painting plastics?

[850rider]

my side pannel that has the gs850g emblem on it along with the rear fender peaice that is over the tail light is that going to hold paint well?airbrushing to be exact.

[Nessism]

my side pannel that has the gs850g emblem on it along with the rear fender peaice that is over the tail light is that going to hold paint well?airbrushing to be exact.

Not sure I understand the question. Suzuki painted those pieces and they held up just fine. Of course, Suzuki used a suitable paint. What are you planning to use?

[850rider]

umm idk my dad use to paint custom cars so he would know the best paint to do it with but he was kinda worried about the plastics


question is will a normal paint hold itsself to it.i guess this is kinda a pointless question due to the fact that the original paint is still there

on the other hand what would be the prep work for plastic?i know how i would need to do the tank and fender

[Hammered]

It will take paint the same as any other cycle surface if you prep if correctly.

[850rider]

It will take paint the same as any other cycle surface if you prep if correctly.

what is preping it correctly?

[spyug]

If the paint is good on the piece, sand with wet and dry paper (use wet) 600 grit. Wipe dry, wipe with paint thinner ( turps or mineral spirits) wipe dry again. Only handle the part with rubber or vinyl gloves on. Piant with undercoat repeat sanding and wipe down. Paint with colour, two coats. Sand with 1000 grit, wipe with paint thinner, dry, paint with clearcoat. Done.

If the paint is bad or there's cracks you will need to sand and fill until everything is smooth. If the surface is not smooth it will show with the paint.

Plastics will paint no problem with rattle can or automotive urethanes so don't worry.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
spyug

[850rider]

thanks that helps alot =] look for the next thread on my project

[don_gibb6512]

If you want to effortlessly remove the original paint down to the bare plastic, soak the piece in brake fluid. No joke. I used a simple paint brush and then sealed the part in a plastic garbage bag. It may take a couple of days and a few re-applications but the paint will easily wipe off with a paper towel and then use soap and water to wash the part. You'll be amazed.

[srsupertrap]

my side pannel that has the gs850g emblem on it along with the rear fender peaice that is over the tail light is that going to hold paint well?airbrushing to be exact.

I think Dad is wondering whether to add "flex addative" to the paint because the rear fender piece (boat tail) can be twisted around quite a bit. Dad being the expert has probably painted a lot of automobile ABS front facia which have some type of flex agent added during the painting process.

Although a GS side cover is fairly rigid the boat tail & front fenders do flex lot so he might have a good question here . . .

[bgmart450]

The paint place we bought the paint for my wife's bike sold us some flexible primer for the fairing. The metal bits we used regular primer on.

[spyug]

No need for "flex" additives. Modern paints are fairly flexible as they come especially the urethanes.

If the piece is properly prepped the paint will stick and you should have no issues.

I've run plastic front fenders on my last 4 bikes and while they flex alot, the paint show no wear, cracking or any issues.

Nothing to worry about.

Cheers,
spyug

[850rider]

ok thanks =]

[wayne cooper]

Plas stick

If you are painting new or stripped plastic there are adhesion promoters available. Duponts' trade name is Plas Stick. Flex agents aren't needed except where the plastic is softer as in filler pieces on cars. Epoxy primer can be a good base for high build primer to stick to. The most common problem with aftermarket plastics is their tendency to craze when painted.
The best approach is to give each layer of product enough time to "off gas". I let primers sit for the day and at least 4 hours for every coat of "base coat" and wait till the next day before clearcoating with "snap clear"
As far as sand paper grit, 240 or 320 for base part, 400 dry or 500 wet for primer, 500 wet for sanding dry base color, 800 wet for sanding clear between coats and 2000 wet for prepping before polishing. If power polishing start with medium grit after sanding and finish with fine.
Hope this helps.