So I was going to be experimenting with some cheap metal cups and I wanted to know if any of you had tried this before. I don't know the first place to begin but my best guess is using the same type of paint and finish used for new cars, very shiny look to them. Anyone know how I could accomplish this? What kind of paint to use, is there a polish to apply afterards, etc.?

Eddie… check into making a paint box. You will want a clean dust free environment to paint those Cups for a smooth finish. I wonder if a body shop would paint some Cups reasonably priced for you or a trade school.

Give the paint some time to cure before you wax them.

Good luck and let us know how they turn out,
Bruce

Eddie --- I've never painted any cups, but I know the surface has to be very clean. No oils from your hands. Also, you should put a coat of primer on the cups before painting them. Otherwise, the paint won't stick too well.

BCS has a good idea; have a body shop or trade school paint them. I'll bet a trade school would be glad to try a small job like that.

Spray painting, or any kind of painting for that matter, really requires a knack.

Good luck,

Tom

Eddie, did you ever get a chance to paint those cups?

Tom

No, I haven't gotten the chance to buy any cheap aluminum sets for the painting yet. I'll post pics when I do.

I'd like to paint mine, too. I'm sure the paint will start to chip off after stacking the cups. That would be a pain.

There's gotta be some kind of sealant that'll keep it on. I'm going to buy a few cheapo aluminum sets, maybe next week and experiment.

Maybe you could spray them with a polyurethane finish or something.

Spray them with polyurethene varnish?

I don't know. It seems like it could work.

There has to be some kind of hi-tech car paint available… just a thought.

Maybe acrylic paint would work.
It has a sort of 'plsticiser' in it and is quite flexible.

I'm not sure if it can be sprayed though. I would think that it would.

Spraying would be the way to go for a good finish in my opinion.

I'm going to try a low-tech method. I'm heading over to K-Mart to buy some spray primer. I'll clean the cups with alcohol to make sure there's no oil or anything on them. I already have some white spray paint, so I think I'll try that. Maybe, if I'm lucky, they'll sort of look like RNT2's White Beauties.

http://rnt2.com/product.aspx?productno=20

I'll let you guys know

Look for an automotive lacquer and spray it on.
If you put some sealer on it (and you don't need to), beware that you don't build up too much thickness between the cups or they will stick together when they are nested/stacked.

I've just ordered some of those cheap aluminum canadian cups, for about ten bucks a pop. Got some different paints ready as well. careful what you paint, Tom... don't go ruining a good set.