Painting Plastics

[EpicenterDesigns]

Here is one of my How-To's / Tech Tips I wrote up.
It is for painting plastics to have the glassed, glossy look. Also some tips on doing it the proper way while keeping the stock texture finish.

[EpicenterDesigns]

This question comes up all the time. There is more than 1 way to do it. So I wrote down how I do it. It seems to work out perfectly.
Works equally well with automotive paints and spray can paints.


If you have something you can add to it, feel free to post it here and let me know.




To make sure your panels are oil free, like from Armour All and ****, wipe them down several times with a wax and grease remover. If they are really Armour All'ed down, use a brake cleaner.

Get a bucket of soapy water to wetsand with.
Sand the grain out of them with a 80 grit wetsand. Get at least 75% of the grain out. Then wetsand with a 150 - 180 grit. Then move to a wetsand with 220 grit. If for some reason you are odd and like the grain look, skip that part.

Clean the panel again with wax and grease remover and also a tack cloth. I suggest wearing latex gloves to keep oils from your hands transfereing to the panels.

Spary the panel with an Adheisive Promoter. Follow directions on can.

Spray with FILLER primer. As many coats as are needed to fill in all the grain. For small items such as trim panels, kick panels and pillars, SEM makes a filler Primer that is awesome or you can use Duplicolor Grey Filler Primer. They also have a red rust colored filler primer. Avoid it. For some reason it sand horrible.

Sand that with 220. If you see your self going to deep into the plastic before you are happy with the finish, clean the panel off with wax and grease remover and spray more primer on it. Keep at this process till happy. Final wetsand with 400 grit.

Clean the panel with wax and grease remover and a tack cloth and then paint.

Spray as many coats as you like, 3 is usually plenty, and do it in light coats as heavy will clog and run. Let it dry in the sun if possible as long as you can. Overnight is prefered. If you feel there are some imperfections, wet sand with 800 or more till you are happy. Then wet sand with a 1000, 1500, 2000 to make sure there are no sanding scratches visable. Clean it real good and then spray a clear coat over it. Again in light coats.

I try to let the clear coat dry for a couple days for best results.

[EpicenterDesigns]

Originally posted by someone
hey.. the only adhesive promoter i can find is by BULLDOG

lol never heard of it...



Bulldog is one of the better ones. It is probally the best out of a spray can. Also out of the can and equally good is SEM adheisive promoter.




http://www.handsontools.com/assets/images/etpo123.jpg


Originally posted by someone
how much of a difference does it make when you dont wet sand? I plan on just sanding mine down... but if the results are drastically worse, perhaps i should wetsand?

anyone tried both?




Dry sanding cause the paper to clogged easier. Causeing less sanding as you do it and more time to constantly clean the paper out.

Wet sanding, especially when you use a bucket of soapy water, will clean the panel as you go. Also keeps the paper clear longer and aids in the cutting.





Originally posted by someone
what about painting the top dash what would the best process be to get paint to stick? and look good



If you want it just painted, follow the steps above to clean and prep it and then paint it.

If you want it smooth for a glass like finish, clean and prep it as above and then lay several layers of filler primer over it. Do that in 3 steps or so till all the grain is out. Sand it smooth using the wet sand method and 220 grit. Then lay some paint on it.

Now understand this..... if you push really hard on top of the dash, you can crack it. Although in all my years I have yet to see someone lay on top of their dash, or kneel on it. I suspect your dash will last for plenty of show seasons. I know people who have done this plenty and the dash looks awsome still.

[EpicenterDesigns]

Originally posted by someone
where can you get the "spray filler primer"?? home depot or lowes?




If you are talking about the spray can kind, let me suggest this.
SEM Filler Primer.
It is really, really thick for something that comes out of a can. And it lays out smooth. Sands easy.
You will have to pick it up at your local autopaint supply store. About $14 a can. But worth it.


http://semproducts.com/images/product_images/148_a.jpg




Another great aerosol filler primer is made by upol. About $18 a can but again, really good stuff. Builds nicely and sands just as good.



http://www.u-pol.com/images/products/largeThumb_high5_8.jpg




If that is not an option for ya, then the Duplicolor Filler Primer, (Grey color only), can be bought at Wal-Mart, Auto Zone, Advanced Auto or any of the other parts places.

Never looked for it in Home Depot or Lowes.



Originally posted by someone
Do you recommend armorall on painted and cleared coated plastic surfaces?


Armour All is the Devil.

Unless of course you have a stock interior, then it works good.

For painted peices, I use Meguiars Quik Wax after the paint is cured once a month and Quick Detailer when you want to clean it. Spray on, wipe off, flip cloth and wipe again.


http://www.meguiars.com/estore/products/product_A1616.jpg
http://www.meguiars.com/estore/products/product_A3316.jpg

[EpicenterDesigns]

Some info on a couple spray can clears that I recommend if you don't have a gun and compressor available.





The clear goes on AFTER the paint.
The trick is finding a good aerosol clear if you don't have a paint gun and compressor set up.

If you must use a spray can clear, and I do sometimes, here are 2 that I use and work good. And when they are cured, you can wet sand them just fine.


http://www.u-pol.com/images/products/largeThumb_clear1.jpg

It is a 1k clear. Meaning it is 1 part. Fan pattern spray and lays on thick.



http://alsacorp.com/products/killercans/images/kc_smoke.GIF

It is an Alsa spary can. They fill it with whatever you want. They offer it in 1k and 2k. 2k means it has a hardener. You push a button on the bottom, it punctures the hardener inside, shake it up, and spray it. You only have 1 use, but it is great. pricy though.
Neat thing is they offer ALL KINDS of paint in this can.

[EpicenterDesigns]

Wet sanding with 1500 - 2000 - 3000 grit is a good idea.

BUT

when you wet sand, your sanding the shine off the parts. Your doing this to make it as flat as possible.
Then you break out a rubbing/polishing compound and go to town even more to make it shine even better.
Be careful polishing with a powered tool. If you burn through into the paint, you will be pissed.

For the most part, the interior pieces do not need to be wet sanded and buffed if the beginning steps were done properly.
I have only ever done this to sub boxes and 1 dash. Everything else has been just fine with a clear coat only.

[EpicenterDesigns]

Let me add this.... the above post concerning filler primers were mainly aimed at people who don't have access to a gun and compressor and want to acheive the results they are after.
I have used Slick Sand and Feather Fill for my filler primer needs with great results.
Slick Sand can be based over with your paints without the need of a sealer. Feather Fill requires a sealer before base is put down. It is more pourous. So I don't even wet sand it. I dry sand it.
But it lays down smoother than Slick Sand but takes more to cover the same area.
It is just a price thing. Slick Sand = $70 gallon and Feather Fill = $60 gallon. But when you use as much as I do, that $10 adds up.


Niow, before we get all bunched up here, the sealer may be required for either filler depending on the paint and colors used. I personally feel that using a sealer anyways no matter what is really the best route to go.



And questions to what I posted, ask away and I will help you out the best I can.

[EpicenterDesigns]

I think thats it now. Unless you wanna get into paint gun requirments for shooting filler primers.

So if it works for ya, add it to the Knowledge Base Section.

[EpicenterDesigns]

I would like more information about guns, and nozzles.



OK, I'll grab you a list of guns for medium usage.
And I am gonna focus primarily on primers and touch alittle on base and clear coats guns.

[EpicenterDesigns]

Lets talk nozzels first.
This is just what I use as a basic guide, but paint manufactures will have recommendations on what will work best with their products.

1.0 - 1.3 - small touch up paint guns for spot repairs. Spraying only small amounts in small areas.

1.3 - 1.5 - base coats

1.5 - 1.7 - clears and sealers

1.8 - 2.0 - primers and higher solids (can be used for filler primers in most cases)

2.0 and bigger - Filler primers. UPOL and Evercoast Slick Sands are like sprayable body fillers. You need a good sized tip to get them to flow nicley.

Again, this is just what I keep in my head as a basis to go off of. I don't consider myself a painter by any means. I'm still learning. But as far as spraying filler primers go, I'm damned seasoned at that.

[EpicenterDesigns]

This gun here is my current primer gun right now.....



http://www.astrotools.com/images/toolphoto/QUL120.jpg




http://www.astrotools.com/default.aspx?toolsnum=QUL120& It is a 2.0 tip gun and I have had it for a couple years now and really like it. Probally the best gun I have used under $200.
You can find it here for $90 http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/economy-paint-guns-c-560.aspx




Wanna get a couple guns for your work? Devilbiss makes some nice Starting Line guns and sets.
This particular set is one I feel is perfect for the beginner to learn on while on a budget.



http://www.eastwood.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/p24183.jpg



http://www.eastwood.com/devilbiss-auto-paint-and-priming-system.html
You get a 1.3 tip gun for your base/clears and a 1.8 tip gun for the primers.




This gun is for the filler primers. A 2.2 and a 1.8 tip are included with this gun....



http://www.eastwood.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/p19205.jpg


http://www.eastwood.com/devilbiss-finishline-gun-flg-648-w-1-8-and-2-2mm-tip.html Probally my next primer gun.



There are alot more options out there, but from experience, these work. I started off cheap, figured I would save some bucks and order a 2.0 tip gun off egay for $20. It worked for $20, but sprayed very inconsistantly and leaked bad. After 2 weeks, I threw it against the wall. My next gun I got on clearance for $60 I think. 1.7 tip and worked alot better. But this is when I realized Slick Sand really needs a larger tip to flow properly. This gun died when I mixed some primer too hot and it kicked and cured in the gun before I managed to get it cleaned out. Once that happens, trash. Since it wouldn't flow well, it took longer to soray it out which led to the primer being in the gun too long.
Learn from my mistakes. Even under $100, my current gun is damn good. But still considered a cheap gun by professional standards. :mad: