Painting plastic saws - A little help?

[dswensen]

Ok, I got a Wild Thing for Christmas. I don't object at all to Poulan saws - any saw, working or not, can be a fun saw. But I do object to the crazy color scheme and so I set out to correct it.

Painted the bar black with high-temp engine paint. All OK.

Took the saw completely apart, and painted all of the offensive (to me) plastic parts fire engine red. Saw looks great in red with black bar and handles.

Here's where I screwed it up - I used spray paint for plastics. This stuff comes right off when exposed to gasoline.

OK guys - what should I do next if I want to have a painted saw? Can I cover this with some type of clear sealer that is gas-resistant? Is there another readliy available spray paint I can use that won't run at the sight of gas? I have seen paint labeled as "farm implement paint", but it doesn't claim to be gas-resistant.

I'm really not about baking on enamels, even if you CAN do that to a plastic saw.

What say some of you who are smarter than me?

 

[Rokon]

What no pictures of your project so far??? :msp_sneaky:

 

[dswensen]

What no pictures of your project so far??? :msp_sneaky:

You mean I have to learn how to post pics here? I've gotten along for SO long without having to do that nightmare. Might have to find me one 'o them pitcher postin' threads and learn me how .....

 

[Ironworker]

Try sanding then, prime and then paint. A good clear coat won't hurt either.

 

[misterfreindly]

Take the saw outside. Douse it with gas and flick a lit match at it. Problem solved. :taped:

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself.
A durable coating you could try is "powder coating." The only problem would be the baking process to cure the coating.
Plastics aren't known for their high heat tolerance. I do not know what type of plastic the Thingy's are made from. Unfortunately, I am not too familiar with powder coating, either.

opcorn:

 

[GrassGuerilla]

Buy its cousin Jon.

Painting plastic saws is akin to vandalism. Best color change I've seen (in the pics) was in the Earthquake thread. I think it was 08f150 that Dyed the plastic in a bucket with RIT. Came out looking slick. Come to think of it, I'm gonna go back and rep him for that.

 

[Tiewire]

I think it's rustoleum that makes a paint called fusion. It's for plastic, just don't know if it is resistant to gas.

 

[Ted_D]

I used the Fusion on the inside of my Jeep hard top. It was white and glowed at night so I bought 5 cans of black. Held up for 2 years and now it is bubbling. I don't think it will hold up long on a saw. especially with the gas and oil

 

[Bushmans]

I used a dupont brand and prepped with a scotch pad. Clear coat over that.
View attachment 271684

Be careful when applying the clear coat. Thin to win!

Pics or it didn't happen!

 

[Little Al]

I have used the paint listed for [pimping ] auto brake calipers, the plastic I used it on it didn`t react, & was gas resistant but I would try a small test some where out of sight before spraying the part that shows as plastic seems to vary quite a lot

 

[Gushh]

Take the saw outside. Douse it with gas and flick a lit match at it. Problem solved. :taped:

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself.
A durable coating you could try is "powder coating." The only problem would be the baking process to cure the coating.
Plastics aren't known for their high heat tolerance. I do not know what type of plastic the Thingy's are made from. Unfortunately, I am not too familiar with powder coating, either.

opcorn:

Doesn't really work since you wouldn't get an even static charge to begin with, the powder-coating process requires this to stick to the work piece. Strictly meant for metal, as you are aware though the curing process requires baking. The material itself varies in the form of different polymer chains. There are however chemical methods for plastics, which he wouldn't be able to achieve these at home, like with chrome even if he succeeds he will soon die of Cancer.

Plastics should be etch-primed, not sanded. Get a proper etching primer that will eat through a few microns of the plastic and embed itself to it, then you are ready to paint and clear-coat. Paint is just for your eyes, clear-coat is what protects the paint in all counts. You can go flat if you don't like gloss or meet somewhere in-between. Otherwise choose an abrasive resistant paint, something rugged as used for truck bed-liners, however the feel on that is horrible.

 

[Gushh]

Buy its cousin Jon.

Painting plastic saws is akin to vandalism. Best color change I've seen (in the pics) was in the Earthquake thread. I think it was 08f150 that Dyed the plastic in a bucket with RIT. Came out looking slick. Come to think of it, I'm gonna go back and rep him for that.

Dye without a sealant is just about as bad as regular spray paint without proper preparation... Just doesn't last long and leaches out. This isn't aluminium!!

 

[excess650]

I doubt that any spray paint that comes out of a spray can will survive contact with gasoline. Rattlecan paint has a solvent base, and once the solvent dries, the paint isn't tacky. Add solvent (gasoline) and it wipes off. Krylon Fusion is for plastic, but won't take expsure to solvents.

Powder coating won't work because it needs to be baked on.

Do you paint cars or know anyone who does? The paint they use is will stand up to solvent.

 

[7sleeper]

Maybe a 2k clear coat will survive the gas attack, but how long I can't tell you.

7

 

[dswensen]

Thanks to all.

For giggles, I might try a different color high-temp engine paint, as the black I have says it's "oil and gas resistant". After reading your comments, likely I will not be successful in the long term with spray-paint.

It IS a Wild Thingy after all - maybe red with lime green and purple streaks is a chain-sawing fashion statement!!! :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Big_Wood]

Should have just ran it ugly. A new saw already getting painted. Doesn't matter what you do. The only thing that will last is the original color impregnated plastic. It was ugly when you got it and will be ugly after a few times using it. Although i do have a buddy who painted the top of his 288 blue. I said what the heck you just ruined yer saw but it actually lasted a while. He just used tremclad. Once it got all dinged up i scrapped it all off,, wet sended it, then never dulled it and it looks brand new. He just didn't know that the oxidation does come off. A husky is different though. Don't get me wrong here. Not picking a fight at all. The wild thing is a fruity looking saw to begin with so the manufacturer decided to incorporate a color scheme that also looks fruity. Is it one of those green and purple ones? If so i know what you mean and those colors are hidious on a saw.

 

[GrassGuerilla]

Take a look at this. Turned out nice. Looks factory. Don't know how it will hold up, time will tell.

http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/216998.htm

Enamel, or urethane are gasoline resistant.

 

[joesmith]

Here is my dye job on my earthquake saw...with better pics. Plenty of gas has been spilt on this (and all my other saws) saw. No negative effects. If you want to dye your wildthing, you can only go black because of the purple areas.

Dye penetrates the plastic, dyeing it permanently. i dyed a kel tec pf9 grip from grey to black...still holding 2 years later after shooting 100's of rounds with sweaty palms and cleaning with gun cleaners.

 

[Big_Wood]

Good job. That saw looks pretty in black.

 

[joesmith]

Good job. That saw looks pretty in black.

Thanks...better than gray and red and stickers!