Re: [Harp-L] color finish on stock 280 comb

[David Payne <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Are you talking about painting plastic? You'd almost think it couldn't be done. There is only one material I know of from the warehouse of God and man that would work. It's a paint that's been made for thousands of years. It's seen a resurgence since the 1970s because it is probably the greenest (pun intended) paint there is. I'm talking about milk paint. I have never painted plastic with it, but I can tell you this, it will stick to brass and if it will stick to brass, I believe it will stick to anything. 
During my early period of building harps, I painted some combs with it. It's really nice for pearwood, because there isn't much you can do to make pearwood look nice save painting it. With acrylic paint, I could paint the comb with it on the reedplates, then easily just scrape the paint off the brass. Milk paint was a whole nuther story. To get that excess off, I had to physically remove the reedplates and sand the milk paint off of them. It wasn't an easy sanding, either. 
I would imagine it would stick to plastic. If it will stick to brass so well you have to spend forever sanding it off, I think it would stick to anything. You would want to put an oil-based sealant over it, not water-based, because it is a water based paint essentially. 
It comes in powder form, so you mix up a small batch and throw it away when you are done, because it will spoil eventually. When you mix it up, it will smell like you just opened up a can of evaporated milk and poured some of it up your nose, but the smell is gone when the paint dries. It's a really cool paint.

This is the specific paint I was using. I got it at Woodcraft. I've been thinking about getting some more of it and using it to paint combs. 
http://milkpaint.com/

If you buy it, it always comes in powder form that you have to mix with water. It's not something that you can get already mixed, because it so perishable. 
In the old days, it was the paint of choice. All you had to do was go out to the barn, draw it off the teat, and make up  batch of paint. 
Here Martha Stewart tells you how to make it from scratch, substituting buying from the store for going out in the barn. 
http://www.marthastewart.com/272306/milk-paint-recipe

 Milk paint. It's a good thing.

David Payne
www.elkriverharmonicas.com


Elk River Harmonicas Forum now available via Iphone app, www.elkriverharmonicas.com/forum


________________________________
 From: Robert Hale <robert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-L list <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2012 8:10 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] color finish on stock 280 comb
 
If I can't find a custom maker of chromatic 280 combs, what color finishes
can I consider for the black Hohner replacement?

Paint wears down, contact vinyl will peel and curl. Paint plus
acrylic clear coat?


Robert Hale

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