Rear Bumper Blocks Color Matched
#17
Cheers Guy
#18
DIY info:
There is no need for a flex additive on anything other than a flexible bumper cover that will see a lot of flexing; and even then, it is not necessary if you are prepping your parts correctly and using high-quality primer and paint.
If you are not looking to source paint from a jobber/body shop supply, try to track down some of the epoxy primer that I think one company sells in cans. Epoxy primer is the bee's knees. Somehow the cans keep the activator separated until you are ready to spray, then it has a pot life of 48 hours or so. Scuff (VERY thoroughly by hand, preferably with a DA sander) the plastic with 60 grit if DA or a bit higher grit if by hand (DA/random orbit will sand more thoroughly and more aggressive grits will hide), wipe down with wax and grease remover, and spray 2 coats of epoxy primer allowing first coat to flash.
After epoxy has had several hours to one day to dry (depending on conditions), wet sand with 320-400 grit to remove orange peel, which is inevitable with cans. Luckily, most good epoxy primers wet sand very well. If the primer gums up while sanding (it should powder and run off of the paper, not gum up the grit), wait longer for drying. Take care not to burn through the primer back to the plastic. After this, wipe down with wax and grease remover and spray color. Do your best to keep dust down in the spray area, but unless you are in a filtered booth, you will get some dust on the part.
I don't recall the company, but there are several online companies that will pre-mix basecoat colors into cans. Some cars will be single-stage basecoat only, some are basecoat/clearcoat. While I wouldn't recommend painting a whole car with this method, you can get great results on smaller parts like bumperettes, splitters, etc.
Edit: Eastwood sells the canned 2-part epoxy (HERE) as well as a brand called Spray Max. USE A RESPIRATOR! Not a dust mask, but a respirator that can handle VOCs.
There is no need for a flex additive on anything other than a flexible bumper cover that will see a lot of flexing; and even then, it is not necessary if you are prepping your parts correctly and using high-quality primer and paint.
If you are not looking to source paint from a jobber/body shop supply, try to track down some of the epoxy primer that I think one company sells in cans. Epoxy primer is the bee's knees. Somehow the cans keep the activator separated until you are ready to spray, then it has a pot life of 48 hours or so. Scuff (VERY thoroughly by hand, preferably with a DA sander) the plastic with 60 grit if DA or a bit higher grit if by hand (DA/random orbit will sand more thoroughly and more aggressive grits will hide), wipe down with wax and grease remover, and spray 2 coats of epoxy primer allowing first coat to flash.
After epoxy has had several hours to one day to dry (depending on conditions), wet sand with 320-400 grit to remove orange peel, which is inevitable with cans. Luckily, most good epoxy primers wet sand very well. If the primer gums up while sanding (it should powder and run off of the paper, not gum up the grit), wait longer for drying. Take care not to burn through the primer back to the plastic. After this, wipe down with wax and grease remover and spray color. Do your best to keep dust down in the spray area, but unless you are in a filtered booth, you will get some dust on the part.
I don't recall the company, but there are several online companies that will pre-mix basecoat colors into cans. Some cars will be single-stage basecoat only, some are basecoat/clearcoat. While I wouldn't recommend painting a whole car with this method, you can get great results on smaller parts like bumperettes, splitters, etc.
Edit: Eastwood sells the canned 2-part epoxy (HERE) as well as a brand called Spray Max. USE A RESPIRATOR! Not a dust mask, but a respirator that can handle VOCs.
Last edited by Benton; 08-06-2013 at 11:50 AM.