A " How to paint this " help request.

[Doc]

Greetings all,
I'm in need of any " how to paint this " process.
I am re-painting an A.C. Gilbert, American Flyer, 1948 The Royal Blue 350 steamer. The cast shell has been stripped and repainted except for the embossed rings on the nose of the cast shell. The headlight lenses has also been removed. I'm hoping that someone has an idea that will allow for the rings to be painted white like in the picture but not the valleys in-between.
To date I have tried a dense foam pad, fine brushes and even painted wide rubber bands that were pressed on to make the paint transfer. All of which produced negative results as the paint filled in the valleys between the rings.
Any and all help is requested.

Doc'

 

[McLeod]

I've used a rubber roller to paint flat PE (photo-etch) successfully. The small rubber roller was actually a repurposed roller striped out of an old printer. I used a thin layer of paint on the roller, and gently rolled it across the PE, there-by only painting the top layer of PE. Such a novel idea might work well with the rings, if you could manage a steady circular motion.

 

[GeeTee]

I would be tempted to just dry brush it . Otherwise I would paint the nose white and then paint the blue between the rings.

 

[ianacole]

Can you fill the valleys with a putty of some sort, scrape the excess off to the level of the rings, paint, then pull out the putty?

Or, paint the rings first, knowing you're going to get white in the valleys, then once dry, paint the blue and wipe the blue off the white before the blue dries.

 

[Doc]

All great Ideas, I did try the dry brush ooops could have been me. Thank You. As I have a lot of the blue paint I going to try them all if required and see which works.
Doc'

 

[Greg@mnrr]

Try painting the blue first and after it dries use graphics tape to cover the blue and then paint the white.

Greg

 

[Doc]

The rubber roller idea sparked a memory, a life time ago when making vinyl signs I used a small hand roller. After some searching, success and with a small application of white paint success again on the casting. Ask this forum and save some time and brain sweat! The roller is called Speedball and I just saw it on Michaels Arts and Crafts site.
Doc'

 

[DaveInTheHat]

If I was doing it I would paint the white first. Then mask the rings with Bare Metal Foil. Then paint the blue.

 

[Doc]

After a closer look at the roller results I found the valleys still filled in a little as I could not master the correct angle to roll the raised rings. I then thought about using a wide stretched rubber band for better paint application and contact with the rings. This is the made up tool that worked best although It required several coats of white with a good dry time between and a cleaning of the band to remove the old paint or just rotate it. Again thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions.

Doc'

 

[Rico]

Just thinking... how about using a pink eraser as a pad?

 

[Doc]

The pink eraser might work as well, if it is soft enough to mold to the rings. Good thought.
Doc'