- Thread starter moetzmoet
- Start date
J
jassin000
Don't paint plastic PERIOD, that is my advice.
IF you are hellbent on painting anyway, yes use a automotive body shop (rattle cans can spatter and easily run if you aren't used to using them).
IF you are hellbent on painting anyway, yes use a automotive body shop (rattle cans can spatter and easily run if you aren't used to using them).
THIS
Unless it's like a real junker just leave the original paint and clean it up. Nothing wrong with patina
jimmyjames
Professional
Use gel coat and you will have no issue. Same stuff they use on boats. Don’t go to a body shop go to a boat shop. Should only be about $300
J
jassin000
Have you tried any of the hydrogen peroxide bleaching creams?
They are intended to turn hair blond, but if you layer a thick coating on plastic and let it sit in the sun it WILL bleach out slowly.
themisterfalcon
Grand Master
I agree you should only paint plastic if it's really screwed up. The same goes with cab restores in general.
I've done both DIY and pro paint before. I have used spray paint for a low-cost fix on a gouged-up Astro hood. Since I have experience painting it turned out pretty alright. I've also had a couple of disastrous Egret II hoods done with PPG automotive white and they are :chefskiss: Given the choice, and available time/budget, use a professional over DIY.
Never heard of using gel coat but I'd be interested to see the results. Ceramic coating is something I've seen recently as well (on an E29 surround) and it looked pretty gorgeous.
Can you do gelcoat on metals, plastics? I know they recommended this for fiberglass parts.
jimmyjames
Professional
It’s only on the fiberglass. Not meant for metal.
let me also elaborate a little. Plain plastic can be restored, the yellowing and stain is only surface level. However the idea of Sun bathing it with peroxide makes it more brittle and that has been proven. You are best to use a dye or to just paint it with plastic paint. I’m mainly talking to NNC and NC owners as we have that ugly yellow to deal with.
The Sega blast and astro type cab type bodies are all gel coated.
any metal was painted originally with single stage lacquer. I have found good results with appliance paint for restoring doors and other parts.
let me also elaborate a little. Plain plastic can be restored, the yellowing and stain is only surface level. However the idea of Sun bathing it with peroxide makes it more brittle and that has been proven. You are best to use a dye or to just paint it with plastic paint. I’m mainly talking to NNC and NC owners as we have that ugly yellow to deal with.
The Sega blast and astro type cab type bodies are all gel coated.
any metal was painted originally with single stage lacquer. I have found good results with appliance paint for restoring doors and other parts.
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Yeah I guess I have to revise my statement to kinda exclude cabinets that have a majority of parts turn yellow. Like I don't care about my NAC's speaker surround being yellowish (in fact white ones look wrong to me) but it would annoy me if the whole cab was that color.
J
jassin000
As much as I hate painted plastics... Thos black NAC speaker surrounds look awesome (like it should have come in black originally).
I'm no expert but I spent a lot of time reading about all the peroxide/retrobrite/etc techniques so I could use it on my own yellow cabs and I came to the same conclusion. From what I read the yellow will eventually slowly return anyway. On top of all that, getting an even coating and sun/UV exposure on something of the size of a cab is near impossible so you're likely to end up with a splotchy mess.
Oh, hey check this out:
https://www.arcade-projects.com/threads/removing-the-“yellow”-from-sega-net-city.21310/
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bagheera369
Champion
Definitely had the intention of doing this with mine, when it gets restored, and I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way.
I would stay away from painting unless it is really in a bad shape. As for spray can painting it can be done poorly or decently good depending on your skills. I would advice doing practice runs on something similar in texture, but disposable. First scuff up the surface you are painting with something like 600 grit sand paper and clean the surface with grease remvoer. Then use primer meant for plastics for example automotive spray paint meant for plastic bumpers etc. and warm up the can and mix well before starting to apply. Apply several light coats with decent time between them (follow instructions on the paint can) and once you are done let it cure for a day. Then use something like 1200 grit sand paper to wet sand the primer to smooth finish. Clean out lightly and then apply your color with even coats and some time between each coat. Finally we do the same with clear coat. Choose your preferred clear coat be that matt finish or with shine. Then apply it with same principle as the base color, but be careful at this stage especially not to get runs or all your hard work will be undone. Also several layers of clearcoat can hide some of the issues with base paint coat, but it doesn't get rid off them completely.
If you are unsatisfied with your test piece or feel like the finish isn't what you hoped then I would advice turning to a professional for the paintjob. Removing parts you don't want painted, prepping finish by removing any grease and scuffing up the surface can lower the price of the paint job since your painter doesn't have to do the prep work.
If you are unsatisfied with your test piece or feel like the finish isn't what you hoped then I would advice turning to a professional for the paintjob. Removing parts you don't want painted, prepping finish by removing any grease and scuffing up the surface can lower the price of the paint job since your painter doesn't have to do the prep work.
retrobrite, yes I've done this to plenty of my consoles, and they always turn back yellow a month later.
I finally painted mine and it took a while to adjust, I'm so used to them being yellow. Now I'm glad I did though.
I'm not overly precious about my cabs, I like a little patina so long as they have clean control panels and the monitors as dialed in as I can get them. But yellowed plastic is ugly.
Kidkaos
Grand Master
I used to not mind "patina" until I restored my first cab. After I restored every single one. As long as you have them all the same shade of white you're good. I prefer powder coating where available (Aero) but a nice automotive paint job will make your cab look like new. And now with Hursit offering UV reactant ink on side art, it's a no brainer. Idk where I could get a cab gel coated for $300 in California, but Blasts and Astros should definitely be gel coated when possible.
I get it, clean cabs look nice. My cabs are for being played on, I'm not precious about a few scratches, and I don't worry about people touching them or messing them up. Not to mention nobody spends any time around them with the lights on anyways.
Some of these are cleaner than others, you'd be hard pressed really tell from this photo though.
