Plastidip Fail

[hogsrear]

I was researching the best way to paint the tailgate emblem and settled on rattle can Plastidip after seeing countless others do it with pretty nice results. I wanted to keep it simple and have the entire emblem the same matte black finish, which also means not having to take the thing completely apart. I did pull it off the truck vs. masking and spraying right on the tailgate because, well it just doesn't feel right on a brand new truck.

I was hesitant to do this yesterday as we had temps in the low 30s, but apparently it can be done and it helps to warm the can up in a bowl of hot water before each coat which I did. I would say it was going pretty smooth but I noticed with every coat that the paint just would not adhere to the tiny chrome ring that is set in on the border of the emblem. I tried laying on heavier coats thinking it might even out and fill in, but it really didn't. After 7 coats I gave up, waited for it to try and peeled it right off, which is a pretty nice feature when things don't go quite right. The bezel (mounting piece that attaches to the truck with the camera) actually came out pretty nice so I left it for now. Job half done.

I'm tempted to go back and just use my normal spray paint procedure on the whole thing, which of course is more permanent. Would the temperature have been part of the issue here? Or maybe it wasn't clean enough? I wiped it down with soap and water then an alcohol pad before applying the first coat. Any tips are appreciated!

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[Gsxrdoug]

I'm glad someone else's plasty dip looks the same as mine.

 

[CJ74]

Mine seemed to come out pretty good last summer. I cleaned it up, taped it off and put 7 or 8 coats on it. You might want to try it again when it warms up.

 

[Elmosaurus]

What did you use to degrease before application?

That is key in getting even coverage and adhesion.

 

[mtsoxfan]

It adheres better when in warmer temps. Not sure how cold it got, but warming it up in a water bath may not have warmed all the ingredients...

 

[Gsxrdoug]

I did mine in 70+ weather, doesn't get too cold here.

 

[Trustable]

Honestly I dont think it looks that bad, especially when its gonna be on the truck. The issue is that you are gonna know it has those imperfections, and its gonna bug you more than anything. I wonder if you could just use some sharpie to touch up those spots?

 

[BrassSlinger]

Is this more what your looking for or are you after the entire emblem blacked out?

 

[hogsrear]

Honestly I dont think it looks that bad, especially when its gonna be on the truck. The issue is that you are gonna know it has those imperfections, and its gonna bug you more than anything. I wonder if you could just use some sharpie to touch up those spots?

Yeah it would definitely bug me, it’s such a simple small piece I want it to look as good as I can get it.

Is this more what your looking for or are you after the entire emblem blacked out?

Going for all blacked out, since it’s the only bit of chrome left on the truck now and feels out of place. I’ll try again when it gets warm.

 

[Scooterdog]

Friends don’t let friends use Plastidip.

Ever!

 

[rydfree]

Friends don’t let friends use Plastidip.

Ever!

Note to self :

When looking at used vehicles , always scratch the emblems and trim to see if the color comes off , lol .

 

[MountainGoat]

Friends don’t let friends use Plastidip.

Ever!

It depends. @Stangman570 nailed it:

View attachment 123601

 

[AdamHarris]

All paint products want to be 70° or higher for the paint itself and the surface you’re painting (substrate). No exceptions ever.

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