"so i have the trones for shoe storage at my landing strip. i bought them in cream as they matched the wall and sort of disappeared. now i've gone and painted that wall a light brown color.i really need help on painting the trones. how can I do it? will the paint stick? is it better to spray paint or can i use the same paint that i used on the walls and apply it with a roller?" - peacelamp
peacelamp,
as the trones shoe storage is plastic (polypropylene), i would suggest that you buy paint made for plastic, rather than use your wall paint which may not adhere. krylon fusion for plastic is a possible one and comes in an easy to use spray can. but colors are pretty limited so you may not get an exact match to your light brown wall.
how to paint:
- clean the surface real good with a mild detergent, rinse well and dry. make sure that it is completely dry.
- spray on a thin coat, covering it evenly.
- let it dry thoroughly and then apply again. applying multiple thin coats of the krylon paint will prevent runs and drips.
have fun!
related post:
> view all other hacker help questions
The most durable option for painting plastic is the "vinyl dye" most commonly used to restore vinyl on old vehicles. Unlike regular paint, it's actually absorbed into the plastic and it's flexible. I painted some cheap computer speakers with it and it even kept the tiny texture of the plastic. Works just like spraypaint and easier to use since it has less tendency to drip.
ReplyDeleteYou can find it at auto parts stores. Probably more colors available online. Take pictures so we can see how it turns out.
If you decide to go with the Krylon, be sure to note the time to fully cure (I think it's a week after painting.) Otherwise, the paint may chip or scratch.
ReplyDeleteAs previously posted, Vinyl Dye is the way to go if you want this finish to last. Polypropelene is especially resistant to paint, but this dye will actually penetrate the plastic, rather than just sit on top. Probably the best is made by Duplicolor. http://www.duplicolor.com/products/vinyl.html
ReplyDeleteBe sure to spray in a well-ventilated area, this stuff is lethal
i received this via email from saab2208: painting plastic or any shiny/glossy surface is quite easy really. For any form of paint to stick it needs to key into the surface, the easiest way to do this is to rough up or use sandpaper to lightly abraid the surface. another way to do it is to apply a special liquid - it's wipe on wipe off type of thing called "esp" and is a surface primer and allows for all types of paint to stick or key to the surface wishing to be painted. "esp is generally used to overpaint tiles, formica etc "esp" can be found in the usa, uk, and aus quite readily here is an easy link to check it out http://www.igoe.ie/cms/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=39
ReplyDeleteoops. the esp link
ReplyDeleteagain.
Aside from plastic paint, there is also plastic primer made by Rustoleum. Once primed, you can use any regular paint-- though something like a semi-gloss would be the best for increased durability.
ReplyDeleteVinyl dye is definately the way to go as others have mentioned. It is designed to be absorbed and dye the plastic so you dont have to worry about cracking or peeling.
ReplyDeleteIt has been used for years in the computer case-modding community for color-matching things like drive bezels (which are notoriusly hard to paint because they are resistant to paint and have fine details that are hard to sand and prime).
received this tip from derrick - "one of the problems you mentioned with the krylon fusion paint was the lack of color choices. i've got an easy fix for that.
ReplyDeleteuse flexible primer. it can be found at almost any auto parts store. it is used to paint plastic bumpers and other plastic parts on cars. it usually can be found in white, black, or green. after you apply it, you can then use any spray paint that you like, which gives you much greater choice in terms of colors.
ikea used to have these wall pods that were for children. they only came in bold, basic colors. i used this technique to paint them in earth tones for my living room and tossed dvds and cds into them."
thanks, derrick!
Has anyone used these painting techniques outside? I have some plastic kid furniture I want to paint. Thanks
ReplyDeleteYou can use a spray paint primer, that is made for plastics. I think they called it plastic primer. Then you can use your regular paint over the primer.
ReplyDeleteHope that helps.
Hi, thanks for your guide, I can't get that paint here in the UK, but did find some paint especially for painting plastic at www.vinyldye.co.uk
ReplyDeletePolypro plastic can only be paited with special adhesion promoters and flex agents in the final paint. Nothing sticks to polypro, there are no known paints the produce a chemical bond to it. It is a pure physical bond.
ReplyDeleteMake sure you use a plastic adhesion primer and sand the every inch of the surface with 320.
You can paint PP but the finish will flake off if flexed or scrached.
BTW: vinyl dye doesnt work on PP.
Acrylic, ABS, Polycarb are easy to paint due to the solvents in paint attacking the base material. This causes a chemical bond rather than a physical one.
I want to stencil on a plastic cake cover, what is the best paint for this project?
ReplyDeleteadhere your stenccil to the cake cover, prime with plastic primer, then paint.
ReplyDeletePP plastic has a release agent that is still in the plastic, the only way to get it out is to heat up the plastic until the agent comes to the surface, then spray a 50/50 alcohol water mix and wipe off with a rag. US Paint was paint specially made for PP plastic, as does Meddling Kid. I work with PP plastic all day and paint a ton of it.
ReplyDeletehttp://meddlingkid.bigcartel.com/ this paint is more for professionals at the moment (people with spray guns) but I know he has spray cans available (just not advertised).
ReplyDelete