Yet Another Gold Test

[Astyanax]

Hey all:

I have too many projects that need a convincing shiny gold! I've done tons of research, and I'm going to try 8 different gold applications on this 1:4 piece of the Ark of the covenant. And then I will clearcoat them. And then I will weather them with a wash. But I will take pics along the way and solicit opinions.

I've experimented a couple times in other posts with gold, but I need something more definitive:

My 3D Printed Hellraiser 1987 Lament Cube (was: "Paint Roller for Raised Surfaces")

Hello! I am working on painting a 3D-printed resin model where I have a bunch of raised texture on a flat surface (Hellraiser Lament Configuration puzzle box): I need to paint gold on the raised part, but black or brown on the lower surfaces. I've done some research, and identified a few...

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Upgrading a Cheap Constantine Lighter with Metal Leaf

Hi all: In an effort to build some new skills, I picked up this cheap Constantine lighter from AliExpress ($19 shipped): Although it is a really decent Zorro/Zippo knockoff as a real lighter, as a prop it is woefully inadequate: - The edges are too sharp - There's a "Constantine" logo...

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Interested in your opinions and any suggestions before I get to the end! Thanks!

This is the part I printed (x8 x24), all cured and ready to go:



First couple attempts hopefully coming later today!

Bill

 

[Astyanax]

For starters, I primed 6 of the parts with this Dupli-Color Automotive Sealer Primer:



This is my go-to primer for most everything, as it goes on very thin, the spray is very fine, and a can of it lasts a long time. Makes it easy to add layers (which I rarely do).



I've left two parts unprimed, because I'm doing gold marker and gold leaf with those. More to come!

EDIT: I also added gloss black to 4 of the parts, because I'll be going the colored chrome route for some. I am using Rustoleum Painter's Touch 2X Glossy paint for the shiny base. I've tried a few different black glosses now (including Spaz Stix for airbrush), and I'm getting a more consistent shine from the Rustoleum.



Bill

 

[Astyanax]

My first two golds are ready to show!

PART 1: DecoColor Premium-Prime Gold Marker Pen



My first attempt was to use this gold marker directly on the part. Color is good, and the shine is okayyyyy, but there are a couple problems:

• The liquid tended to pool at the bottom and dried that way.
• Stroke marks were unavoidable unless I used extra liquid.
• It's thick, so I lost some detail.
• It was very slow-drying.

For smooth or very small surfaces, I think I would use this. But not for a whole Ark of the Covenant, even at 1:4 size! I tried opening up the pen to see if I could decant the liquid for airbrush. While the pen opened easily, there was too little liquid inside to be useful, so it would be too expensive do airbrush a whole prop with this stuff.

...and at proper viewing distance:

 

[Astyanax]

PART 2: Barnabas Blattgold Gold Leaf and Speedball Mona Lisa Adhesive



I chose not to go with the Speedball Mona Lisa gold leaf this time, because those sheets had a backing that you have to peel off. These BB sheets are completely by themselves, and while extra flimsy, I was able to push the gold leaf into the cracks and crevices a bit better, and prevent as nearly much cracking as in my other projects. Even so, some cracking was inevitable, and a second application over the cracks was necessary. But they filled up just fine!

The color is good, the detail is excellent (even shows my un-sanded 8K resin layer lines), it's super shiny. It's hard to convey via photos how shiny it really is, but you can get an idea from the distance shot below. The photos make the foil look more "fragmented" than it really looks in person; again, see the distance shot. It really looks good. And the cons are not too bad:

• It takes a LONG time, almost an hour to do this part. But as I get better at the technique I'm sure this will shorten.
• The gold leaf really adheres tightly, showing the layer lines! In future I think I would use a semi-thick primer first.
• The cracks take extra applications. Next time, a base layer of spray gold might be in order? The will show the cracks much less, I think.

This is a serious contender. If I don't like the spray-on golds, I may go this route, again with a primer and gold spray underneath. I doubt I would lose much detail under those circumstances.

...and at proper viewing distance:

 

[Analyzer]

Interested to see what other options there might be

 

[Astyanax]

Interested to see what other options there might be

No need to keep people in suspense...these are what I tested. Links go directly to the post in question

1. DecoColor Premium-Prime Gold Marker Pen
2. Barnabas Blattgold Gold Leaf and Speedball Mona Lisa Adhesive
3. Rustoleum Metallic Gold spray paint over primer
4. Rustoleum Metallic Gold spray paint over black gloss over primer
5. Folk Art Treasure Gold acrylic brush paint over primer
6. Alclad II Pale Gold (buffed & unbuffed) over black gloss over primer
7. Alclad II Candy Yellow+Red over Alclad II Polished Aluminum over black gloss
8. Yellow and red food coloring with Liquitex High Gloss Varnish over Alclad II Polished Aluminum over black gloss
9. Rub'n Buff Gold Leaf over primer (buffed heavily)
10. Custom Paints Inspire Candy Gold over Alclad II Polished Aluminum over black gloss
11. Gold Chrome Nail Polish Powder over black gloss over primer
12. Green Stuff World Chrome Gold and Antique Gold Metal over black gloss
    
    
13. TBD...? ? ? (please post your ideas...I can print more parts...must be affordable and not for advanced crafters).

Thank you!

 

[Astyanax]

PART 3: Rustoleum Metallic Gold spray paint over primer



Makes sense to have a half-decent off-the-shelf rattle can to compare to, right? Overall, I really do like the Rustoleum line, and their Metallic paints are perfectly okay for everyday gold. But in this case?

The color is good, the detail is excellent (layer lines kind of came through), but...

• It's just not as shiny as the others. It does look quite nice in person, but the gold marker is slightly shinier. We weren't expecting something as shiny as the cap on that rattle can, were we?

That's it, really? I think I need to try this over the black gloss, see if a smoother undercoat makes a difference with the shine.

And at proper viewing distance:

 

[Analyzer]

There is this. Not sure how durable, but...

 

[Analyzer]

There is also this greenstuff world paint

▷ Chrome Paint - ANTIQUE GOLD 17ml |

Buy Chrome Paint - ANTIQUE GOLD 17ml online at Green Stuff World⭐. Scale models, and board games

www.greenstuffworld.com

I can't vouch for the antique gold chrome, but I have tried their mirror chrome paint and it is amazing. Very durable and it can be brushed on or airbrushed (I'd recommend their thinner if airbrushing)

here is an example on a 3-D print with a fairly rough surface that I just painted on with a brush (you are supposed to paint it on quick and thick. In many ways it is probably similar to the markers)

 

[Astyanax]

There is this. Not sure how durable, but...

Thanks for this! I've been looking for an airbrush candy gold, and had to combine candy yellow with red until now. I've ordered a bottle and will add it to the list. I don't need their chrome, because it's expensive and my Alclad II chrome is quite good. Shipping cost was unusually high, but I justified it for the "cause". And Candy Gold is basically a properly pre-mixed yellow and red, so that's cool.

 

[Astyanax]

There is also this greenstuff world paint
I can't vouch for the antique gold chrome, but I have tried their mirror chrome paint and it is amazing. Very durable and it can be brushed on or airbrushed (I'd recommend their thinner if airbrushing)

Wow, you're full of options that I've not seen, and I went looking!

For being all the way in Spain, the shipping cost is really low, and the prices of the paints even lower. I ordered Gold Metal and Antique Gold Metal.

One of the things I'm learning from this exercise, is that no one gold is RIGHT. Each one has a different usefulness, whether something as small as jewelry, or big as C-3PO. So when this is done I'm gonna have a huge collection of gold options!

Time to print some more parts. Let's do this right!!!

 

[Astyanax]

PART 4: Rustoleum Metallic Gold spray paint over gloss black



Encouraged by the simple Rustoleum spray, I tried it on top of the gloss black that I had sprayed on one of the parts earlier. Very interesting result!

There is a very slight change in the color, in that it is very slightly warmer. Also, the whole thing is smoother; the extra coat pretty much eliminated the layer lines, but didn't cost much by way of detail! And yes, it is a bit shinier!

Still not as shiny as that silly plastic cap, but I wasn't expecting it.

Here it is next to the one painted directly over primer. You can tell the difference in smoothness and in the brown horizontal bands of reflection.



I really do think this is a serious contender now, considering cost and labor.

And at proper viewing distance:

 

[Astyanax]

PART 5: Folk Art Treasure Gold acrylic brush paint over primer



While the gold spray-over-black-gloss is drying, I'm jumping ahead to the next one, which I had started earlier.

After some research, this particular gold appeared to be very popular on Amazon. Folk Art makes cheap acrylics, but also some nice ones. when I opened the bottle up, there was tons of that metal shimmer, so I had high hopes.

I tried thinning it with acrylic airbrush thinner so that I could spray it, but at any thickness it was clogging up my airbrush. So I resorted to brush painting.

It goes on fairly thick, but there's enough time to thin it out with the brush as I'm brushing it on. And it required three coats!

• It's too dark and warm in color, more like "Antique Gold". Maybe Treasure Gold is a color and not a type under this brand?
• Because it took three coats, it ended up going on pretty thick, which cost some detail.
• Not quite as shiny as the others....maybe slightly less shiny than the rattle can over primer (#3 above).
• Although it hid the brush strokes for the most part, some showed through when you look up close. At more than two feet away, you don't see them.

I can see the usefulness of this paint, just not in the case of a reduced-size Ark of the Covenant. I think this one is out of the running.

And at proper viewing distance:

 

[Astyanax]

Here's an interim view in lower light. I think it helps show the difference in shine levels:

 

[JediMichael]

Using Gold and silver chrome type paint can sure be tricky.
Just over 3 years ago I was trying to Silver chrome up an Agents of Shield logo I made. Something I thought that might take a week or so, ended up being two months or terror.
So I did something similar doing tests, but only like 2 brands. I found, priming it first, vs no priming at all also gave different results between the two brands. Rustoleum vs Krylon. Then trying clear coats made it even more different. One type even bubbled up badly.
I ended up not clear coating it and using the Krylon Chrome, but now, if you even touch it, I risk making a mark. It hangs on the wall and I hope to never touch it again....unlikely.
Heres the thread if interested.

Agents of Shield LOGO

So I never grew up reading comics, and only really knew Marvel heros like Spider-man, Hulk, and when the movies came out, X-Men. That was about it. So when my friends wanted to go watch Ironman in 2008, I'm like, who, what??? (Sad,I know) Like plenty others, I loved it, and of course the now...

www.therpf.com

Heres a mirror paint that I saw online two years ago, but still have never used. Not sure if they make a gold version, but worth checking out just incase.

Mirror paint

Was looking up chrome paints after reading Fett_Ish's T-800 thread. Found this Mirror paint that is claimed to be the world's mirroriest mirror chrome paint. It's $38 (plus shipping) for a little bottle (15 ml) It's from the site, www.culturehustleusa.com Which has a bunch of other cool...

www.therpf.com

Just looked, they do make a gold.

*THE WORLD'S GOLDEST GOLD - metallic acrylic paint by Stuart Semple 1 fl oz (30ml)

GOLD Soft body acrylic paint 30ml This is the GOLDEST GOLD. A true metallic finish acrylic. Brush apply or spray Adheres to almost any surface Ultimate authentic metallic finish. Non Toxic GOLD is now available to EVERYONE* (except Daniel Smith who have bought up all available Quinacridone...

www.culturehustleusa.com

 

[Astyanax]

Using Gold and silver chrome type paint can sure be tricky.
Just over 3 years ago I was trying to Silver chrome up an Agents of Shield logo I made. Something I thought that might take a week or so, ended up being two months or terror.
So I did something similar doing tests, but only like 2 brands. I found, priming it first, vs no priming at all also gave different results between the two brands. Rustoleum vs Krylon. Then trying clear coats made it even more different. One type even bubbled up badly.
I ended up not clear coating it and using the Krylon Chrome, but now, if you even touch it, I risk making a mark. It hangs on the wall and I hope to never touch it again....unlikely.

Heh, interesting. Yes, most of my props go on display, so I don't expect to handle them much at all. But I will be testing the clearcoat too; I like Alclad Aqua Gloss quite a bit, as it seems to be one of the least dulling of them.

Heres a mirror paint that I saw online two years ago, but still have never used. Not sure if they make a gold version, but worth checking out just incase.

Just looked, they do make a gold.

Hmm, $18 per ounce is more than double the cost of the Alclad II bottles...except I get 30% more by adding water. Let's check the shipping...THIRTEEN BUCKS! There's no way that costs them more than $3 to ship from Kentucky to California. Sorry, just too rich for my blood. I may consider it at the end of these tests if I'm unhappy with the results. But like I said earlier, depending on the project, I see benefits to all so far.

For the Ark of the Covenant? Looking at them in person, I think #2 and #4 are worth considering so far.

Thanks for the info!

 

[JediMichael]

Heh, interesting. Yes, most of my props go on display, so I don't expect to handle them much at all. But I will be testing the clearcoat too; I like Alclad Aqua Gloss quite a bit, as it seems to be one of the least dulling of them.



Hmm, $18 per ounce is more than double the cost of the Alclad II bottles...except I get 30% more by adding water. Let's check the shipping...THIRTEEN BUCKS! There's no way that costs them more than $3 to ship from Kentucky to California. Sorry, just too rich for my blood. I may consider it at the end of these tests if I'm unhappy with the results. But like I said earlier, depending on the project, I see benefits to all so far.

For the Ark of the Covenant? Looking at them in person, I think #2 and #4 are worth considering so far.

Thanks for the info!

Yeah, its costly....for some reason. Maybe using real gold....lol.
Two years ago the silver chrome was $38. Its now $50, plus shipping for a 15 ml bottle. Yikes. That bottle of paint better outlive me.
I would like to try it, but do not have the money right now, and no projects that currently need it.
So hopefully a clear coat works for you and doesn't bubble up or any other weird things primer/paint/clearcoat can sometimes do....like cracking...
It will be interesting to see which one turns out the best.
My problem doing a ton of tests, is keeping track of what was what to reproduce it on the real deal.

 

[Astyanax]

So hopefully a clear coat works for you and doesn't bubble up or any other weird things primer/paint/clearcoat can sometimes do....like cracking...

Yeah, I've had luck so far. Some of these I've combined before, so like with Alclad II, I know what to expect. But some of these are new...we'll see.

It will be interesting to see which one turns out the best.
My problem doing a ton of tests, is keeping track of what was what to reproduce it on the real deal.

Exactly, that's why I'm documenting it all here.

Yikes. That bottle of paint better outlive me

I can imagine swinging my airbrush a little too quickly, and some of the paint swishes out of the cup. Whoops, there goes five bucks.

 

[JediMichael]

I had it documented on here, but I was thinking it was that agent of shields thread....but nope. I looked at every thread I've ever made....nope. I must have put it in someone else thread, and no I can't remember....arrgghhhh.
I still have all the pictures, but not what everything was.
So heres the clear coat over the chrome....glad that was only a test. One did this, the other brand coated better, but it was suppose to be gloss, but came out a dull matte look.
Looks like we spend more time testing things out than actually building....lol.

 

[Astyanax]

So heres the clear coat over the chrome....glad that was only a test. One did this, the other brand coated better, but it was suppose to be gloss, but came out a dull matte look.

Wow, that really beaded up! I do know that Aqua Gloss over Alclad II metallics is formulated to work fine. That's because the Aqua Gloss is water-based, and the Alclad II metallics are lacquer-based. Solid shell over solid shell.

Looks like we spend more time testing things out than actually building....lol.

Yep, it's all about the testing. This thread will probably be bigger than any of my build threads. But it also makes sense to document the tests a little more thoroughly, so that other folks can share in the knowledge.