I recently got a helmet off ebay and need to clean/prep it for paint...sorry I don't know what it is made of...but its strong, light and looks like white plastic (kinda shiny) ..it was pored into a mold cause there are still burrs and seams....trying to get some info on how I need to clean and prep for paint...any info would be great.
how to prep for paint ?
- Thread starter buckettt
- Start date
exoray
Master Member
Here is what I recommend for all resin parts...
A hot/warm bath in dish soap, use of Dawn or another name brand recommended as they generally strip waxes and oils better than generic...
Don't be shy when cleaning, for large parts fill the bathtub up with water if it won't fit in the sink, treat the part like a greasy pot...
After you give it a good bath in soapy water, get out some sand paper, if the part is real clean something like 200-600 grit will work, if not you might need to start with 80-100 grit to knock down seams and sorts, but then finish with the 200-600... After sanding give it another soapy bath, then set aside and let it dry for an extended period of time (generally I just wait a day) prime the part... And than after primer I generally wet sand it with 400-600 grit paper, I use pure dish soap as the initial wet sanding lubricant and then rinse and continue wet sanding under running water until I'm happy with the results... Let dry again for a day, then I'll usually take a 'lint free' (the dollar store micro-fiber towels work great) and soak the towel in isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol, I generally use the 90% stuff vs the 70%) and give the entire surface a once over, let dry for a few and then top coat...
Yeah it seems like overkill but in all my years, I have found rushing the prep is true haste makes waste!
A hot/warm bath in dish soap, use of Dawn or another name brand recommended as they generally strip waxes and oils better than generic...
Don't be shy when cleaning, for large parts fill the bathtub up with water if it won't fit in the sink, treat the part like a greasy pot...
After you give it a good bath in soapy water, get out some sand paper, if the part is real clean something like 200-600 grit will work, if not you might need to start with 80-100 grit to knock down seams and sorts, but then finish with the 200-600... After sanding give it another soapy bath, then set aside and let it dry for an extended period of time (generally I just wait a day) prime the part... And than after primer I generally wet sand it with 400-600 grit paper, I use pure dish soap as the initial wet sanding lubricant and then rinse and continue wet sanding under running water until I'm happy with the results... Let dry again for a day, then I'll usually take a 'lint free' (the dollar store micro-fiber towels work great) and soak the towel in isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol, I generally use the 90% stuff vs the 70%) and give the entire surface a once over, let dry for a few and then top coat...
Yeah it seems like overkill but in all my years, I have found rushing the prep is true haste makes waste!
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