Painting Plastic Chairs

[cabinetman]

I've got six of the cheapo outdoor chairs like this, that I'd like to paint. I don't want to use a spray can. They will be in the weather and sunlight. Anyone had any luck with spraying stuff like this? What did you use and how did it hold up?
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[dbhost]

I've done some custom finish work on automotive plastics, specifically Grilles on late model trucks.

It's not mine, but a friend's 2005 F150 that took the glaze off of the grille with some steel wool, tack clothed it down, sprayed it with Duplicolor Adhesion Promoter, basically plastic primer, and then shot the color coat on it. It's been holding up great for 3 and a half years now. (Effectively, a guy that had a factory XLT Grille now looks like a factory Lariat Grille). No chipping, or cracking.

I am not sure how well it would deal with the flexing that happens when somebody plots their fat behinds on one of those plastic chairs though...

Sounds to me like you have an excuse to build some Adirondack chairs!

[Tom Slick]

You'll need a flex additive in the basecoat and a plastic specific primer.

You could buy multiple sets of new chairs by the time you pay for refinishing them with automotive paints.

[Uncle Cracker]

Rust-Oleum used to make a paint for plastic that came in a pint can. Imagine they still do. Used some a few years back for a couple of outdoor plastic chairs. Thinned it out a little (can't remember with what, but it was suggested on the paint can) and sprayed it on. Worked pretty good. The chairs looked good enough that somebody stole them a couple years later...

[cabinetman]

The chairs looked good enough that somebody stole them a couple years later...

That's Florida for ya!
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[Slik Geek]

Why not spray?

Our plastic deck chairs had weathered significantly over a few years of western exposure. LOML announced that she was going to paint them. I figured that was a lost cause, that the paint wouldn't adhere very well, and what did adhere wouldn't weather nicely.

I was wrong.

She used Rust-oleum's "Specialty Plastic" spray paint. It claims "Renews & Restores Plastic - No primer need". I wouldn't have believed it except that I've seen the results myself.

I was blown away by how good they looked when she was done. If she had said that she had bought new ones, I would have believed her. (I have the nearly empty can right next to me, so I have proof that she actually spray painted them!) The season is over now, and they still look good - and not at all like they were painted.

She didn't do anything special, just cleaned them before painting.

I don't know if similar paint is still available in non-spray form (as Cracker noted), but I doubt you could get as good of results with a brush as you will with this spray paint.

[cabinetman]

Our plastic deck chairs had weathered significantly over a few years of western exposure. LOML announced that she was going to paint them. I figured that was a lost cause, that the paint wouldn't adhere very well, and what did adhere wouldn't weather nicely.

I was wrong.

She used Rust-oleum's "Specialty Plastic" spray paint. It claims "Renews & Restores Plastic - No primer need". I wouldn't have believed it except that I've seen the results myself.

I was blown away by how good they looked when she was done. If she had said that she had bought new ones, I would have believed her. (I have the nearly empty can right next to me, so I have proof that she actually spray painted them!) The season is over now, and they still look good - and not at all like they were painted.

She didn't do anything special, just cleaned them before painting.

I don't know if similar paint is still available in non-spray form (as Cracker noted), but I doubt you could get as good of results with a brush as you will with this spray paint.

I think I know what you're talking about. Saw an ad on TV. It is available in spray cans, but I want it in like quarts, or a gallon. I have 8 chairs to paint...don't think my fingers can handle a spray can for that much. Plus, bulk would be less expensive.
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[jhart]

We did 4 plastic chairs 3 years ago with the rust-o-leum spray cans. You can buy a device that goes on top of the can and acts more like a spray gun for a couple of bucks. really saves the finger if you are using more than 1 can. Using the spray cans is more expensive, but sure is better for the convenience and clean up. Depends on what your time is worth.

Also used some Rust-o-leum from a Qt. can to use in my HVLP (Rockler) sprayer last spring to repaint an old metal table and chair set on the patio. Had to thin it some, but worked beautifully. Don't recall which one it was as Rust-o-leum has several types depending on what you want to paint.