The Use of Krylon Fusion Paint on Barrel Plastic

Ron Broberg
2004 03 24

Introduction

Recently, Krylon has released a spray paint with the commercial name of Fusion. This paint is commonly available and is marketed as a paint specifically designed for use on plastic. This report explores the use of Fusion paint on a "barrel" plastic that is commonly used for armour construction in the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Materials

The Krylon Fusion paint was puchased at WalMart. The color was Red Pepper.

The black barrel plastic was obtained from scrap pieces of a barrel being used in the construction of a Japanese hotokedo. The barrel was a 15 gallon black plastic barrel originally used to store a nickel hydride.



A variety of tools were used to test the paint: rattan, 60 grit sandpaper, a standard screwdriver, an untreated piece of plastic, and a small knife.



Application

The paint was applied to the plastic outdoors with a light breeze. The outside temperature was approximately 55 F degrees. The materials had been stored indoors at approximately 65 F degrees. A very light coat was applied and then let to set for approximately 30 seconds. Multiple sprays of additional light coats continued for the next 2-3 minutes until the desired shade of red was achieved. The plastic was then stored indoors for seven days at approximately 65 F degrees.



Testing

One piece of plastic (P1) was left whole. A raw piece of rattan approximately 2 feet in length and 1 1/2 inches in diameter was used to strike this plastic one hundred times. The strikes performed included both the flat and the tip.

The second piece of plastic (P2) was divided into a grid. The following tests were performed.

A Abrasion with 60 grit sandpaper
B Abrasion with edge of a screwdriver
C Abrasion with piece of untreated plastic
D/E/F Clamped and flexed against the curve
G Chipping with knife point
H No test
I Scraping with knife edge

Results

The first piece (P1) held up very well to the repeated strikes. The glossy sheen was removed but there was no chipping or scraping observed except along a raised "seam" in the plastic. Paint was transferred to the rattan.

The second piece (P2) was subjected to more specific testing.

A The sandpaper was able to remove the paint without difficulty. The edges were smooth with no chipping observed.
B The screwdriver was able to peel the paint without difficulty. The edges showed slight flaking, with flakes about 1mm in diameter.
C Abrasion with an untreated piece of plastic caused only a slight lessening of the sheen on the painted piece. It should also be noted that a black marker applied to the black plastic is dimly visible through the paint.
D/E/F The plastic was placed into a wood edged clamp, secure, and bent at approximately 45 degrees in a direction opposed to the preexisting curve. This caused some bubbling and slight flaking along one half of the clamped line. The bubbles and flakes were 1-2 mm in diameter. Such damage was confined to the immediate vicinity of the curve.
G A knive point was used to chip at the paint. While plastic was exposed by the knife point, no paint flaking around the gouge was observed.
H No test
I The knive edge was used to scrape along the edge of the plastic. No flaking was observed along the cut edge.



Conclusion

This test seems to show that the Krylon Fusion paint adheres well to the surface of the plastic and will resist flaking in most cases. The paint holds up well under plastic to plastic abrasion. The paint holds up well against rattan strikes. It does not do well against abrasion by metal.

Recommendations

Based on this test, I would readily recommend the use of black paint on black plastic surfaces. The gloss paint will add a laquer like sheen and will wear better than actual laquer (which has a tendency to flake). The piece will undoubtably be marred by repeated rattan strikes, but with little or no flaking, should be easy to repaint. I would cautiously recommend other colors on black. The plastic must be prepared well since the paint is not completely opaque. I will be testing a red paint on black plastic in the summer of 2004 and will add a paragraph to this report based on that field test. Experiences by others are welcome. Feel free to contact me at ronbroberg :at: yahoo :dot: com.