Yeah ... but paint PEELS!

[The Hobbyist]

Everything is set up. The plasma table is ready to cut the frame pieces. Then I'll clean, prime and paint them or perhaps take it to a powder coating place and be done with it.

The 20# HDU precision board is here. I have to tweak the cut file a bit but essentially I am ready to go.

Then, like a complete klutz, I tripped over the air hose and yanked the pressure regulator off of the compressor. So now I'm off to get a new one. If the gods smile uopn me, I should have the frame together by tomorrow afternoon!

 

[Gino]

Sh!t happens...... at least you admit.

 

[OldPaint]

1st off iam an old SIGNPAINTER, automotive auto body guy from back when you can could buy spray cans of RED LEAD PRIMER!!!!! so i think i have a good working knowledge of paints.
here is a few of the thing that never changed.
OIL BASED PAINT ON BARE WOOD:
works the best. why? because the oils in the vehicle of the paint.........get inside of the bare wood to form a solid bonding with the wood fibers. oil does not evaporate and stays in the wood, holding the paint pigment with a greater bond every year. ever have to scrap away old oil based paint? you will understand.
WATER BASED:
is exactly what it says it is. WATER. will soak the wood a little, but is there only to move the solids of the paint pigment.......then it evaporates. leaving the pigment sitting on the wood, with very little bonding.
now i will say over the years WATER BASED paints have improved, but still are not to the level of OIL BASED.
AUTOMOTIVE PAINTS:
THESE work on a similar principal of solids in a vehicle...........BUT with heat or sorts. the same solids as oil/water based but in a chemical base that carries the solids, penetrates deeper, causing a chemical reaction to the bonding surface that "bites" into what ever it comes in contact with. then these vehicles evaporate quickly.......leaving so fast they create heat.......which further enhances the drying time and leave a harder finish on the solids. example: LACQUER PAINT. dont see much of it today but this is what is in EVERY BOTTLE OF FINGER NAIL POLISH))))) and you know how bad it smells and how fast it dries. in the 50's this was the best thing you could put on a car......20-30 coats.......hard as a rock and color depth a mile deep. BUT HIGHLY TOXIC!!!!! everytime your wife/girlfriend does her nails, you ever notice after shes dome she behaves like she been drinking a little???? hahahahahahahaha]

ALL HAVE THERE PLACE....... and all do the job they were made for..........you need to educate yourself on which is best for each job you do.
i have many 4 x 8's MDO(wood)out there painted with KILZ (oil based) primer, then sprayed with AUTOMOTIVE ACRYLIC ENAMEL.. with /without hardeners, that last 5-8 years. wood goes before the paint)))))
i have alumicore panels with automotive paint.........last for 10 years.......

 

[johnwon]

Everything is set up. The plasma table is ready to cut the frame pieces. Then I'll clean, prime and paint them or perhaps take it to a powder coating place and be done with it.

The 20# HDU precision board is here. I have to tweak the cut file a bit but essentially I am ready to go.

Then, like a complete klutz, I tripped over the air hose and yanked the pressure regulator off of the compressor. So now I'm off to get a new one. If the gods smile uopn me, I should have the frame together by tomorrow afternoon!

You have probably already painted your signs by now, but if you have not, this may help in the future. For Precision Board and SignFoam signs I always prime them with FSB-88. It's a water based primer filler that is extremely thick in the can so that it can be applied with a squeegee on some surfaces. It is made by Coastal Industries specifically for SignFoam, but works on all HDU signs like this, you'd thin it and brush or spray it on. I buy it from TubeLite You need to make sure it doesn't puddle around the edges or it will crack when it dries. The FSB-88 fills all of the open cells in the HDU and makes for a very smooth surface that makes your paint job look smoother. If you don't get it primed correctly, you can end up with a flat painted surface even if you use a gloss paint (I know from experience when I've run out and tried substituting). I have never had a sign peel and have used both water and oil based paints on the signs. In general, I typically paint the background with a flat or satin water based paint depending on the location of the sign and then use a gloss oil based enamel on the raised face. The difference in finish helps with visibility of the sign in my opinion.

Also, earlier in the thread, I read where someone said that they had an issue with paint peeling off of PVC. This can be solved for by wiping the PVC down with Acetone before painting it. It will break the surface and allow the paint to bite very well. Don't soak it, the Acetone will melt or warp your PVC, just wipe it down. you'll see a white haze as it breaks the surface. I just use a damp paper towel and have done so for many years and have yet to see one of my PVC signs peeling or the paint scratched off.

 

[zuboltz]

perfect HDU gloss coat

go to your automotive store, buy polyester primer, spray it on, sand, sand, sand some more, spray it with automotive paints, sand some more, paint again, sand some more, then spray a gloss clearcoat, sand, sand some more, then sand some more, then spray gloss again. Perfect HDU finish