Painting your pocket watch

[skribb]

Hello everyone.

I have a wish. I wish my pocket watch was made of brass. Unfortunately, it's not. It's silvery white pewter or something (and the insides are plastic, shamefully). Now I was thinking that I could buy brass paint (which I've located) and paint it. However, my experience of painting things is not that good. Usually when painting with a brush, the end result looks a bit brushed (no pun intented, I assure you). You can see the strands of paint and in which directions you swept the brush. But there is an alternative, and that is spray-painting.

I would like some suggestions as to whether painting with a brush actually might work (I have never painted on metals before), or if not, which spray-can (or some such) to purchase for my project. Or, in the worst case scenario, why you'd discourage me from painting my watch.

[Prof. Brockworth]

Brassy paint will look like paint.  You will get a better effect by gilding it: get leaf faux-gold from an arts and crafts supplier along with adhesive; apply the glue, then with a big fluffy brush apply the leaf metal, polishing it off.  I intend to do some animal skulls in this technique shortly - I'll post pics if I do.

[Thuzle]

One could try electroplating brass onto the case. As long as it can conduct a current, it should do well. Point the aethernet to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroplating for an idea of what to do. I'd like to see how it goes. Of course, one should remove the movement.

[skribb]

Thuzle, I am afraid that electroplating is a bit too expensive/complicated/time-consuming for me. Nevertheless, thanks for the advice.

I shall look further into gilding as andygates suggested. If anyone else has other advice, please do tell.

EDIT:
I found something called "artmetal" which is, according to its description, a liquid gilding. Will that look authentic, perhaps?


Under the same category (gilding/leaf gold) in the store (artistica.nu, not in English by the way), I found gold spray. Since it's filed under gilding I thought it might suffice.


I also forgot to tell you that along with the watch, I want to dye its chain, and in addition to that I am looking to dye other silvery objects of interest (a key, some rivets and other various things). Should I maybe do a combined gilding by using leaf gold for the watch and one of the preparations I mentioned above for the remainders?

I feel quite helpless (and hopeless). I am not very savvy in crafts (when I was a child, tape was my favorite adhesive for everything - I refused to use glue or nails).

[Duncan Hawthorne]

The hardest part about painting any sort of metal is getting the paint to actually stick, as the surface is too slick generally.  I know that sounds elementary, but it's something frequently overlooked.  The rubbed gilding will look better and possibly hold better instead of flaking off.  Or, if you go the paint route, use a light coat of metal primer, and several very light coats of paint, and maybe even buff/fine/sand between coats.  Multiple thin coats will stick better than one thick one, as well as not have unsightly "orange peel" lumps.

The chain I would suggest dipping or spraying in several light coats. 

Good luck.  Another option is to consider not making it look brass (other metals were used for the time period...), but to antique it instead.  Basically, this is done with some black or dark brown wash using paint thinner and non-water-based enamel.  Paint it on liberally and rub it off with a rag, which leaves dark areas in the cracks and whatnot, and can be a nice effect.  Experiment on something else first, and remember you can always add more paint more easily than you can remove it.  In theory you could do both, I suppose: make it antiqued and brass by alternating golds and browns, but again - experiment on a piece of scrap metal of a similar nature.

Good luck!

[Vienna Fahrmann]

     I'm not trying to paint a pocket watch, but I've heard of a product called "rub & buff" that is supposed to rub on any surface & stick.  It comes in various metallic colours.  Has anybody tried this on a project & does it work?

     Vienna

     P.S.  I found a vintage pocket watch in a box in the spare bedroom.  I think I'll take it to a watch shop & see if it can be fixed up.

[clockdug]

I am wary of the durability of painting a watch chain.  Firstly it would be quite a task covering all surfaces evenly as the chain shifts about.  Secondly I would be concerned with all of those shifting parts rubbing against each other.

For the chain I would consider another option.  For roughly the price of the paint you could just replace the chain with a similar sized brass chain from the hardware store.  That would be much easier than trying to work out a faux finish for a chain.

[skribb]

For roughly the price of the paint you could just replace the chain with a similar sized brass chain from the hardware store.  That would be much easier than trying to work out a faux finish for a chain.

Certainly I thought about this. The problem, however, is that my chain was bought just days short of a week ago. I think I might settle for an antiquing, I really just want to get rid of this silvery modern shine!

EDIT: I already HAD a brass chain. I bought it a few weeks ago. Silly me. Well, now that's out of the way, I suppose gilding won't be such a big problem.