In all of the articles, I’ve read on painting plastics, I have not heard there was a problem until this one starting p50 on weathering.
My questions are these:
1: How do you identify acetal plastic from styrene or others? Apparently my Atlas Diesel RS1 handrails use it.
2: A google search for Specialy Performance Poducts SXA1050 turned up PPG selling 4 cans for $18 each. A lot of money for a few applications. I also read its available at high end auto paint stores. Any suggestions for mailorder?
Yeah, certainly a problem I’ve experienced in the past when painting rolling stock trucks and loco side frames and handrails. The black plastic ones that are shiny and slippery.
Extremely frustrating to have a nicely executed paint and weathering job on a truck crack and flake when installing the wheel sets.
Goggle search turned up several plastic adhesion promotoers available at auto parts stores, Amazon and Walmart. These products seem to be for automotive use when painting plastic bumpers and such, don’t know how they would effect acetal plastic (“Delrin”), but worth a try.
What You need is Polycarbonate paint used on RC Truck,Car bodies. Will stick to all slippery surface materials, like Lexan, Delrin plastic’s. Will not chip, flake or peel.
There are quite a few Mfg’ers out there…I personally use Pactra Racing Finish Acryl on My engine rails and grabs…brushed on. I have painted many large scale RC bodies with it…the paint will bend with the part and highly impact resistant…here is one brand:
Go to the automotive department at Walmart of any other store that sell Dupli colour paint and get a rattle can of adhesion promoter. This is the stuff they use on the plastic bumper covers on newer vehicles so the paint will stick.It will not only ensure the paint will stick to your plastic handrails but being as it dries clear it makes a great base for weathering the trucks and it instantly kills that hi gloss plastic sheen.
Catt- does that adhesion promoter lay on top of the acetal plastic surface, or does it physically “etch” the plastic to give more “tooth” for paint to adhere better?
My quick solution up to now has been to spray acetal surfaces (rolling stock trucks, etc) with Walmart cheap gray primer, let it dry thoroughly for a few days, the spray the color coat on top of the gray primer. Granted, I do not handle the painted surfaces very much, so I cannot say my method is other than visually effective.
Yes, it works like a “self etching” primer. Not to worry as the etching is very miniscule to help the primer grab. If you were to strip the primer from the part you don’t really notice any etching.
