I can actually voice some experience here since this is one of the few
things I know about.
...actually that's about the only subject I feel like somewhat an expert
on when we removed and refinished the bath plastic and fiberglass. I
read everything I could about ABS on the net.
I did a lot of repair on my sailboat and used some deck paint on it, so
I trusted West Marine for a paint. I used a good sturdy one step paint
and not an epoxy and I'm happy with it resisting chips ..cuz it would
have after all the tugging and pulling we did reinstalling it. The old
plastic and fiberglass tub were faded yellow and the steps I took were:
I sanded the parts with rough paper according to the primer directions
and washed them well with a special solvent they recommended....lightly,
cuz too much weakened the plastic until it evaporated. I wiped it with
water to remove solvent.
I patched several places with fiberglass fixit kit...bondo stuff and I
used epoxy on the plastic where there were some breaks. I cut pieces of
an old ABS a/c cover as reinforcement in back of the splits, holes and
other fixes and ground deep grooves with a Dremel tool to make them
rough so the epoxy would have "tooth" to grab and hold. Sanded and
cleaned all the fixes when they cured. This is busy work but not hard
and sorta fun.
I sprayed primer on all parts let them dry and sanded and resprayed
primer[aspecial one for leveling and adhesion]....it's for a good
adhesion and it levels the fixes well. These are 2 light coats.
I set up a huge spray booth in my pool shelter covering it with plastic
sheets and duct tape....hanging thin dry cleaner sheets in back of each
item I coated so I could throw them away.
I used a turn table so I could turn the parts too as I sprayed. I have
a 5 hp compressor I use in my pottery so I'm familiar with spray paint.
The thinner that washes out the sprayer is expensive and dangerous so
wear good respirator mask...about $40. I also wore an old bathrobe and
shower caps and used lots of vinyl gloves....latex gloves melt with the
thinner. Washing out the sprayer was the hardest and most dangerous
part.
I sprayed on 2 coats of the $40 a quart ivory deck paint drying and
sanding in between. All this took me a month due to a wet fall and I
needed dry weather. I would bring each piece inside and let it dry on
the dining table. In 2 weeks after the last coat the finish was cured
and much harder than I thought at first. I will keep the paint on hand
to touch up places and trim and rivet heads.
I am going to put these directions and some pix on my website soon so it
can help others. There are some pix of the "almost" finished bath on:
http://flummoxed.org/lexxey/dew1.htm
We still are working on the doors
Lexxy/aka/Lynn