Plasti dip question

[jlaudio]

How in the world do you guys get it to be so even? Granted i may be alittle anal about how im doing it, but i cant seem to get it to coat evenly, almost as if theres tiny air bubbles when it dries.

Ive tried 2 times now, peeling it off after because im not happy with the results.
(Btw, so cool how you can just peel it off, i love how if i screw it up its not permanent!)

So DIY experts, how do you do it, and be satisfied with the results?

[topcat]

Just keep adding layers. It will "smooth" out. Don't put too heavy a layer on each time either. The first one should be a light coat , and then adding more to each coat. I did about 6 coats for mine.

[melloyelloguy]

Where can I pick up some quick Plasti dip? Home Depot? Lowes? Walmart?

[kwimberly]

Where can I pick up some quick Plasti dip? Home Depot? Lowes? Walmart?

I get mine at Home Depot - in the spray paint section.

That's weird that you're getting bubbles. That was one of the coolest things about doing my grills - it's like it's magic paint or something. It had bubbles right after application but then just smoothed out as it dried. I did about 3 coats with coat 1 being very light. All I did was clean the pieces with hot soapy water. No sanding. It still looks perfect after 6 months.

[mdzaudi]

Home Depot seems to be the only reliable place to get the spray version. But yes, do 6+ coats at half hour intervals.

[Pr0n]

How in the world do you guys get it to be so even? Granted i may be alittle anal about how im doing it, but i cant seem to get it to coat evenly, almost as if theres tiny air bubbles when it dries.

Ive tried 2 times now, peeling it off after because im not happy with the results.
(Btw, so cool how you can just peel it off, i love how if i screw it up its not permanent!)

So DIY experts, how do you do it, and be satisfied with the results?

It's a slow long process that requires patience, and I'd let it dry overnight if possible. After about 3-4 hours of drying, I picked it up and my finger smudges the top layer which requires a fill and another layer to even it out.

[audiracer4life]

Where can I pick up some quick Plasti dip? Home Depot? Lowes? Walmart?

Got mine at Lowes

[Rommulus]

Not sure how big these air bubbles you are refering to are, but Plasti-dip does not produce a smooth finish. The result is slightly textured... that's normal.

[rocketheavy]

mine is smooth.... i lightly sanded mine before i applied a 4 thin coats . still looks mint a year later now :)

[JMRQuattro]

Yup mine is good and smooth too. OP, make sure you sand the grill first, clean it w/ soap and water, then do what everyone else has said and apply a really light coat first. From there it will stick easier and you can just keep building up light coats and it will come out great. But leave time in between each coat for drying. Like 10-15 minutes should be enough to make it tacky at least, enough to put another coat but not to touch.

[audiracer4life]

Yup mine is good and smooth too. OP, make sure you sand the grill first, clean it w/ soap and water, then do what everyone else has said and apply a really light coat first. From there it will stick easier and you can just keep building up light coats and it will come out great. But leave time in between each coat for drying. Like 10-15 minutes should be enough to make it tacky at least, enough to put another coat but not to touch.

Didn't you do a good DIY on here? I think I followed it when I did mine...

[jlaudio]

Not sure how big these air bubbles you are refering to are, but Plasti-dip does not produce a smooth finish. The result is slightly textured... that's normal.

Not all that big, but big enough to bother me.. And it seems they only started on one side as the other side is smooth

I guess ill keep trying it, I paid like 7 bucks for 2 spray cans of it so its not like im worried about wasting the materials haha

[JMRQuattro]

Didn't you do a good DIY on here? I think I followed it when I did mine...

I never made a DIY with pics, i just basically summed up what i did and took pics of the end result. I followed the DIY on A4mods.com. I think you may have PM'd me though.

[zz2h33]

commonly you can get issues like this if there is any unseen oil film on the surface you are painting. even your fingers will leave oil. any time you paint something first wipe it down with denatured alcohol...then dont touch! only wash it with soap and water to get dirt off, then wipe it down with the alcohol as soap may leave film as well. plasti-dip is pretty forgiving tho since it needs little prep to adhere, but use this a rule of thumb anytime you rattle can something.

[Pumpkicker]

How in the world do you guys get it to be so even? Granted i may be alittle anal about how im doing it, but i cant seem to get it to coat evenly, almost as if theres tiny air bubbles when it dries.

Ive tried 2 times now, peeling it off after because im not happy with the results.
(Btw, so cool how you can just peel it off, i love how if i screw it up its not permanent!)

So DIY experts, how do you do it, and be satisfied with the results?

I just finished my lower grill last week and am VERY pleased with how it turned out. I didn't run into any "bubbles" while spraying my grill surround, but did run into that problem when I was recoloring/refinishing my Jeep interior. My problem with the Jeep was oil/contaminants on the surface of the plastic.

For my adventure in plasti-dip land I endured the wrath of my wife (it was brief) to wash the grill surround in the sink with some Dawn. After you wash it set it down on the counter and go put on some latex or nitrile gloves and hand dry the part with a nice MF towel.

Once its good and dry (30 mins or so) you can get to work. Wear gloves when you handle the part or you'll get skin oil on it and run the risk of not adhering the plasti-dip well. I dry sanded with 150 grit (3M sandblaster or whatever they call it with the foam backing) just enough to make the surface appearance change from shiny chrome to brushed aluminum.

Set up your paint area (I did mine in my back yard on some cardboard with the part sitting face up on a couple of dowels so I wouldn't have to peel it off the cardboard) so you can maneuver all the way around with your spray can and not have to move the part once you start spraying.

The first coat needs to be light and WILL NOT cover the part 100% at all. If you try to get a complete color change with the first coat you'll end up with sags and runs. 30 mins later spray the second coat, slightly heavier than the first. Repeat the sprays every 30 mins until you are satisfied with the finish. By the third coat the color change should be complete.

You'll see a pretty uneven surface immediately after you spray, but the product will self-level pretty well in the 30 mins you wait to spray the next coat.

I ended up with 4 or 5 coats and let dry for a good 24 hours before attempting to install.

Hope this helps a little.

-Joe

[jlaudio]

I just finished my lower grill last week and am VERY pleased with how it turned out. I didn't run into any "bubbles" while spraying my grill surround, but did run into that problem when I was recoloring/refinishing my Jeep interior. My problem with the Jeep was oil/contaminants on the surface of the plastic.

For my adventure in plasti-dip land I endured the wrath of my wife (it was brief) to wash the grill surround in the sink with some Dawn. After you wash it set it down on the counter and go put on some latex or nitrile gloves and hand dry the part with a nice MF towel.

Once its good and dry (30 mins or so) you can get to work. Wear gloves when you handle the part or you'll get skin oil on it and run the risk of not adhering the plasti-dip well. I dry sanded with 150 grit (3M sandblaster or whatever they call it with the foam backing) just enough to make the surface appearance change from shiny chrome to brushed aluminum.

Set up your paint area (I did mine in my back yard on some cardboard with the part sitting face up on a couple of dowels so I wouldn't have to peel it off the cardboard) so you can maneuver all the way around with your spray can and not have to move the part once you start spraying.

The first coat needs to be light and WILL NOT cover the part 100% at all. If you try to get a complete color change with the first coat you'll end up with sags and runs. 30 mins later spray the second coat, slightly heavier than the first. Repeat the sprays every 30 mins until you are satisfied with the finish. By the third coat the color change should be complete.

You'll see a pretty uneven surface immediately after you spray, but the product will self-level pretty well in the 30 mins you wait to spray the next coat.

I ended up with 4 or 5 coats and let dry for a good 24 hours before attempting to install.

Hope this helps a little.

-Joe

Thanks man, i most likely rushed it.. im going to give it another whack when the weather clears for a solid 12 hours

[audiracer4life]

I never made a DIY with pics, i just basically summed up what i did and took pics of the end result. I followed the DIY on A4mods.com. I think you may have PM'd me though.

That's right I did PM you and you helped me loads. Thanks ... it turned out really nice

[a4darkness]

Nice quickie writeup Joe. Couldn't recall which grit sandpaper I used last time. Thanks.