Painting my armor

[Chunkaholic]

Sorry if this is in the wrong thread, but i'm looking into buying a kit from ata works. I want to buy it so I can finally have a full suit, but my parents <_< are telling me that since the kit doesn't come painted they want me to look into buying something else. I'm posting here to get information on how to paint (what to buy and how to do it) or services that will paint it for me, help please.

[RogueTrooper[TK]]

Here you go Matt this a "Painting HIPS armor" tip I posted earlier and it was featured in the FISD news letter. It should help you.

 

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On 9/9/2010 at 11:50 PM, RogueTrooper said:

To quote Master Yoda "Do or do not, there is no try".

 

It is possible for a beginner to accomplish a skillful paint job.

 

Let me give you some tips. Preparation is always paramount when it comes to painting. If you do get an ATA kit or any other kit that the armor is made of HIPS, don't try painting the parts before you have assembled your kit. Most glues do not adhere well to painted surfaces.

 

So, once your kit is assembled and all is test fitted for you the way you want it to look, then follow these simple steps:

 

1.Lightly go over the surface of the suit with a Scotch Brite or Dooby style pad.

 

2.Clean the surface of your suit with a mild detergent and rinse well. This will help to remove anything from the HIPS that could compromise the paint job like oil from your fingers, and dirt. As an added step, use isopropyl alcohol 70% not 90% (like what you would find in a local drug store).

 

3.Once you have cleaned the surface and it is dry, go over it with a tack cloth to remove any dust or debris(available at hardware and home improvement stores).

 

4. Do not paint inside your house. The aerosol fumes are extremely toxic. Work in a well ventilated area, wear a dust/paint mask. Use a drop cloth or newspaper to help keep the area clean. If you do have to paint outside (like most do)then make sure you are not working underneath trees, work in an open area. Also make sure you are not near anyones vehicle because the overspray might blow on to it.

 

5. Anytime you are painting, the weather will affect the outcome of the paint job. Don't work in too hot or too cold temperatures. This will affect the way the paint flows. Also, humidity and rain will affect it, as well. Read the directions on the aerosol paint can and see what the manufacturers recommended parameters are to achieve the best results.

 

 

6. I always believe in priming the surface first with a good primer. This will help the paint to adhere to the HIPS better and help you spot any debris or problems with the surface before you start coating it with the gloss paint. If you do see any problems after priming, it is easier to fix before you spray with gloss paint.

 

When it comes to aerosol primer, there are usually four basic colors: light grey, rust tone, dark grey and white. If you can get the white primer, that would be my first choice, since you are painting in white. To find white aerosol primer, you will have to go to a pro paintshop. But you can use the light grey primer. It will take a few more coats of the white gloss to cover the grey primer, but the grey is easier to find in most stores.

 

7. Once the primer is dry, and you are ready to start applying your gloss coat, before spraying any gloss, go over the surfaces with a tack cloth (to remove any dust or debris). Now you are ready to start spraying the gloss coat.

 

8.When painting or priming, always spray light, even, strokes, doing it is stages of several coats. This will help prevent any runs, overspray or splotchy looking paint. Read the directions on the paint can for the "do's and don'ts". If you do have any debris, runs, orange peel, do not try to correct until the paint has completely dried. Messing with it while the paint is wet will only make it worse. You can sand out and fix any small areas and re-paint them.

 

9.Once you have achieved a good even paint job, let the paint cure. Paint may look and feel dry, but it is still soft. Messing with an uncured paint job may result in getting blemishes, dents and fingerprints in the finished surface. So just set it indoors somewhere warm and safe. Do not set near any heaters, stoves, fireplaces, etc. The soft paint may need to cure for at least a week, maybe longer, depending on the temperature and humidity. A little tip; take a scrap piece of the HIPS and paint it in the same stages as you painted your suit. When you want to check and see if the paint has cured, you can test the scrap piece and not have to mess with your armor.

 

10.Once the paint has cured and if you see any blemishes such as dust, debris, rough areas, etc.you can wet sand the paint. Wet sanding is a process of using fine grit sandpaper with warm water. The type of sandpaper that you need is the kind that they use for automotive paint jobs (600 up to 2,000 grit). Do not use the regular sandpaper that you would use for wood, it is too harsh and leaves deep sanding marks in gloss paint.

 

The process of wet sanding: Take the sandpaper and dip it into a container of clean warm water. Also slightly wet the painted surface you are working on. Using even pressure, go over the painted surface to take out any debris, dust, orange peel, etc. You will notice after a point, a murkiness to the water on the surface of what you are wet sanding and also on the sandpaper. Dip the sandpaper into the clean water and rinse the surface that you are wet sanding to remove this murkiness. Repeat this step often, changing the water periodically. The cleaner you can keep the surface and sandpaper, the better the results.

 

11. Once you have wet sanded the surface and achieved a clean even level to the paint job, you will then notice a dullness to the finish. To bring the glossy look back to the finish, there are different rubbing compounds that you can purchase at most automotive parts stores. The rubbing compounds are numbered. The number level indicates the level of the abraisivness of the rubbing compound. Usually the higher the number, the finer the rubbing compound. By working your way up to the finer level compound, you will achieve a higher gloss to the finish. Once you have returned the paint to a glossy surface, you can protect the finish by using a UV protected car wax. The car wax will not only give a lustre, but it will also help protect the paint from becoming faded/yellowed.

 

 

A major tip: Always do test before painting the suit. My suggestion, if you have not done a lot of painting, is to do test to get familiar with the process. Purchase a few of the plastic "For Sale" signs that you can find at hardware and home improvement stores. The plastic "For Sale" signs are made from HIPS and you will get a sense of how the priming and painting will go.

 

All I can say is don't sweat it if you make any mistakes. That is part of the process of learning. If you do have questions, just ask. Whatever kit that you decide on, whether it is made of HIPS or ABS, just take your time and enjoy the project. This is not a sprint, it is a marathon.

 

 

Also, the most common aerosol paint that people use to paint their HIPS kits are the Krylon or Rustoleum enamels that you can get at any Home Improvement/Hardware Stores.

 

Hope it helps you with your parents.

[tkrestonva[TK]]

Moved to the Assembly, Mods, and Painting section.

[Chunkaholic]

Moved to the Assembly, Mods, and Painting section.

 

thanks. sorry about that.

[Chunkaholic]

Well, i'm thinking that i should find someone with the expertise to do a nice job on it. Would you recommend that or do you think that someone as inexperienced as myself could do a nice job ob it following the steps that you listed above?

[RogueTrooper[TK]]

Well, i'm thinking that i should find someone with the expertise to do a nice job on it. Would you recommend that or do you think that someone as inexperienced as myself could do a nice job ob it following the steps that you listed above?

 

Matt, If you go by the steps that I posted above, and take your time, you should be able to accomplish a very nice job.

 

That why I said to do test pieces with scrap, so you build your confidence up on what you are doing. But, if you do make a mistake it is not the end of the world and can be corrected. If you do not try, you will never know if you can accomplish your goals.

 

 

The only real failure in life is the failure to try.

[Chunkaholic]

Matt, If you go by the steps that I posted above, and take your time, you should be able to accomplish a very nice job.

 

That why I said to do test pieces with scrap, so you build your confidence up on what you are doing. But, if you do make a mistake it is not the end of the world and can be corrected. If you do not try, you will never know if you can accomplish your goals.

 

 

The only real failure in life is the failure to try.

 

ok, i might just give it a try. i'm just kinda scared it might turn out all bubbly and looking like a 3 year old tried to do it with finger paints.

Edited January 3, 2011 by Chunkaholic

[RogueTrooper[TK]]

ok, i might just give it a try. i'm kinda scared it might turn out like this.

 

Like what Matt?

[Chunkaholic]

Like what Matt?

 

Post didn't attach a picture sorry about that.