Paint recommendations for painting brass?

Larry Mullen posted:

I am looking for a spray can that might be good for painting brass detail parts.  I've used Rust-Oleum, put it in the oven and it still seems to come off pretty easily.

Flat black.

Thank you. 

Over more then 50 years of modeling in both HO and O, I always preferred Scalecoat paint for brass models.

Try cleaning and etching the brass parts in a bath of vinegar.  Rinse thoroughly, then dry completely.  Avoid touching the parts with your bare hands after rinsing so as to avoid natural oil transfer from your skin.

I don't think any paint will stick to brass perfectly, but preparing the surface as best as possible is bound to help.  Also, seems like I've heard that acrylic paints MAY do a better job of sticking to properly cleaned brass than oil-based paints.  I have no experience or proof of this, however.

Hope this helps. 

So I’m a little confused. Are the parts you are working on currently covered in Rustoleum that you cooked in the oven, and is now easily coming off?

if this is the case, first you’ll need to remove all the cooked paint....no need to cook any paint. If you need a remedy to remove that paint, use lacquer thinner and a tooth brush in a properly  ventilated area, and wear proper PPE to prevent you from getting hurt...afterwards, clean the parts in warm soapy water and dry thoroughly like Paul said......

as far as paints are concerned, for a small quantity of parts, I use scalecoat like Jack suggested If you plan on painting more and more parts in the future, you can get an automotive grade spray can of SEM’s trim black....this will not be as thin as scalecoat, but the quantity of paint will last a long, long time....it’s all going to depend on what your painting, and the level of detail you are trying not to obscure...no need to cook your parts....let them air dry on their own. Thin coats with time between coats will yield the best results. After you’re satisfied the parts are covered to your liking, let them cure out for 24-36 hours...you’ll be a lot happier with the results.........Pat

If not air brushing instead of a rattle can use a Pre-Val with a hobby paint such as ScaleCoat -- less chance of obscuring detail parts.  Tamaiya primer in a rattle can applied lightly is a good product. hobby paints have finer solids in them.

Also, use a primer before you put a coat of paint on. I use model RR primers but on large models, such as a tender shell or engine boiler, I've recently used RustOleum 2X primer. In over 50 years of painting brass, I have never had an issue as long as I used a primer first.

RAY

I no longer purchase Rustoleum.  It clogs at about the halfway point.  I now spend a few more bucks and get Dupl-Color.  It never clogs, and has a good spray pattern.

Like Hot, I have had extremely good luck with Scale Coat, but fear they have changed their formula.  A jar will now go bad inside a year.

As to baking, I get really good chip-proof results by baking Scale Coat at 180 degrees for an hour.

Not an expert, but I do get good results.  This one is scratch, with a copper boiler and frame machined from 1" square brass.  Tender trucks in nickel silver from my father's foundry.

Thanks everyone!

A friend who has a massive brass collection does all his own painting. He uses an acetic acid bath / wash he also uses an air eraser to etch the surface.  He paints everything with hi-gloss, no primer, so decals adhere properly, then uses a dulling spray which also seals the decals and hides the edge.  Joe this would be a good time to chime in.     j

People go to a "HOBBY SHOP" and pay tons of money to buy their model ___________ [fill in the blank].

So, why in the wide wide world of sports do they go to a home improvement store to buy paint to paint them with???

Brass is not paint-friendly compared to some materials. But, I have never had much trouble with it generally. Modern, good-quality acrylics do seem to stick better than the traditional enamels, I'm thinking...? Over the years I have used Testors, Scalecoat and hardware store. All have worked; all have failed. Mostly worked.

Always clean the surface well (soap and water, or 409...a good rinsing); etching is good; a primer - plain gray Dollar General stuff - is a step some skip, and I have never understood why they would do that. It's a primer.

Big Jim posted:

People go to a "HOBBY SHOP" and pay tons of money to buy their model ___________ [fill in the blank].

So, why in the wide wide world of sports do they go to a home improvement store to buy paint them with???

Who "DEFECATED" in your cereal this morning, Jim?  You seem to like to put these meaningless, passive aggressive rebuttals out there -  I'm guessing to either make people feel stupid or to make yourself feel better...maybe both.  Some things, I think, should be left unsaid and a lot of them are your responses to posts.  Not sure how your reply would help anyone who stumbled upon this thread for an answer who was wondering the same thing that I was.

Well Larry,
It is not meaningless. To me it is just common sense to use the proper tool for the job. And, that just happens to be a hobby paint for their models! Too many people try to go the cheap route to paint their expensive models and wind up paying the price!
I'm sorry that you have such a thin skin that you have to take this so personal. It is not only you. A lot of people on this forum in the past year thought that they could just go out and buy whatever brand of paint they can find on the first shelf they came to and expect a masterpiece rise up out of the overspray. And, it continues on!

I never had a problem painting brass. My personal favorite was Floquil, however, that is now long gone. I now use Modelmaster and so far have been happy with it.

We'll agree to disagree.  Had you offered something useful, that would have been great!  "Use brand X because..." You didn't.  Not appreciating your comment has nothing to do with one's skin thickness.  That's the go to..."the guy didn't like my snarky comment. He's thinned skinned!"  I understand that it is easier to make those kind of comments from behind a computer.  I get it.  I was just looking for something constructive. Nowhere did I say that I was trying to be cheap by using hardware store paint; you incorrectly inferred that. 

That said, thanks to all who offered some great tips! 

I did appreciate that, yes. I wasn't addressing that post. But why not just state it from the get go?  I appreciate your opinion, but it appears it has worked for others.

And Jack, I enjoyed the Notch 6 interviews.

Larry Mullen posted:

Thanks everyone!

 

You're sure welcome, Larry.  MOST of us try to be of positive help.  A few others, not so much.  They tend to eat contaminated cereal quite frequently.