Does anybody have any advise on painting copper pipe?
To be more specific, I need a paint suitable for copper whistles (including the mouthpiece).
I fear toxicity to the player, acidic reactions with the copper, and the paint turning loose and flaking off in the future even though it bonded well initially… like what happened to so many GM vehicles a few years back.
I’m guessing that automotive grade paint and some kind of primer will be necessary for a good quality finish, but I’d rather know for sure before I go and ruin any of my whistles.
I’d like to avoid any clearcoat because I’d like to keep the thickness of the finish down to a minimum… for that matter, I’d like to avoid primer as well if at all possible.
One last note - baking isn’t an option because the fipple plugs would melt.
I’m an old-time GM Paint Department worker, and can tell you that automotive enamel, baked on over red primer, will likely work best. That said, we used Dulux lacquer on the outside, over gray primer, heated in a “reflow oven” to around 350F to cause it to melt slightly, eliminating any surface defects caused by the spray. That also eliminated the need for clearcoat.
Unless you go seriously overboard, paint thickness should have minimal to no effect on tuning.
Can you not paint before placing the fipple? That’s what I’m doing with the Brass Serpents that are being coloured with fired-on (glass, 1340F) enamels.
Cheers,
serpent
(edit) P.S. The GM paint flaked off because the people on the line responsible for wiping off the Bonderite residue were not doing their job. They are IMO also major responsible for the elimination of humans in the Paint Department, and their replacement by robotic painting and electrostatic deposition.
I do not wish to live a life of unsuffered consequences!
[ This Message was edited by: serpent on 2002-12-13 10:48 ]
Sandy Jasper would be a good person to ask, as her Elfsong “Coppertone” whistles are painted copper. She uses a non-toxic clear-coat on the mouthpiece, which keeps the copper from tarnishing.
On 2002-12-13 10:50, Redwolf wrote:
Sandy Jasper would be a good person to ask, as her Elfsong “Coppertone” whistles are painted copper. She uses a non-toxic clear-coat on the mouthpiece, which keeps the copper from tarnishing.
