A Question for the Pro's: Painting your gun

So ive been over a half dozen FAQ's and Guides on painting your nerf gun. But they have all tended to differ in a few ways.

1. Some recommend you sandpaper the gun first. Though the best explanation as to WHY you do that is "you need to get the shiny off". Should I sandpaper the gun and what is it I would be trying to achieve from doing so?

2. Some use a proper primer, others just use an undercoat of paint. Should I use primer?

morpha wrote:So ive been over a half dozen FAQ's and Guides on painting your nerf gun. But they have all tended to differ in a few ways.

1. Some recommend you sandpaper the gun first. Though the best explanation as to WHY you do that is "you need to get the shiny off". Should I sandpaper the gun and what is it I would be trying to achieve from doing so?

2. Some use a proper primer, others just use an undercoat of paint. Should I use primer?

By sanding it, you create a rougher surface which the paint will adhere to better. An undercoat should do the job, especially if you sand the gun, but it's up to you

This is what I'd recommend it encorporates both the primer and sanding for the best result. BTW this FAQ has been around for a while now, and I've just added something to the list.

Imagine that when paint drys it forms a solid, like plastic. It will hold its self together and is quite hard. However what is holding this solid to a surface? By sanding your gun you create small grooves. When you put down a layer of paint, these grooves are filled with the paint giving it something to hold onto.

Refer to image
https://2img.net/r/ihimizer/img340/5430/paintrj.png

moreover, sanding will get rid of oils which are on the guns surface. These oils create a layer between the paint and the gun's surface preventing the paint from sticking.

Hey Phu I would swap steps 1 and 2 in the FAQ, the gun is best sanded first then washed as there's a ton of dust generated by sanding.

What the other guys have said earlier is correct. You are creating grooves for the paint to adhere too.
The other reason is that the shells of these guns are molded. That means a mold release agent is used. mold release agents usually prevent paint from adhering properly.

Primer isn't essential but it does help. what's important is that you lay the paint down in very thin layers and do 3-5 of them. If they are nice and thin they don't obscure any detail on the gun but the paint adheres much better and you get a smooth finish. once you apply any additional detail with hand paint then you can varnish.

You can just go with with matt varnish. I use wattle matt estapol. It's for wooden floors, you're meant to walk on it, strong stuff. But does to the way vanish works the strongest varnish is always a gloss(shiny) one. So you can hit the gun with a layer of gloss let that dry fully and then go over that with matt varnish. That will take the shine off.

Make sure you really shake vanish cans well. If it isn't fully mixed they can leave white secs on your work.

If you do all of that you will have a great looking paint job for years.

Another option is to use vinyl dye instead of paint as your base colour. Vinyl dye pretty much changes the colour of the plastic chemically. So it does not increase the width of anything. this means you can use it to paint triggers an other moving parts. it also adheres better than paint does.

hope that answers your question.

Psykka wrote:Hey Phu I would swap steps 1 and 2 in the FAQ, the gun is best sanded first then washed as there's a ton of dust generated by sanding.

The reason why I've put it that way, is to clean the shell first and foremost of oils and dust.

If you paint your gun with dust all over it from the sanding then you've got more problems that can be fixed by a guide.

phuonguyen wrote:

Psykka wrote:Hey Phu I would swap steps 1 and 2 in the FAQ, the gun is best sanded first then washed as there's a ton of dust generated by sanding.

The reason why I've put it that way, is to clean the shell first and foremost of oils and dust.

If you paint your gun with dust all over it from the sanding then you've got more problems that can be fixed by a guide.

Hahaha too true mate

What I will be doing:
1) Sanding
2)Wash
3)Dry
4)Prime (2 coats)
5)Paint
6)Detail
7)Decals/Stickers
8)Clear Coats (3-5 in general) (10-15 around moving parts E.G Grip/trigger)
This method is costly and take a while but it will give you the best paint job possible!

ok guys, WOW, this great advice.

what I think ill do is this:

I have some sandpaper in grites from 180 -> 2000. Ill use teh 180 to sand that annoying pixel pattern off the longstrike, aswell as make it course for the paint.

Ill take all the internals out and paint the shell in pieces.

Ill go back to the hobby store and buy some paint primer, which is apparently grey in color. I intend on going for a white scheme. Except leaving the orange bits intact. and a black stripe down the side where this odd groove is.

so 1 coat of primer. sand it lightly. a few coats of white, sanding any bits that I spray too thick. than use masking tape to outline the parts I want black and 2 coats of spray there.

I pot pics when im done.

If you are using stencils don't forget inter coat sanding. But if you are using masks don't sand.

Don't sand if it too thick, only sand if its bumpy (like if it bubbles or if the wind blows and you get crap stuck in your paint) other than that, you already know everything to do to get a pro looking paint job.

Oh and P.S don't over do it with the clear, it will stain your work yellow. 15 coats seems a bit much unless they are chinnerz style coats (super thin)

Good luck!

chinnerz wrote:If you are using stencils don't forget inter coat sanding. But if you are using masks don't sand.

Don't sand if it too thick, only sand if its bumpy (like if it bubbles or if the wind blows and you get crap stuck in your paint) other than that, you already know everything to do to get a pro looking paint job.

Oh and P.S don't over do it with the clear, it will stain your work yellow. 15 coats seems a bit much unless they are chinnerz style coats (super thin)

Good luck!

Yeh, i just would put 1-3 coats on the gun and lots on the handle it helps, the thinner the clear the better!

Okay so its been several weeks now...

I have painted the butt and the barrel of my Long Strike. It was used this weekend and I noticed the paint wearing off on parts of the gun. Mostly on edges and areas with regular use/contact.

Im guessing this is why you use many coats of CLEAR over the top of it?

I will post pics when im done. One of the things im going to do is buy some cammo netting from Aussie Disposal's to go around the gun. We had some on while it was in use and it looked sweet...

morpha wrote:Okay so its been several weeks now...

I have painted the butt and the barrel of my Long Strike. It was used this weekend and I noticed the paint wearing off on parts of the gun. Mostly on edges and areas with regular use/contact.

Im guessing this is why you use many coats of CLEAR over the top of it?

I will post pics when im done. One of the things im going to do is buy some cammo netting from Aussie Disposal's to go around the gun. We had some on while it was in use and it looked sweet...

Now you're stalking into the territory where your nerf blaster shouts out to every non-nerfer/PC douchebag in the area "Please get my owner in lots of touble!". Meaning that the cops will probably rock up in response to a crazy lunatic with a gun and taze the living shit out of you.

In short, Not a good idea.

SnowDragon wrote:

morpha wrote:Okay so its been several weeks now...

I have painted the butt and the barrel of my Long Strike. It was used this weekend and I noticed the paint wearing off on parts of the gun. Mostly on edges and areas with regular use/contact.

Im guessing this is why you use many coats of CLEAR over the top of it?

I will post pics when im done. One of the things im going to do is buy some cammo netting from Aussie Disposal's to go around the gun. We had some on while it was in use and it looked sweet...

Now you're stalking into the territory where your nerf blaster shouts out to every non-nerfer/PC douchebag in the area "Please get my owner in lots of touble!". Meaning that the cops will probably rock up in response to a crazy lunatic with a gun and taze the living shit out of you.

In short, Not a good idea.

We were out in teh middle of a forest shooting a movie. also I left the barrel of the gun ORANGE and painted it WHITE not black. Hard to get it confused with a real gun though it could be made when we were all wearing Military outfits... That said the forest was somewhat removed from civilization so....

morpha wrote:
One of the things im going to do is buy some cammo netting from Aussie Disposal's to go around the gun. We had some on while it was in use and it looked sweet...

Damn, I'm not the only one who had that idea. This is on topic, what Primer would you recommend and how would you remove any paint?

I've been using TAMIYA brand paint. which specificaly states its for plastics. It works well (though as this is my first time painting a nerf gun I havent used any other brands to compare quality with).

Even with Tamyia, Make sure It's TS not PS, And still sand.

revo wrote:Even with Tamyia, Make sure It's TS not PS, And still sand.

I sand the plastic with 180grit sandpaper beforehand...

But what does TS and PS mean?

morpha wrote:

SnowDragon wrote:

morpha wrote:Okay so its been several weeks now...

I have painted the butt and the barrel of my Long Strike. It was used this weekend and I noticed the paint wearing off on parts of the gun. Mostly on edges and areas with regular use/contact.

Im guessing this is why you use many coats of CLEAR over the top of it?

I will post pics when im done. One of the things im going to do is buy some cammo netting from Aussie Disposal's to go around the gun. We had some on while it was in use and it looked sweet...

Now you're stalking into the territory where your nerf blaster shouts out to every non-nerfer/PC douchebag in the area "Please get my owner in lots of touble!". Meaning that the cops will probably rock up in response to a crazy lunatic with a gun and taze the living shit out of you.

In short, Not a good idea.

We were out in teh middle of a forest shooting a movie. also I left the barrel of the gun ORANGE and painted it WHITE not black. Hard to get it confused with a real gun though it could be made when we were all wearing Military outfits... That said the forest was somewhat removed from civilization so....

Some kid in Melbourne got tazed by the cops because he was playing with a STICK wrapped in black DUCT TAPE.

Hey, if you wanna try out the modern ranged ECT my friend, then go for it. But it's a terrible idea to consider taking something that's painted even remotely black into today's public world, espeically in this country.

SnowDragon wrote:

morpha wrote:

SnowDragon wrote:

morpha wrote:Okay so its been several weeks now...

I have painted the butt and the barrel of my Long Strike. It was used this weekend and I noticed the paint wearing off on parts of the gun. Mostly on edges and areas with regular use/contact.

Im guessing this is why you use many coats of CLEAR over the top of it?

I will post pics when im done. One of the things im going to do is buy some cammo netting from Aussie Disposal's to go around the gun. We had some on while it was in use and it looked sweet...

Now you're stalking into the territory where your nerf blaster shouts out to every non-nerfer/PC douchebag in the area "Please get my owner in lots of touble!". Meaning that the cops will probably rock up in response to a crazy lunatic with a gun and taze the living shit out of you.

In short, Not a good idea.

We were out in teh middle of a forest shooting a movie. also I left the barrel of the gun ORANGE and painted it WHITE not black. Hard to get it confused with a real gun though it could be made when we were all wearing Military outfits... That said the forest was somewhat removed from civilization so....

Some kid in Melbourne got tazed by the cops because he was playing with a STICK wrapped in black DUCT TAPE.

Hey, if you wanna try out the modern ranged ECT my friend, then go for it. But it's a terrible idea to consider taking something that's painted even remotely black into today's public world, espeically in this country.

well im 23, I live in a rural town and I've been warned. If it get tazed itll be my own fault.
Lets just put this discussion to rest.

morpha wrote:

revo wrote:Even with Tamyia, Make sure It's TS not PS, And still sand.

I sand the plastic with 180grit sandpaper beforehand...

But what does TS and PS mean?

I'd still like the answer to this question.

bbqbeefburgerman wrote:

morpha wrote:

revo wrote:Even with Tamyia, Make sure It's TS not PS, And still sand.

I sand the plastic with 180grit sandpaper beforehand...

But what does TS and PS mean?

I'd still like the answer to this question.

I believe TS is for Plastics and PS is for Polycarbonates. So its TS for nerfers.

oh good. I have been using TS