Comments | little_details: spraypainting toilet paper?

slytherinblack in little_details

spraypainting toilet paper?

Feb 11, 2006 15:46

I have a character who spray paints toilet paper to use it sort of like crepe paper. My editor pointed out that the TP might not survive the experience. I'd try it myself but I'm rather lacking in spray paint. Has anyone ever tried it, and did it work?

~paper

Comments 7

delphinapterus February 11 2006, 23:01:28 UTC

Crepe paper is heavier than TP, so I doubt that using TP for the same purpose would work. Also, when using TP one has to contend with the fact that it is perforated, and therefore, prone to tearing.

When TP gets wet, as it would from spray paint it gets mushy, whereas, crepe paper has be much wetter to achieve the same level of mushiness.

You could try brown paper, like butchers use to wrap meat or it used to wrap packages, instead of TP.

sucrelefey February 11 2006, 23:02:19 UTC

Sort of. The propellents in spray paints dissolve a lot of materials. You have to spray lightly from a distance. Oddly enough most spray paints kinda "powder out" on paper surfaces as the fibers wick away the moisture content. TP, since I use it to mask around things I'm painting, becomes a useless mess. Turns out a lot like the gooey globs of badly done paper mache, sticks and disintagrates. I don't see how it could become anything resembling crepe paper.

slytherinblack February 11 2006, 23:04:27 UTC

Thanks. :) That's what I needed to know.

I couldn't resist. julian_black February 11 2006, 23:33:59 UTC

This is such a weird, question, I just had to put it to the test.

So I took a 2' long piece of Charmin TP, and sprayed it with the closest to spray paint I had on hand, which was Kilz 2 oil-based primer. I only did a light coating on one side of the TP, and let it dry.

It survives being spray-painted very well. The fibres soak up the solvent in the paint like mad, so the paint penetrates it, rather than just forming a surface coating.

TP is much stronger after being spray-painted, too. I pulled on one end, trying to get the perforations to give way, and it took a lot more force to do it than it did on the unpainted TP. If I painted both sides, or used a heavier application, it might be stronger still.

Re: I couldn't resist. dandelion February 12 2006, 00:11:36 UTC

And now for the $64,000 question...does it still work as tp?

Re: I couldn't resist. slytherinblack February 12 2006, 02:25:15 UTC

XD Thanks for the info! My character is cackling gleefully at the "stronger than before" assessment.

Re: I couldn't resist. antikythera February 12 2006, 02:46:25 UTC

Nice. I was just thinking, this sounds like one for the Mythbusters.