See full version: Painting fibreglass canopy with rattle cans
Recently I have been using FasColor, water based plastic paint from the LHS (sold for RC cars). I then clear coat with auto two part urethane clear. Another option is to check with a local auto body shop if they will clear your canopy when they are painting a car. Some people have gotten it done for free.
Nelson Hobby sells a water - based epoxy that you can brush on. When catalyzed with a few drops of their catalyst, it is supposedly proof against 50% nitro. They also have colors that you can apply without having to clear coat. You can buy a 1/2 pint bottle of paint. here
For spraying, a cheap HVLP touch up gun from Harbor Freight will do teh job. Of course a $300 Sata touch up gun would be better.
In the process of doing this I've had to take most of the canopy apart so I thought I'd go the whole hog and strip the whole thing down to just the fibreglass so I could repaint it (white) as the glass has yellowed a bit with sun exposure. Now that it's stripped, I'm going to give it a good scrub with a scourer to rough up the existing surface and remove any silicon or sealants that might get in the way.
So can anyone recommend which type of paint I should use and which method (spray, roller, brush) i should go with? The canopy already has a stipled type of finish on it so a perfectly smooth finish probably isn't required because it won't be noticed anyway. That's why I'm thinking either a roller or brush might suffice.
Dropped into a wholesale paint place today and they recommended a marine enamel over 2 pac, mainly because it is much more flexible than 2 pac. Flexibility would be an issue with a canopy as it would flex and bend in the wind driving along.
Sand the truck canopy using 400-grit sandpaper. Run the sandpaper in a circular motion across the entire canopy. more
Spray a fiberglass primer onto the canopy of your truck. Hold the primer about 8 inches from the canopy and spray in long rows. Allow the primer to dry for three to four hours. [links]
Rinse the canopy with warm, soapy water and dry with a clean towel. here
Remove any rack attachments from the canopy and set them aside. Every rack set has specific installation and removal instructions so check the instructions manual. here
Use 120 grit sandpaper on a long sanding block to sand the entire surface of the camper shell. In hard to get to places, a small rubber sanding block can be used. Sand the entire camper shell until the fiberglass is dull. more
Sand the primer lightly with 300 grit sand paper and a long sanding block. Sand light enough to get through the surface of the primer, but not all the way to the fiberglass. This leaves a smooth primered surface for the paint. [links]
Wipe the entire camper shell with the wax and grease remover again to remove dust and any oil left behind from your skin. These small oil spots can cause fisheyes in the finished paint. here
Spray epoxy or eurathane primer on the surface of the camper shell, using three light, even coats. Allow each coat to dry thoroughly. here