Author Topic: Painting a plastic garden chest  (Read 7368 times)

Offline ven

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Painting a plastic garden chest
« on: June 05, 2016, 01:25:12 PM »
I have a plastic cupboard or chest intended for the garden, bought from B+Q, size about 2m left to right, 1.5m f to back and 1.5m high.  The lid is black plastic and the front, back and sides are a creamy colour plastic.
I would like to tone down the creamy colour to make it less obvious in the garden; what would be the best kind of paint to use?  Most paints are water based these days but should I search for a 'fancy' solvent-based one, or will common emulsion do? 
Sorry to introduce a rather mundane i.e. uninteresting subject.
Thanks

Offline Brass_Machine

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Re: Painting a plastic garden chest
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2016, 01:41:10 PM »
Ven,

Not sure which country you are in, but Home Depot and Lowes sell a spray paint designed for plastic. Especially the garden/outdoor plastic stuff. Used it on some chairs and it worked out pretty good.

Eric
Science is fun.

We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.

Offline ven

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Re: Painting a plastic garden chest
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2016, 01:46:14 PM »
Sorry, didn't think about the country, which is the UK.
Thanks for the reply which alerts me to the fact that there are special paints for plastic.
Life used to be so simple; it is a pity that we didn't realise it at the time.

Offline Brass_Machine

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Re: Painting a plastic garden chest
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2016, 03:30:03 PM »
Ven,

This is the stuff I have been talking about.

Paint

Eric
Science is fun.

We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.

Offline wgw

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Re: Painting a plastic garden chest
« Reply #4 on: June 06, 2016, 04:25:44 AM »
Ven -I have one of those plastic chests, mostly used for sitting on. My advice is to just leave it out in the garden, will soon self colour in dust and green stuff.

Offline Joules

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Re: Painting a plastic garden chest
« Reply #5 on: June 06, 2016, 05:11:36 AM »
Oh, you have no idea how much work it is keeping my chest fresh and buffed, Michael.....


Honour your mentors, and pay it forward.

Offline RussellT

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Re: Painting a plastic garden chest
« Reply #6 on: June 06, 2016, 07:48:46 AM »
Are there any marks showing the type of plastic (recycling marks).

Some plastics - notably polyethylene/polythene - don't take paint at all well.

Russell
Common sense is unfortunately not as common as its name suggests.

Offline ven

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Re: Painting a plastic garden chest
« Reply #7 on: June 07, 2016, 04:29:18 PM »
Thanks for the advice.
After wiping down with white spirit (UK) and then wiping dry I used two aerosols of Valspar green paint which claims that it can be used on plastic and other materials - we will see. There was enough to cover the front and each end but not the back, I think I put it on rather heavily to get the job done in good weather.
I will let you know if it all falls off.
Thanks again.