darthmaul101079[TK] Posted November 22, 2009 Report Share Posted November 22, 2009 Is there any special way of painting ATA armor (HIPS plastic), such as sanding, priming, and what type of paint to use? just getting my ducks lined up before i purchage ATA armor. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkTrooper[TK] Posted November 22, 2009 Report Share Posted November 22, 2009 I'm painting my ATA right now. It kinda sucks though because the temperature is getting colder. i have a heater in the garage though & I'm taking my time. For paint, it seems that everyone seems to be using the Rustoleum stuff. I have the plastic primer and the high performance glossy white. What ever brand paint you decide to use, use the primer & the main coat from the same brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinn_101 Posted November 23, 2009 Report Share Posted November 23, 2009 I am curious about this too. I have a suit made out of Sterelyne and I used Rustoluem Plastic Spectitally Paint then added White Enamel to it. I looks good, but can easily be scuffed or scratched off. On my broken ear caps I tested another way to get shine and I was surprised. I used a old can of spay enamel for drawings (to prevent smearing) and the shine is ridiculous. However, it was VERY liquidity so on the ear bumps there is less. So would Primer, Main Coat, then Enamel be a wise way to go as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FIVE[501st] Posted November 23, 2009 Report Share Posted November 23, 2009 (edited) ----- Start with where he starts painting... ----- Edited December 5, 2020 by gmrhodes13 link not working, removed gmrhodes13 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt JB Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 I advise following Mike's painting guide to the letter. Also, you're going to want to paint in a low humidity environment, ideally in the 60 degree temp range. Also make sure to let it cure a good 5 days to a week for best results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkrestonva[TK] Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 Low humidity, temps in the 60s, cure for 5 days. Sounds like you and your new ATA need to take a week-long vacation in Las Vegas. It's been cold and rainy here in the Washington D.C. area for weeks. No painting for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naatsirhc[TK] Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 I had my armor painted with autobody paint. My painter used an adhesion promoter called bulldog and then painted with a gloss white. You will need to wet sand all parts and be careful about what you use to dry them. Oils from your skin and other sources can cause a bad finish, the worse case is that you have to re-sand and repaint. There are a lot of good threads dealing with painting your armor and bucket, I advise you to review them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FIVE[501st] Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 (edited) naatsirhc said: I had my armor painted with autobody paint. My painter used an adhesion promoter called bulldog and then painted with a gloss white. You will need to wet sand all parts and be careful about what you use to dry them. Oils from your skin and other sources can cause a bad finish, the worse case is that you have to re-sand and repaint. There are a lot of good threads dealing with painting your armor and bucket, I advise you to review them. Dude! ----- Edited December 5, 2020 by gmrhodes13 link not working, removed gmrhodes13 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedyer Posted March 28, 2010 Report Share Posted March 28, 2010 Of all the pictures I've seen in regards to priming, it's always been the helmet that gets primed prior to painting. For those of you who have spray painted your armor, did you use a primer on all of the pieces? Or did you just spray them white directly? Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FIVE[501st] Posted March 28, 2010 Report Share Posted March 28, 2010 Of all the pictures I've seen in regards to priming, it's always been the helmet that gets primed prior to painting. For those of you who have spray painted your armor, did you use a primer on all of the pieces? Or did you just spray them white directly? Tom You're right... I just primed the helmet. This was, however, for my sandtrooper... so letting the paint "chip" and look "worn" after a while is part of the point. On my ESB I will probably prime the entire thing. I don't think everyone does though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smitty Posted March 28, 2010 Report Share Posted March 28, 2010 YES ALWAYS PRIME BEFORE PAINTING. Its like a cardinal rule of painting. I could see making a TD and not priming first as a way of messying up the paint job a bit to maybe add to the weathering. But if you want a nice shiney TK, you will need to prime it. Paint doesn't stick to everything very good but primer does a very good job at sticking to everything. So the primer sticks verywell to the plastic and in turn sticks to the paint very well in effect glueing your paint to your armor. Unprimed armor is more prone to runs, drips and pitting during painting and after painting is more prone to chipping and flaking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedyer Posted April 10, 2010 Report Share Posted April 10, 2010 Did you also sand the armor pieces in addition to the helmet? The thought of sanding all of those pieces sounds daunting, but if it's a good idea and will improve the final result, I'm all for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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