Catching a Glow

Posted 05/08/2007 at 12:50pm | by

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Ultra-violet (UV) reactive paint is nothing new in modding, modders have been using and abusing the stuff for sometime. Glow in the dark (or phosphorescent) paint isn’t new either, but hasn’t found as wide an audience with modders as UV paint. Part of the reason may be that products on the market in the past were expensive and basically had to be “glopped” on to work. It has been a while though. So, when I saw a new product from Rust-Oleum called glow in the dark luminous latex paint – well, I had to try it

The first thing I liked is that the paint is latex. That means it’s far less toxic/hazardous than some of the enamels and acrylics out there. The second thing I liked is that it was inexpensive compared to similar products I’ve seen in the past. A 7oz can set me back about $7 USD. Not a bad deal if the stuff works.

I masked off a random pattern on sheet acrylic and applied two coats. Something to note is that the actual particles that do the glowing appear to all settle to the bottom of the can. I mixed the material for 2-3 minutes before applying it to remedy this. Then, as per the instructions, I applied two coats separated by about an hour. The dried effect is actually similar in look to etching. The photo doesn’t do it justice

After drying, I gave it a 2 hour sunlight charge and tried it out. The results weren’t bright enough to get a picture of, but the effect was there. It's a nice, subtle glow - in green of course. I suspect if I had really laid down heavy coats the effect would be better.

But if the effect can’t be caught on camera easily, how did I get the picture? Well, this paint is also UV reactive. It doesn’t fluoresce as brightly as most of the UV paint on the market, but it has the added effect of a slow fade once the UV source is turned off. Kinda eerie if you ask me, and perfect for certain modding effects. I’ll be keeping a can or two around the shop.

Final thoughts: I’d go four coats instead of two on a real mod. It’s also of note that, while you can airbrush latex, airbrushing will require thinning, and thinning will require even more coats to get enough of the actual glowing material down on your surface. That said, the effect will be more consistent than brushing.

Well, I'm off to find Capt'n Jack (the cat). I think he needs some glow in the dark flames.

That's a joke folks. Really - I wouldn't do that. No, really.

Jack?

Happy Modding All!

And speaking of things a bit eerie, your bling on this day comes from Bill Owens and Stu King; part 5 of the Ghost Rider Mod (mind the volume if you’re at work)