quickest painting foam? plastidip, duplicolor, etc.

[FatherDamien CO]

On my build I just brushed interior latex paint right to the foam. No sealing no primer. For lighter colors I would use a primer or a paint with primer built in to reduce the coats needed to prevent the foam color from bleeding through the paint. Clark and Kensington and Valspar and Benjamin Moore all sell "Color Samples" and they can mix these bases into literally hundreds of colors. All the samples are a satin finish. So, there in-between flat and Semi-Gloss.

I work at an Ace store and we sell the sample cans for $4.99-$6.99 depending on brand. You should get about 25 sq ft per sample can. Latex paint is pretty durable stuff and very flexible as far as paint goes. And it cleans up with soap and water. And if you try a sample and like it you can always go back and get that color in a quart or gallon can. 100 sq ft coverage per quart.

Just a few thoughts.

Also, we have a spectrophotometer so we can "measure" a color sample and get a very close match if you have a color you really want and a brand color isn't close enough. You'll need a sample at least as big as a quarter for them to measure.

 

[foxleader]

On my build I just brushed interior latex paint .

yeah I've been using the exterior on most of my projects and the good thing is I believe and I haven't tested it, it will water proof the item so you're foam will never get wet.

 

[kingair983]

Hey Masternewbie, it looks as though most here have already given a pretty good direction to head towards, but if I may add my 2 cents; I assume when you make your foam armor, you'll be using hot glue to put it together (haven't really seen anyone who hasn't). When and if you coat your armor in plasti-dip, be sure ALL open areas where you can still see the glue ( not all of us are masters at the 'seamless assembly') have been filled over or coated with a silicone. Im pretty sure a few have mentioned silicone as a gap sealer, and here's another reason its needed. Plasti-dip will actually eat through the hot glue and you'll end up watching your armor disassemble itself before your eyes. I might add this has only been through my experience with the Spray can of plasti-dip, i have no idea if the brush on plasti-dip would have the same effect. Well, hope this helps, cant wait to see what your suit looks like, painting has always been my favorite part of the build process (just look at my avatar lol)!

 

[FatherDamien CO]

Hey Masternewbie, it looks as though most here have already given a pretty good direction to head towards, but if I may add my 2 cents; I assume when you make your foam armor, you'll be using hot glue to put it together (haven't really seen anyone who hasn't). When and if you coat your armor in plasti-dip, be sure ALL open areas where you can still see the glue ( not all of us are masters at the 'seamless assembly') have been filled over or coated with a silicone. Im pretty sure a few have mentioned silicone as a gap sealer, and here's another reason its needed. Plasti-dip will actually eat through the hot glue and you'll end up watching your armor disassemble itself before your eyes. I might add this has only been through my experience with the Spray can of plasti-dip, i have no idea if the brush on plasti-dip would have the same effect. Well, hope this helps, cant wait to see what your suit looks like, painting has always been my favorite part of the build process (just look at my avatar lol)!

I'd guess that the Xylene, Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Methyl-N-Amyl or Ethylbenzene (which are aids in the propellant) in the spray can is what ate your hot glue.

The brush on version shouldn't have this in the can and so it shouldn't affect the hot glue.

EDIT: I was incorrect. It appears that the brush on plasti-dip has many of these chemicals in it as well. If I had to guess I'd say this stuff must setup more like auto paint (via chemical reaction) rather than other things that set-up via evaporation. (aka the water or chemical evaporating as the product drys/sets.)

Learn something new everyday.

 

[kingair983]

I'd guess that the Xylene, Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Methyl-N-Amyl or Ethylbenzene (which are aids in the propellant) in the spray can is what ate your hot glue.

Geez, I finish my Organic Chemistry exam a few hours ago and that stuff still ends up popping up and wont leave me alone lol. Well at any rate it's good to know where the cause of the glue dissolving comes from, I think...But so long as it allows to pass helpful info on to the next forum member, so be it.

 

[foxleader]

well if its eating the glue its a good thing I put a few coasts on my stuff.

 

[FatherDamien CO]

Just an after thought. I have access to MSDS sheets on all the Plasti-Dips if anyone is interested. Also, did anyone know that Plasti-Dip has a make your own color kit? The Ace sku is 1381318 and retails for $22.99 for 22 oz. It comes with red, yellow, black, blue and white colorants that you add to the clear Plasti-Dip to make your own colors.

 

[foxleader]

thanks for the info.

 

[HaloGoddess]

Hey Masternewbie, it looks as though most here have already given a pretty good direction to head towards, but if I may add my 2 cents; I assume when you make your foam armor, you'll be using hot glue to put it together (haven't really seen anyone who hasn't). When and if you coat your armor in plasti-dip, be sure ALL open areas where you can still see the glue ( not all of us are masters at the 'seamless assembly') have been filled over or coated with a silicone. Im pretty sure a few have mentioned silicone as a gap sealer, and here's another reason its needed. Plasti-dip will actually eat through the hot glue and you'll end up watching your armor disassemble itself before your eyes. I might add this has only been through my experience with the Spray can of plasti-dip, i have no idea if the brush on plasti-dip would have the same effect. Well, hope this helps, cant wait to see what your suit looks like, painting has always been my favorite part of the build process (just look at my avatar lol)!

Glad to see I am not the only one that had this happen to. It sucks that the plasti-dip does that, but I haven't heard too many people experiencing this issue. Because of that, I have actually decided to no longer use plasti-dip. I didn't even use it for my first suit and it looked just fine. I don't really see a need for it. I was hoping it would maybe help, but I have decided against using the stuff.