Pedal finish: clear gloss and adhesive feet/bumpers

[cylens]

hey all,

I've been running through an issue with clear gloss finish and adhesive feet/bumpers.

I'm using 12mm black square ones, but they somehow seem to "react" with clear coat finish... resulting in a gluey mess and bumpers/feet not staying in place... it happens after quite some time.

Does anyone have experienced the same problem? I'm using Belton Clear Coat Gloss...

If you're successfully using adhesive feet with this brand of lacquer, can you point me which one you are using?

thanks

[Muadzin]

I don't use adhesive feet. What need do I have for them? I need velcro to stick a pedal onto a pedal board. Even then though I've noticed that its very hard to get good velcro that will stick to a pedal and not slide or lets loose. I don't know if its because I switched from oil based gloss coat to acryl, but then again it seems to come loose from every surface. They just don't seem to be making velcro strips like they used too.

So its not just your adhesive feet.

[Beaker]

Not used that paint, so don't know for sure, but I suspect it is Acrylic based. The adhesive on the feet is reacting with the paint/lacquer.

Rather than change your paint, try a few different brands of feet, and see if you can find some that do not react with the paint.

Either that, or do what I do and leave the baseplates unpainted. I have never painted my baseplates, as I used to use velcro and found the velcro stronger than the paint or powdercoat on commercial pedals. Trying to remove a pedal from my pedal board just left the velcro and paint stuck to my board, and a pedal with a (mostly) paint-less base plate in my hand!

When I started making pedals, it was just about the first conscious design descision I made - no feet, no velcro. If I sell one and someone wants to add either, then that's up to them.

Feet stick fine to bare metal, as does velcro, so it's not a problem, but like Muadzin I don't fit either feet or velcro to my pedals - I use stuff like this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-LARGE-ROLL-OF-ANTI-SPILL-TOOL-BOX-LINER-MATTING-DASHBOARD-NON-SLIP-MAT-/331769439918?hash=item4d3effe6ae:g:2eoAAOSwBahVY5Ra

I find it works far better to place my pedals on a mat like this when playing live. They slide around much less than they do when using feet. In fact with bare baseplates, they don't move at all.

[cylens]

Thanks for your input, guys,

yes, it's acrylic-based... I think I will do the same as you and leave the bottomplates painted. if someone wants feet, I might go for something like that, then: http://www.musikding.de/Rubber-feet-push-in-9mm

[Silver Blues]

I go bare baseplates as well. I had a few pain jobs ruined really awfully at first, and I saw that BJFE and their child companies did it, so I started to do it as well. Saved me lots of work and headache and I like the aesthetic anyway.

[rocket88]

I use duplicolor automotive acrylic lacquer and haven't had an issue with the stick on feet and the clear. I do find that the smaller ones don't like to hold as well as larger ones. Not sure if you can get that stuff where you are. I do paint the bottoms cause to me I feel like if I leave it bare aluminum I'm leaving it partially finished. I know it gets scratched and whatnot, but I just feel I have to do it. Lol

[Travis]

I'm the same way Zach. I like to finish the bottom plate even if it will get scratched

I haven't had an issue with the adhesive reacting with or damaging my powder coats or lacquered clear coats when I was using lacquer. If the pedal gets real hot the adhesive on either feet or Velcro can melt off in a big mess though

[Beaker]

Cylens, be aware that those feet you have linked to are through hole type - you will need to drill a 6mm hole in each corner of your baseplate. They look like a good solution if that's how you want to do it though.

You could always go for something like these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50-100pcs-Self-Adhesive-Feet-Bumpers-Rubber-Pad-Door-Cupboard-Drawer-Furniture-/381351109608?var=&hash=item58ca4c23e8:m:mvqJCRVpD5b-Uxmef5aPpYA

Super cheap, and not too obtrusive. You could always give a customer a strip of half a dozen, and let them use them if they want.

Paint/laquer is a funny thing though, there's no real way of telling for sure what it will react to.
I would always suggest testing anything out first before committing to using it.

Zach Duplicolor is available over here, but not widely, and it's very expensive!

[rocket88]

Ah, figured it might be under a different name or an equivalent. It's a shame it's expensive, it's ok paint and when baked actually is pretty nice. I get it for about $5 a can, and it lasts a few pedals depending on how many coats and what's being painted, ie whole pedal or use to paint an etched graphic.

Btw, those feet are the ones I've had issues with staying on. I'll look online and see if I can find the ones I use. They're a little bigger ~ 1/4" - 1/2" and they're flat on the bottom rather then domed.

[Beaker]

Try more like 20-25 Dollars a can over here! In the UK it used to be sold as Holts Duplicolor, now they seem to have dropped the "Duplicolor" name, so I'm not sure if it is made by the same company, or to the same formulation any more.

You can get job lots on ebay for cheap though.

[Ciaran Haslett]

Can't even buy paints on eBay with a Northern Irish address.  No import of aerosols, compressed canisters etc of any kind.  That even includes shipping from mainland UK.

Some do get through, others don't.  They must think the place is still a war zone and we all have bomb factories in the shed.  So paint is one of those things I've no choice but to source locally...or ship to a republic address and smuggle it over the border....which is totally fine by the way

[rocket88]

 GOD DAMN THAT'S BEYOND EXPENSIVE. I can't imagine spending anything near that unless it's actually mixed for me by a specialty company or bought by the pint.

[Beaker]

"Can't even buy paints on eBay with a Northern Irish address.  No import of aerosols, compressed canisters etc of any kind.  That even includes shipping from mainland UK."

Pretty sure that works the same the other way round too matey, since they tightened the rules concerning what can go in the Royal Mail. My wife got some perfume samples in the post the other day and with all the official hazard labels on the Jiffy bag, you would have though it contained chemical weapons.

[Hozy31]

I buy my paint from Amazon. Its the Kobra variety. It seems to be for graffiti artists. Its great stuff and bakes on nicely. I use a water based clear coat as i have had so many problems with solvent based lacquer especially with decals. Its expensive but lasts well.