Paint For Custom Robots

[robothut]

If you can not find the color paint you want in a spray can and do not want to pay the very high price for custom mixed automotive paints and there thinners, clear coat and other crap then give this a try. I am working on a custom robot for Ozzy he wanted the robot to be the Non Stop Robot color "the gang lavender robot" so haveing a piece of painted metal from a lavender robot in the shop I took it too Home Depo and had them use there color match computer to mix me a quart of high gloss paint. Its a a perfect match and the quart of paint only cost $15 bucks. It would have cost less except that the lavender color is a deep base tint job and the high gloss paint cost more as well. To apply the paint I used a touch paint gun from Harbor freight, they are ony about $12 bucks. The picture with the origional Non Stop metal part next to the lid of the quart paint can has a dab of the new paint dried on it. Perfect match.

[Grandpa]

John, How does this finish compare to acrylic automotive finish, and what are the drying times? I found the Harbor freight HVLP does a better job of less over spray and finish. HVLP Touch up gun They have sales on it for $29.95 every few months. Thanks for this great tip, it sure does open up the color possibilities at a reasonable cost.

[robothut]

Check out the MRs. Alps Non Stop TV robot project I am posting in the custom area,

http://danefield.com/alpha/forums/index.php?showtopic=11360&st=0&gopid=109142&

you can see the nice finnish. Better than spray can. The cheep spray gun I used worked great ! What I did was adjust the spray to be all most all air very little paint sort of like if you were air brushing something. then made about 5 or more pass overs on the primered parts, the paint stayed wet enought to flow out evenly with out any runs, no thick paint spots. It dried faster than rustoleum white spray paint. I know becuase I painted the white parts of the robot project with rustoluem white spray can paint. I was very pleased with the results and you do get enough paint in a quart can to paint probably 10 or more robots! I did thin out the paint just a tad but I bet it would have worked even if I had not.

[Robotopia]

I was just wondering, what kind of paint do you use? Is it enamel only? Or is it something else? I guess what I'm asking is what is the best paint for painting on robots, is it enamel? Or are there other options? (I've never painted on a robot so these questions may seem elementary to you.)

Thanks

[Kilroy]

I am still not quite sure what kind of paint this is. Is this a high gloss house paint or more like a rust paint? What do you thin with?

[robothut]

This paint that I bought from Home Depo was a high gloos latex enamel, so you can thin with water up to 20% if required. But even as thick as it is right out of the can you can probably get away with out thining if useing the cheep touch up spray gun I talked about. I did thin mine just a touch. Now as far as the best paint to use for robots, well it depends who you ask. If you talk to a guy that builds resin models then latex enamels would be the best and most used type paint, if you talk to a old fart like me then I will always try to find a spray paint the color I want as it costs less and has no clean up time. If you are trying to repair a vintage robot then it is nice to try and use the same type paint that the toy had when it was made. So thats why I called this thread CUSTOM PAINT FOR CUSTOM ROBOTS. That way being that it is a new robot you can paint it with anything you like. Now unless you simply can not find the color you want in a spray can I am not sure that there is any reason to get a custom matched can of paint. Well I guess one reason might be if you are building a very large robot or you are going to make alot of little robots all the same color , the quart of paint that you have custom matched will paint alot of robot!

[Action Robot]

Great tip John! I'm currently getting myself set up with a spray gun system to try and do some custom robot painting. I'm not sure if they do it for computer match custom colors, but I do know that Home Depot will mix you a 7.5 oz sample size of any of their standard colors for about 3 bucks...that's dirt cheap compared to what you'd pay at an art or craft store, and still plenty enough for several small robots. I'm fairly certain Lowe's has the same service.

I do know from previous experience that spray guns are finicky with latex paint...some type of thinning is pretty much required. They do also make a product you can mix into the paint to make it flow better, but water works just fine.

For a more durable finish, you'd really want an oil based paint, but as our projects don't have to stand up to any rough handling, I think the latex is ok.

I see that you used primer...what kind? Most primers for metal are oil based, and I would worry about adhesion in the long run if you put a water-based paint over an oil-based primer...

Cheers,

Dave

PS- just noticed this thread is a couple of years old...any word on how the paint job is holding up?