Painting screw heads?

[Mr. Lahey]

I'm working on a project that uses very small black screws. I could not find black screws, so I will have to paint the heads. I've tried this before and not been very successful. The paint tends to collect in the screw head, and tends to come right off when driving them.

What would be a good paint to use for this?

 

[b4man]

I think I would go to Lowes and look in their specialty hardware drawers and see if they could be bought.

Painting screws is difficult for the reasons you noted.

Good Luck!


Barbara

 

[bdjessup]

I did this once and use some lacquer paint from a hobby shop. It dried very hard and for me it stayed on OK. I also used the same paint in white to cover nail heads in out sun room.
Hope this helps. Brian

 

[Ray Martin]

Try using a black Shaprie pen... after you set them

McFeeleys carries black screws is a variety of types and sizes

 

[Glennbear]

Try using a black Shaprie pen... after you set them

McFeeleys carries black screws is a variety of types and sizes[/QUOTE

#1 :icon_thum You beat me with both pieces of advice Ray.

 

[mshel]

Sometimes when I want new screws to look old, I will drop them into some of this stuff and it will turn a new screw black in a matter of minutes. It isn't like a paint, rather a chemical reaction if you will. It is a surface treatment and it will rub off if you try. Not sure what your project is so it might not be a viable solution, just throwing it out for thought. http://www.architecturals.net/32-oz-darkening-solution/

Several places sell this stuff and what I have is fairly old. It seems to keep pretty well and when I use it, I pour it right back in the bottle and reuse it.

Mike: who doesn't like shiney screws. :gar-La;:gar-La;

 

[junquecol]

I use WalMart's brand of spray paint. It dries in about five minutes. Just be sure the screws are clean, and free from "mill oil." Stick them in a piece of cardboard, or styrofoam and spray. The longer (read days) that you let them dry, the harder the paint gets

 

[RobS.]

Or, spray the screws, then after installing them shoot some of the paint in a small paper cup and touch up the screw heads using a small artist brush.

 

[cpw]

First, I would make an earnest effort to acquire black screws.

Failing that...

I use WalMart's brand of spray paint. It dries in about five minutes. Just be sure the screws are clean, and free from "mill oil." Stick them in a piece of cardboard, or styrofoam and spray. The longer (read days) that you let them dry, the harder the paint gets

+1 (Except I have more experience with Rose's One Coat spray paint)



Also, a lot depends on the original finish on the screws. I would avoid using zinc coated altogether. It's just going to flake off over time anyway.

Ideally, I would sandblast them to remove the old finish and give the surface tooth, but sanding with fine grit sandpaper will work. It's just harder to get into the slots that way.

Several thin coats is MUCH better than trying to do a thick coat. You can speed of the curing (hardening) of the paint a bit by warming the metal before application. Ideally, setting them out in direct sunlight on a hot day seems to work best. You can use a torch, but it's very easy to overheat them so the paint burns off as you apply it. And you really cannot reheat for additional coats that way.

Once the screws are driven in place then You could touch them up with Testor's model paint and a fine brush. Dont bother with the cheap brushes they keep by the model supplies. Get a quality brush from an art supply place. It makes the job SO MUCH EASIER.

Why not do the whole job with the Testor's? Because it is much easier to get a smooth finish with spray paint, and the touch ups won't stand out so much.

 

[ErnieM]

If the screws aren't zinc coated (or if you've removed the zinc coating), get some Casey Gun Bluing (Walmart sells it). Pour a small amount of the bluing into a cup and throw the screws in for a few minutes. Remove the screws - dry them gently with a clean cloth - and wipe on a light coat of wipe-on poly. The screws will be permanently black.

Ernie