Nothing is going to be particularly quick. I would mask off the unpainted areas with 1" wide tape and then use spray cans or an air brush to do the painting. Paint all of the same colored stripes at one time protecting the other areas from over spray.

 

I second what Bilyo sez, but would reverse the procedure - paint them all the base color, then tape off and paint the stripes. Much easier than trying to paint the 'bare' areas. You could even save some time by just initially dunking them in paint instead of trying to brush or spray.

Cheers,
Brad

 

I tried that idea, being I have dowels in bulk and painting all with base color and then mask off and then spray paint for stripes taking longer time. I am trying to make something that can spin dowel automatically and other side I'll be hoping to hold brush which also be automatic. every time I just have to replace dowel.

 

Welcome to the forum, JEEL
What are your definitions of "in bulk" and "paint them all quickly" - - - and, what size are the dowels ?
(unrelated, but, interesting . . . What is the Project ??). Do you have a sample sketch, drawing, or completed dowel to show us ?
Also - how "precise" do the lines have to be ??

 

There are two different lengths. One is 24" which has 6 stripes.
Length: 24”

Top head diameter: 1-1/8”

Bottom side: ½”


The other one has only one color 2-1/2" width.

 

thanks for the photos - I was thinking of vertical stripes, like a barber pole.

 

After masking off the unpainted areas can you mount a group of them between two boards using screws or finishing nails through the boards and into the dowels so they can be rotated. Just leave enough of the screw of nail protruding to hold the dowel and maybe clamps on the boards to keep them in place. Then just paint each color holding the brush against the dowel (I would suggest a foam brush) and rotating the dowels by hand.
For some reason this reminds me of when I had jail inmates painting the cell bars. I gave them rubber gloves to wear and a rag to dip in the paint and then work it up and down the bars.

 

There is a tool called a brayer, which is a fairly hard rubber roller, used to apply ink to printing blocks and stamps. Check it out. I think it would give you a nice clean edge. Using ink may be better than paint. Do a search for a brayer and also look at YouTube videos to see how they are used. Your local craft store may have them including ink and acrylic paint in a variety of colors at a good price.

 

This is food for thought. Maybe with some refinements, paint tubs under each wheel?
After you color up the wheels you could set the dowel onto the rollers and turn them, painting all the colors at once.

 

Quickly? Repeated many times perfectly? Use a commercial mfg process!

#1) Do not use paint! Use a commercial grade, low solvent, UV or thermal cure PRINTING INK. Colored polymer INK's are: much easier to dry/cure, have long open times, are safer for operator, use precisely controlled viscosity to control thickness, AND are more durable than "paint". When printing color on flexible items (paper/cloth), printing INK's are sometimes called 'Plastisol'.

#2) Use a contact method to apply the color to avoid masking.

Brayer/Roller system mentioned above is one method. Have seen this method used in other countries, where labor is cheap.

Process to reduce labor when applying controlled amounts of color in specific location is called a: pad printer. While pad printing is often only considered when apply legends/logos; it is perfect for adding color to small areas to remove the need for masking. Will not bore you with details, as pad printers and polymer INK are easy to find online. Small fixed size pad manual printers are cheap (<$300). Larger automatic systems can cost from $1K to $250K, but are readily available used at industrial auctions for < 20% of original cost. The challenge with your pole coloring is the extra cost of fixture for automatically controlled rotation of a long part; but this is easier than it might sound.

Best Luck.

 

Between centers in lathe? Slow speed, template for color bands, foam brush or pad.s. Notched cradle to dry.

 

Getting the dowels painted like you show is going to take real pains to get it neat and clean on the dowel.
As an alternative I would default to a high quality sign vinyl cut into strips of correct width and simply wrap around the dowel. Better quality sign vinyl is typically rated for 5 to 8 yeras direct sun exposure. Regular vinyl is rated for 2 to 5 years direct sun exposure. The vinyl comes in many colors and for super duarability you can spray a clear coat. This would be the best in my mind especially if you are also decorating the mallets. Be sure to get outdoor vinyl Orcal also makes indoor vinyl that would not be the best for your application.

SOURCE TO BUY

Outdoor Vinyl - Adhesive Vinyl | SignWarehouse

We're your one-stop shop for outdoor adhesive vinyl of all kinds. Our outdoor vinyl offering includes Oracal 651, EnduraGLOSS, and Siser EasyPSV intermediate calendared vinyl, and the full range of ORACAL graphic marking films, from 641 economy calendared vinyl to 951 12-year premium cast film...

signwarehouse.com

Outdoor Sign Vinyl

Outdoor vinyl for stickers, graphics and decals is characterised by it's permanent adhesive and durability to the elements like sun, weather, rain or freezing temperatures, which allows signs to last for years. Standard outdoor vinyl like Oracal 651 Calendered Vinyl and Greenstar CV1 Outdoor...

uscutter.com

MANUFACTURES LINK

Products

www.orafol.com

calabrese55