Aarrgg!!! Painting styrene with Fusion!!

[GScruiser]

I haveing a bit of trouble right now. I took all of the body parts off of my Sabre for a well-needed paint job/restoration. I am painting it like its sportbike brother Interceptor, White with blue and red pinstripes.

I sanded down the tail end till all the paint was smooth. I then pauinted the first coat of Krylon Fusion white. Nuts, it then started dimpling in some parts, but not others! I did before hand wash it to get all the crap off from sanding with some detergent.

I then painted a few more coats on to see if I could smooth oput the dimples, it did work eventually, but I could still feel and see them.

I then proceeded to wetsand where they had been all the way down to the plastic. I got those parts cleaned off the old paint and resprayed at my school Auto shop, whre it is a warmer temp

The it started shriveling in parts!!!! But its sticking well in the parts I sanded, and some of them I dodnt.
I cant figure it out, nothing seems to work

ANY help would be apreciated!![-o<

[n1elkyfan]

Did you paint over the krylon with normal automotive paint?

If you did that will almost always happen. The automotive base paint thinners react with the krylon causing it to wrinkle up.

[t3rmin]

Use some primer? Clean it better? Wear gloves to keep finger oils off?

[GScruiser]

If I were to use primer, i dont know what to use, this is supposedly a "no prime or prep" paint:-|.

It is just the stock paint sanded down in some spots with the Krylon painted over it.

[Ironriot]

Hmm that's truly odd. Original paint is said to be the best thing you can paint over. Of course that's considering it is prepped right. Besides even if it is no prime or prep paint, prep and prime it anyways. The end result is always so much better

[GScruiser]

Yeah, I thought the stock paint was good for painting over too. thought I would just scuff it and make it act almost as a primer. I will have to throughly sand down the wrikled spots and wipe it all down.

The one sidecover that is done turned out ok, of course I washed it between coats.

[rkubik]

moisture

Moisture under paint will make bubbles - maybe dry it really well this time?

[Go Mifune]

I painted my side covers with Fusion Black and they turned out awesome. I think the directions on the back of the can say to wipe your parts down with Acetone before painting.

[spyug]

I am definitely not the best painter and all I know I've learned as I go but have been messing with bodywork and paint with rattle cans for years. In the last 5 years I've graduated to HVLPgun and compressor with 2 and 3 part auto finishes. I'm always learning but one thing I know for sure is that good finishes are 90% prep and 10% paint.

You have to start witha good smooth and clean surface. that means lots of sweat with progressive course to fine grits of wet and dry paper. To take down lumpy bits quickly use something around 180 grit. Go to 600 grit to take out any gouges that may have been created. If the existing paint is good you can scuff with 1000 or 1200 grit. Always use a lot of water with a hint of liquid dish soap to lube and clean the paper. Sanding between coats has always been recommended but with new paints available now is not always necessary if the paint is going on fairly quickly. If coats are allowed to dry and sit for a few weeks then a light sand with 1200 to 1500 would be a good idea to promote adhesion.

Once the sanding is done wipe dry with paper towel and follow up with a tack rag. Finish with a wash of mineral spirits dabbed on a shop towel or clean lintless rag. When handling the part use rubber/vynil gloves to keep any oils from your hands contaminating the surface.

Before painting make sure the part is up to temperature of the room your painting in and make sure it is not way over temperature (i.e hasn't been sitting baking in the sun or under a lamp for hours as fresh paint hitting it can go strange as it flash cures).

Try not to paint where there is dust that can be stirred up or there are bugs flying or wind stirring up stuff.

If you are using cans make sure the paint is at room temp and shake it very well for at least 10 minutes or so. You can also get the paint to flow better if you gently heat the can in some hot water for a few minutes just before spraying. Obviously be extremely careful and do not let it sit for anymore than 3 or 4 minutes and certainly do not set it in a pan on lit stove element and allow the water to come to a rolling boil....it can explode!

Once you have cleaned the part and just before spraying you should, if you have access to compressed air, hose it down to ensure nothing is sticking to the surface.

One other thing I have found out through trial and error is that not all paints are compatible. If possible use product from the same manufacturer. If you are unsure of the paint you are trying to cover use a primer coat. If this goes weird it will be easier to sand off than the paint coat. If it stays and set well it will give a good base especially if you are trying to cover a dark witha light colour.

Paint does do strange things and for no apparent reason. Case in point, I am just finishing up a repaint on my GS from Burgundy to Gloss Black. I'm painting the base with $3.49 rattle can enamel and will clearcoat with 2 part urethane. I painted everything with3 coats over a 2 day period. Everything fine until I got to the clearcoat. I painted the fender and side panels but the gun wasn't set right and the finish came out pebbly. I sanded them all off and repainted with 2 more coats of black. First coat went on fine. Second coat next day mostly ok but patches of wrinkles (orange peel) here and there. Sanded off and repainted. Same again?????.
So I am also having to figure out what is going on and will likely have to sand everything off and start again.

Anyway good luck with your project. maybe something I have written will help.

Cheers,
Spyug.

[Griffin]

If using a rattlecan, I've always sanded down to bare plastic, then filler primer, regular primer, base coat, clear coat, all from the same manufacturer. If I'm careful with the prep work, it generally looks pretty damned good. For the tank, I'll have a body shop match the paint and do it with modern automotive paint. I'm just too sloppy with gasoline to bother with spraybombing the tank.

I learned the hard way that not all paint is compatible with all primer, or all clear coat.

[USMC_SGT]

Laquer Thinner as a final wipe down before paint wont bubble. Mineral Spirits bubble like a pig. Dont ask how I know that.

[PAULYBOY]

No offense, sir, but the thought of using laquer thinner or laquer paints on plastic chill me to the bone. I've ruined several jobs on plastic using one or both of these along the way. There are a ton of different plastic recipes out there, And a lot of them don't take too well to laquer thinners. I seem to recall a lot of the older 70's and early 80's plastics absolutely dide when exposed to these chemicals.

[badbrown]

The thing with the Krylon Fusion is it is difficult to spray. It took me several trys. You have to be an exact distance from the part and use good technique. The paint is designed to adher to plastics without sanding or primer. #0000 steel woo is all you need to smooth it out and also spray within the recommened ambient temperature and Humidity. TO hot or humid and it gets f'd up quickly. I went a couple cans and fixes on my side covers before I got it right.