freakintiger
02-25-2011, 11:24 AM
I have been holding onto this for a while, but today I am giving myself license to type out my thoughts on the matter.
Insofar as G.I. Joe and many other toys are concerned, there are three main plastics utilized. One is Polystyrene or Styrene which is a hard plastic that the body shells are made of. The G.I. Joe toys of the 80s were made of this and it is the same plastic used to make model kits. The newer toys are made of ABS, which is a sister plastic to Polystyrene. You can tell the difference by cutting it with a saw, either manual or power and unlike styrene(which will emit no odor until burned)it will produce an acrid bitter smell. ABS is also a sturdier plastic and wont flex and give as much as the older toys.
The final plastic is HDPE or High Density Poly Ethylene. This is the soapy, waxy plastic that missiles, rotor blades, guns, etc. are made from. It does not sand well. It cuts well, but will not deburr well at all. It is generally a pain to work with. All you can do with it is use a sharp knife to carefully scrape mold parting lines off.
Now about paint. You can utilize virtually any spray paint on polystyrene and ABS. You are not limited to the Fusion line of paints. If you want more durability in your paint finish simply sand the body or use a green 3M Scotchbrite pad (wet)to "rough up" the as cast finish. You can go one better by washing the parts in dish detergent to eliminate any "mold release agent" which may affect your paint adhesion. You can even coat your parts in automotive grade primer (I use Rust-O-Leum, it's the best) then wet sand to get the best adhesion/finish possible.
On your HDPE plastic parts utilize the Fusion paints. I would just wash them, dry them and shoot them. If you want the part a color not represented in the Fusion line, then choose a neutral Fusion color like black, white or gray to use as a primer. Then you can overlay with a conventional spray paint to get the color you want. HOWEVER, beofre you use that process be sure that the two paints are compatible. You must choose a test subject to paint with both paints as you would the "real" part. If one does not reactivate or "craze" the other(causing melting or other less than desirable effects) you are good to go. Just be sure to take into account Fusion's week long curing period. I have applied other paints over Fusion before a week has elapsed with no difficulty, but it is difficult to say whether or not the Fusion reaches its full "chip proof" state.
I hope this eliminates any misconceptions about Krylon Fusion. It is a great product, but I am sorta torqued off about stores pulling it from their shelves. Some colors that were available just months ago are no longer being carried. It is possible that it may only be available for our use as a primer, due to lack of color range soon. So please don't be in bondage to Fusion paints. You can paint your projects with other stuff, model builders have been for years...
Insofar as G.I. Joe and many other toys are concerned, there are three main plastics utilized. One is Polystyrene or Styrene which is a hard plastic that the body shells are made of. The G.I. Joe toys of the 80s were made of this and it is the same plastic used to make model kits. The newer toys are made of ABS, which is a sister plastic to Polystyrene. You can tell the difference by cutting it with a saw, either manual or power and unlike styrene(which will emit no odor until burned)it will produce an acrid bitter smell. ABS is also a sturdier plastic and wont flex and give as much as the older toys.
The final plastic is HDPE or High Density Poly Ethylene. This is the soapy, waxy plastic that missiles, rotor blades, guns, etc. are made from. It does not sand well. It cuts well, but will not deburr well at all. It is generally a pain to work with. All you can do with it is use a sharp knife to carefully scrape mold parting lines off.
Now about paint. You can utilize virtually any spray paint on polystyrene and ABS. You are not limited to the Fusion line of paints. If you want more durability in your paint finish simply sand the body or use a green 3M Scotchbrite pad (wet)to "rough up" the as cast finish. You can go one better by washing the parts in dish detergent to eliminate any "mold release agent" which may affect your paint adhesion. You can even coat your parts in automotive grade primer (I use Rust-O-Leum, it's the best) then wet sand to get the best adhesion/finish possible.
On your HDPE plastic parts utilize the Fusion paints. I would just wash them, dry them and shoot them. If you want the part a color not represented in the Fusion line, then choose a neutral Fusion color like black, white or gray to use as a primer. Then you can overlay with a conventional spray paint to get the color you want. HOWEVER, beofre you use that process be sure that the two paints are compatible. You must choose a test subject to paint with both paints as you would the "real" part. If one does not reactivate or "craze" the other(causing melting or other less than desirable effects) you are good to go. Just be sure to take into account Fusion's week long curing period. I have applied other paints over Fusion before a week has elapsed with no difficulty, but it is difficult to say whether or not the Fusion reaches its full "chip proof" state.
I hope this eliminates any misconceptions about Krylon Fusion. It is a great product, but I am sorta torqued off about stores pulling it from their shelves. Some colors that were available just months ago are no longer being carried. It is possible that it may only be available for our use as a primer, due to lack of color range soon. So please don't be in bondage to Fusion paints. You can paint your projects with other stuff, model builders have been for years...