vik 

I want that uber cool stealth Big Dummy look some of you guys [dwnprtl!] have got going on. Problem is I know NOTHING about painting things and I don't want to make my BD look pathetic with an uber ghetto paint job.

So I tried to buy exactly what was mentioned on the threads I've read about painting, but could only find the products shown in the pic above. If they won't work please let me know.

Here is my plan:

V-racks:
- clean v-racks with rubbing alcohol
- spray 3 or 4 light coats with primer letting fully dry in between
- do I need to mask off the part of the V-racks that goes into the BD frame???
- spray on 2 or 3 light coats of the undercoating allowing it to fully dry in between
- install on BD

Snap Deck/Footsies:
- sand all surfaces with coarse sand paper to improve bonding
- apply 2 or 3 light coats of primer - allowing it to fully dry between coats
- apply 3 or 4 light coats of black paint - allowing it to dry between
- applying 3 or 4 light coats of polyurethane - allowing it to dry fully
- install on BD

Is that a good plan or am I missing something**********

EricJ

"Coarse" sandpaper worries me. It only has to be coarse enough to take the gloss off the existing surface. You don't want to cut too deeply into the original coat or it will be full of scratches that you will then have to sand out. 220 grit or so is plenty coarse enough. Before applying the primer, wipe over the surfaces with a tack cloth to remove sanding debris.

What is the asphalt undercoat for? That seems pretty extreme (and ugly). Is it for the underside of the snap deck? A couple of coats of the PU you are using should protect the wood from the debris kicked up by the tire with an occasional touchup now and then.

I've used West Marine's West System epoxy to coat a number of outdoor projects, including, not surprisingly, for the wood on my boats. It stands up extremely well and doesn't require as much maintenance as other finishes.

Anyway, post pictures of the results. The ones you have posted so far elsewhere have been great.

Eric

vik 

The undercoat is just for the v-racks.

dwnptrl_777

Undercoat > V-Racks...yeah, baby!

For what it's worth, my Tran-Star undercoating has already rubbed away in a couple of high-wear spots, but I don't care.

And Vik, I didn't bother masking where the racks slip down into the frame. Painted it all and it slid in there just fine.

Those are my quick thoughts. Your plan sounds fine.

Oh, FWIW, I just used Liquid Sandpaper on my snapdeck, then went straight to black enamel rattle-can, 'cause I'm impatient. Your plan sounds smarter. Go with your plan.

Rock on with your bad self. Photos must follow, of course.

N8N

For paint prep instead of "coarse sandpaper" I would use 320 or 400 wet/dry. ANYTHING that is getting painted should be scuffed, either with sandpaper or a Scotchbrite pad (not the pot scrubber kind; the kind you buy at your local auto parts store or auto paint specialty store)

good luck!

vik 

I looked for something called liquid sandpaper, but didn't see anything. Any ideas which types of stores might carry it?

dwnptrl_777

We have it at the big hardware chains: Lowes and Home Depot. It's a decent product...but if you've got some 400 to 600 grit sandpaper laying around and a few extra minutes, it's the same effect.

FWIW, I was using up an old can. No plans to buy more. One less can of flammable juice in my lair.

vik 

Snap Deck is stealth black now.

vik 

I'm letting the undercoating on the v-racks dry a bit longer before installing the freeloaders.

vik 

I used undercoating on the footsies thinking it might be less slippery and more durable than the paint + polyurethane???

vik 

Overall I'm pleased with the result. It's stealthy black. Looks bad ass with the army green of the Big Dummy. It should be fairly durable and if I respray it every few months it should be easy to maintain.

Thanks for all the painting tips and inspiration I rec'd.

Monkeykun

Looks sharp dude!! I can't wait to see the glamor shots of the whole enchilada!

SingingSabre 

Awesome stuff!

I'm trying to redo my snap deck myself...from a new piece of wood. It's a bit challenging, as I'm not the woodworking type, but it's coming along.

I'm sticking with the plain-wood, though. Sealed, of course.

vik 

Our mechanic at work helped me with the painting and he suggested I just take my snap deck in to a metal shop and get a chunk on aluminum cut to the same shape. He figured it would be more durable and easier to paint.

I hear Surly is coming out with a metal snap deck....the pics I saw made it look smaller than the stock Xtracycle one....not sure why that would be a good idea?

Monkeykun

I think aluminum would be spendy. I would like to see Xtracycle put a better finish on their snapdecks or consider making them out of plyboo.

vik 

He seemed to think I'd get a 0.25" checkerboard plate cut to the same shape as the snap deck for under $50 - which is the cost of a new snap deck.

But, I agree that given the premium cost of the Xtracycle parts they could be made to a higher standard.

dwnptrl_777

&#$% you, Vik. Upping the ante with those custom Footsies...

That's it...I'm off to eBay to find Razor scooter handlebars...

BAH

looks really good! You'll be just fine. I never sanded anything, just sprayed a couple thin coats of primer then couple coats of paint. Some spots have rubbed off, but like you, I just plan on respraying every now and then. Looking forward to full body shots

Maxwell

I rattle-canned mine with some OD green to knock down the shininess. They've scratched, but I like the scuffed up ammo can look. Powdercoat would be awesome, but a little spendy and overkill.