Camo paint for sistema containers

[Knot_gillty]

Hi everyone. Just wondering what you all think is the best, or at least a good camo paint for some sistema containers i've bought. I've seen some good camo jobs on a few and was after some pointers. All feedback appreciated and no arguing about "mines better than that" please. Cheers

[maccamob]

Paint won't stick to plastic containers for very long in the weather without some sort of preparation first. In an earlier thread on a similar subject, ESP (for Easy Surface Preparation) was recommended, and seems to work well. You can get it at Bunnings, and no doubt elsewhere as well. You could also try lighly sanding the surface. After that, you can choose your paint for the place you have planned. Often, plain matt black will suffice. Otherwise, we've had a lot of success with 'Spray Stone' (made by White Knight) and also available at Bunnings. It gives a speckled finish and comes in several colour combinations.

[Knot_gillty]

Paint won't stick to plastic containers for very long in the weather without some sort of preparation first. In an earlier thread on a similar subject, ESP (for Easy Surface Preparation) was recommended, and seems to work well. You can get it at Bunnings, and no doubt elsewhere as well. You could also try lighly sanding the surface. After that, you can choose your paint for the place you have planned. Often, plain matt black will suffice. Otherwise, we've had a lot of success with 'Spray Stone' (made by White Knight) and also available at Bunnings. It gives a speckled finish and comes in several colour combinations.

Thanks maccamob. I've found some of your caches with the "speckled finish" and was hoping for someone to let me know about this. Great stuff it is and works well.

[fehrgo]

Does the spray stone handle moisture well without a top coat? I have used some on a few caches, but top coated it due to concern for moisture. It would be nice if I found out that it works fine on its own

[maccamob]

Does the spray stone handle moisture well without a top coat? I have used some on a few caches, but top coated it due to concern for moisture. It would be nice if I found out that it works fine on its own

Seems ok so far. We haven't used a top coat on any of ours. We usually put matt black on first, then the spray stone over that.

[GeoScrubers]

I used green paint once, not any more, it stands out too much on this brown, drought ridden land

[Team Falling Numerals]

I used green paint once, not any more, it stands out too much on this brown, drought ridden land

Only if you are in the South! It only stopped raining up here last Weekend!

We use a matt finish green spray paint on our PVC pipes. It tends to blend in quite well with most surrounds up here.

[caughtatwork]

For sistemas the plastic seems to have some "oily" reside on it. I generally clean the container using soapy water which removes that oily feeling.

I then undercoat the container in a grey spray primer ($2.98 a can at Bunnings).

I find that if I don't prime, there are still some areas that don't stick well to the paint. Priming seems to fix that. I generally have two cans of primer, one in each hand and swirl them around the box. This gives a good overall coat and gets into areas that if I only had one can tend to get missed.

I open the sistemas and paint the lid and bottom separated with the clips opened like wings. I place both down on a brick (I have a bunch of nicely painted bricks now) and the brick on the grass. This keeps the box up above the grass blades.

When the primer is dry I take a can of mission brown and either heritage green or black (depending on my mood and spray paint supply). One in each hand and spray them both at the same time, crossing the streams such that they mix together before they hit the box.

This gives the box a nice mottled color without having any discernible lines from over spraying with a different color.

I will generally give them one primer and two or three top coats.

Plastic will always be a problem as it flexes when it's opened and closed which will cause the paint to flake off, but this is minimal.

For an ammo can, I spray the bottom of the can, wait until it's dry, then turn the whole thing the right way up and use the same method I use for the sistemas.

[Team Pathfinder]

Paint won't stick to plastic containers for very long in the weather without some sort of preparation first. .

Might have to prove to be the exception to the rule on this one. We have several plastic cache boxes which have been painted by me with no preparation just cheap green paint in a couple of different shades I thought I would slap on one day. One lot of paint was actually only craft stuff that needed using up. All caches have been "in the field" for up to three years although I must add that they are in reasonably dry areas they still look as "good" as when I first painted them. If only the house would stay painted that long!!

[Wingaap]

I generally wash them down before giving them a good sand.
A primer/undercoat and two top coats. They seem to stand up reasonably well.

[If]

Surface preparation is everything in the hide the Sistema (brand registered) game
Sandpaper is your friend
For a stickier paintjob that will never let go try the water based rust proofing paints though. They seem to be that much stickier and provide a tougher coating. As an added bonus, the plastic won't rust either

[If]

Another great surface treatment for cache containers great and small is that window caulking stuff you can buy in the tubes Comes in many colours too. OK so at 5 to 10 dollars a pop it can be expensive. But for that special camo job is cost really a matter
Smear it liberally over the container surface with a putty knife and sculpt it to your hearts desire. While the layer of caulking is wet you can embed any number of additional 3D camo elements into it
Great for those completely invisible caches. Just grab a handful of the surrounds and stick it to the cache
The window caulking is extremely weather resistant too

[alpha993]

1. wash in hot soapy water and let dry
2. "flame" plastic with craft lighter (use orange not blue flame to avoid melting plastic)
3. spray with matt black paint and let dry
4. spray with speckle-stone or similar

[Eynowd]

Hi everyone. Just wondering what you all think is the best, or at least a good camo paint for some sistema containers i've bought. I've seen some good camo jobs on a few and was after some pointers. All feedback appreciated and no arguing about "mines better than that" please. Cheers

Like a few others have suggested, I sand my containers back to roughen up the surface.

Then I give them a solid coating of matt black paint (what I refer to as "stealth mode").

Once that's properly dry, I then put on the camo paint, which is just several colours of White Knight gloss paint that I picked up at Bunnings (oh, and my White Knight Matt Black as well).

Here's an example of a cache I hid last year (the ammo box is going out this morning...)

[McPhan]

Mystery?