Question about painting EL wire housings

I keep seeing people paint their EL wire casings to match their jackets or bags, and I think it's a bad idea. Last month I painted a 15 foot strand with standard acrylic paint for a Blade Runner vest, and it dried crusty and cracked within three days. The wire still works but the flex broke the paint into flakes that get everywhere. Has anyone else tried a different paint type that actually stays flexible?

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2 Comments

james_kim3mo ago

Flexible paint is the wrong approach here entirely. You should look at fabric paint or even dye meant for nylon webbing, it soaks into the casing instead of sitting on top. The real trick is wiping the wire with alcohol first to remove any factory residue so the paint actually bonds.

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vera_campbell3mo ago

Alcohol wipe is definitely the move. Those factory coatings are greasy as hell and nothing sticks to them. Also helps if you rough up the casing a little with some fine sandpaper first gives the paint something to grab onto.

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