Best paint for plastics?

[Fishman43]

I have tried the search and don't seem to get what I am looking for. I would like to know what is the best rattle can paint for my scooter plastics? Is krylon fusion the only way to go (they don't have the color I am looking for at the HW store)? Or can I use other brands/types of paint spray can paints?

Thanks

[Videonut]

ok i use the cheep stuff but i heard that you can get REAL paint at NAPA put into raddle cans. so you can get any color in the whole world ahhahahahahahha. then you can make it shine like a HOT ROD.

[Fishman43]

A hot rod it is not. A fun project to fiddle with it is. Quick, easy, and reasonable priced are my criteria. Hence the rattle can request straight from the hardware store. Good to know about NAPA though for future higher end projects.

[chevyguyjay]

u want a paint with a hard enamel finish. i paint my panels with this.

[Fishman43]

Don't know what "this" is. If it was an picture it was likely blocked by my work computer (they don't like photobucket among others).

[novs86]

Read this, it helped me.
http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forum ... p?t=284428

[Fishman43]

Great link! Leave it to Bay Area riders to come up with an acronym like BARF

What is PAP (plastic adhesion promoter), and where do you get it? Would regular primer do the same thing on our "old" plastics, his post said it would stick to "new" sport bike plastic, but made no reference to older scoot plastics.

[DandyDan]

The BARF article was a great read.

[novs86]

Adhesion Promoter.....1 cans. $24.24. Bulldog. (KLE ETP0123B)

PAP just helps the primer and paint adhere better.



(PPG store or any quality car paint supply will have it) As long as you sand all the old paint off then clean up any oils from your hands or anything else on the plastic the PAP will work. by the way..if you buy cheaper paint it might look good for a year or so BUT it won't hold up for the long run. This has been my experience. The big key to painting that is more important than anything else is preperation. If you don't get all the old paint off in the beginning you will pay for it later. BUT like they say............. opinions are like a******* everyone has one.

[Lunytune]

I just returned from Walmart. Their Fusion selection is expanding. There are several standard colors and 3-4 "hammered" colors. I was hoping for a metallic, but may settle for the hammered. Price under $6. I doubt you beat that at NAPA. Just wish they had the PAP.

[Clivester]

If your panels are already painted there is really no advantage to the "Fusion" plastic paints. They are designed with special solvent formulations to partially dissolve the surface plastic for better adhesion. This will only work if you are spraying straight onto unpainted panels.

If the panels already have paint you are better off using a thin layer of adhesion promotor. Duplicolor (found at many auto parts stores like Autozone, etc.) has a spray can version of promotor that's affordable ($4-5), but you don't often see it. 1 can would be more that enough for an entire scooter since its sprayed as a very thin layer right before spraying with the finish color.

De-gloss the existing paint with wet-or-dry paper or green scotch pads before painting.

[Fishman43]

Thanks Clivester, good tip on the Duplicolor. My scoot has had some previous "paint" jobs done. The last owner tried to just spray flat black over the previous paint job. You can still read graphics under the paint, including the "Lisa" someone must have painted or used vinal letters for. So I am going to have to go with a pretty deep sanding to get the panels ready for paint.

More cheese please

[Lunytune]

Just bought a can of Dupli-Color PAP at parts store for $6.79 plus tax. I wonder about that guy that paid $25 in the cycle forum.
Gray Scotch pad costs $1.16 plus tax.

And Walmart has the Fusion paint for around $5.50, can't remember exact.

So a good paint job can be had for under $15.

Here's the steps a professional painter friend told me.
1. Prep (sand) with gray scotchbrite pad.
2. Wash with liquid dish soap. Once washed, be careful with oily hands. Even body oil will ruin a paint job.
3. Spray 1st coat with Adhesion Promoter.
4. Final coat with Fusion paint

We didn't discuss 2nd coat, but I guess you can. I asked at parts house about clear coat, and he said it would give it depth and serve as a protector against scratches and make it easier to buff out minor scratches.

[wiguy05]

So a good paint job can be had for under $15.

Wrong.

It cost me $50 to paint my Spree Blue/Black and clear over the top of it with Krylon Fusion paint.

3 cans Black (4 coats)
3 Cans Blue (4 coats)
4 Cans Clear (2 coats)

[Clivester]

I've posted on this before, but if you want to use a "real" auto paint (like a urethane, etc.) you can get better results using a refillable spray applicator (Preval) with disposable air can than using the rattle cans. The 2-part urethane systems give a better finish, are more flexible, and less prone to chipping than the spray can products.

Check out the Preval Sprayer 267. These can be found at Home Depot and other places. I found they work very well.



If you are lucky, your local NAPA or auto paint supplier may sell cans of mis-matched paint (mistakes made when mixing) for cheap. It's worth asking.