What paint to put numbers on a 27 gallon black plastic tote?

[ROUSTABOUT]

Thanks,
Krylon fusion for plastic linky must be new and is going for about $40/can, or 12 ounces. That's almost military pricing.
I went for the old style at Walmart ~ $7/can. linky

Wall Marks has it for plaxtid larn funiture. I'd never buy that high stuff. It ain't me. Probably a wood burning iron for me to do plastic.

 

[Torvy]

We use very similar totes. Black Sharpie on the lids, White Sharpie on the totes. No need for tape, it will always eventually fail.

As noted above, have used Silver, too.

 

[Moxie 15]

jf you insist on painted numbers you could try automotive paint (expensive) or acrylic paint from an art supply house (affordable). You will need to get a Gesso, like a primer, for the acrylic

 

[newbury]

I went for the old style at Walmart ~ $7/can. linky

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

I scuff it with a ScotchBright pad, and then use the Brother “Extra Strength Adhesive” Label Tape.

 

[newbury]

I scuff it with a ScotchBright pad, and then use the Brother “Extra Strength Adhesive” Label Tape.

Some of these will end up on high shelves, maybe 12' up. I want BIG numbers to be easy to see. The largest my PDT 600 does is 1", definitely not big enough for me.

 

[2manyrocks]

This thread reminds me of the warehouse from Indiana Jones and the Ark of the Covenant.

Everything stenciled, "TOP SECRET. Do Not Open."

 

[dstig1]

The tubs are probably high density polyethylene - not much sticks to that as you have found out. There are some rattle cans that are for plastic, but check the label to see what they recommend. They might say something about priming or which materials it won't work on.

There is another trick in the industry for activating the surface better. You can do a surface treatment like corona or plasma, but those are not for the home shop... but flame treating can be done with a basic propane torch. The trick is you are not looking to heat up the surface of the plastic but just trying to wave the flame (which is essentially a plasma) over it. Get it close-ish, move pretty quick and don't stop. Then mark it within a few minutes and it should hold up a lot better. You will want to make multiple passes to cover larger areas, but again, move fast and don't pause - ever.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

You could affix label cards to the totes, and mark them. I’d melt holes for pop rivets with a soldering iron, to lessen the odds of it splitting out and away from the holes.