Paint that works on "slippery" plastic

A method that might help, is scuffing the surface you are painting so it adheres better. This is a common practice of painting smooth surfaces.

Hi Buzz

Humbrol and Tamiya make etch primer for this purpose. 

Failing that, use Krylon.  I use the Camouflage flat black.  It sticks to everything, but needs up to 7 days to set rock hard.

Cheers

Buzz, you could also try a R/C model car/plane/heli shop - they usually have Pactra and I think some Tamiya paint for polycarbonate (e.g. Lexan) bodyshells that seem to work on the Weaver handrails. They have white and yellow at my local R/C store.   

And some of these paints from the RC world mentioned above are good for those awful shiny steam locomotive tires, applied after a good cleaning with an alcohol dipped cotton swab.   

Buzz5495 posted:

......the engineering ("slippery") plastic handrails will not accept or hold any paint that I have tried.

A good argument for replacing them with wire, brass or steel.

Buzz, I've had good success painting that engineering plastic, from handrail projects on both Weaver and Atlas engines.

wiping with a liquid de-glosser, then using Tamiya paint, which seems to adhere better.

the de-glosser can be found at a paint store. it's used to flatten gloss paint for adhesion prior to re-painting.

Sticks to everything.

Look for an adhesion promoter spray in the automotive section.  Read and follow the instructions then follow-up with finish paint designed for flexible material.

Pete M posted:

Buzz, you could also try a R/C model car/plane/heli shop - they usually have Pactra and I think some Tamiya paint for polycarbonate (e.g. Lexan) bodyshells that seem to work on the Weaver handrails. They have white and yellow at my local R/C store.   

Bingo!...   We (LHS) have additional colors in our R/C paint section, but the advice is solid.  The R/C car/truck bodies take a lot of abuse in their rough-and-tumble operation.  Flexing of the polycarbonate body is, well, just part of their life.  Therefore, it's essential that they decorate...from the mundane to the spectacular!!...with a paint that adheres well through the flexing.  And, even though the bodies are typically painted on the inside to avoid scratching and abrasion of the artwork through frequent contact with the ground, the paint must adhere and flex well.

And, so, it has been for years the paint of choice for the delicate, flexible handrails of the train guys/gals.  

There are several brands.  Adhesion promoters/preparations as mentioned above are worthwhile, too.   

OTOH, the next time you have a chance to look at the grabs and rails of the 1:1 which has been in service and the weather for a fair amount of time, you'll find that a bit of 'weathering' would probably be in order, too.....unless your equipment is always fresh from the paint shop, of course!  Ergo, the silver Sharpie (bare metal) and a rust-colored paint pen are useful....and appropriate!...for spot touch-ups.

But, that's just MHO, of course.

KD

Guys,

Thanks for the helpful replies. I've got enough end-rails to do, that I can experiment with some of your suggestions. I'll let you know which ones work best.

Marty, my first reaction was to do them with Precision stanchions and brass wire. After realizing I had a complete set of factory made Weaver handrails and assembled, pre-spaced stanchions with the locomotive ready to go, I opted for the quick and dirty route, which was to use what was at hand and not struggle with recreating something that was already right in front of me. With the help gained here, I think I can solve the paint problem.

Thank y'all

Buzz