The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Painting plastic???

I want to paint the plastic a/c dash piece the same color as the dash. I've got adhesion promotor and am wondering how to prep the plastic.

Should I wipe it down with brake cleaner or thinner before spraying with adhesion promoter? Is there any trick to painting plastic with automotive paint (acrylic laquer).

I have had good luck w/a quick bath in hot soapy(Dawn) water for plastic pieces, seems some thinners like to melt plastic. brian

At one point when I was going to paint a vinyl dash someone reccomended wiping it down with brake cleaner first. Someone reccomended wiping down the rubber steering wheel with lacquer thinner before painting it. So... I'm wondering.

Some thinners definately melt or eat plastic!

Acitone will destroy plastic and most automotive thinners will soften most plastics. Most modern automotive plastic has silicone in it to help prevent squeeking in the dash. If your dash piece is newly made you might want to try painting the back of it first to see if it fisheyes.

Thanks tiny! I think I'll paint the back of the a/c dash faring/plenum... with the adhesion promoter and then some rattle can to see what it looks like. If that works, I'll paint the front with the interior paint color.

Kylon (spl ?) makes a rattle can for plastics. the paint works very well, don,t know about colors.

My God guys, BRAKE CLEANER? Geeeez, go to the paint store and buy the RIGHT stuff for the job. Get a "Plastic refinishing guide" which is a simple tech sheet and it will lay it all out for you.

Most guides will tell you to wash it with soap and water. Some will say to scuff with a scuff gel and water using a white scuff pad.

Spray the adhesion promotor and spray your paint.

But honestly, get the guide lines from the paint store you selling the paint products you are using.

Brian

I painted a plastic three gauge pillar pod for my 1 ton to match the grey interior using the plastic paint found at FLAPS (don't remember the brand). The paint matched pretty well and the only prep I did was wash in hot soapy water, rinse and dry thoroughly. Seems to be holding up well and the paint doesn't scratch off or anything...at least it didn't scratch off the back of it where I did a test shot. I haven't been brave enough to try and scratch anything off the front...afraid it would scratch off and I would have to remove it to fix it. It was a big enough pain the first time...

For what it is worth, I know from first hand experience that in the aerospace industry, the final "washing" of many parts that must be clean beyond comprehension (LOx-compatible clean!) is washed with orange Joy liquid dishwashing soap followed by lots of rinsing with water. Our tests showed that Joy, of all things, left the least film on both exotic aluminums and composites.

My usual procedure is to start with more agressive detergents, finishing with a Joy washing with a distilled rinse. Only then would I start prepping the surface for the next coating, such as scuff-sanding, etching, etc.

Don't forget to do more wipes between preps. You don't want to leave the residuals due to the sanding on your clean part before painting it. Solvent-wiping or tack-wiping is probably required.

Bill

Martin Sr, TxLaTx, Texmo and everyone else, thanks for the tips!

I got the '54 deluxe cab interior paint from Jim Carter and the label didn't indicate what type of paint it was or anything (Dupont Centari).

The a/c faring/plenun or whatever you call the thing with the vents you bolt to the bottom of the dash is black plastic.

I'm gonna get the plastic painting info sheet from the local dupont guys and am guessing it'll reccomend just what you've said:

Wash with dishwashing liquid and water, scuff with a white pad, tack rack, adhesion promoter, tack rack, paint, etc...