So, I am using plasti dip on my Rally to see if I want to bling it up a bit. If I don't like it on a certain panel, I can just peel it off.
So, today I was using some CLEAR Plasti Dip and it started roughing up in spots, that looked like some lint or dust had gotten into it. Believe me, it wasn't dust or lint. It was pure Plasti Dip in little hardened grain like spots. Then on one piece (the tail light cover) it actually went milk white. The whole panel was milk white! So, I peeled off my hood and tail light cover and started over again with a new can. Since no stores in the area had CLEAR Plasti Dip, I ordered it on line and received two cans. So, the second can started doing the exact same thing. I was using clear as a base because someone had told me to use it to keep from staining the plastic parts with the color. I was planning to use the clear on the silver parts of the Rally and then go over it with black before using the Metalizer. So, the black PD is working fine with no glitches. The metalizer is fantastic. Once it dries real well, I plan to use the Glossifier over the PD'd parts. Once I get it back together, if I don't like it I can peel it and do something else. If I like it, I can eventually do it in permanent paint.
I do not know if I did something wrong with the Clear Plasti Dip, or if I got two cans from a bad lot. All I know is that I dont' think I will use it again.
If you have any experience with this stuff and know what caused it to act up, let me know.
I'll post some photos once I get it back together.. I am also using pin striping.
OK, so I answered my own question regarding the cloudy Clear coat. Apparently, that is common when it is very humid. Like it never gets humid in Florida. So, since I do not see any NON humid days in the future, I guess I won't use the clear plasti dip. I hope that doesn't mean that the Glossifyer is also like that, because I plan to use that on my plasti dipped panels. Guess we'll see tomorrow. I have to work in my drive way, since my garage is packed with no room to move around in. It would be too hot in there to work anyway.
When the clear started 'roughing up' & hardening into those 'grain like spots', could you see any center or anything (like a small drop of water?) they were forming around?? Any chance you can check one with a magnifying glass (or a microscope - doesn't everyone have one of them lying around at home?? Say, still unused, sitting on the desk or bookshelf, tucked behind your kid's science kit??) Inquiring minds would like to know - if at all possible??
We don't easily get Plasti Dip OR Florida humidity here in South Aust.... Plenty of heat at times, plenty of water in the air occasionally too, but usually not at the same time & besides, the water's usually in Biiig drops or floods, not as humidity! So I can't readily test it out myself?!
So, yesterday I had finally gotten several layers of plasti dip on the panels I wanted to do, as well as the metalizer. It looked real good except of course, it was not yet glossy. Remember, I had to peel off the hood and the tail light cover yesterday because it was either cloudy or peeling like real finely shredded coconut. That was the clear plasti dip, and it happened with both cans I tried. Note: I had cleaned the panels real good and even wiped them hard with alcohol and allowed them to dry before starting. So, all the panels were finished with a nice metal flake look to them.
Ok, so today I wanted to put the Glossifier on them to give them a nice shiny look. Being cautious this time, I decided to do a small panel and if it went bad it would be less peeling and starting over. I did the tail light cover again with the Glossifier. It went well so I proceeded with the stone guard and then on until I got to the hood. I had the hood taped off so I only did certain sections. Each panel I sprayed I waited the requisite 4-5 minutes minimum before applying another coat. All went well until I got to the hood. I was running low on the can of Glossifier so I decided to be careful and start a new can. I had two cans of each; black, clear, metalizer and glossifier. I picked up a new, full can and shook it up real good. I then started spraying and it went on well but looked different from the rest. By this time I had completely sprayed the hood and was examining it for blemishes. It definitely looked wrong. Glancing down at the can I discovered that I had picked up the can of metalizer and was adding more metal to it than I wanted, AND it did not match the other panels. That's just great. Ok, so at least it went on well. After it dried the required time, I used the new can of Glossifier and started spraying, one coat, two coats, and then started noticing the edges at the vent openings in the hood were peeling up like finely grated coconut or Parmesan cheese. Folks, that is enough to cause an eruption of blue language that would make my Marine Gunny proud.
Now, I will wait for it to dry and start peeling it off again. I do have blisters on one hand from peeling yesterday. Regardless of what they say, the small areas along the edges do not peel easily. Although, you can rub them until the roll up. The larger areas DO peel in a large sheet. I am not even sure that I will like it this way and that is why I want something that I can strip down easily(?) if I decide to change it. If I like it, I can peel it and paint it with permanent paint.
The saga of the Plasti Dip adventure will continue......
Maybe you should try a roll of wrap and a heat gun, If you don't like it; it peels right off with no damage. I have seen some wrap jobs where they wrap the bike and looks like a factory paint job. One was a two wheeler that was wrapped (the tank and frame) in carbon fiber look. But good luck with the plastic dip, I have been watching to see how this works for you. Semper fi!
I'm curious why you want use plasti-dip rather than a regular body paint? Seems like a special use paint (i.e. peelable rubberized finish)
Well, I have been looking at this for some time and it seemed like a good idea at the time of my decision. It IS a good question that you brought up. If you go on YouTube, you will see whole cars, wheels, etc. done in Plasti Dip, and it has a reputation of being durable and lasting years. I wanted to try some ideas on my Ryker and was not sure of what I wanted. So, if I tried an idea with Plasti Dip, I figured I could just peel it off if I did not like it. I am sure that my problem is the environment. It is hot in Florida and humid. The plastic panels of the Ryker are not exactly hard plastic. They are flexible. The Ryker is NOT a Spyder and does not pretend to be a Spyder. But, there is no reason that one cannot personalize their Ryker. I am using Plasti Dip to give me ideas, along with pin striping that I am going to put on my Ryker. I like my Ryker plain Black, but there is going to be plenty of plain black Rykers out there. If that did not answer your question, basically I am not sure what I want to paint on the Ryker so I am not using a standard auto paint on it. I have already thought that I might not want to paint certain panels that I have Plasti dipped and will see how it goes before I peel the dip off. If I could get the PD to work for me the way I want it to, it would be a great idea. Once you paint this plastic, the only way back is to replace the panels that you painted. This way, I can be sure before I commit.
Thanks for your input. I am always open for suggestions and opinions.
Well, I have been looking at this for some time and it seemed like a good idea at the time of my decision. It IS a good question that you brought up. If you go on YouTube, you will see whole cars, wheels, etc. done in Plasti Dip, and it has a reputation of being durable and lasting years. I wanted to try some ideas on my Ryker and was not sure of what I wanted. So, if I tried an idea with Plasti Dip, I figured I could just peel it off if I did not like it. I am sure that my problem is the environment. It is hot in Florida and humid. The plastic panels of the Ryker are not exactly hard plastic. They are flexible. The Ryker is NOT a Spyder and does not pretend to be a Spyder. But, there is no reason that one cannot personalize their Ryker. I am using Plasti Dip to give me ideas, along with pin striping that I am going to put on my Ryker. I like my Ryker plain Black, but there is going to be plenty of plain black Rykers out there. If that did not answer your question, basically I am not sure what I want to paint on the Ryker so I am not using a standard auto paint on it. I have already thought that I might not want to paint certain panels that I have Plasti dipped and will see how it goes before I peel the dip off. If I could get the PD to work for me the way I want it to, it would be a great idea. Once you paint this plastic, the only way back is to replace the panels that you painted. This way, I can be sure before I commit.
Thanks for your input. I am always open for suggestions and opinions.
Now I understand. You might want to try vinyl body wrap instead. I believe it is removable if you don't like the results. Worth checking out, I think.
Where’s the pics??? & where are you applying: Indoor/outdoor
2013 STL SE5 BLACK CURRANT
SpyderPop's: LED bumpskid
SmoothSpyder: dualmode back rest
T r * * LED:foam grip covers, Tricrings, FenderZ,
brake light strips, wide vue mirrors
Rivico SOMA modulation brake leds
sawblade mowhalk fender accents
minispyder dash toy
Lid lox
KradelLock
Pakitrack
GENSSI ELITE LED H4 headlights
FLO (Frunk Lid Organizer)
BRP fog lights, trailer hitch
SENA 20S EVO
I thought about the vinyl wrap but have seen how large decals can be such a pain to get all the bubbles out, that I figured that my clumsy handling would probably be a disaster. I may try the vinyl wrap. I've seen some really nice vinyl jobs out there, and I am kind of wondering if it is a job that I can do. I have rattle can painted before with great results, so I thought that Plasti Dip would be as easy.
Looks expensive also. That is something to investigate though. I almost think it would be better to just paint the plastic and if I didn't like it, then buy another panel to replace the ones I don't like. Thanks for the idea though. I am not sure how the vinyl wrap would handle the sun and heat of Florida. According to your link, it says that it could get baked in and harder to remove.
Where’s the pics??? & where are you applying: Indoor/outdoor
Good question. I am doing this in my driveway, since my garage is even hotter and also to cluttered to paint in. The photos? They did not come out good enough to see anything. I am using a flip phone, for one thing. I have other photos where it dried with a milky appearance, but with the sunlight shining on them, you can't tell. The one that is attached shows how the glossifier peeled back like thin threads or finely shredded coconut. The sparkles you see are the Metalizer giving it a metal flake appearance. It did look pretty good until I put the gloss on it. I'll be peeling it off tomorrow. The current Temp. out there right now is 94* and I am sweating too much to handle it today. I'll try again in the morning when it is cooler(?).
I thought about the vinyl wrap but have seen how large decals can be such a pain to get all the bubbles out, that I figured that my clumsy handling would probably be a disaster. I may try the vinyl wrap. I've seen some really nice vinyl jobs out there, and I am kind of wondering if it is a job that I can do. I have rattle can painted before with great results, so I thought that Plasti Dip would be as easy.
Read up on it a little. The bubbles smooth out very easily because the material 'breathes`. I've had good luck using it on the hood of my truck to eliminate sun glare. And, the material isn't all that expensive considering its many benefits IF you do it yourself.
Read up on it a little. The bubbles smooth out very easily because the material 'breathes`. I've had good luck using it on the hood of my truck to eliminate sun glare. And, the material isn't all that expensive considering its many benefits IF you do it yourself.
Thanks, I'll check into it. I am looking more at a gloss contrast to all the matte. I don't know how it will hold up to all this heat and sun in Flordia, but I might give it a try if the price is right. I've already wasted enough on the Plasti Dip. Never expected it to be this bad. I have rattle can painted a whole golf cart and it turned out great. So, I don't think it is my painting ability. I have to go with the heat and humidity as the reason for the difficulty.
Thanks, I'll check into it. I am looking more at a gloss contrast to all the matte. I don't know how it will hold up to all this heat and sun in Flordia, but I might give it a try if the price is right. I've already wasted enough on the Plasti Dip. Never expected it to be this bad. I have rattle can painted a whole golf cart and it turned out great. So, I don't think it is my painting ability. I have to go with the heat and humidity as the reason for the difficulty.
The range of colors and finishes probably exceeds what you can find in Plasti-dip. Do a little googling.
Just an update on the Plasti Dip, if anyone is interested:
For the second time, I stripped the hood and decided this time to just paint two areas on it. I taped it all off with Frog tape and started with my base coats (4 black coats). Then I used gold metalizer lightly to give it a metal flake look. After that dried, I used the Glossifier. This time, it all came out pretty good. All the information on Plasti Dip says to pull up the tape when the PD is still wet so it won't stick and stretch. I started pulling it up while wet and some of it had dried on the bottom coats (logical) and stretched before tearing off jagged. OK, so I figured that a sharp razor blade would trim it off neatly. It did, but it also curled back somewhat around the edges. Doing some research, and watching Youtube I found one guy that used Naptha Thinner with a sponge brush to dab the edges and they smoothed out. Well, first I admit to trying my wife's nail polish remover (acetone) and it did not do diddly. I went to the Lowes today and picked up a can of Naptha Thinner and a sponge brush. Dabbing the thinner on with the sponge brush worked exactly like the guy on Youtube. It melted the edges and they smoothed down and even feathered a bit so there was no hard edges.
This was an experiment and not intended for a long lifespan on my Ryker Rally. I just want to get an idea as to how I want it to look when I use permanent paint.
I'll post some photos when I get it back together. Getting those stupid little square nuts off were such a hassle I am thinking of substituting a different method of attaching the panels back.
That looks great. Mine is finished for right now. It looks fairly nice, but does have a bit of a textured finish. It's just too hot and humid here to get a good coat laid down in the many layers needed, while doing it outside. I'll leave it be for right now and then possibly peel it off and paint it with permanent paint later.
MDLNB, thank you for the sharing. Could you post a picture of what your bike looks like with the PD?
I did my frunk, it ended up well for the first dipping. I have 8 layers down - was waiting for 70° F temps with 30-50% humidity. I have a decal over a part and wanted to do the glossifier, but ended up liking the matte finish, even though I used pearl PD. I sprayed it on the bike directly.
When I tested the metalizer at the same condition on a part of my car, I didn’t experience any clouding or peeling. It ended up really nice and peeled off perfectly, but I didn’t do a large part.
As far as I know the temperature at the time of spraying, the low humidity and preheated cans make a lot of difference when spraying. Even it was 70° F outside, I still preheated the cans in hot water. And I sprayed in the garage to eliminate any debris flying around and possibly sticking to the dip.
Wrapping is a better option, but harder to do. There are many low quality wraps sold which results in problems with low stretching… I didn’t try it though, my better half liked the Plaits Dip option more. And I am glad I did it.
2017 RT Limited Asphalt Grey with Lamonster RT Spyder Cuff; Lamonster FBB Highway Bracket; Kuryakyn 7597 ISO Trident Pegs; RoadSport Big Mudder Extreme, Magic mirrors, Airhawk R, plastidipped Frunk, Ram Mount Universal X-Grip IV Large, FZ-1 fuze block, Dual USB charger, BajaRon Sway Bar, Black Powder Coated RT Dash Mount Bracket
I thought about the vinyl wrap but have seen how large decals can be such a pain to get all the bubbles out, that I figured that my clumsy handling would probably be a disaster. I may try the vinyl wrap. I've seen some really nice vinyl jobs out there, and I am kind of wondering if it is a job that I can do. I have rattle can painted before with great results, so I thought that Plasti Dip would be as easy.
Theoretically the wrap would be better, but it seems to depend on the wrap. I tried putting on a simple wrap decal on my frunk, basically a triangle-shaped piece to match the shape of the frunk. Destroyed two decals on my own, took a third to a professional and highly-regarded wrap shop to install. Two years later, there are STILL hundreds of tiny bubbles under the wrap the professionals installed. My experience has been VERY VERY frustrating but Pete from Wrap My Spyder tells me after the first mishap that this may be due to me selecting Red Metallic for the decal. Apparently this particular wrap is so thick and airtight that it's very hard to apply and the bubbles simply can't escape. Ever. So I simply try to ignore them but the bubbles are a constant reminder of all that trouble and annoyance. OTOH there are lots of people out there who have great looking wraps on their Spyders that don't have any bubbles in them at all. Pete is an expert and I should have listened to him and gotten his suggestion, but I stupidly thought, "Wrap is wrap, how hard can it be?" Well, pretty *&^% hard, it turns out. If you go the wrap route, I suggest you talk to Pete and get a recommendation for a specific type of wrap that is easier to install and will outgas the bubbles.
johnsimion, I like your red wheels and the blue and red accent striping on your bike. Did you dip your wheels? Is the red reflective striping holding up? Where did you get it?
2017 RT Limited Asphalt Grey with Lamonster RT Spyder Cuff; Lamonster FBB Highway Bracket; Kuryakyn 7597 ISO Trident Pegs; RoadSport Big Mudder Extreme, Magic mirrors, Airhawk R, plastidipped Frunk, Ram Mount Universal X-Grip IV Large, FZ-1 fuze block, Dual USB charger, BajaRon Sway Bar, Black Powder Coated RT Dash Mount Bracket
MDLNB, thank you for the sharing. Could you post a picture of what your bike looks like with the PD?
I did my frunk, it ended up well for the first dipping. I have 8 layers down - was waiting for 70° F temps with 30-50% humidity. I have a decal over a part and wanted to do the glossifier, but ended up liking the matte finish, even though I used pearl PD. I sprayed it on the bike directly.
When I tested the metalizer at the same condition on a part of my car, I didn’t experience any clouding or peeling. It ended up really nice and peeled off perfectly, but I didn’t do a large part.
As far as I know the temperature at the time of spraying, the low humidity and preheated cans make a lot of difference when spraying. Even it was 70° F outside, I still preheated the cans in hot water. And I sprayed in the garage to eliminate any debris flying around and possibly sticking to the dip.
Wrapping is a better option, but harder to do. There are many low quality wraps sold which results in problems with low stretching… I didn’t try it though, my better half liked the Plaits Dip option more. And I am glad I did it.
I've had some compliments on how it turned out, even if I know it didn't come out as expected. I am using a spray on, wipe off clear coat type of silicone wax(?) by Lucas that seems to make it a bit better. The photo quality is not very good, but the lighter areas are the areas that I plasti dipped. It is supposed to be black with gold metalizer and a clear glosifier on top, but it looks wrong in the photos. It shines so it looks like a different color than what it looks like standing next to it. It came out OK and any blemishes can be treated lightly with Naptha(?) solvent, which thins the paint and allows you to feather it. Maybe, once I get used to my new phone's camera I can video a walk around it. I have also installed the white led headlight bulbs, new handlebars and grips so there is some neat changes. I plan to make a removable luggage rack with saddlebags before long.
Problem with Plasti Dip
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Plenty of heat at times, plenty of water in the air occasionally too, but usually not at the same time & besides, the water's usually in Biiig drops or floods, not as humidity! So I can't readily test it out myself?! 
Originally Posted by UtahPete
& where are you applying: Indoor/outdoor 
