How to Paint Silicone Rubber?

Answer 1

Whether you are curious about how to get paint to stay on your silicone caulk or you simply want to paint a few interesting designs on a simple prosthetic made of silicone rubber, the process for painting silicone rubber is, for the most part, the same idea either way. However, silicone rubber is notorious for not letting paint stick to it too well, which means that a few methods of preparation must first be employed so that the paint is encouraged to adhere to the silicone rubber. These techniques must be followed if you want to apply your paint to your silicone rubber.

For this project, you will need some rags, blue painter’s tape, dish soap, a primer based on oil, an oil-based paintbrush of an inch to four, mineral spirits and craft brushes.

1. Use a rag and some dish soap to scrub your silicone rubber, so you can make sure it is completely clean. Before you proceed, rinse all parts of it off and let it dry completely.
2. Get some of the blue tape and put it on any spot you do not want the paint to get onto.
3. Take the primer and use the paintbrush to apply it to the silicone rubber. Only do it in thin coats, because if you put too much, you might experience drips or runs. Let this coat of primer dry over three hours before returning to it.
4. Thoroughly clean your paintbrush before continuing. For best results, you should rinse it through three full times before you use your mineral spirits on it.
5. Now you can use your paintbrush to apply your paint. Remember to do it in the same fashion as when you applied the oil primer.
6. Remember that you should use an oil-based brush if you want to use an oil-based paint, but if you decide that you want to stick with a latex paint, you will need to have a latex brush.
7. It is also possible to primer that can be sprayed on the silicone rubber, and you can use acrylic paint instead of the kind you just use a brush for.