If I cast something in it, what kinds of paint will work well on it? Thanks!
how easy is it to paint polyurethane rubber?
- Thread starter Hecubus114
- Start date
fettster
Sr Member
it depends on how firm a rubber you use amd the type of finish you are after.
we used polyurethane rubber for some stunt helmets on dr who and found that if you scrub the piece with acetone first, you can paint it with regular aerosol paint and it will bond pretty well.
Its best to keep the coats as light as possible otherwise the paint will crack.
If its just to shade a pre pigmented piece, fw inks work really well on urethane too.
you can get a specialist paint base formulated for urethane rubber which is amazing however it is VERY expensive
we used polyurethane rubber for some stunt helmets on dr who and found that if you scrub the piece with acetone first, you can paint it with regular aerosol paint and it will bond pretty well.
Its best to keep the coats as light as possible otherwise the paint will crack.
If its just to shade a pre pigmented piece, fw inks work really well on urethane too.
you can get a specialist paint base formulated for urethane rubber which is amazing however it is VERY expensive
On another forum, I've heard of people using a mix of Prosaide, acrylic paint and either water or ammonia mixed together to get a good flexable paint for use on latex rubber.
Would that work on polyurethane rubber?
Would that work on polyurethane rubber?
Darth Lars
Master Member
A decade ago before makers of Star Wars' Clone Trooper belts started adding pigments to their urethane foam mixes, people had to paint them white and that often chipped. I remember people claimed to have got the best results using white automotive "Vinyl Dye" spray.
I think it was made for refreshing the dye on vinyl car seats and plastic dash boards and bumpers.
I was never able to source it anywhere in Europe.
The best alternatives I found (but still not good) were Plasti-Dip, and white shoe polish.
Maybe Rub'n Buff would work similarly as shoe polish: it consists of pigment in carnauba wax + organic solvent that evaporates when it has been laid on.
BTW. A Pros-aide + Acrylic paint mix is sometimes called "PAX" among stage make-up artists. Often used on top of foam latex and perhaps skin too. I have used small amounts of acrylic to tint raw latex, but beware that binding agents in the paint makes it firmer.
I think it was made for refreshing the dye on vinyl car seats and plastic dash boards and bumpers.
I was never able to source it anywhere in Europe.
The best alternatives I found (but still not good) were Plasti-Dip, and white shoe polish.
Maybe Rub'n Buff would work similarly as shoe polish: it consists of pigment in carnauba wax + organic solvent that evaporates when it has been laid on.
BTW. A Pros-aide + Acrylic paint mix is sometimes called "PAX" among stage make-up artists. Often used on top of foam latex and perhaps skin too. I have used small amounts of acrylic to tint raw latex, but beware that binding agents in the paint makes it firmer.
