Okay. So now onto the front bumper.
Okay, so bolted the light bar on. Had to use a titanium drill bit. Mild steel bit wouldn't go through mister bumper. Titanium coated one went through like butter.
I also don't like the ugly faded grey plastic valance. And this is a zero miles brand new dealer pull off chrome bumper. They come from the factory that ugly grey.
More chromage. That grill is krylon black. It's getting dipped next too since the bumper turned out so nice.
Wiped the chrome with windex to prep it for paint. I didn't sand so that I could always peel it off if I get tired of matt black. You don't have to sand with this stuff to adhere anway. Have to get that paint mentality out of my head.
Since everything is chrome, it's gonna take a lot of coats. I think I ended up with eight here.
Tapin and preppin:
Taped the corners too so I didn't get overspray on the fender lips.
Okay, so this was my first foray into spraying plasti dip. I hadn't figured out the secret. You'll notice the coverage is spotty here. You shouldn't see that stippling. It should just be shades darker. This was the first coat. The problem was the temperature of the CANS. It was 40 degrees outside. The cans HAVE TO BE HOT. You want to fill a mop bucket of sink hot water (hot as the sink can get it. Not boiling obviously). Pull the can out of the bucket of water, dry it with a towel, and start shooting. As soon as the can stops feeling warm to the touch, drop it back in the bucket and start again with a hot can.
If you use a cold or even room temperature can, you'll get this stippling. I'll post a couple pics so you can tell what's happening. Luckily plastidip is the most forgiving thing I've ever used. Even over this bonehead start, I just kept laying on coats 2-8 with the fine mist coverage of the hot cans and you couldn't tell it started out stippled. Looked like flawless powdercoat. Love it.
Stipple first coat pics:
Closer pic of stippled first coat on bumper:
Another good one of the stippling on our Harbor Freight KC knockoffs.
Okay, this I think was coat two, and at about the point I figured out the temperature thing. I didn't just figure it out, I asked some questions over at the plastidip car forums over at
http://www.dipyourcar.com
Those guys blow my mind daily with what they're doing with this stuff.
Okay, starting to get better coverage and blurring out the stippling with good spray pattern:
Yeah, here's about six coats in. Good coverage. Lookin nice. Can still see a little chrome through it. Let's put a few more on and see what we get.
Ahh. Much better!
Aaand coat numero Ocho. Lookin good!
Alright. Let's back this baby out into the Sun and sePasses the ten foot test too. Looks factory clean.
Yup.
e what we've got. I think it's winking.
Nice. Looks like powdercoat, even up close. Perfect.
Let's pull the tape off and step back a few.
Yup.
Passes the ten foot test. Looks factory clean.
We'll count this as a win.
I'm really thinking about doing my door handles next, followed by the doghouse and console.
My doghouse has a bunch of scratches kicked in it and is faded/ugly. I think this stuff is just the ticket. Doesn't smell like anything either.
Hope this helps guys. Stay tuned for updates.
Okay.