Spray painting hard plastic bodies

[jman_cruiser]

Hi all, is there any brands that make canned spray paint specifically for rc cars ?

Also any tips to get it to stick to hard plastic (mn82 bodies) ?
I was thinking of using some fine sandpaper before applying paint.

Cheers

 

[332_RC]

I've only used Tamiya PS paint for lexan. PS is specifically for lexan. If it's a ABS model car type body, or a RC shell that's not lexan, Tamiya TS paint is made specifically for them.

 

[Chubaka]

I had good luck using lexan paint on other surfaces. I painted 2 radios, several rims and chassis accessories. Works pretty good. You can't use hard paint on lexan because it won't flex.

 

[majin]

I've used https://spazstix.com/ i like their colors, I've also used the tamiya TS accidentally, it cracked and chipped cause i needed the PS paint

spazz and tamiya are made for rc car bodies

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

Tamiya has paint for hard plastics.
Testors has spray cans. or you can get bottles and air brush it.
hardware store spray paint works well if you know how to apply it. (very thin coats)
whatever you use i recommend using primer. let that dry and then hit it with red scotch-brite to scuff it up or 400+ grit sand paper works (i like to use 600 wet on my stuff)

other tricks. warm the can up. soak it in hot water (straight out of the tap is fine) for like 5 minutes before using it. it'll spay more consistently and will be less likely to "spit".

 

[WickedFog]

You can use just about any paint on hard bodies. It really makes no difference. Lexan paint, Krylon rattle cans, enamel, laquer, etc. Makes no difference really. Just make sure to primer it first for best results. This is Faskolor (intended for clear lexan bodies) painted over grey automotive sandable primer. It's on there. This body has been rattling around in a box of loose parts for about 7 years now, and this was what it looked like when I pulled it out of the box.

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

iv used lexan paint on model kits. only thing is it never says shiny. it always ends up with a semi gloss finish. in some cases is scrapes of easily as well. unless i clear coated over it. just throwing that out there.

 

[WickedFog]

iv used lexan paint on model kits. only thing is it never says shiny. it always ends up with a semi gloss finish. in some cases is scrapes of easily as well. unless i clear coated over it. just throwing that out there.

It shouldn't scrape off if you primer and wetsand between coats. Mine never has. Scrapes from grindage will go through any paint. But if it doesn't stick, that's typically not enough prep work.

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

It shouldn't scrape off if you primer and wetsand between coats. Mine never has. Scrapes from grindage will go through any paint. But if it doesn't stick, that's typically not enough prep work.

it happened on 2 model cars. Parma paint over wet sanded with 600 grit Rustoleium primer. it dried but scratched/pealed off like Plastidip. same paint on another car i clear coated over with generic craft store gloss clear and it was fine.

 

[WickedFog]

it happened on 2 model cars. Parma paint over wet sanded with 600 grit Rustoleium primer. it dried but scratched/pealed off like Plastidip. same paint on another car i clear coated over with generic craft store gloss clear and it was fine.

Some bad paint maybe?

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

Some bad paint maybe?

idk. i used that paint on lexan body's and it was fine. only thing i could think of was maybe some kind of reaction with the primer ?

 

[WickedFog]

idk. i used that paint on lexan body's and it was fine. only thing i could think of was maybe some kind of reaction with the primer ?

I have used Rustoleum as well. Was it a sealing primer? Or sandable?

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

I have used Rustoleum as well. Was it a sealing primer? Or sandable?

sandable

 

[gragner66]

I use etching primer and wet sand on a lot different projects I paint

 

[WickedFog]

sandable

Strange. I have painted a lot of hardbodies with Parma Faskolor. It always seems like the paint becomes part of the body because it sticks so good.

 

[thrak76]

I'm going to attempt my first hard-body color-up here very soon. I've got a bunch of Tamiya TS paints to try it out with, including grey primer. No airbrush here (or the desire....yet) so I'm just using spray cans.
Anyone use the "micromesh" for sanding? I've been reading a bit on model car forums and websites about this stuff versus sandpaper.

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

Strange. I have painted a lot of hardbodies with Parma Faskolor. It always seems like the paint becomes part of the body because it sticks so good.

iv had it do that to. to the point that i had to strip one once and it had semi dyed the styrene. which then bled though the primer. long story short, i had to use black primer, then white primer, then lay on the paint. after 4 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint there wasn't much left in the way of body lines on that kit.
leaves me wondering if they changed formulas between 1996 and the early 2000's? or hell maybe i just got a bad bottle ?

edit: got to thinking about it. it was yellow that i had issue with. i remember using it on a RC10T3 body in the summer of 1999 and it didn't stick and pealed right out of that as well. which lead to me "fixing" the paint job with whatever paint i happened to have in the air brush at the time eventually leaving me with what became known as the "tie die" body. everywhere that yellow touched i had trouble with paint adhesion. even after going nuts with with 400 wet sand paper. it seemed to leave an oily residue that leached into the lexan. i still have that body and the paint is still like rubber in some places.

 

[jimd1050]

I'm going to attempt my first hard-body color-up here very soon. I've got a bunch of Tamiya TS paints to try it out with, including grey primer. No airbrush here (or the desire....yet) so I'm just using spray cans.
Anyone use the "micromesh" for sanding? I've been reading a bit on model car forums and websites about this stuff versus sandpaper.

I did my entire Vanquish H10 Optic, Knight's Customs 3D printed body panels with Tamiya lacquer - 2 coats of each color, striped, then 3 coats of hardware store clear. Looks great...