How to sand/prep/paint ABS plastic., Need help Options

[ILoveMySilly97]

Some of you may know that I was going to get a paint job but due to me purchasing a new set of Enkei RPF1. The new paint job is put on hold til summer maybe. I decided to just repaint the GT4 rear splitters that I have myself. Since it doesn't look too hard to attempt. I never done any kind of sanding or painting or yea. Just a FYI I sucked at art. LOL! But to get to the point. I need help to repaint them. As of right now they are RED and want to repaint them with Silver 119. They are OEM and not replicas.

My questions:

What grade sand paper? Wet or dry sand?
What's the best primer for ABS plastic?
Need help on this DIY repaint.

Specs:

GT4 Rear Splitters
OEM ABS plastic material
Currently still have the original paint on it I believe
Slightly scraped but no holes. See pics.

Pics:



This post has been edited by ILoveMySilly97: Jan 2, 2013 - 1:18 AM

[Special_Edy]

As stated above I'd start with 120-220 grit wet-dry sandpaper. The rougher it is the faster it will remove material. But once your done removing material you need to smooth it out. After 120 use 220 or whatever is closest. Then 400, then 600 or 800 but it is usually recommended to finish with 800. Use a block sander, if you use your hands to do most of the sanding you WILL create an uneven surface. Once you apply gloss the surface will appear wavy and bumpy if you dont use a block. They sell blocks that flex and bend over curves, use this for as much of the visible surface as possible.
I would also recommend sanding something that size in the tub or sink if possible. The wet/dry sandpaper is waterproof, so you can apply a steady stream of water or submerge the piece while sanding. The purpose of wet sanding is a) to greatly reduce the amount of effort by reducing friction; b) to keep the sandpaper clean of sanding dust, so that it will last MUCH longer; c) to eliminate the dust that would get everywhere in the room you are sanding in, instead it will get trapped in the water.

Follow the instructions for the paint. Whatever manufacturer you buy the basecoat/clearcoat(or if its a single coat) from will have a data-sheet available for their paint. The manufacturer has spent countless hours and dollars developing their paint, and all of their recommendations for prep work, mixing with thinner, optimal spraying conditions/techniques and finishing the final coat will be included in the datasheet. If you read and follow the datasheet you will have an excellent coat of paint, if you dont follow the datasheet it will come out like crap(this is your first time). Call the company or visit their web site for the datasheet, its not the paragraph on the can.

DO NOT USE A PRIMER AND BASE/CLEAR COAT OF DIFFERENT BRANDS. Use the same brand, they are designed to chemically adhere to each other. Once you have purchased the topcoats you can then use the same manufacturers recommended primer for best results

This post has been edited by Special_Edy: Jan 18, 2013 - 8:44 AM

[doctavic]

As stated above I'd start with 120-220 grit wet-dry sandpaper. The rougher it is the faster it will remove material. But once your done removing material you need to smooth it out. After 120 use 220 or whatever is closest. Then 400, then 600 or 800 but it is usually recommended to finish with 800. Use a block sander, if you use your hands to do most of the sanding you WILL create an uneven surface. Once you apply gloss the surface will appear wavy and bumpy if you dont use a block. They sell blocks that flex and bend over curves, use this for as much of the visible surface as possible.
I would also recommend sanding something that size in the tub or sink if possible. The wet/dry sandpaper is waterproof, so you can apply a steady stream of water or submerge the piece while sanding. The purpose of wet sanding is a) to greatly reduce the amount of effort by reducing friction; b) to keep the sandpaper clean of sanding dust, so that it will last MUCH longer; c) to eliminate the dust that would get everywhere in the room you are sanding in, instead it will get trapped in the water.

Follow the instructions for the paint. Whatever manufacturer you buy the basecoat/clearcoat(or if its a single coat) from will have a data-sheet available for their paint. The manufacturer has spent countless hours and dollars developing their paint, and all of their recommendations for prep work, mixing with thinner, optimal spraying conditions/techniques and finishing the final coat will be included in the datasheet. If you read and follow the datasheet you will have an excellent coat of paint, if you dont follow the datasheet it will come out like crap(this is your first time). Call the company or visit their web site for the datasheet, its not the paragraph on the can.

DO NOT USE A PRIMER AND BASE/CLEAR COAT OF DIFFERENT BRANDS. Use the same brand, they are designed to chemically adhere to each other. Once you have purchased the topcoats you can then use the same manufacturers recommended primer for best results

Thanks so much, this is really good information. I'll let you know how it turns out!