Cleaning and painting styrene and ABS

[Bazzack]

A couple questions for you experienced plastic workers.
I'm putting together my OG R&D TD armour, and will be needing to clean permanent marker from some pieces.
Preferably without damaging the plastic more than necessary.
There's a combination of styrene and ABS parts.

Then I'm also going to need to paint the whole thing to get a uniform base colour before I weather it.

So I'm after any advice for products and techniques.

I have tried methylated spirits on the marker pen. It works to a point, but I'm struggling to get it all off. Kinda hoping there's something stronger that wont melt the plastic.

Re the painting I have had a bit of experience with styrene when I was doing my R2 dome, but I'm thinking the armour will need a more robust finish than the dome.

[MattG]

If you're going to paint everything, then you'll need to sand/prep the gloss finish off everything...so, you cold just sand the pen off, then bring it back to smooth with higher grit paper. Also, if painting, to state the obvious, go for white primer, then any (inevitable) scratches will just be going through layers of white.

[Bazzack]

Very good point Matt!
I can Sand the Sandy, then throw sand at it

[MattG]

The fit you've achieved so far looks pretty cool in your pic, BTW.

[vctrsone]

Ive been researching painting on to platic a bit...you always have problems with chipping/peeling etc later on...unless you use a bonding agent.

You can buy cans of plastic bonding agent for painting plastic..itl give it a much much better bond and will make the armor a lot more hard wearing.

Also the stuff makes your glue really bond...great for any kind of plastic painting/glueing/filling.

Maybe try some nail polish remover for the vivid. Id test it make sure its not gona melt it.

[oota goota]

Hey man when I try to keep things at work I go through the following until I find something that works:

Desolve- it (citris cleaner)
Iso propyl alcohol
Meths
Turps
Paint thinners

I also try a combination of rags, sanding pads with the cleaning fluid. Also similar to vac forming some cursing seems to help too

I reckon you should able to get that writing off with meths tho'

Oh yeah I just remembered, try writing over it with permanent marker then wiping away with iso while the marker is still wet. It's a good trick with whiteboards when people use the wrong marker

Looking forward to seeing your build dude~!

[HanSagan]

Seconded on the sand it off. I've been getting very nice results with a can of dulux clear gloss over a couple coats of dulux white high gloss. Very shiny finish on my R2 parts. Gives it a slightly off white finish that I'm actually liking.

[Bazzack]

Nice one guys. Thanks for the tips.
I'll try out some of those ideas this week!

Hey vctrsone, where do you get that bonding agent from? I can't recall ever seeing it.

Cheers

[vctrsone]

Most paint shops should sell it. they use it for bumpers and mirrors anything thats gona get bashed a lot.

I think we call it primer bonder or something over here.

I googled it and theres an online store but its by the bucket haha. I think it your local paint shop they will have it.

http://www.completepaints.co.nz/product ... =PDE081204