Silicone paint peeling / inconsistencies

matthewgillcrafts@gmail.com

So I'm using the materials and techniques from the Tim Gore silicone painting lesson and I'm getting mixed results. Some skins I cast and paint come out great while others seem like the paint doesn't want to adhere well and will peel. My skins are made from Moldmax 10 T and I'm using an airbrush to apply my paint and thined down silicone layers. Initial thoughts are the ratio to silicone caulking with naptha is the issue, or maybe my final layer of silicone isn't thick enough?

Chris Ellerby

I believe Tim is using Platinum cure silicones in his lesson.  I wonder if the Moldmax 10 T being a Tin cure silicone is contributing to the delamination.  It should work on both though.

Did you clean the silicone surface before painting?  Sometimes release from the mold or contamination from handling or the environment can cause issues.  I believe you can even scrub the surface with naptha beforehand to help clean and prep.

The mix seems to be the most likely culprit, since if there is too much naptha the silicone layer will just be a super-thin film full of pigment and not have much structural stability.  Going over it with more thinned silicone could also help seal it in.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

/Chris

matthewgillcrafts@gmail.com

I've been cleaning the casts with soap and warm water and then isopropyl before painting. I even tried to brush on layers of the silicone mixture to avoid thin spots from airbrushing but when I pulled a bristle I found it released the paint layers and started to peel all over. I can try dragon skin just to see. I find it odd because I'll get a skin that takes paint really well and then others wont.

matthewgillcrafts@gmail.com

This leg skin which is Moldmax 10 T painted with an air brush has taken the paint just fine. I can't peel it scratching at it with my nails.

Chris Ellerby

Odd, I wonder what variable could be changing from one casting to another that would impact adhesion.  

/Chris