painting PVC pipe

I don't feel so dumb asking a noob question here, since compared to you guys I'm still noobish when it comes to propmaking.

I have six weeks to finish a costume for competition and have pretty much given up trying to find a 1" wooden dowel in a 6 foot length. It's for the shaft of a staff, I'm going to cut it down a bit but it definitely needs to be longer than the 4' standard sizes everyone carries. Sigh. So, my next best and only other option for a 1" diameter staff pole is pvc pipe.

My problem is, I don't know what kinds of paints will stick to pvc pipe, and whether I need to do any priming or prepping before painting. A li'l help here please?

And yes, my staff absolutely has to be 1" in diameter. 3/4 or 1 1/4 are too small and too large, respectively, for the proportions to be consistent with the rest of the costume.

I don't have access to fancy equipment like airbrushes and no space to use anything massively toxic, so if something quick and dirty along the lines of acrylics or Krylon (even Fusion or latex) will stick to pvc just fine, that's what I need to know from the experts who may have used it.

Re: Wood staff

Use two 1" x 4' wood dowels.
Drill a hole in one end of each dowel as deep as you can.
Use a smaller diameter dowel as a pin to connect the two.
Make it a tight fit, use a little glue of your choice.
Fill and sand the seam.
Cut to length.
Apply finish and ends.

Have fun.


Steven

Fusion works great but I've also used all sorts of commercial spray paints on PVC, even without primer.

Isn't closet rod 1"? That is certainly available in longer lengths. Maybe it's the wrong diameter...
Fusion is paint made for plastics, should work well though I have heard from others that Rustoleum and Krylon have gone on without a problem.
I, too, have to PVC to paint, though not any time soon. I am anxious to hear your results with whatever you do end up using.

I'd take the pvc pipe and put 3/4 or 7/8 dowling inside to keep the pvc from wobbling on you. as far as painting it, just give it a good scuff sand. The paint on my potatoe cannon held up fine and I didn't even scuff it first.

Allways primer. Laquer based is best if you can get it. (if you are not in california then it shouldnt be a problem) Pvc is not a problem to paint, as a precaution you can take 400 grit sand paper and give it the once over but this is really not needed if using a good laquer primer.


We use this at where I work and its great stuff.
http://www.vhtpaint.com/products/sfID1/6/sfID2/21

This is a good brand as well
http://www.evercoat.com/productDetail.aspx?pID=57

good luck

minieffects

You've got a couple of options.

Fusion paint works well in these situations, just make sure to wash the pvc with some soapy water or something like Simple Green first, to remove any chemicals from the production process.

If you can't find Fusion, sand the pipe and use automotive primer folllowed by regular Krylon.

If you still want to use wood, get two lengths of 1" pole and a length of threaded metal rod (coarse threads are better in this case). Drill down as far as as you can into one of the wooden poles and glue the rod in place. Cut down the rod so that you have about a 4" piece sticking out (or as long as your longest drill bit). Drill a hole in the second pole, but make this hole slightly smaller than the diameter of the threaded rod. Now, carefully thread the second pole on to the rod, so that it goes on straight. This will allow you to have a 6' staff, but you'll be able to break it down for portability.

You can also do something similar with the pvc. Just cut the 6' length in half, and use a 6" piece of wooden pole between them. You want a snug fit, so figure on 3/4" diamter dowel.

-Fred

I've found that Krylon Fusion is limited in color choices (32 and most are very dark) so I use it as a "primer" and paint the final coat over that. Fusion seems to adhere better than most paints and works very well as a primer. Most paints will work fine but I've found that if the PVC will be bent or torqued at all that paints have a tendency to chip or flake and Fusion seems to just work better.

As noted already, clean the PVC prior to painting and a very light sanding will help but I've not found that it's really necessary.

Good luck!

Im not a big fan of Krylon paints with exception of Ultra flat black. One of the best paints out there with a large choice in colors is the Design Masters line. They are a laquer based paint that you can buy at Michaels or JoAnn fabrics.
It dries fast and lays down really smooth. I dont use anything else unless Im spraying out of a spray gun.

This paint also works on fabric
Here is a link:
http://www.dmcolor.com/Design Master.htm

Here is a swatch chart, and I think they have more colors than this now

You can do some light sanding of the PVC then the paint will tend to stick a lot better.

Krylon Fusion works great on PVC. Be sure to leave at least a week for drying/cure time, though.

motman241 said:

Be sure to leave at least a week for drying/cure time, though.

Click to expand...

And thats why I stay away from krylon paints.


minieffects

minieffects said:

And thats why I stay away from krylon paints.

Click to expand...

It's because of the acetone-like chemicals in the Fusion that let it adhere to the plastics. Those chemicals are not present in all of Krylon's products.

motman241 said:

Krylon Fusion works great on PVC. Be sure to leave at least a week for drying/cure time, though.

Click to expand...

motman241 said:

It's because of the acetone-like chemicals in the Fusion that let it adhere to the plastics. Those chemicals are not present in all of Krylon's products.

Click to expand...

Yes it is formulated for plastics, its just the curing time that I dont like. In my business we dont have a week to wait for drying. We often need to touch up on set and need paints that dry and can be handled in minutes. Typically the laquer paints such as Design masters are perfect for this. But I do know of several people that are happy with the results of the fusion line. Paints are like adhesives, there are alot out there and everyone has there preference. My advice is to try different brands and see what you like, and all ways, ALL WAYS test before painting the final product!!!


minieffects

Thanks guys! You've gone above and beyond the call of duty. It relieves me greatly to know that I can use the same stuff I've been using on other plastics without fretting - a Fusion primer and regular Krylon or other paints. Light sanding and cleaning, so noted. That's eeeeeasy.

I do intend to slide a smaller dowel inside for stability. I noticed the wobbly nature of the pvc when I went to price and examine it, which almost made me go back to wood, but I had already thought of putting a dowel inside to stabilize it. I appreciate tips on making it break down for transport, but when I decided never to patronize AnimeCentral ever again, the necessity of breaking my staff down to under-4-foot lengths became moot. (they have a 4' prop rule) I'd rather have it be one solid length, because knowing me, no matter how nice a pin or other fastener I put in it, one swing and half the staff will go flying. I've kicked off shoes on the same stage before, the last thing I need is to lose half my staff to prop failure and wound the performance judge.

Not to mention, LED wiring will be installed near the head for a glowing orb effect. No messing around with collapsable staff when that's involved.

Thankyouverymuch, my friends. I'll post pics when I'm done, hopefully when I get the orb wired to glow. And Vaderman - nope, closet rod is minimum 1.25", usually 1.5". First thing I checked. Sadly! It's not that I'm desperate to use wood and wood only, it's just the easiest thing to work with. Sounds like going to PVC will be only slightly more time-consuming but not any more difficult. Thanks!