painting your armor ---tips, thoughts, my experience

[gazmosis[501st]]

For all you troopers who have pulled the trigger and bought armor that requires painting, I will share my experiences(good and bad) and hopefully you won't have the issues I ran into. Here we go!!!

Make sure all you armor pieces are cut, trimmed, edge sanded and fit together properly. I suggest to glue the seam strip on one half of your thighs, forearms, shins and biceps before you paint. On the opposite pieces, make sure to mask off the areas that you will be gluing to!! Drill all holes for rivets(left side of ab plate, sniper plate, power pack for thigh. There will be some drilling once the pieces are painted because the power pack and sniper plate can't be applied until the halves are glued. Also, I highly suggest applying all snaps prior to painting. There will be a couple you will need to apply after parts are joined (top of thighs on or in biceps) but most you can apply beforehand. Do this especially for the ab plate to belt snaps. Snaps and snap covers should be in place on ammo belt prior to painting.

Now for some planning. Choose a day that you will not be bothered so you can focus on the task. You should choose a day that is calm, warm and sunny. Rainy humid days are not suggested, and windy days tend to send bits of debris into your fresh paint. Set up an area that you can place your freshly painted pieces to dry initially before you put them into the sun. I personally set up small blocks of wood to rest the pieces on so that they did not touch the ground. You should also have a designated place for your armor to sit and cure. Someplace that is safe from kids or other curious souls.

Next your materials. Rustoleum professional gloss white seems to be the choice of champions but this is only a suggestion. Just make sure that you do not use two different types of paint. EVEN FROM THE SAME COMPANY! Colors will vary and believe me, if you have a brilliant white ab plate with a slightly different white chest piece, there will be no hiding the difference. All paint will be from the same type of can! You will need a can of primer(white). And mucho patience!! Now, surface prep will be the difference between success and failure. The surface of each individual piece needs to be wiped down with either alcohol, mild paint thinner, laquer thinner, or mineral spirits. This will remove any oils that WILL BE on the armor from you handling (and probably sweating on)the parts. Once wiped down, the parts will dry quickly. I saw somewhere that someone used a mild detergent and a scrubbie pad. Detergents scare me because if ANY is not rinsed off the paint will not stick to that area.

One crucial point that caused me countless problems was that I did not have enough paint to do all my armor pieces. I thought two cans would be enough. I was wrong. I bought another can an applied more coats 72 hours later. To my horror, I watched as the paint lifted and crinkled on my chest piece, butt and kidney plate. Some would suggest that this was due to poor surface prep, however all other parts that received a full two coats turned out perfect. Anyway, three cans will give you two coats on all armor pieces and your helmet. If you want more coats, get at least two more cans. YOU WILL HAVE ONE SHOT AT THIS! ALL COATS NEED TO BE APPLIED WITHIN ONE HOUR. THINGS WILL GO BAD IF YOU APPLY MORE COATS TWO OR THREE DAYS LATER. IF YOU BUY TOO MUCH PAINT.....RETURN IT. IT'S BETTER TO HAVE IT AND NOT USE IT THAN NEED IT AND NOT HAVE IT!

Start by shaking the heck out of the can of primer for at least 1 minute then give each piece a light but firm coat of primer. Hold can about 8-10 inches away. Begin spraying outside the piece moving across the piece then finishing outside again. Do not use a continuous spray. Always go back and forth depressing the sprayer each time. The primer should dry fairly quickly. By the time you finish spraying your last piece, the first one should be dry enough to top coat with the gloss white.

Shake the heck out of your can of gloss white for at least a minute. Turn the can several times during this mixing time. If you plan on holding the piece as you paint it, a long sleeve shirt is highly recommended or wrap your arm in celophane. Begin spraying as you did with the primer. Do not get too close! Spray no closer than 8 inches! Spraying too close and moving too slowly is how runs happen! The finish will take shape almost instantly. Cover the piece evenly but pay attention to the edges to insure they get enough coverage. If there is a spot that is slightly duller than the surrounding area, don't worry about it you will give the piece a second coat. It is inevitable that a spec or a tiny hair will show up in your paint. DO NOT TRY TO DIG IT OUT! If a leaf or a bird falls in it then go after it, but if it's something really tiny move on to your next piece. When you finish the first coat on all the pieces, determine if you need to start a new can. I suggest to mix the next can at this time so it is ready when you need it. There is NO reason to touch your first coat on any of the parts. Don't do it!! Resist the urge to touch the paint!!! Give your parts a second coat in the same order as you did the first coat. This will be your final coat(unless you choose a third) so if there is a spot that's slightly duller, spray it again LIGHTLY until an even gloss is obtained. If there are any slightly dull areas at this time, don't worry about it you will polish them out later. I do not suggest moving your pieces to the open air until the outer layer has had a chance to set for about 30 min. Then carefully take your pieces and set them in the sun to cure for the remainder of the day.

At then end of the day, move the pieces into their resting area. Now is when you will need your patience. Those glossy pieces will be calling your name. The paint dries from the outside in. Just because it feels dry on the outside, doesn't mean it's cured all the way through. I suggest 96 hours(4 days) at around 69 degrees or warmer to cure properly. If you received a helmet with your kit I highly suggest to paint that seperate. Your helmet is the crowning jewel of your armor. You want to give this the attention it deserves.

Once your armor has cured, I suggest that you polish your pieces. This will bring out more of the paint's gloss as well as remove any little specs that ended up in your paint. Do this with polishing compound(liquid or paste)and a damp rag. Rub each piece as you would wax a car. In this step, you can rub aggressively after all you are essentially sanding the paint. Don't worry about sanding through the paint. It takes hours to sand through two coats. You will see some white come off this is normal. Check the piece periodically by wiping it off with a soft dry towel. You will see the morror gloss come through. If it is hazy...also normal. This will go away when you apply the car wax or polish. Let this dry, then polish out with a soft towel. Stand back in awe!!!

These are all just suggestions and what has worked for me. PLEASE feel free to add or comment.

[TK-2126_MD[TK]]

Nice...... every thing ones needs to know condensed in a easy to read paragraph. very good post for the armor paint part.

[ABS80]

Or save yourself all this trouble and get a nice white gloss ABS kit

 

Mark

Edited May 20, 2011 by ABS80

[TK-2126_MD[TK]]

Or save yourself all this trouble and get a nice white gloss ABS kit

 

Mark

 

LOL your a hoot Mark!!!!!

 

But ya your right, i do think that painting your own helmet and armor is something one should do at least once.

[gazmosis[501st]]

Tru dat!!!

[ZIECKZEON]

An educational tutorial read for me who is currently working on a TK bucket!