundry room to let the coats dry. I did this because I found leaving it in the garage left it exposed to dust/debris falling on to the paint. If that's not an option make sure it's drying in a place where this can't happen or build a plastic cover to protect it.

Don't overstress the painting, know that you might have to repaint a few times and be ok with that. Most of us painted and repainted until we got it right. You can always start over if you aren't happy with the results.

Neither the star, the back of the shield, nor the unpainted ring will "flash rust" so long as you are keeping them both somewhere relatively humidity free. Don't worry about rushing your shield build because of that. You will want to clear coat the entire shield and not just the unpainted parts.

As far as which type of clear to use that will depend largely on you and how glossy or satin you want your finish. I went the duplicolor route so I used duplicolor perfect match clear coat for a bit of a glossy look and just to keep everything consistent however I think I'm going to try the Testors paint and gloss coat laquer route next time for a more satin finish.

As far as epoxy goes JB weld is the most common. I've used JB quick for a quicker setting time. Either route just be careful with how much you apply particularly at the points of the star. You want enough so that the points aren't free to snag but not too much that it comes squirting out. Cleaning it off the shield can be a pain and a mess. I've used a Q-tip dipped in acetone for cleanup. Because of all these reasons it's advisable to attach the star before you start painting.

Good luck and post your pics :thumbsup

Thank you so much, Drakeprimeone! This has really put my mind at ease. I'm gonna take your advice and pick up some plastic cover. I too have an adjoining laundry room, but maybe I'll build a small plastic cover to let it dry in as well. I was worried of dust and debris sticking to the paint too. Thanks for the epoxy tip also--I'll probably pick up JB Weld and I'll be good to go!

This is just gonna hang on the wall, in a relatively humidity-free environment. But I'll pick up some clear coats probably. I noticed that some of you brought it to a shop to have it clear coated. How much did that cost out of curiosity?

I'll definitely take some pictures. It's gonna go back down to the 40's this week, so I'll probably begin in a week or two.

Thanks again for all the advice!

 

[metalzeus]

After i painted and clear coated my shiled since last year,I want to redo-it.Will acetone remove everything even the clear coat?

 

[drakeprimeone]

After i painted and clear coated my shiled since last year,I want to redo-it.Will acetone remove everything even the clear coat?

What did you use to clear coat it with?

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[metalzeus]

Painter's® Touch Ultra Cover 2x from rusto-leum gloss clear

 

[drakeprimeone]

To take off that much try citristrip. Use acetone after to clean it up

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[metalzeus]

thanks,I was satisfied with my paint job but certain places just bug me ,so i was thinking for a redo.

 

[drakeprimeone]

Yup I'm right there with you

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[Necromancer1441]

I've tried using JB weld for the star and handle brackets before, but it won't wold we'll. Pops off after a while. Anyone have experience with 3m mounting tape or something similar? Also, I'm thinking of reprinting my shield. Those who have experience with testors paints, do you have problems with the paint flaking off after using a testors clear coat? Appreciate any help you guys can offer.