Styrene Priming techniques

[Kirby]

OK Guys newb question.. I know about priming... I finally found some plastic primer in stock at Home depot, I had thought about going with regular gray primer, since I figured it would be easier to see what I had primed as to not against the white armor... But went with the smart play and bought the specific type... I thought that I remembered reading on a post in here somewhere that someone said that styrene should be sanding prior to priming, however I havent been able to find it again.. I just wanted to double check on this if anyone has built a set of styrene armor before that could lend a little insite....Both if its a good idea, waste of time, etc. And if it is, then what would be a suggested grit to use.. like a 220, 400, 1000, or a 2000. Since I have all of I should be covered, I know anything below 220 would be too rough I figure, just not sure which of the others would be preferable.

 

Thanks

Cadet Kirby

Garrison Carida

[pandatrooper[TK]]

You should sand it if you want paint to stick. Some troopers that build TD’s don’t sand and only paint one coat, so that it chips and looks weathered.

 

I would:

 

- Sand the surface (you don’t even need sandpaper, a proper grit Scotchbrite pad will work)

- Wash with detergent / rinse / dry

- Primer

- Top coat white (several light coats)

- Wet sand / polish if you want it glossy.

[Kirby]

Panda thanks again.. can always count on you giving some sage advice...

 

I guess I need to figure out which of the paints I am going to go with I purchased a can of of the Rustoleum Lacquer to test and see if it looks good. I have seen posts on it, with if I remember correctly some mixed reviews.

 

I do have the super fine finish wet sand paper so I should be able to get a shine with some practice and time, going to start practicing on my small parts like my drop boxes and hand guards and scraps... so I can try and get it down so when Im ready to paint the rest I wont have too many goofs to try and fix...

[pandatrooper[TK]]

No problem. There's several good threads on painting techniques.

 

one thing that's been brought up is making sure that you're painting in good weather conditions when using Rustoleum. Temperature and humidity play a big part in how the final finish looks.

[Smitty]

To be honest there is no real benefit to sanding the armor before priming it. I only sanded the first one I ever built. As long as you use a good primer before painting you won't have anything to worry about. Attempting to paint without primer however is a recipe for disaster. Primer sticks to EVERYTHING well. Paint doesn't always like the surface its used on. Thats where primer comes into play. The primer sticks well to the plastic and paint sticks well to primer. Kinda look at it as the glue that holds the paint to the plastic. Also someone mentioned weather conditions affecting rustoleum paint. There's wisdom in that statement. The warmer and dryer the atmosphere the glossier and smoother the finish.

Edited August 25, 2010 by Smitty