Plasti-dip anyone??

[BroncoHauler]

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

... If you know you want it black forever just shoot it black. Spray paint is cheaper.

That's the $64,000 question. Plastidip seems like a girlfriend that you can change your mind on, and paint is permanent like a wife (well, except for the 'cheaper' part you mentioned).

I have a compressor, so I may buy a cheap Harbor Freight HVLP spray gun.


Herb

[86Scotty]

Yep, but most of us eventually end up with a wife. Generally more reliable. Great analogy though.

Give it a try, Herb. It's really fun stuff to experiment with. The black wheels on my silver van are dipped and I have no plans to permanently paint them.

[BroncoHauler]

What started this thought train was that I've never worked with fiberglass before, so I know the final finished repair will probably not look the greatest if I paint my hood with a gloss paint. So I originally started thinking about a matte paint, then I started considering Blitz Black (a satin finish black paint), and then I started thinking about PlastiDip.

I'd say this train has thoroughly derailed.


Herb

[MrHenrietta]

I plasti dipped my grill. It has lasted 4 years and still looks great FWIW.

[GAR]

The key thing to remember when plastidipping is to place enough coats so removal is easier. If not, removal is a royal pain. Also, small areas that lift up or scratch can be repaired using acetone to smoothout the edges, then respray the area. I did a rifle once, and it worked for one hunting season. Removing it was not fun.

Gar

[86Scotty]

Originally Posted by GAR

The key thing to remember when plastidipping is to place enough coats so removal is easier. If not, removal is a royal pain. Also, small areas that lift up or scratch can be repaired using acetone to smoothout the edges, then respray the area. I did a rifle once, and it worked for one hunting season. Removing it was not fun.

Gar

That's very true and a good point to make here. The first time I used it I sprayed something and didn't like it. I tried to take it off and it was coming off in tiny pieces. I thought I had been robbed. I called the company and they said to get it off spray a bunch more on it and thicken the coat. It worked perfectly.

[greggearhead]

I have used plastidip on some winter wheels. It holds up surprisingly well.

That being said - I'll reiterate what others say. Do more light coats, and it will peel off later when you want it to. Thinner and fewer or lighter coats doesn't cover as well or peel off later.

What I would HIGHLY recommend over plastidip is bedliner. It holds up better over time, and looks better as well (IMO).

Here's my chrome grille that I bedlined. I'll do the chrome bumpers next.

[BroncoHauler]

Originally Posted by greggearhead

...What I would HIGHLY recommend over plastidip is bedliner. It holds up better over time, and looks better as well (IMO)...

From what I can see of your grill, the bedliner looks like it has a fairly smooth texture. Did you thin the bedliner and then spray it? Any special gear needed to spray it, and what bedliner did you use?


thanks,
Herb

[greggearhead]

Yep - it's fairly smooth. Spray cleans easily.

I just bought the aerosol stuff from the parts store. I think Duplicolor, but can't remember. I've used a few brands and they all seem pretty close.

[NRL]

I usually use the Matte Black PlastiDip for a nice matte black sheen on emblems and misc parts but found out that it's not UV resistant..and starts to degrade.

After Drying, I spray ElastiWrap Aerosol Matte Clear over it to give it more UV resistance..