Questions about Painting interior Plastic

[Texas Tech]

bascially i went to fiberglassingforum.com and found an awesome how to paint your interior plastics and such but i have a few questions.

To make sure your panels are oil free, like from Armour All and shit, wipe them down several times with a wax and grease remover. If they are really Armour All'ed down, use a brake cleaner.

Get a bucket of soapy water to wetsand with.

Sand the grain out of them with a 80 grit wetsand. Get at least 75% of the grain out. Then wetsand with a 150 - 180 grit. Then move to a wetsand with 220 grit. If for some reason you are odd and like the grain look, skip that part.

Clean the panel again with wax and grease remover and also a tack cloth. I suggest wearing latex gloves to keep oils from your hands transfereing to the panels.

Spary the panel with an Adheisive Promoter. Follow directions on can.

Spray with FILLER primer. As many coats as are needed to fill in all the grain. For small items such as trim panels, kick panels and pillars, SEM makes a filler Primer that is awsome or you can use Duplicolor Grey Filler Primer. They also have a red rust colored filler primer. Avoid it. For some reason it sand horrible.

Wetsand that with 220. If you see your self going to deep into the plastic before you are happy with the finish, dry and clean the panel off with wax and grease remover and spray more primer on it. Keep this process till happy. Final wetsand with 400 grit.

Clean the panel with wax and grease remover and a tack cloth and then paint.

Spray as many coats as you like, 3 is usually plenty, and do it in light coats as heavy will clog and run. Let it dry in the sun if possible as long as you can. Overnight is prefered. If you feel there are some imperfections, wet sand with 600 or more till you are happy. Clean it real good and then spray a clear coat over it. Again in light coats.

I try to let the clear coat dry for a couple days for best results.

so after you spray with adhesion promoter and filler primer, you sand it again with 400 grit, im guessing you sand really lightly because there wont be much you need to sand down.

then you clean it off and spray the paint on there. So you dont add more primer after you sand the 400 grit/before you apply the paint?

At the Very last, it says if you are not happy with the outcome of the painted piece, wetsandw ith 600 grit. Clean it and apply a clear coat.

So then after you painted it, you sand it with a very high grit, clean it and then add clear coat only? you dont add another layer of adhesion promoter,primer, and paint, or even just another layer of paint only. I would think the finish would look weird if you sanded it down then added a clear coat.I would think after you sand it down with the 600 grit you should put atleast one layer of paint on (if not primer before it) and then added a clear coat. Or would it look okay just sanding it down with 600 grit and a clear coat.

And i have heard that adhesion promoter is optional and you only have to use it if the primer doesnt stick...is that right

Oh, and why do you wetsand twice, once with 200 grit, and once with 400 grit

after the adhesion promoter and primer is applied? After that you you never add primer again, not even before you paint?

From some people i have asked, they have basically said to paint interior plastic pieces, sanding it down is optional, then add adhesion promoter (optional, if necessary) then add primer and then paint. You dont even need to sand or add adhesion promoter. Oh and you can add a clear coat if you want.

Is adhesive spray and adhesion promoter the same thing?

[EpicenterDesigns]

bascially i went to fiberglassingforum.com and found an awesome how to paint your interior plastics and such but i have a few questions.

so after you spray with adhesion promoter and filler primer, you sand it again with 400 grit, im guessing you sand really lightly because there wont be much you need to sand down.

then you clean it off and spray the paint on there. So you dont add more primer after you sand the 400 grit/before you apply the paint?

At the Very last, it says if you are not happy with the outcome of the painted piece, wetsandw ith 600 grit. Clean it and apply a clear coat.

So then after you painted it, you sand it with a very high grit, clean it and then add clear coat only? you dont add another layer of adhesion promoter,primer, and paint, or even just another layer of paint only. I would think the finish would look weird if you sanded it down then added a clear coat.I would think after you sand it down with the 600 grit you should put atleast one layer of paint on (if not primer before it) and then added a clear coat. Or would it look okay just sanding it down with 600 grit and a clear coat.

And i have heard that adhesion promoter is optional and you only have to use it if the primer doesnt stick...is that right

Oh, and why do you wetsand twice, once with 200 grit, and once with 400 grit

after the adhesion promoter and primer is applied? After that you you never add primer again, not even before you paint?

From some people i have asked, they have basically said to paint interior plastic pieces, sanding it down is optional, then add adhesion promoter (optional, if necessary) then add primer and then paint. You dont even need to sand or add adhesion promoter. Oh and you can add a clear coat if you want.

Is adhesive spray and adhesion promoter the same thing?

Well since i wrote that How-To article, I will reply to it here.

[EpicenterDesigns]

so after you spray with adhesion promoter and filler primer, you sand it again with 400 grit, im guessing you sand really lightly because there wont be much you need to sand down.

There should be a good amount of primer on there to fill in any grain left. I actually start with 220, but I know what I am doing and how hard to go at it. No offense meant.

[LSN2meBoom916]

Sanding is NOT optional IMO.

When painting factory plastic interior/trim pieces, Sanding MUST be done in conjunction with the use of adhesion promoter.

Car manufacturers put a "non-stick" FINISH and COATING on all the plastic/interior parts so that when your kid/baby/girlfriend/wife/etc SPILLS soda/lipstick or WHATEVER THE HELL on it, it won't stick and will clean up easier.

First you thoroughly sand off the FINISH, and by doing so will remove any "anti stick additves" from the surface.

Then you should use the adhesion promoter because the same guy that invented the non-stick "coating" made sure that if the plastic was "scratched" or "gouged" if would still be non-stick by using a SPECIAL PLASTIC that has the non-stick additive IN IT.

So, sand it good. Wet sand or otherwise just get it at least 220-400grit smooth.

Clean it well/degrease n such.

And then use adhesion promoter, primer, and clear-coat it whenever possible.

Thats how I did my door handles and center/gearshift trim piece.

[Texas Tech]

yea i saw you wrote the article i tried to email you but it was thw wrong email (the one on the fiberglassingforums.com is at hotmail) then when i saw your email on here i emailed you again i have yet to see if it went threw our not.

[Texas Tech]

thanks for the answers man, i will be sure to ask again if any come up since you guys no exactly what you are talking about.

I bought primer not filler primer so i got to go to the store to get some.

[kingsuv]

Damn, I want to do all the panels in my truck but thatsalotta plastic to sand.

[ChevyBoy]

Damn, I want to do all the panels in my truck but thatsalotta plastic to sand.

one word...mexicans

[LSN2meBoom916]

es pernounsed "messcans" eh.

[kingsuv]

Damn, I want to do all the panels in my truck but thatsalotta plastic to sand.

one word...mexicans

The 1's in front of Home Depot?