Painting styrofoam?

[Steven Vaccaro]

Is there a way to paint that white Styrofoam? Normal spray paints just eat away at the stuff. Also not sure what to use to glue to it?

[ReddyWatts]

Here are four options for painting styrofoam.

• Water based Acrylic craft paints - paint these on with artists brushes or small 3 inch rollers
• Water based artists Air Brush Colors (obviously requires an air brush & air source)
• Water based Latex House Paints - use artists brushes or small 3 inch rollers
• Krylon H2o Latex Spray Paint - the label MUST read H2o - regular Krylon spray melts foam

Craft shops have styrofoam glue.

[Rex R]

drat! reddy was quicker bout paint...glue; pva will work(white glue, titebond 2) I've heard that 'gorilla glue' works too. try google; search terms foam safe paint(also for depron). usual mantra test on scrap bits before your model.

[quickwedge]

Right on,Reddy!! h2o based house paint works great.we use it on rc planes and the store can even mix any colors you want.it can be fuel proofed with the clear coat.
Steven,buy the glue at hobby lobby or arts and crafts store's.They have spray or liquid.I just used HOLD THE FOAM made by beacon comes in a tube. great stuff.

Quickwedge

[seabassturd]

Is there a way to paint that white Styrofoam? Normal spray paints just eat away at the stuff. Also not sure what to use to glue to it?

i built one of those flying hydroplane foam things, for the local hobby shop, and i used a foam safe ca, i think it was electrifly?or wattage?that sells it, i'll try and find out what it was. and if you are carefull you can use accelerator, but i'd test it out on scraps

[Steven Vaccaro]

water based spray paint is impossible to find around here. I hit 4 stores and nothing. Gorilla Glue makes a clear glue that will work with the styro. Thanks for the help!

[Rex R]

all you really need for painting is an impermiable layer to keep the solvents away from the styrofoam, then you can use almost anything. for example, one could brush on a coat(I think 2) of white glue, then krylon over the top. think I would consider some 1/64" ply covering the foam, then paint.

[seabassturd]

i built one of those flying hydroplane foam things, for the local hobby shop, and i used a foam safe ca, i think it was electrifly?or wattage?that sells it, i'll try and find out what it was. and if you are carefull you can use accelerator, but i'd test it out on scraps

E-flite sells the ca i mentioned

[ED66677]

Acrilic spray for lexan RC car body should work... as lexan doesn't support solvant based spray!!!
You can also use white mat paint for walls as primary, sprayed, and then apply anything on it!

Regarding gluing, I use polyurethane glue, some of these glue are used in general building, for wood gluing they are foaming but also exist in gel, I also use those new generation of glue (so called "no nail no screw"), the one that glue everything says the advert, these are polymer, in France we have a brand called Sader, division of Bostik, they make these two type of glue! I have successfully used both type on Depron or Styrofoam. These are non-solvant based glue but reactive, I've also used the polymer one when rebuilding a two-layer glass roof windows in my housse, gluing the two glass together with the piece of aluminium between!!!

[seabassturd]

testors enamel spray paint is what i painted the flying boat with

[quickwedge]

How did you prep it?