Prepping Tupperware for Paint

[Sand_storm]

Hi All-

I posted this on the UKG site already but I want to get as many opinions as possible before I commit my vinage tupperware to the spray booth.

Do I need to sand before painting? Should I prime it with PVA or would plastic primer be sufficient? Should I just give it a wipe with acetone and spray away?

Any and all suggestions welcomed!!

chris

[TD-1536]

If you're painting it black with Krylon Fusion, you're fine. Sticks really well to plastic.

[weiBes trooper]

I agree, you should paint it with fusion. I use fusion as a bonding agent for other paint when painting a color you cant find it in the fusion paints. Like the slate blue on parts, i spray with any color fusion, then respray with the color you want. test spray both paints on something first so you dont run into problems and let the fusion dry for 24 hours before you recoat it with the other color.

[Sand_storm]

Thanks guys, now I just need to see if I can find Fusion over here. So far all I've found is Plasti-Kote, and it's terrible.

[SethB6025]

I've found no measurable difference in priming or not priming the Tupperware parts. Start with a light coat, then do a couple normal coats.

[TD-4935]

i've tried every paint imaginable here in Blighty and not one of them will stick to tupperware, or the wet-wipes bottles. it all seems to flake off real easy. it's just a case of re-applying as and when you need to. i normally have a post troop repair and re-paint session.

[steve12201]

Would some type of Vinyl or automobile interior paint would work as a base coat? A paint with extra flex-agent in it might serve as a useful medium between the plastic and the desired paint color coat.

[SethB6025]

Using an elastomeric (like the vinyl paint) couldn't hurt. Although you might want to use the correct color, I don't think a regular spray paint will work right with the specialty vinyl paint. For the wipe bottles I've found that if you give them a thorough wet sand (600 grit is what I use) prior to paint it aids adhesion quite a bit.

[TD-1536]

...For the wipe bottles I've found that if you give them a thorough wet sand (600 grit is what I use) prior to paint it aids adhesion quite a bit.

Yeap.

I've gone so far as to prime, wet sand, prime, wet sand, then paint with the specific Blue color, then weather, hair spray and fullers earth. The combination of all that seems to make it much more enduring... for HDPE, that is.

The problem is that paint does not stick well to cheap plastics like HDPE, hence why you see all the ANH stunt helmets with chipping paint.

Tupperware on the other hand, works fine with Krylon Fusion paint, such as black.

[SethB6025]

Yeah I agree; a healthy dose of hairspray does help to protect the paint. Although, I primed (but not sanded) the first ones I did and it chipped just the same as the un-primed un-sanded ones did. So lesson is whether or not you prime do make a point to sand.