how to paint plastics?

[DADEBOYRACER101]

im rebuilding my banshee but i dont know about painting. do i just paint the plastics just the way it is.

[FireHead]

Make sure you rough up the surface with a fine scoth pad, then clean it with acetone or something similair (auto body shops may try and sell you a very expensive dirt and grease remover). Then make sure you choose a primer (Bulldog is what is cheap and easy, but not professional) with a good flex agent in it and go nuts. :thumbsup:

[okbeast]

Or you can just sand it down smooth and hit it with Krylon Fusion, it's supposedly made for plastics and doesn't need any primer or adhesion promotor. Seems to work pretty good so far for everything I've shot it on.

[blueboy22]

pm "theshee" (or i'm sure he'll be in here) but he knoes everything there is to know about painting the plastics not to mention his look amazing always very helpful

[theshee]

Thanks for the props blueboy.. I try to do what I can...

anyway here is what I do, step by step. May not be the professional way, but it works and looks good.

 

Sand down plastics with 150 grit sand paper, they will looks kinda hairy, thats good.

 

Spray with adhestion promoter, and then put down first coat of primer...

Wet sand with 600 grit paper, may sand through and still look hairy but that OK.

 

Prime again, and wet sand with 800. May still look a little hairy, still OK.

 

Prime again, and do your final wet sand with 1000 grit, should be smooth, and no hairy feeling left. Look like this...

 

Now lay down your paint. I use Krylon Fusion becasue it is flexable and doesnt crack when you bent the plastics, good stuff. Here is mine after the paint laid down...

Notice you cant see the crack in my front piece anymore, bottom of post tells you how to fix that.

 

 

Now if you plastics are really scratched up, or cracked you can fix that too. My front was broke and I just epoxied the crack, and used a plastic body filler on all the deep scratches and over where I epoxied the cracks.

Here it is with the crack fixed, right between the louvers...

 

Here is the finished product...

[sheefreak]

I would highly suggest using tack cloth to wipe everything down before painting. And do not touch the primed surface w/your bare hands before you paint. The oil from your hands will make the paint "fish eye" or whatever you want to call it. All very good advice above. Just remember, the key to a good paint job is prep, prep, clean, prep, prep........ you get the idea.

[theshee]

I would highly suggest using tack cloth to wipe everything down before painting. And do not touch the primed surface w/your bare hands before you paint. The oil from your hands will make the paint "fish eye" or whatever you want to call it. All very good advice above. Just remember, the key to a good paint job is prep, prep, clean, prep, prep........ you get the idea.

 

 

I should have mentioned that, make sure to clean it all off... An sheefreak is right, your paint will only turn out as good as your prep work. It isnt the funnest part of the job, but if you slack there, your paint will show it. :thumbsup:

[GFB]

Did you use a special primer or just plain old grey stuff? I know the krylon fusion paint won't crack, but how about the primer???

[theshee]

I use the cheapest grey stuff I can fine.

[majicmike]

Man oh man kiel you go though some work heres what I do take a red scotch bright or 400grit paper scuff/sand real good , clean, spray on bully dog adhesion permotor , use a good epoxy primer spray base coat then clear thats what I do but I use automotive paint.

[blueboy22]

krylon also makes a primer but i dont reccomend their clearcoat...

[fox_forma]

just out of curiosity is there any way to bring back the plastics after they have been painted? My plastics were painted and they dont look to good, the stock colors were yellow and black. Anyway to reverse the now rough plastics after the paint has been stripped? Just thought I would ask

[theshee]

I would think you could strip the paint off, and use PC Racing Plastic Renew. It is in Dennis Kirk for $19.99. Says it is a 3 step process that sands out scrathces and stuff... I bet that would work. :thumbsup:

[fox_forma]

I would think you could strip the paint off, and use PC Racing Plastic Renew. It is in Dennis Kirk for $19.99. Says it is a 3 step process that sands out scrathces and stuff... I bet that would work. :thumbsup:

thanks i'll look into that

[kb247]

I am in the process of painting with fusion paint, but I was wondering if anyone has tried any type of clearcoat after painting and what kind would be best?? and what kind of results??