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Painting Styrene & similar

I am constructing a vehicle out of Plastruct or similar styrene or ABS sheet which may be subject to a few knocks in the outdoor environment in which it will run. It will also be frequently handled in the transfer from secure storage to the running line and vice versa.

The particular angle and box sections I need are only available in white or grey and I want to paint them black. My past experience of painting white styrene black for outdoor use has shown that the paint chips all too easily and reveals the white colour underneath.

Has anybody got experience of a type of paint or primer which will slightly etch or adhere to this material for a situation where a fair amount of handling takes place?

Thank you in anticipation.

Reply to
Eddie Bellass
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I normally key my plastic card with fine wet and dry before I mark it up for cutting, I use Halfords white platic primer for priming, I wave found this adheres well even on brass

Regards

Reply to
Ian Gearing

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Thanks Ian...

I'll try that out on a bit of spare styrene then subject it to a bit of 'accelerated wear & tear'.

Reply to
Eddie Bellass

Styrene, like all molded or extruded plastic, retains traces of the molding compound. Wash the parts in warm water with a dollop of mild dishwashing detergent before assembly if possible. Otherwise wash the whole model afterwards. Rinse and let air dry. Spray the model with a light coat of automotive primer. I find light gray is best.

Also, paint as much as you can before assembly. There are always hard to reach nooks on a completed model.

After the model is complete, overspray with automotive clearcoat. That will withstand both handling and weather. You may have to experiment with thinning it, as a full clearcoat can be quite thick.

Good luck.

Reply to
Wolf Kirchmeir

Thank you Wolf for your most comprehensive reply.

Reading through the most recent posting of the"NEWSGROUP CHARTER for uk.rec.models.rail" I can see that I only just qualify to participate, being a modeller of 16mm Scale rail equipment on 32mm gauge track. I have however in the past modelled or run almost every scale from Z to Gauge 1.

Reply to
Eddie Bellass

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