How to color fill engravings after gold plating

[buntic]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum and I've been researching this question for over a year and I haven't been able to find an answer. Maybe I've just been researching the wrong thing so I figured I'd ask the experts here.

I do laser engraving on firearms as well as gold plating, but I haven't been able to figure out how to color fill the engravings. I've included an image of a gun, which from what I can tell, has been laser engraved and color filled.

I've asked my plater about this and they've told me the firearm is plated and then laser etched. But from I've seen, these aren't just surface etchings or markings, but actual engraved recesses that have been color filled. Are the engraved areas somehow masked prior to plating? Or is there a way of using a paint or enamel to fill the areas without making it look sloppy?

Does anyone have any experience with this? I haven't found another thread that covers this. Any info would be appreciated.

-Joe

 

[AllenClapp]

When you say "color fill" are you talking about blackening the line recesses with Rustoleum Flat Black Paint or Speedball black oil-based block printing ink? If so, you can apply the paint/ink with a cotton swab and press it down into the recesses. Then wipe the excess off the surface with brown grocery bag paper [it is absorbent enough to pick up the surface paint/ink and rigid enough not to get down into the recesses]. Some engraver prefer to wipe it with their finger, but others find that using paper is less likely to remove paint/ink from the recesses. To wipe the remainder off the surface, dampen {NOT WET, DAMP] a clean piece of paper with paint thinner and lightly wipe the surface. Some engravers prefer to slightly dilute the paint or ink with solvent to help it dry quickly. You can find a variety of videos online and discussions here in the archive sections.

 

[buntic]

Blackening the recesses would be what I'm referring to. Would using paint or printing ink do a clean job of filling in the recesses, especially the very fine detailed areas similar to the picture in the original post? Also, with the surface being gold plated, would using a piece of paper cause any hairline scratches to the gold?

I suppose I could get a scrap piece of metal engraved and plated to test this out. I was thinking this method wouldn't work well for finely detailed laser engravings and/or the paint would smudge on the gold plating.

 

[John B.]

I've done quite a bit of this type work.
The plating was applied over the well polished, hand engraved metal surface.
Speedball Oil Based printers ink was then applied in the engraved areas.

Please think about the graver texture in the bottom of your cuts, where you want the ink or paint to stay.
Also consider the bottom texture of any wide cut, relieved areas, and it's ability to hold and retain ink.
The ink or paint needs some "tooth texture" to grab hold of in these cuts and surfaces.
I advise you to cut this type engraving with regular gravers, not highly polished gravers, that impart bright cuts.

The plating creates a "too slick" surface for the ink to stay in place when applied over polished surfaces or in bright cut engraved channels.
Your graver or cutters should not be highly polished. They need to impart some "tooth" in your cuts.
Any wide cut, "background removed" type areas that need to stay inked, should be finely stippled before inking.
Apply the ink with a Q-tip, and work it into the cuts.

Found it best to not get myself in a big hurry in cleaning off and removing the excess ink.
Leave the inked engraving sit overnight, giving the ink a little time to set up and oxidize in the cuts.
The excess ink will still be fairly easy to remove from the polished surface metal.

Wishing you Best of Luck with this interesting technique.
John B.

 

[buntic]

Thanks for the helpful information. I'm going to have to try the techniques here on a sample piece and see if I can replicate it using Speedball ink. I didn't think this would work, but it seems like this is the method used to blacken the engravings.