Painting Plastics Help Needed.

[icebergstu]

I plan to paint my plastics and need your advice. I can paint metal surfaces extremely well and my prep is exceptional but plastics are another kettle of fish.

* Enamel or Acrylic? (is one better than the other when it comes to contaminating the plastics?)
- What paint will handle the flexing of the plastics?
- Baked enamel would have no flex and would crack easily but maybe I am wrong?
- Which paint will stick better?
- Enamel would handle scratches better but will baking it effect the composition of the plastics? I dont want to get any disfiguration or melt.

* Prep: Sanding - obviously there needs to be a scored surface for the paint to stick to.
- What grade wet and dry gives the best results?
- Should I start with 240 then work my way up to 800?
- Would I need to go beyond that to 12 or 1500 grit?
- Scratches: As plastic is so flexible, if I try to use a fine coat of bog over the deeper scratches, it will surely crack. Is there a flexible bog for plastic available?

* Painting: My theory is a coat of spray putty then rub back and repeat step twice, undercoat then rub back repeat step 3 times, 2 coats of paint then rub back adding 4 - 6 coats.
- I would think very thin layers of paint fairly dry would be the best?

Can anyone can help me with some professional advice?

Stu

 

[Rokon]

Base/clear application like painting a car works very well. The key is to lay down an adhesive product like bulldog, to get a good bite on the plastic.

Here is what my DRZ looks like with automotive paint. These plastics were really shot before painting by the way.

 

[icebergstu]

Bike looks awesome mate!!

So what do I do? Go to a paint shop and ask for Bulldog Paint Adhesive?

Obviously still prep with putty primer or lay adhesive straight to plastics then start on the spray putty?

Stu

 

[glangston]

http://www.repaintsupply.com/pd-bulldog_adhesion_promoter.cfm

Kleanstrip .... looks like it might be widely available.

 

[Rokon]

http://www.repaintsupply.com/pd-bulldog_adhesion_promoter.cfm

Kleanstrip .... looks like it might be widely available.

^^^that's the stuff.

We used the bulldog as primer. We had to wet sand after the first base/clear application due to all the existing scratches still showing through the paint. The paint served as putty in that sense.

 

[guscycle]

Don't body shops use a "flex" agent when they paint plastics..such as bumpers,molding,etc. ? Don't know,just asking.
Hope your project comes out good..be sure to take pics , could help others with their projects.
Have a good day,
:ride: Guscycle

 

[flynbulldog]

I imagine that to paint plastic correctly would be far more expensive than replacing the parts.
But, yes Sem flex agent is added to the paint, primer and clear when painting plastic parts on a car. For interior plastic we used special "dyes" that were made for plastic.

We used Bulldog mostly for places that are hard to sand like on complex undercarriage parts, truck beds, etc. I never thought of it as specifically designed for plastic. Sounds like it would work pretty good though.

automotive paint is very expensive these days, I think I'd compare the cost to replacing the parts before going forward.

 

[icebergstu]

I imagine that to paint plastic correctly would be far more expensive than replacing the parts.
But, yes Sem flex agent is added to the paint, primer and clear when painting plastic parts on a car. For interior plastic we used special "dyes" that were made for plastic.

We used Bulldog mostly for places that are hard to sand like on complex undercarriage parts, truck beds, etc. I never thought of it as specifically designed for plastic. Sounds like it would work pretty good though.

automotive paint is very expensive these days, I think I'd compare the cost to replacing the parts before going forward.

I hear you but unfortunately I have a complete colour chart of white or yellow on replacement parts. Neither turns me on so painting is the go. I will post pix when the jobs done.

Cheers for the help!

Stu