I haven't had time to make any videos of dipping anything else, but the dipyourcar videos on youtube are helpful, so check those out. I'll try to get a video out of some tips and tricks, but I've been so monstrously busy I don't think I'll get to it this month.
As far as tips and pointers go, here are mine. I will update this as more things come to mind:
This sh!t is super flammable! The dip itself isn't supposed to be too flammable, but the fumes (and there will be LOTS of fumes) are apparently SUPER flammable. I have not tried this myself, but use caution.
Ventillation! I nearly killed myself spraying in a garage, even with a fan running and good mask on. Being poisoned has a feeling unlike any illness or sickness, and it can kill you. VENTILLATION!
Spray cans are gonna kill your fingers, try the trigger adapters and use two or three fingers. You'll get fatigued a lot slower. Trust me, when you do 10 coats over a whole bike, you WILL get finger fatigue.
Spray light, you can build up as you go. Well, don't spray LIGHT, but it's better to be a little thin than to have runs. Regular paint you can fix a run, not so much with plastidip.
Base coat. Most colors work best over a base coat. Black and gunmetal gray make the best base coats. Don't be stupid and try to save money, LAY DOWN A BASE COAT (yes, you will still want 4+ coats for your base)
Beware white, colors, and glossifier. These have a different makeup and are more prone to running. Most colors aren't bad. White is tough, and glossifier can be a real muthaf*cka, especially since it's hard to see where you are spraying and how heavy cause it's clear. HIGHLY recommend practice pieces for white and clears. (There is a *NEW* white that is much better. I know it's in gallons, not sure about cans. New formula, way better coverage)
Don't move your arm too fast... and don't move it too slow! Move too slow and you'll get drips and runs, BUT I've seen my friends go too far in the other direction and spray so fast they don't get any coverage.
Overlap 50/50 4-8 inches back. As you spray, you want about 50% of your application to overlap. Too much you'll get runs, too little and it will come out like zebra stripes. The dipyourcar guys recommend spraying farther back, but in my personal experience you gotta get a little closer. Otherwise, some dip will dry midflight and leave your surface rough.
Don't immediately go for full coverage! It's gonna take you upto 4 coats (maybe more for white) to start seeing a solid color. That's ok, don't rush it.
10 minutes between coats. This stuff dries FAST. I did one project where by the time I laid down a coat on the last piece, first piece was dry. I just kept going around with no wait time at all.
Sprayer pressure is important. If you're using the DYC sprayer with compressor, there is a dial for how much paint comes out. First time I was afraid of using too much. I think mine is at about 25 or 30% or so now. (I started around 5 and then tried 10%) You cannot change how much air sprays, and it sprays a lot, so you need to balance that with your dip. PRACTICE FIRST, but don't be too afraid of using too much. I found the hard way without enough paint, all the air can actually mess up your dip job.
Not too hot, not too cold. If possible, do not spray in direct sunlight on a hot day. The heat can mess up your finish. Also, if your pieces are hot, that can also give you less-than-perfect results. You also don't want to spray while it's too cold. I've had dip freeze between the sprayer and the surface.
Avoid moisture. If it has been raining or the surface isn't totally dry, the dip won't adhere correctly. I've had a small bubble show up almost a month after I sprayed and it pissed me off! If you wipe your bike down or clean it before dipping, rule of thumb is wash and dry the day before. Another good way is to wipe down with rubbing alcohol since it dries quickly and leaves no residue.
No wax. If you have wax on your surface, the dip won't adhere correctly. Use some dish washing detergent and wash the surface, the detergent will strip away the wax.
Yes wax... and proper drying time. Even after two weeks in a garage, dip is fragile. Drying in the sun helps strengthen the dip, as does a quality spray wax. When I do my bike, I give it 2 weeks to dry, then I SOAK the pieces in spray wax and let it dry, then repeat. The third time around I start wiping gently, this gets rid of water spots from the first two applications. No lie, I probably waxed my blue pieces 10 times over an hour before reassembly, but I was paranoid about my hard work getting damaged. After about a month some people have used real wax, but I haven't been that ballsy, but at the month mark I've been using tank bags, bungee ties, and scratched the finish a few times, but the dip is very resiliant and shows almost no wear. Plenty strong!
As far as tips and pointers go, here are mine. I will update this as more things come to mind:
This sh!t is super flammable! The dip itself isn't supposed to be too flammable, but the fumes (and there will be LOTS of fumes) are apparently SUPER flammable. I have not tried this myself, but use caution.
Ventillation! I nearly killed myself spraying in a garage, even with a fan running and good mask on. Being poisoned has a feeling unlike any illness or sickness, and it can kill you. VENTILLATION!
Spray cans are gonna kill your fingers, try the trigger adapters and use two or three fingers. You'll get fatigued a lot slower. Trust me, when you do 10 coats over a whole bike, you WILL get finger fatigue.
Spray light, you can build up as you go. Well, don't spray LIGHT, but it's better to be a little thin than to have runs. Regular paint you can fix a run, not so much with plastidip.
Base coat. Most colors work best over a base coat. Black and gunmetal gray make the best base coats. Don't be stupid and try to save money, LAY DOWN A BASE COAT (yes, you will still want 4+ coats for your base)
Beware white, colors, and glossifier. These have a different makeup and are more prone to running. Most colors aren't bad. White is tough, and glossifier can be a real muthaf*cka, especially since it's hard to see where you are spraying and how heavy cause it's clear. HIGHLY recommend practice pieces for white and clears. (There is a *NEW* white that is much better. I know it's in gallons, not sure about cans. New formula, way better coverage)
Don't move your arm too fast... and don't move it too slow! Move too slow and you'll get drips and runs, BUT I've seen my friends go too far in the other direction and spray so fast they don't get any coverage.
Overlap 50/50 4-8 inches back. As you spray, you want about 50% of your application to overlap. Too much you'll get runs, too little and it will come out like zebra stripes. The dipyourcar guys recommend spraying farther back, but in my personal experience you gotta get a little closer. Otherwise, some dip will dry midflight and leave your surface rough.
Don't immediately go for full coverage! It's gonna take you upto 4 coats (maybe more for white) to start seeing a solid color. That's ok, don't rush it.
10 minutes between coats. This stuff dries FAST. I did one project where by the time I laid down a coat on the last piece, first piece was dry. I just kept going around with no wait time at all.
Sprayer pressure is important. If you're using the DYC sprayer with compressor, there is a dial for how much paint comes out. First time I was afraid of using too much. I think mine is at about 25 or 30% or so now. (I started around 5 and then tried 10%) You cannot change how much air sprays, and it sprays a lot, so you need to balance that with your dip. PRACTICE FIRST, but don't be too afraid of using too much. I found the hard way without enough paint, all the air can actually mess up your dip job.
Not too hot, not too cold. If possible, do not spray in direct sunlight on a hot day. The heat can mess up your finish. Also, if your pieces are hot, that can also give you less-than-perfect results. You also don't want to spray while it's too cold. I've had dip freeze between the sprayer and the surface.
Avoid moisture. If it has been raining or the surface isn't totally dry, the dip won't adhere correctly. I've had a small bubble show up almost a month after I sprayed and it pissed me off! If you wipe your bike down or clean it before dipping, rule of thumb is wash and dry the day before. Another good way is to wipe down with rubbing alcohol since it dries quickly and leaves no residue.
No wax. If you have wax on your surface, the dip won't adhere correctly. Use some dish washing detergent and wash the surface, the detergent will strip away the wax.
Yes wax... and proper drying time. Even after two weeks in a garage, dip is fragile. Drying in the sun helps strengthen the dip, as does a quality spray wax. When I do my bike, I give it 2 weeks to dry, then I SOAK the pieces in spray wax and let it dry, then repeat. The third time around I start wiping gently, this gets rid of water spots from the first two applications. No lie, I probably waxed my blue pieces 10 times over an hour before reassembly, but I was paranoid about my hard work getting damaged. After about a month some people have used real wax, but I haven't been that ballsy, but at the month mark I've been using tank bags, bungee ties, and scratched the finish a few times, but the dip is very resiliant and shows almost no wear. Plenty strong!
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