Painting plastic bumpers with a spray gun
Disclaimer: The following is provided as a GUIDE ONLY, and neither myself nor Ozhonda take any responsibility for the outcomes of someone else doing the following. You follow these steps at your own risk!
Hey so this is a guide to painting plastic bumpers, lips or pretty much anything plastic with a spray gun. In this DIY i only painted my front lip but the same process i used can be used to paint whole bumpers or kits with ether a spray gun or pressure pack. I'm by no means a professional but i have painted a few plastic body parts and they have turned out well but if you have any tips or anything let me know because im still learning.
Anyway i went on a road trip up to Byron and Nimbin not long ago and along the way my front suffered from major rock chips which eventually made the paint start peeling. i didnt get any before shots of the lip because i was too excited to get started but in this photo half way through stripping the paint u can see in the middle of the lip where there was no paint at all, thats how much the paint had peeled away.
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0042.jpg
Painting just the lip with a spray gun is a bit overkill as you could just do a decent job with a spray can but i wouldn't spray a whole bumper with a spray can as the job quality wouldn't be very good, so there is only two choices when it comes to painting large panels like a whole bumper, either get a paint shop to do it for you for around $300 or DIY for around $100 max.
So a few things you will need:
- plastic primer
- your paint
- paint thinner
- top clear coat (i got it in a spray can just because i was only painting the lip)
- plastic bumper paint stripper
- 400 and 800/1200 grit sandpaper
- wax and grease remover
- a clean enclosed area with good ventilation to paint in (i used my garage)
- Painters protective mask
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0071.jpg
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0044.jpg
and of course you will need an air compressor and spray gun
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0069.jpg
all of these items can be bought from VG Auto Paints which is where i got everything from except for the compressor and spray gun which i already had lying around but they can be bought from vg auto paints as well. If your not keen on buying a compressor as they are expensive you can rent one from kennards hire or places like that. VG auto paints also mixes your paint for you according to your paint code and can put it in a pressure pack or in paint can for the gun.
So now that you have everything on to the painting. first i sprayed the lip with a good coat of the bumper stripper and watched the paint crinkle up then scraped it off.
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0043.jpg
after stripping:
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0045.jpg
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0046.jpg
After the main layer of paint is off i gave it a good wet sand with some soapy water and 1200 grit to get rid of the last bit of paint.
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0049.jpg
Now its almost ready for primer. I gave the lip a good scuffing with some 400 grit dry to help the paint stick, and then i thoroughly wiped the lip down with a detergent wash and then thoroughly with a wax and grease remover. Its very important when painting plastic to make sure the part is squeaky clean to ensure the paint sticks well so don't go over the cleaning phase quickly. After cleaning it thoroughly try not to touch it with your hands to prevent the oils on your hands getting on the plastic, best to wear gloves if you can.
Painting with a spray gun for the first time can be a daunting task so make sure u have a go at painting a scrap piece of cardboard and mess around with the spray gun settings to make sure you have a smooth consistent setting that isnt going to blast heaps of paint on and cause paint runs because they are a pain in the ass to fix up.
so you have chosen your paint gun settings and gotten sort of used to using a spray gun, now its time to put the plastic primer in the spray gun and apply first coat of the primer. Be sure to apply an even coat all round the part to make sure it turns out well. Depending on the type of primer you may need to mix in some thinner.
After 2 coats of primer:
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0054.jpg
If there are any drips or runs that occurred you will have to fix them up by wet sanding the area until smooth then applying another coat. I waited around an hour between primer coats then applied the first coat of paint after 45min of the primer. You will have to mix paint thinner in with your paint, i used a 50/50 ratio of paint to thinner and mixed thoroughly.
after first coat:
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0057.jpg
I applied 3 coats of paint to the lip allowing at least an hour between coats, i also gave a quick wet sand with 800 or 1200 between the second and third coats to make the paint smoother. You can wet sand between all the coats if you think its necessary.
After 3 coats:
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0062.jpg
I then waited 24 hours before applying the clear coat to ensure the paint was fully dry but I'm sure you could apply the clear coat around an hour or two after the final coat.
After 2 coats of clear:
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0064.jpg
And your done, its not that hard or doesn't take long but its a rewarding experience knowing you have just painted something yourself.
final product not installed just put in place to show you:
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0067.jpg
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0068.jpg
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...r/IMG_0102.jpg
There may be a paint difference because new paint always looks brighter than older weathered paint but if you get the paint mixed to you colour code there shouldnt be much of a difference.
Thanks for reading much appreciated :D
