?s RE: Painting Plastic

[BigErn]

Good call on the aluminum BigErn, it needs thorough cleaning and quick (really quick) primer coating before it oxidizes. 

The correct way to paint aluminum is to anodize or chem-film it prior to painting. Those processes seal the aluminum and prep it for paint. Bare aluminum is oxidizing as soon as it hits the atmosphere.

Good explanation B, I've heard of people using vinegar on aluminum before painting but have never tried it.

[BigTinBoat]

Good call on the aluminum BigErn, it needs thorough cleaning and quick (really quick) primer coating before it oxidizes. 

The correct way to paint aluminum is to anodize or chem-film it prior to painting. Those processes seal the aluminum and prep it for paint. Bare aluminum is oxidizing as soon as it hits the atmosphere.

I use Self-Etching Primer(available at Wally World) when I paint the alum stuff on my boat. After a year no oxidation or paint coming off at all.

[Davio]

This thread has gone straight to aluminum! 

Sherwin Williams has a direct to metal DTM paint that is available in many many colors and it is very durable.  Think what to paint the doors and trim around glass on a store front.  Yeah, that stuff!   

[arkmaker †]

Thanks so much for posting this. (Sorry it happened though) I put my base of Green Rust Oleum Camo on and was going to use Tan Camo and then Black Fusion on top. Guess I'll go get a black in the Rust-Camo.

That's exactly what I used, so don't do it!!! I should have ran up to the hardware store and bought the right stuff, but the last few times I've been up there, they were out of everything. Live and learn the hard way sometimes. At least I can salvage the metal parts and insides    The plastic is going in the trash 

[Old Dog]

I use Self-Etching Primer(available at Wally World) when I paint the alum stuff on my boat. After a year no oxidation or paint coming off at all.

I had good luck with zinc chromate for primer on several aluminum projects...

[BigErn]

I had good luck with zinc chromate for primer on several aluminum projects...

Zinc is good    Self etching primer will work on aluminum too. Great info here on painting plastic and aluminum 

[Flex]

So much for thinking that painting a few pieces of plastic was going to be quick and easy . I'm thinking, at this point, that I'm just going to buy a can of BLACK plastic compatible paint (either Krylon "Fusion" or Rustoleum "Paint for Plastic") and only paint the brown 760 (old school style) forearm. As I alluded to in the OP, "you can never go wrong with Basic Black". That section of a Crosman air gun is handled continuously when the gun is being used. I want the paint to really bond to the original surface and I definitely don't want to have any of the components end up in the dumpster. Lots of great info was presented and discussed. Thanks to all that responded (even the aluminum paintin' thread hijackers  ). I guess the grip frame would fall into that category and could certainly be part of a air gun makeover. I'm not going to open THAT can of worms. That's it for now. Flex

[Baltim0re28]

Flex,
Just a thought also.. If you are going to go with black on plastics, you can always just use truck bedliner in a spray can. Not only does that stuff seem to bond to almost anything, it gives it a little bit of a "grippy" feeling. I've used it on multiple plastic items and it works very well. Multiple other people have used it with great success also. BigErn can attest to this, he has done quite a few items.

[Davio]

or...

http://stores.ebay.com/AlchemyAirWerks/_i.html?_nkw=glove&submit=Search&_sid=33525849

[Baltim0re28]

Those tactical grip gloves are pretty nice... I may need a set.

[BDS]

or...

http://stores.ebay.com/AlchemyAirWerks/_i.html?_nkw=glove&submit=Search&_sid=33525849

Shameless Plug for Alchemy! 

And I fully endorse it! 

[JMJinNC]

Back to plastic painting - I used satin black rustoleum on my green forearm grip. I made sure to clean it really really well with windex, then alcohol prior to painting. The satin rustoleum is a really close match to the 1399 rear stock color

No issues in the past 3 years.

JMJ

[agninja]

Here's the problem with painting any gun, whether it's plastic, metal, or wood. Scuffs and chips will happen with use. Let's face it, we all ding our guns on stuff every once in a while. Then you have the black undercoating showing through whatever color of paint you used, and it looks bad. It's not easy to spot fill tarnished areas that have been spray painted unless you redo everything. I use primer, paint, and clear coat, and it will still peal off or chip and scratch. That's why I like camo patterns, because the blemishes don't show up very well against a camo pattern.

[Flex]

Back to plastic painting - I used satin black rustoleum on my green forearm grip. I made sure to clean it really really well with windex, then alcohol prior to painting. The satin rustoleum is a really close match to the 1399 rear stock color

No issues in the past 3 years.

JMJ

While what you did is pretty much what I intend to do with my brown 760 forearm grip, I imagine that there are more than a few folks out there that cringed in horror to read that you painted your green forearm grip from an old school BackPacker  ! I'm guessing that you could have auctioned it on Ebay for way more that the $10.87 that a new black one goes for from Crosman. That's water over the dam at this point. Flex

[JMJinNC]

When I built mine, the only forearm grip you could get from Crosman was the green one. Mine started life as a 1377 refurb, not a backpacker.

JMJ