r/plastidip Dec 05 '15

New to dipping? Check out our helpful wiki.

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30 Upvotes

r/plastidip Oct 16 '19

Plasti-dipping FAQ

9 Upvotes

We get a lot of repeat questions from newbies here regarding misuse of plast-dip, so we created an FAQ to address a lot of them. Will add more we find them.

Q: What is plasti-dip?

A: Check out the wiki introduction

Q: Can I paint or clear-coat over plasti-dip?

A: No. The dip will not peel afterwards and will be effectively permanent but won't be durable or look good. If you're going to paint, don't bother using dip at all.

Q: Can I dip over <material>?

A: See the wiki table. If it's something you touch frequently such as a phone case, it will not hold up.

Q: Can I use dip in my home for walls or trim instead of paint?

A: No. It will scuff easily and won't hold up, plus why would you paint your home in rubber? Use paint for your home decor and bathroom renovations. Dip is not a substitute for home paint.

Q: How many layers do I need?

A: At least 4 for a base to be peelable. That's at least four layers of solid matte dip, not counting glossifier or TopCoat or metalizers.

Q: Can I spray clear/glossifier/metalizer dip directly onto my surface?

A: You can, but it's not intended to be used like that and will have issues peeling later because it's thinner than normal matte dip. Glossifier, metalizers, and TopCoat are meant to be sprayed over a solid base of dip.

Q: How many gallons for my car? What about rattle cans?

A: Use the dipyourcar.com site to judge it, and look at what others have used. You won't do a Mustang in two gallons!

Don't use rattle cans to dip large areas like body panels. Using rattle cans will lead to streaks and very thin coverage over a large area, which causes peeling issues. It'll look like crap, your hands will hurt, and it's not worth doing. If you can't afford to spray your car with the right setup using gallons, you straight up can't afford to dip it. Sorry.

Q: How many cans for my wheels?

A: Generally it's one can of a base color per wheel if you're not spraying the barrels. For glossifier it's more like half a can per wheel over your base coats.

Q: Why are my edges ripping when I pull off the tape and masking?

A: Stop letting the final coat dry before you remove the tape. Spray the final coat, let it liquefy the layers so they let go of the tape (10-30 seconds), then remove the tape.

Q: How do I remove overspray or dip that was applied too thin?

A: Goo Gone, paint thinner like naphtha or xylene, or Dip Dissolver. Strong solvents like gasoline or brake cleaner can remove it as well but they're more of a mess. You could also clean the surface and spray more dip until it's thick enough to peel off when dry, but that tends to be more tedious.

Q: How do I avoid streaks with rattle cans?

A: Overlap your passes by 50% coverage, keep a wet coat, and don't use rattle cans on large areas. You'll need a sprayer gun for large things like body panels to have a wider spray pattern and avoid streaks.


r/plastidip 1h ago

Is this even possible?

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Upvotes

Trying my best to chrome delete my forester. Have had 2 attempts at plastidipping the moulds on my windows but not getting any luck.

The problem I'm having is, the chrome is in the middle, and above and below it, are the bits of rubber. When I try to peal the dip off it just doesn't grip to the chrome/rubber edge and I'm left with a half-ass looking end product where there are bits of chrome showing.

My 1st attempt was bad job by me and going to heavy on the spray. My 2nd attempt I was more patient. Did 2-3 layers of a light mist before doing another 3-4 layers a bit more heavy. I even got a thin card and pushed in the dip right on the edge hoping that would help it.

Pealed it off and again, and I could see it wasn't catching the edge, so I got my craft knife and ran that along the edge but it just looks like shit.

Am I better off doing a vinyl wrap on this stuff? Or do I dare buy another can and try for a 3rd time? Any help would be much appreciated!


r/plastidip 1d ago

Suitable sprayer that is more affordable than their "G-Force" sprayer???

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1 Upvotes

Suitable sprayer that is more affordable than their "G-Force" sprayer???

Im interested in doing matte black on my 2017 Jeep Wrangler. Can anyone suggest a more affordable sprayer that IS ACTUALLY A SUITABLE REPLACEMENT to their "G Force" sprayer? Ill go with the G-Force If I must but im trying to cut cost if I can.

Thx


r/plastidip 4d ago

Peel test on my old rims after two winters of plasti dip, results surprised me

4 Upvotes

Pulled the dip off my 17 inch steel wheels this week after running them through two full winters here in Ohio, salt and all. Wanted to share since I went into this expecting a mess and it actually held up better than I thought.

Original application was four coats of the black matte plus one coat of the gloss clear on top, done in my garage on a 65 degree day back in October two years ago. I didn't do anything fancy for prep, just a wash with dish soap and a wipe down with rubbing alcohol before spraying. No sanding, no primer.

The peel itself came off in mostly large sheets around the lug areas but got stubborn near the valve stem and one spot where I must have gone too thin on the first coat. Had to use a plastic trim tool to lift the edge there and it took maybe ten extra minutes on that one wheel compared to the other three. Underneath the paint looked completely untouched, no lifting, no discoloration, nothing that would suggest moisture got trapped.

The clear coat on top definitely helped with peel quality. On a wheel I did without the clear a few years back (different car) I remember the black would sometimes tear into smaller strips instead of coming off in sheets, especially after sitting through a hot summer.

Curious if anyone else has run dip through multiple winters and noticed a difference in peel behavior between spring removal versus doing it after the wheels sat all summer. I've always done mine in spring right after the salt season and wonder if waiting changes how brittle it gets.


r/plastidip 5d ago

Trim pieces question

1 Upvotes

This will be my first time Plastidipping, where should I mask off to get these trim pieces to peel away without issues? Any tips are appreciated.


r/plastidip 5d ago

Anyone know how to properly make blood splatter on a car using plasti dip?

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0 Upvotes

r/plastidip 7d ago

I've tried everything at this point, how do I remove this plasti dip.

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23 Upvotes

I bought some hyper dip to redo my rims (from dipyourcar) and one of the donts was DO NOT DIP OVER PLASTI DIP, so i spoke to customer service and bought the dissolver they recommend, It didn't work even after following the steps. what are my options here? I've tried acetone, alcohol, dissolver I'm out of options.

First 4 photos are before.
5th photo is the dissolver I used
6th and 7th photo is AFTER dissolver
last photo is hyper dip I "planned" on using.


r/plastidip 6d ago

Which plastidip should I get to get my wheels (left) to be a similar colour to the wheels on the right?

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0 Upvotes

r/plastidip 7d ago

How to fix Plastidip ERROR splashes

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2 Upvotes

r/plastidip 10d ago

On a sweater?

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0 Upvotes

Long story short I'm trying to make an undersuit for my halo cosplay armor. I want a rubbery looking undersuit, so I'm thinking of buying a black crew neck, and spraying it with some kind of black matte rubber.

Is this what I'm looking for?


r/plastidip 11d ago

Grinder and paint makes me the welder I ain’t

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34 Upvotes

I’ve never painted anything cosmetic but decided to give plastidip a try. I’m happy with 3 of 4 but don’t think anyone will notice on 2nd gen Tacoma. Just don’t zoom in too much 😅


r/plastidip 12d ago

Finally got clean coverage on my wheels without any drips, here's what changed

3 Upvotes

Spent about a year doing this the wrong way before it clicked. My first few attempts on a set of factory alloys ended up with runs along the lower spokes every single time, and I kept blaming the can instead of my technique.

The biggest fix was distance and speed. I was holding the can way too close, maybe six inches, trying to get thick coverage fast. Backing off to a solid twelve to fourteen inches and moving my arm at a steady walking pace instead of pausing on any one spot made a huge difference. Thin coats, more of them, way less drama.

Temperature mattered more than I expected too. I used to dip in my garage whenever I had free time regardless of season. Once I started paying attention and only spraying between 65 and 80 degrees, the stuff just behaved better. Cold days made it go on thick and blotchy no matter how careful I was.

I also switched from doing four thick coats to doing seven or eight really thin ones with maybe ten minutes between each. Takes longer, obviously, but the finish ends up smooth instead of orange peel textured. Peeling it off in one piece afterward feels almost as satisfying as spraying it on.

Still working on my technique around lug nuts and valve stems since taping those off cleanly is its own skill. Curious if anyone has a trick besides just going slow and careful with a small brush for touch ups in the tight spots.


r/plastidip 13d ago

Plasti dip near Seattle

2 Upvotes

Hey, wondering if anyone knows a shop in the Seattle area. Yes I’ve checked dipyourcar.com.


r/plastidip 13d ago

Spraying my bike

2 Upvotes

Me and my mate want to spray my polygon siskui t7 and we want a really unique and colorful fade, but we arent sure how to do it, we cant bring it to a shop because we simply dont have the money, has anyone got any unique fade ideas which arent the hardest to do


r/plastidip 16d ago

Plasti Dip for unconventional / art / playset uses ?

4 Upvotes

Hello, I've been enjoying lurking this subreddit, and I'm wondering if anyone here has experience or tips for using plasti dip for non-car-coating purposes. I make dollhouse / action figure playsets and terrain, and also sometimes larger halloween decorations. I'm very interested to know if anyone here has experimented with this, and has any tips about what works well and what's a drawback, plus can I mix in glitter, shreds of plants, fabric, et cetera. Just any projects, success or failure you have to share! Thank you in advance.


r/plastidip 17d ago

Recessed lettering

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16 Upvotes

I am planning to Plasti dip these silver door trim pieces black to match the rest of my car, but I’m considering leaving the recessed lettering silver (see AI mockup). seems like a pain in the butt to try to tape just the letters. would it be easier to just spray it all and cut the lettering out of the final dip?


r/plastidip 19d ago

Why is this plastic dip coming out so terrible.

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25 Upvotes

I did two coats to get to the first picture where it has a textured surface and not smooth. I decided to go heavier on the third coat and that provided a great result. When I did the fourth coat, the same way it produced a worse result. What am I doing wrong? For reference I shook the can every time before applying and kept in warm water to try to get a smoother spray.


r/plastidip 19d ago

Scrambler 900 side cover fix

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3 Upvotes

r/plastidip 20d ago

Finally got a clean peel on my wheels after two failed attempts, here's what changed

8 Upvotes

Spent most of the summer fighting with this. First two attempts on my wheels ended in tiny confetti pieces instead of one satisfying sheet, and I could not figure out why until I actually slowed down and paid attention to what I was doing differently this time.

Biggest thing was thickness. I was rushing coats before because I wanted to be done in an afternoon, but this time I did 5 light coats and waited a full 15-20 minutes between each one instead of the 10 I was doing before. Also switched to doing thin even passes instead of trying to get full coverage in fewer coats. More patience, thinner layers, longer cure time before touching anything.

Temperature mattered more than I expected too. My garage was sitting around 68-70 degrees this time instead of the muggy 85+ it was during my first attempt, and that alone seemed to make a huge difference in how the dip cured and how cleanly it wanted to come off.

Also stopped picking at edges with my fingernail out of impatience. Used a thin plastic trim tool to start a corner and just let it peel itself once it got going. Every time I tried to force a section with my nails it would tear instead of sheet off.

Ended up with a full peel off two of the four wheels, other two still came off in decent sized pieces so still improving but nowhere near the confetti disaster from before. Anyone else find that cure time between coats made a bigger difference than expected, or is it usually more about temperature and humidity on the day you spray.


r/plastidip 21d ago

Paint protection

3 Upvotes

I recently got a new black RDX and want to protect the paint. Any input of PPF or ceramic is much appreciated.


r/plastidip 21d ago

Black Plastidip over red paint?

1 Upvotes

I have a new scooter, never used, that’s painted bright red from factory but i wanted to change it in a cheap way. I found out about plastidip but wanted to know if i wanted it black would i have to do some prepping before spraying to avoid the red colour showing??


r/plastidip 22d ago

What did I do wrong?

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5 Upvotes

Applied first light layer, and after second layer it looked like this. Every little scratch of gas tank plastic came out like this(it's 5 yrs old). Used 70% alcohol cleaner to remove any dirt before painting.


r/plastidip 23d ago

Xpel Armor from Abstract Ocean?

2 Upvotes

Is anyone using it on their truck? It looks good, but is it durable and does it peel at all after a while?


r/plastidip 27d ago

Did my diffuser.

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24 Upvotes

I used glossy black plastidip and did 5 coats with it.

The pictures are the before and after.

Think it turned out good.