Painting Plastic
- luckymucklebackit
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Re: Painting Plastic
I use white matt car primer from the £1 shop, works well for me. It may be an idea to roughen the surface of the plastic slightly with some fine emery paper forst to give the paint something to key into.
Jim
Jim
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Re: Painting Plastic
Get some acid etch primer, it gives the acrylic paint something to bite on. You can get a spray can of it from your local car parts shop.
COLIN.
“What experience and history teaches us is that people and governments have never learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from it”
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- Roger (RJ)
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Re: Painting Plastic
Also depends what type of plastic it is. Some just won't paint well, such as polythene.
Re: Painting Plastic
I know what you mean about acrylics looking very thin and patchy, both with enamel and acrylic paints. Some paints seem to be much better at covering surfaces than others. To be honest, I tend not to bother with a primer, but just use several coats of normal paint - unless the paint is particularly expensive, such as Phoenix Precision Paints.
I can only answer number 5: if you use acrylic primer, use acrylic paint, and if you use enamel primer, use enamel paint. This is, I believe, because layering different types of paints can interfere with the drying process, which can be very slow for enamel paints.
I can only answer number 5: if you use acrylic primer, use acrylic paint, and if you use enamel primer, use enamel paint. This is, I believe, because layering different types of paints can interfere with the drying process, which can be very slow for enamel paints.
- bike2steam
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- Bufferstop
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Re: Painting Plastic
Bike2steams primer is good stuff but may be a bit expensive for what you are planning. If this is the basic Hornby station rather than one from the Skaledale range the self coloured accessory parts are likely to be made of polythene. If they are a bit bendy rather than hard that's another sign. Polythene is a right ********* to paint, it's pretty much resistant to everything. I use polythene lids from packaging for mixing paint and two part glues, you just leave it for a week or so and next time you want to use it, give it a quick flex and the dried up residue falls off. If it's the fencing you want to paint you could try rubbing it with wire wool to roughen the surface then apply Humbrol number 1 grey primer. Once dry you could then apply acrylic in the colour you want. It still won't stand up to a lot of handling but should be good enough for a scenic item which you fit and forget.
Growing old, can't avoid it. Growing up, forget it!
My Layout, My Workbench Blog and My Opinions
My Layout, My Workbench Blog and My Opinions
Re: Painting Plastic
Automotive spray primers are probably the best suited to model applications, the Hycote (as linked to) or Halfords are probably the most widely available, the latter being my preference. Re. fumes, using spray primers is not recommended indoors at all, it is best done outside using a clamp of some description so that the piece can be put down to dry safely (and to prevent your hand going grey in the process!). Automotive paints are acrylic based, and when hardened are a good base for all types of top coat.
Re: Painting Plastic
I would want to go back a step and ask about the plastic the fence is made from. Is it a waxy feeling material that bends easily? If so it will never take paint that well, and is best left as is or binned. As Zunnan writes, about the best option for an undercoat is motor vehicle primer, Halfords rattle cans and the like. That will adhere / remain intact for longest, especially if you rough up the faces as much as possible with fine abrasive paper.
One of the things you will learn about Hornby is that their range is something of a mess. They have it all. Refined models that professional model makers would struggle to match, alongside cheap toy oriented items that they have been churning out since the year dot.
Painting the rail sides: enamel. Model enamels can go straight on metal, provided it is grease free. Don't though use 'bright rust' unless you want to represent brand new rail just laid and barely seen a train. Look at real track and you will see that the rail side is typically a dull grey brown tone, a mixture of stone and brake dust and general oil, shit and muck splattered onto the rail sides by multiple passing trains.
One of the things you will learn about Hornby is that their range is something of a mess. They have it all. Refined models that professional model makers would struggle to match, alongside cheap toy oriented items that they have been churning out since the year dot.
Painting the rail sides: enamel. Model enamels can go straight on metal, provided it is grease free. Don't though use 'bright rust' unless you want to represent brand new rail just laid and barely seen a train. Look at real track and you will see that the rail side is typically a dull grey brown tone, a mixture of stone and brake dust and general oil, shit and muck splattered onto the rail sides by multiple passing trains.
- End2end
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Re: Painting Plastic
I found a £1 can of grey automotive primer at £land.
Here is an example of my linka try outs with it as a base coat/primer.
It's quite dark but you won't see it once painted over.
Thanks
End2end
EDIT: Just a note to say that Linka is plaster based not plastic. Thought i'd better mention it as I have kind of veered off subject onto some sort of shopping channel.
Here is an example of my linka try outs with it as a base coat/primer.
It's quite dark but you won't see it once painted over.
Thanks
End2end
EDIT: Just a note to say that Linka is plaster based not plastic. Thought i'd better mention it as I have kind of veered off subject onto some sort of shopping channel.
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- luckymucklebackit
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Re: Painting Plastic
That is the stuff I use, I find it great value for money, they have it in Grey, White and Black. Unfortunately they do not have it in Red.
Jim
Jim
This Signature Left Intentionally Blank, but since I have written this and I intended to do it, this Signature is intentionally not blank. Paradox or What?
My layout - Gateside and Northbridge
My layout - Gateside and Northbridge