painting ABS plastic

[Matty1020]

hey, im just wondering if any of you have experience in painting ABS plastic (clear crap) on an airsoft gun. do you have any special materials that keep the paint from peeling off in skirmishes/regular use? im probably going to use black spray paint, so any tips to keep the paint on and looking good would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Kokanee]

1. Wipe it down with a rag that's damp w/ rubbing alcohol to clean off any surface oils/grease.

2. Then mask of any areas you don't want painted.

3. Then proceed w/ thin coats of Krylon Camo in black.

[Crunchmeister]

I second what Kokanee said. I painted my son's old clear Firepower M4 Boys and it turned out looking totally awesome. You'd never think that it was clear. before. The gun looks great. It's a piece of junk, but looks awesome.

[Matty1020]

so your saying you could use regular spraypaint with it or should i use krylon?

[Ronan]

Krylon camo.

[Matty1020]

k thanks
should be a real help

[AngelusNex]

anything other than Krylon camo will looks glossy.

[Nabisco_Lobstrosity]

For clearsoft, I use Krylon matte black BBQ paint. It's for outdoor use, scratch-resistant, and is typically identical in colour and texture to the black pieces of plastic (that didn't start off as clear) on a clearsoft piece.

[Fly 9]

K, I'm reviving this thread. It's not that old so no-one can complain.

I just finished painting my tm famas with krylon camo which has given me a nice matt green finish. Love the look, love the feel. However, I find it scratches easily. Just from reconstruction of the gun itself I've found scratches. Yes, I wiped it all down with alcohol first.

I saw somewhere in another thread about some sort of finisher or something by krylon but I can't find the thread now. Would this be ideal? If so, what's it called. I want to know because after-school part time Crappy Tire staff know SFA about paint and methods (I know, I used to work at CTC) so I'd like to just go in and grab something instead of wasting time and money on a guess.

Anyone know anything about it?

Thanks,

Jan

[panda86]

These are the steps I usually take:

1. light sanding on smooth surfaces to rough them up and give them "tooth" for the paint to bite on to

2. clean with alcohol / cloth as described

3. spray light coat of primer. Primer is important as it bonds to the surface better than top coat paint. Primer designed for plastics are better for plastics, primer for metal is better for metal. For plastic I use Krylon Fusion for plastic primer.

4. repeat another light coat of primer.

5. After the primer has dried, do the top coat (matte black, green, etc..) Again, a light coat works well

6. I'll usually do about 3 light coats total to ensure even coverage.

7. If I want a matte or satin protective finish, I'll finish it off with some Tamiya clear Matte or Satin finish. It will help protect the finish from light abrasion / scratches.

Keep in mind that Krylon is lacquer based and Tamiya / most hobby paints are enamel based. You can paint enamel on top of lacquer but not the other way around. The lacquer based paint can eat away and "melt" enamel coatings.

The key is to not rush the job, take your time and let things dry thoroughly. Spray in a ventilated space and wear a mask.

[m102404]

You can hit it with a very light coat of Varathane afterwards. You can get flat/matt varathane.

It's the same stuff used for furniture/floors and when allowed to completely dry (it takes a day to completely harden) it is extremely hard.

Same as with pain...light misted coats, allow to dry to at least tacky in between coats. Practice on something else first.

[Fly 9]

Alright, well I missed the primer step but I'm not too concerned with it as its just a famas and I'm content. I will use a finisher though just so I can save what I can from this paint job.
Thanks for your responses, they helped loads.

Jan

[panda86]

It's all about the prep and primer. They provide the bond between the paint and the surface. I've had items chip paint and you can tell it's because the paint didn't bond to the surface.

[Fly 9]

Well if that's the case i can wait til this paint job starts to wear and chip, finish it off by sanding the rest off and do it again. I've got enough paint.
Like I said, I'm not too concerned about it. I knew it wouldn't be 100% as its my first go so next time around I'll know better. Thanks again.

[panda86]

That's what I would do, sand it down and repaint it.