Has anyone ever used appliance enamel paint of the 78 mask before? Apparently that’s how they did the original mask back in the 70s. Just wondering how the mask took it and if it cracked or not
I haven’t used enamel paint personally but heard that it chips off after a few months when worn a lot. It lasts a few years when just used for a display prop.
Do they still make the same stuff or would you need to get some New Old stock?
Please don’t. You will ruin your mask.
In his younger years, TLW described the paint used as being “Fishbelly White.” Based on the color name, it has been suggested that he used a taxidermy spray paint which would have had an element of flexibility. I think this is the likeliest scenario as no traditional hardware store style of spray paint, such as enamel, would ever hold up as long as the hero mask has. That one coat of paint has more or less held up for half a century, under abusive situations.
In his less recollective years, he has suggested it was just basic spray paint, but I don’t see how that is possible.
I usually mix things up with different materials. If you’re using any spray paint, even the more unconventional ones, start by testing a small spot at the back of the neck near the slit. This way, you can see how the paint reacts with the mask material. Luckily, most products these days are way safer than in the past. Check out local craft and paint stores, especially the smaller family-owned ones that have been around for a while—they can really point you in the right direction for good stuff. Just avoid buying from Amazon.
It’s not enamel. It’s epoxy. When you go to the dentist they mention the enamel of your teeth, the hard part. If you have something hard and rigid on a flexible layex mask it will crack and look terrible.
If you insist on using spray paint pick up a can of white plasti-dip and use that, ive done it in the past with good results. But anything “enamel” is a big no no.
use some ben nye clown paint.
I’ve used Appliance Epoxy paint on quite a few masks, mostly as an experiment. The paint holds up unbelievably well, with absolutely no cracking of any kind. Probably because Epoxy paints have a little bit more flexibility built into them? I’m not sure tbh. But yeah, it works.
And, if you spray it at the right angle (and assuming that you’re starting off with a Kirk as a base), you get a look that is neary identical to how the original 78 masks would’ve looked like, right after TLW was done converting them. The paint does appear to maintain a small amount of tackiness, however, which could be good if you’re going with a real, screen-used weathering look, though that does limit the control you have over how dirty it gets. It does work better than you’d think, though.