Paint and PVC

tamarakay · Post by **tamarakay** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:16 am

Good morning fellow eplayans.
At this point KenDoll and I are bringing the pvc for three different monkey huts. One for the dye shop, one for our personal camping space, and one for our daughter's camp. KenDoll would like to paint the pvc for a couple of reasons. First being it would be easier to sort what goes to which camp (red pvc to the dye shop, green for us, obviously pink for sarita) AND just cause it's prettier in color. Anyhoo, I'm not sure what kind of paint he used on the experiment monkeyhut, but it appears to flake off when rubbed (obviously we have male pvc) and I worry about the moop potential.

So all of that to ask what kind of paint should be use to paint white pvc? There is a spray paint that is made for plastic, but it's really expensive.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:20 am

I think that painting pvc is the wrong way to go. Plastic and paint don't really mix.
I can think of two possibles... 1. Sharpie--obviously you only draw on it in strategic places. 2--(oddly enough) Dye. I'm not sure of pvc, but many plastics are porous, and will take dye, or stain, better than they take paint. Might be worth some experiment.

Trishntek · Post by **Trishntek** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:22 am

Given that your PVC is flexed during use and the wind is going to constantly exercise that flex, I'm not sure any paint would hold up to that. Have you considered tape? Michaels has a great variety of patterned duct tape. You could even have zebra if you want!

Drawingablank · Post by **Drawingablank** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:27 am

We marked ours with colored duct tape.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:32 am

Dye or pigment mixed in clear PVC primer might work.

http://makeprojects.com/Project/Cable-Dyeing/750/1

junglesmacks · Post by **junglesmacks** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:37 am

Drawingablank wrote:We marked ours with colored duct tape.

I like this idea best. No mess, no fuss, and yet color coded.

tamarakay · Post by **tamarakay** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:42 am

Thank you. I knew you guys could "unstick" us. Does that ever happen to you? You just get stuck and can't seem to look up and around for another idea.
Duct tape would be simple, but KenDoll is now geeking out over the dye potential from Bob's link.

Thanks again!

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:45 am

Roughing up the surface w/ 80 or 100 grit sandpaper might help.

Post by **Sham** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:53 am

Paint would actually work on PVC. You would have to prime the PVC with a good gray primer, then use a colors top coat of paint. The longer you can have it cure, the better. You may get a few nicks in the paint from beating it up, but for the most part it will stick fine.

You might also consider getting a few different fluorescent colors and just spray a stripe of color on each PVC pipe to designate each different structure.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 8:36 am

Two dyes should get you three or four distinct colors, and not flake off like an Earl Scheib paintjob.

Details: http://makeprojects.com/Project/Stain-P ... Like/296/1

Post by **trilobyte** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 8:36 am

Get the expensive stuff (it costs more because it bonds on plastic surfaces better), then use it to paint just the ends. Enough so you guys can easily identify which poles go with each project when you're unloading.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 8:40 am

Krylon

Ive used it on a plastic helmet, doing stencil work. It turned out awesome, and it survived roller derby.

some seeing eye · Post by **some seeing eye** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:16 am

I'm with Bob on this from a technical standpoint. I've buried BM PVC as sprinkler and electrical after a year or two. It's a good reusable inexpensive material. Your burn is your own, but I would make all the group's monkey hut parts, including the cover, interchangable and spend my energy on decorations and costumes. Of course, your burn may vary and your burn is your own - YBMV...YB=YO

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:27 am

Dyeing a full rainbow on the struts would make you an ideal unicorn trap.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:44 am

http://www.candsplastics.com/Catalog.asp

oh wait...you already have the pipe

Galaxo Magic · Post by **Galaxo Magic** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:50 am

We needed to differentiate between monkeyhuts as well. The duct tape way is easy and you have a large variety of color options. Actually, we used painter's tape, as we knew it did not need to be used to hold stuff together, just for color coordination.

In 2009 we broke a rib setting up after midnight on Monday morning. The PVC is not as flexible when it is ice cold. In 2010 we had a rib break in the huge Pre-Saturday dust/wind storm. We fixed both duct tape, the latter we used a piece of rebar like a splint.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 10:51 am

Shirley, I'd go with powder-coated schedule 40 aluminum pipe bent to an elliptical profile, with teflon-lined silicon bronze couplings.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:08 am

Paint will stick to PVC if you give it a wipe with nail polish remover..

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:12 am

Paint avoidably rubs and chips off with constant abrasion from fapping tarps and such.

So make sure you just paint the underside.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 1:47 pm

The best way to mark your different pipes is to use canary feathers pressed unto a thick coating of glue and then wrapped in saran wrap while the glue is still wet.

But, you might have to dye the canaries first, as I don't know how many different colors you need or how many different colors canaries come in.

Bounce530 · Post by **Bounce530** » Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:56 am

I've spray painted both of my huts with what ever brand of spray cans I had on hand (either the cheap walmart crap, or Krylons) at the time and I've had no issue with the paint flaking off, or even cracking, and no "prep"
Maybe you're laying the paint on too thick at one time?

Thorormr · Post by **Thorormr** » Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:44 pm

There are also tinted primers available for pre-treating the ends of PVC prior to gluing joints. I know I have seen pink, purple and yellow, I don't see a reason why it cannot be used for color coding. Just use it outside! Most of that stuff is noxious as heck. There is also a company called Dykem which makes layout marking fluids. I've used them a lot, mostly on metals prior to precision scribing on surface plates. It comes in a rainbow of colors (even white), and if they stick to bare metal, I'd imagine they'd hold to plastic well enough. Alcohol cleans it off pretty quick.

On another tack, automotive plastic bumper paint should be the cat's meow for painting plastic subjected to flexing. . .might be cheaper by the quart than other options.

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