preparing polycarbonate????

nikk775

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Does anyone have any tips or tricks on how to prepare polycarbonate sheets for painting? ive used paper and mostly canvas but want to give palstic a go, so any thing would be useful, also im using acrylic paints Vallejo premium air (polyurethane water based)
Cheers.
 
Me personally I would clean well with Dawn soap and water, scuff with gray scotchbrite pad, wipe clean. Spray with Bulldog Adhesion Promotor then start your artwork. Make sure to clean well with soap and water before doing anything as there will be oils on the plastic.
 
1. ALWAYS refer to the paint manufacturers information on substrates, that will give you the best guide. They should tell you if a plasticiser or adhesion promoter is required. 2. As a minimum, scuff with a scothbrite pad, or similar, to give a sound surface for any primer or paint to adhere too. 3. Get a water break free surface to ensure there is no grease on the substrate. 4. I would recommend priming.
 
Does anyone have any tips or tricks on how to prepare polycarbonate sheets for painting?

To narrow down the list of the tricks, it would be great if you'd tell the colour of the surface:) If you have there white surface and planning to work on it, it's one story, if not and you need white base - it's another.
 
To narrow down the list of the tricks, it would be great if you'd tell the colour of the surface:) If you have there white surface and planning to work on it, it's one story, if not and you need white base - it's another.
Ill be using clear poly
 
Ill be using clear poly

Actually, that's even third story:)
Is it just flat or cellular? If it's flat, what thickness is it?
If it's cellular, than you'll be disappointed in the end, when your work will get clear layer on it, you'll see it's not absolutely plane, but has lines where the cells are. Not to have this surprise, you'd have to prepare the surface with automotive paint repair stuff. Taking this into account, it's better not to deal with it, as you can get cheaper options for smth to use as surface for ABing. I don't say it is not possible to get good surface, but the question is your time and money.
 
im open to suggestion on other options.... cos ive never even heard of it being cellular, i just saw sheets (clear) an thought it may be cheap! or cheaper than the canvasses im using
 
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im open to suggestion on other options....

Suggestion depend on what the purpose is. Practicing?

cos ive never even heard of it being cellular

It's being used for clear roofs mostly.

i just saw sheets (clear) an thought it may be cheap! or cheaper than the canvasses im using

It might be cheap if if it would be white, then only "scuff-n-go".
You can use prepared MDF boards. They are cheap and cool for ABing. Preparation is the same as for making canvases for ABing. There's thread for it on the forum, I've also posted there my results on MDF boards.
 
I have good results with motip Adhesion primer for plastics.
It is transparent and dries quickly.
Used on plexiglass and a car glove box without any problems.
But a flat sheet Polycarbonate 3 mm 30x40 cm is here +/- 25 euros.
2x more expensive than clayboard.
 
I have good results with motip Adhesion primer for plastics.
It is transparent and dries quickly.

All more or less good automotive repair brands supply good primers for plastics. I haven't ever used cheap, so can't say about that.
Indeed, they are transparent liquids, but some have small quantity of metallic additive (fine grain silver) for the purpose of seeing areas where you've already applied the plastic primer. One needs to shake the can before use in this case.
Absolutely, these primers dry extremely quickly. Everyone should act fast:) They must be covered with filler primer at the small window that plastic primers give.
Plastic primers' work is to "melt" upper layer, so further layer of filler primer would stick better. Once it applied, it melts the surface, but at the same time it evaporates fast. So, if you haven't applied anything on top of plastic primer in the period pointed on the can, then using plastic primer was useless and wasting of time and money.

But a flat sheet Polycarbonate 3 mm 30x40 cm is here +/- 25 euros.
2x more expensive than clayboard.

That's what I'm talking about. Especially if someone makes the clayboards by own hands. @Airbrush Dreams has video on youtube how to prepare them, besides special thread here on the forum, well covering the topic.
 
Vladimir
I can't find anything about a window to be painted over.

Indeed! No info on my can either:) I used to see tech data for products on the cans. But there's info in TDS. And I remember what to do with the primer.

The tec info says you need to let it dry before painting over.
https://www.motip.com/upload/motip_upload/lijnpdf/TI/EN/WEBL277.pdf
It's brand specific. And good of you to report it.
Because I do have another primer that you have to paint over within 24 hours.

The tech info depends on the type of product. It seems we use different primers.
What I'm talking about is the primer that looks like transparent thinner without any filling agent and resin in it. Imagine your thinner for 2K products, where you put tiny amount of silver metallic and shake it.
My plastic primer is just liquid that "melts" for a short period upper layer of plastic. It can't be used without further covering with filler primer.
Tech data says readiness in ten minutes. What I do, apply one layer when it starts to be not wet, apply another layer, once layer becomes not wet again - then filler. Actions are done one after another, no 24 hours window.
You say your primer can be painted over in 24 hours. Mine can not as in 24 hours we'll have the same hard plastic, as nothing was done to it, so no common sense to do that.
 
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