Plastic restoration

[oldDT]

Hi guys, I'm restoring a 1986 Honda XR80 for my grandson and have started sorting out the plastics. They are all there, and in reasonable nick, but weathered. Recently heard about a product called Krylon Fusion. It apparently is a flexible (when dry) paint that is designed to stick to plastic. Anybody have any experience with this product and/or know where it can be obtained here in Oz? Any help appreciated.

Thanks

Kel

[090]

Thats worth a try. I just googled it but it only shows US stores. I wonder if Auto Barn will carry it or super cheap. They would be the most likely source.

[Maicojames]

Kel, I tried to use it on sidepanels for the RM250A I just sold. I ended up going back to ordinary spray enamel, so I could at least prime and sand. The fusion is designed to be sprayed with no need for sanding...on my old plastic parts they needed sanding. Worse, once you coat it, you must wait 7 days to re-coat.

I suppose it has it's place-plastic furniture etc., but you may want to sand and polish your plastics. This has been described here before, on other threads.
While I polish aluminum parts( working on two Bultacos, then a Rickman and a CZ), this is a tedious process to polish plastic. I gave up.

You could prep as you would for any quality automotive paint, but add flex agent, so it will flex with the part.

[LWC82PE]

keep an eye out for next issue of VMX for an article on plastic tank resto. i hope to get it in next issue, so fingers crossed! same principles can be uses for side covers/fenders

[oldDT]

Kel, I tried to use it on sidepanels for the RM250A I just sold. I ended up going back to ordinary spray enamel, so I could at least prime and sand. The fusion is designed to be sprayed with no need for sanding...on my old plastic parts they needed sanding. Worse, once you coat it, you must wait 7 days to re-coat.

I suppose it has it's place-plastic furniture etc., but you may want to sand and polish your plastics. This has been described here before, on other threads.
While I polish aluminum parts( working on two Bultacos, then a Rickman and a CZ), this is a tedious process to polish plastic. I gave up.

You could prep as you would for any quality automotive paint, but add flex agent, so it will flex with the part.

Thanks for that mate. The bike is for my grandson's birthday (soon) and I can't afford to be pissing about too long.

We have an automotive spray painter at work who mentioned the flex agent when I asked him about Krylon. Recons you can get a good finish with it  over plastic adhesive primer, but you have to be a bit careful as it's touchy and takes for ever to dry.

I wouldn't be all that concerned about it as I can get new after market fenders and side covers for a reasonable price, but the tank is a whole nother (is that a word?) story.

Kel

[Maicojames]

http://www.mxrestoration.com/Maico.html

This outfit claims to have new method of refinishing plastic tanks etc-I also saw this mentioned on Joe Abbates Cycle Therapy site. It appears, LWC will have an article in VMX soon-if you can wait. In the meantime, you may want to wet sand it to P400 grit perfection( remove the haze)-then apply PC racing's plastic renu-you have to sand 1 st coat with #0000 steel wool-carefully clean and apply second coat. I have used this and it works well.
 If it is just the tank, you may want to have it painted by your auto painter.

James

[suzuki27]

I spoke to a fellow at last years Conondale Classic who had a pair of Can-Am MX'6's from memory-the plastic tanks on these were the best I have seen.From memory they were sealed inside prior to the outer paintjob-I think the guy said it was someone in the Gold Coast/Southport area-if he reads this I hope he can enlighten some of us.

[Tony T]

i hope to get it in next issue, so fingers crossed! same principles can be uses for side covers/fenders

Good luck! 
If it doesn't run, let me know, I'd be interested in reading it anyway.
Send me a pm. We'll do a deal. 

[LWC82PE]

 
Painting tanks can be done but I’ve never done it and have only heard of a few people who have got it to work. As I have never done it I cant say for sure if I was to do one it would work but theoretically it should. I don’t see the need in painting plastic tanks unless the tank is extremely stained or the colour has faded out the plastic.and usually with most Japanese tanks you can quite often find another one in better condition than what you have got at a much cheaper price than paying someone to paint one which should cost you over $400 if your paying someone to do it professionally.

The process would need a liner in the tank. I could not recommend any of the liners that I use in metal tanks to stay stuck in a plastic tank. The only tank liner that I know of that will stay stuck inside a plastic tank is one called Blue lightning. A few guys on this forum have had success with lining plastic tanks with that. I couldn’t recommend Kreem, POR 15 or Red, White & Blue liners to work in plastic tanks. All I know is that the guys who have tried Blue lightning have not had problems with stickers coming off since using it.

It’s then just a matter of following the same process as you would when painting plastic fenders. Make sure the surface is sanded first so its not glossy, then use a good quality plastic primer and then 2 pack undercoat with a flex additive and then your top colour in 2 pack paint which is fuel resistant and then if your having a clear coat as well that also should be 2 pack and have a flex additive. And obviously you sand in between coats.

It would also be recommended to drain the tank after each ride. So in theory it should work, it all comes down to getting a good liner in the tank to stop the fumes coming through and causing bubbling. That is the main problem. Getting paint to stick to the plastic is not an issue.

Another recommendation with a painted tank is to have a good breather vent in the cap too.

oh yeah Tony it will run for sure did some work on it today!

[Rossvickicampbell]

as some people on this thread may already know I have been chasing about painting a palstic tank but will try the "cleaning" first before going down this path.  From what I have been told (and also cant verify) the Krylon fusion is good but as for all plastic painting requires a good adhesion promoter - one that was recommended to me was Bulldog adhesion promoter.  Again dont know if it is available in OZ but if anyone tries it let me know how you go would you?

thanks

Rossco

[211kawasaki]

Try very soapy steel wool on faded plastic, it really works a treat on some and if you dont like it after a wipe with Inox, wash off the inox and prepare to paint.

DT

[LWC82PE]

with tanks that have faded white right through and all the colour is gone, there is nothing you can do that will bring back the colour. if the tank is white and oxidized on top, yes this can be removed with sanding etc and the colour is usually still there under this white crusty stuff, fading and oxidization are 2 different things. anyway i wont say any more hear other wise i will hav the whole artilce on here when its ment to go in the magazine

[LWC82PE]

just letting you know ive done my part and this article should be appearing in next issue.