Resin finishing - lightsabers and blasters

thd9791 · Jun 9, 2016

What is everyone's favorite way to finish resin pieces?

I've done 2-3 and even after all this time the rustoleum spray paint still feels a bit tacky. I've tried matte clear coats, paste wax and even left the bare paint to chip away, and have yet to find a good set of things to completely finish and protect the surface of resin blasters and lightsabers. Any tips guys?

Great thread for finishing tips too - for future and current builders

tubachris85x · Jun 9, 2016

Well, could you be more specific? Depending on what you want the finish to be will help us to gauge what you want

MCM · Jun 9, 2016

thd9791 said:
What is everyone's favorite way to finish resin pieces?

I've done 2-3 and even after all this time the rustoleum spray paint still feels a bit tacky. I've tried matte clear coats, paste wax and even left the bare paint to chip away, and have yet to find a good set of things to completely finish and protect the surface of resin blasters and lightsabers. Any tips guys?

Great thread for finishing tips too - for future and current builders

That's interesting because rustoleum seems to be the only brand of rattlecan I can get to dry properly, and quickly too. Krylon and Valspar are always tacky. How thick did you put on the paint, and did you use a primer before hand?

kevin926 · Jun 9, 2016

Sounds like your paint isn't drying. A few reasons for this.
1. The release agent hasn't been thoroughly cleaned off.
A heavy dish detergent or better yet, a white wall tire cleaner does wonders when it comes to removing releasing agents.

2. Your painting techniques can cause paint to not dry and stay tacky.
be sure not to use cheep paint. Use name brand paint and be sure to read the lables. Some metal finish paints say NOT to clear coat.
The most common reason for paint not drying is when you re coat before the first layer has dried to the touch.
Make sure to use a good primer and let fully dry before top coating.
Don't use old paint and definitely stay away from Walmart or dollar store paints.

The one rule of thumb I use is keeping the brand of paint the same all the way through. Primer, color and clear coat.

Good luck.

matty matt · Jun 9, 2016

I've used tons of different spray paints and rarely had any problems. They definitely shouldn't stay tacky. What are you trying to do specifically?

thd9791 · Jun 9, 2016

Thanks for your input guys - basically I'm talking about putting coats on blasters and lightsabers. When you spray directly onto metal, it always seems to dry completely hard and tough. The same can doesn't seem to be as durable on resin. I usually hang, spray about 4-6 inches away, and let it dry.

I haven't really used acetone or anything more than soapy water to clean the castings though

also, I was inquiring as to people's choice of protectant layer over the paint

PoopaPapaPalps · Jun 9, 2016

The most I can recommend is cleaning the surface and, if need be, giving it a light sanding with some really fine sand paper (even wet-sanding it) just so the paint can better cling to the now abraded surface. There's also paint adhesion promoter to look into to help keep all the paint sticking together. Primer is a good start but sometimes I feel with so many layers of paint (an average of 3 layers roughly), I wind up losing some of my details if I don't go back and bother to continue to sand the piece. Also, when spraying, do it in very light coats in a sweeping back-and-forth motion. It will look blotchy and uneven but if you just build it up by lightly misting it, it not only dries faster, but your piece will have a completely uniform colored coating.

As far as sealants go, Rustoleum clear coats have typically worked out for me but I'm trying Krylon Polyurethane spray at the moment and it's working out just fine, too. If the information on the can is worth its salt, it should hold up better than the regular crystal clear.

propmainiac · Jun 9, 2016

Ive painted resin parts with both krylon and rustoleum with no issues. I do know that humidity an be a factor sometimes. I allways wash the parts first and wetsanding in my opinion works well.

Darth Lars · Jun 10, 2016

There could be problems with paint adhering if the resin has not cured properly. The surface could appear to be hard and dry but actually be seeping chemicals that would interfere with paint. The insides would still be soft and wet, uncured. This happens if the resin had not been mixed enough or not dosed in the correct ratio during casting.
If you had bought your resin pieces from an experienced prop-maker then this would be unlikely - it is usually a rookie mistake.

matty matt · Jun 10, 2016

Yeah, it could be a problem with the resin itself. That's a good point.

thd9791 · Jun 10, 2016

My basement is VERY wet, tools will rust down there. Could humidity continue to affect the paint long after its cured?

E Williams · Jun 10, 2016

thd9791 said:
My basement is VERY wet, tools will rust down there. Could humidity continue to affect the paint long after its cured?

Not sure about permanent cure inhibition, but paint takes much longer to cure in a humid environment, and it can certainly cause the color and clear coat to be hazy (aka to "blush" where you get a milky white cast to everything). If possible it is best to only paint in low humidity conditions (<50%). You can get a cheap hygrometer at Wal-mart or on Amazon to check relative humidity. My results have improved a lot now that I know when *not* to paint.

Furthermore as mentioned previously if you apply a new coat before the previous coat is adequately dry it can prevent it from curing fully. With enamels you have to apply subsequent (light!) coats within a few minutes of each other, or wait a couple days for it to fully cure (if you can still smell it, it's not done) to prevent lifting/cracking. In your situation it is possible later coats of paint have effectively sealed over the earlier coats, in which case they may never fully cure.

What kind of primer did you use? Some paint doesn't like to be applied to bare resin (plastic). And what specific Rustoleum products did you use?

Resin finishing - lightsabers and blasters

thd9791

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tubachris85x

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MCM

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kevin926

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matty matt

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thd9791

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PoopaPapaPalps

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propmainiac

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Darth Lars

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matty matt

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thd9791

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E Williams

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