Troubles 2k painting plastic XD mirrors

[MNTL.XD 3,831]

Hey guys. When my XD was painted the bumpers, grilles and mirrors were painted in 2k black. One was broken by a bloke with a fat ass who was told to be careful walking through as it was parked close to another car, seconds later.... SNAP!! Grrr!!

Anyhoo, i got a new mirror and have tried to paint it in 1k but it reacted, i tried black acrylic but as soon as i put 2k clear on it, that reacted too. Both times an acrylic plastic adhesive primer was used.

Do i need to use a 2k adhesive primer instead of the acrylic primer?

I have painted all my steering and suspension (metal) in black enamel with a 2k clear which has never reacted, using the same paint on the plastic also resulted in it reacting, again, acrylic plastic primer was used.

The reaction each time was very wrinkly, almost looked like the mirrors had caught worms off the fkn dogs!

I'm sick to fkng death of going to all the trouble of taking these back to bare plastic so they can be resprayed because of reactions.

Is it the aftermarket plastic at fault?

Is it the acrylic plastic primer?

Do i need to use a 2k primer/sealer over the acrylic plastic primer?

I read something saying 2k plastic primers are no different at all to the acrylic.

Any advice appreciated. TIA.

 

Edit* I really need this mirror painted in 2k black with a clear coat. I haven't tried 2k plastic primer, then 2k black basecoat, then the 2k clear (that seems to react with everything else when used on this mirror).

Is there any particular type of 2k paint i need to be buying?

[user272 526]

I sprayed my mirrors with rattle can acrylic as I was lucky enough that it comes in silver grey, I rubbed back the old paint before using the plastic primer filler that I used on the bumpers then sprayed the colour and clear.

Mine came up great but i have once had a reaction very similar to your description which was because I tried to make enamel and acrylic be friends when I sprayed my wiper arms.

 

I used all acrylic products on my mirrors, Ill have a look through the shed and see if I can find what brand primer I used.

 

 

Pretty sure the primer I used was Motospray bumper prime & sand also just rattle can. Mine needed a bit of work to neaten up when I started.

Edited May 19, 2016 by user272

[MNTL.XD 3,831]

The thing with acrylic/enamel mixing is an old but simple rule, enamel will go over acrylic but acrylic with not go over enamel. Enamel will go over just about anything, sticks like shit to a blanket.

 

I really need to spray this in 1k or 2k, it has a certain slight orange peel finish that i want to replicate. I doubt i'll ever get the shine to match all the other painted plastics if i go acrylic.

 

I'm trying to upload a pic of the other mirror to give an idea of what finish i'm after. I really need to know what they use in the automotive industry when painting the same plastic as the XD mirrors. There are many different types of plastics and all need to be done in a different way.

I'm thinking a 2k plastic primer, 2k basecoat black and 2k clear. Is there a 2k clear just for plastics that i need to be using, the mirrors obviously don't need a flexing agent. It just seems to react as soon as i put the 2k clear on.

[user272 526]

Hope you get on top of it soon mate, Nothing worse than doing that fiddly shit over and over.

[MNTL.XD 3,831]

Hope you get on top of it soon mate, Nothing worse than doing that fiddly shit over and over.

 

Cunuva job! Here's a pic of the other mirror, this one hasn't been ass snapped!

Nice black shiny 2k, this is the result i'm after.

 

[revhead 1,392]

rattle cans ,a total waste of time, as the shit in them fades , rub mirror back flat ,if the area is new give it a dust of 1k plastic primer, its a clear undercoat, let it dry then dust on your colour, 3 lite  lite dry coat ,wait a full five minutes, give it another coat a little wetter then wait 20mins .before giving it a final coat of clear etc ,only use 2 pak colours as acryilic painting system is old out dated rubbish ,yes i know there are die hard acrylic paint fans on here ,but honestly you need to use 2 pak , easier to use ,drys faster n harder and no buffing .

[MNTL.XD 3,831]

Thanks Revhead.

You think it's the plastic primer at fault?

The 1k plastic primer is compatible with the 2k basecoats and clears?

I did see a few 2k plastic primers available, would i be best off going 2k with everything?

[judgetread 758]

its should all be compatible. Only advice I can say is if its 2k clear over acrylic you have too "MUST" let the acrylic

 dry out completely before clearing over it.

 

Remember its 2 completely different systems, acrylic basically evaporates the thinners in the drying process whilst the 2k is a chemical drying reaction. If there is any trace of solvents still in the acrylic

 it will try to come through  the 2k and react. Been there way way way... way too many times ....

 

Any pics of the reaction?

[revhead 1,392]

thing is bloke if you lay the 1k primer on to wet n dont let it dry dead flat it will give you slight fish eyes ,, if you wash the mirror clean with prepsol itl react with the plastic primer as the prepsol is oil based ,use gp thinners to wipe it clean, then wait until its completetly dry then prime with the 1k primer ,

[MNTL.XD 3,831]

Not letting the acrylic completely dry out before using the 2k clear probably has alot to do with it Judgetread, i was pretty much using it wet on wet only really only giving 20 minutes or so between product change, not putting into consideration the 2 different drying techniques.

Unfortunately i don't have any pics of the reaction, probably the best description would be a wrinkle finish, almost as if the paint had shrunk.

Revhead- i had only wiped with gp thinners which i've always done with hard plastics, it definitely wasn't a fish eyes type reaction.

 

Am i best off keeping all products 2k to be sure?

 

http://www.lesonal.co.uk/Products/Pages/2kuniversalplasticprimer.aspx

[judgetread 758]

yep wringle finish type reaction is a whats happens mate. Its always best to keep tosame types of paint if you can, but ive done  the 2k over acrylic many many times as well, if you let it dry it usually works ok

[MNTL.XD 3,831]

Thanks heaps guys, very much appreciated.

I have had to sand the mirror back with 120 to get through the paint, now i have the fun job of working my way down through the grades on by bloody one until smooth.

I'll let you know how i go. Cheers.

[revhead 1,392]

just hit it with plastic primer then 2k primer filler let it dry knock it back wit400 wet n dry then black n clear ,presto, one hot looking mirror

[MNTL.XD 3,831]

Thanks mate! I've been flat out with everything else this week so haven't had a chance to get back into the mirror yet. I've got some 2k primer/sealer so that should be perfect. Hopefully get a chance to get back into the mirror this coming week so i'll keep you posted. Cheers Revhead!

[tpak addict 1,909]

Lucky its only a mirror,,,,

Try that with a car someone painted in enamel house paint.....with a brush no less...

[MNTL.XD 3,831]

Lucky its only a mirror,,,,

Try that with a car someone painted in enamel house paint.....with a brush no less...

My first XD was painted in house paint. Done with a roller though. lol.

Everytime it rained there would be a big white rectangle on the road when i drove off! Paddock bomb with number plates!

[tpak addict 1,909]

Oh you got the prestige paint option.....LOL

[MNTL.XD 3,831]

Oh you got the prestige paint option.....LOL

Haha yeah mate, fully optioned with custom roller paint package, i paid $1 for the car and $799 for the paint option! Worth every dollar, mainly the first one! PMSL.

[tpak addict 1,909]

Dam you paid the same price as I did... I feel ripped off now!

[MNTL.XD 3,831]

Dam you paid the same price as I did... I feel ripped off now!

 

Nah 2 coats with a brush, only one with a roller, makes up for it.

Mine had absolutely no shine at all = interior paint! It was never going to either look good or survive the rain. The more it rained the thinner it got until pink body filler spots started to appear, you could see almost every repair underneath!

[tpak addict 1,909]

Mine was oil based enamel.... so didnt come off....

 

It was lovely....

 

But it came up well.....

Think this was after I painted it and just polished it....

 

[MNTL.XD 3,831]

Oh shit, that's 10 times the paintjob mine had! Atleast it had enough shine to bother with polish! I'll have to try to dig up a pic!

[tpak addict 1,909]

I spent 6 weeks taking that crap off then resprayed it in Acrylic!!!

 

I just happened to have had a tin of supercheap Snow White and plenty of thinners in the cupboard.... funny that

[MNTL.XD 3,831]

I done the opposite, ripped the house paint off and sprayed it in white industrial enamel, the car was fubar so there wasn't much point trying to make it last any more than the next 2 years, more just needed to keep the cops off my back.

[tpak addict 1,909]

I landed up selling the HD a year later for double what it owed me...

Still wish I had kept it tho but the misses said it had to go... ZL is my second attempt.....