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Smoothing plasti dip with Xylene

spazzz

spazzz

New member
My daughter drives a 2004 Toyota Corolla with practically no clear left on the car. Well there are spots here and there.

After I was done with sanding/polishing/Opti-lens on her yellowed headlights, I suggested using the the Dip on her hood and grill.
She thought it would look better than what it was so 6 spray bombs later we have a middle section that is pretty rough.
I'm pretty sure the overspray caught the overspray and compounded the problem. Maybe I was to far away, either way this crap wouldn't flow.

What I have read is Xylene pretty much will liquefy the dip and help it to flow into itself.

My plan is a old Meguiars spray detailer bottle loaded with Xylene and slowly misting until wet. If that doesn't heal the dip I am breaking out some latex gloves to smooth it.

Any one tried this or have any tips?
If this works, I will post before and after pics.
 


SubwayGirl said:
Is the Plasti-Dip coming out blotchy and that's what's making it turn out bad?
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Yepper.
Was going fine until the middle started getting rough. She was in a hurry so I cut the wait and spray to keep putting it on level.

I would put the Xylene in my HVLP but the Meguiars sprayers lay down a fine even mist for something like this.
 
I have not tried this. Sounds like it might help most if used between coats. No idea if it will do what you want.

This is why aerosols fail on large panels, theres no way to keep a sufficiently wet edge going as you spray.
 
When I Plasti-Dipped my MacBook, I had to give it 3 or 4 tries before I got a happy result. Every time (but the last) it came out blotchy. After some reading online and some videos, I found that if you keep the can at room temperature, it will make it flow better. After each spray, take a towel or rag and wipe the nozzle because it will start building up on the end and blocking the spray path. It might take a few tries before you really get the hang of it. I'd suggest practicing on something that can get painted so you can get the spraying down. Do like 5 or 6 coats to ensure a good, even coating. Leave about 10-20 minutes between coats. I hope everything will go well next time!
 
A roller and a couple of dipping cans of the stuff would have been better.
I'm pretty sure I was to far away from the center of the hood and it started to dry in the air.
I should have ran the cans under hot mutherfn water and jacked em up a little. Any aerosol can boils off and cools after using it for awhile hindering the push.

I was impatient and should have known. But when the daughters get going with the I have to go soon line, you hope for David Copperfield results.
The grill turned out good. I held that in my hand and blasted the barnacles off it. Layed it down in a lava flow.
I'm hoping the Xylene works within my allotted time.
 


if i'm not mistaken there's 2 different tips to choose from in those plasti rattle cans. i seen a youtube video where they did an entire car. they used one tip for doing one side and the other tip for the other side. they didn't get the same results. the smaller tip sprayed globs all over the place while the fan tip had a much smoother texture.
 
spazzz said:
I should have ran the cans under hot mutherfn water and jacked em up a little. Any aerosol can boils off and cools after using it for awhile hindering the push.
Click to expand...

I don't know what works with dip. If the coating is cooler before spraying, my logic indicates that yes you'll have a wee bit less pressure while spraying. However flow time is what you need, and less heat lets it dry slower. Car painters can choose a slower solvent for better flow on warm days, you can only vary the temp of the liquid and I think heating the cans would have made it worse. Surface temp is the other big player. Slow means flow, when it comes to coatings! Well, that and having enough, lol.
 
HighOctaneRacing said:
plasti-dip comes out great if you do what the directions say which is a coat every 4 hours in a 16 hour period.
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I hear ya....that is probably the best tip there is.

If it was solely my project instead of a 'it looks better than before' thing...things would have been less rushed.
Now I can try another experiment. I will probably end up using the HVLP to mist it with the Xylene.
 
Well so anyway the Xylene worked excellent at smoothing the hood. It took almost a whole quart in the HVLP with about the 3 passes and a fan in between to help evaporate.
The dimples disappeared along with the roughness. What remained were the pits in spots.
It evened the sheen to a uniform satin with no spray lines.
I should have use plastic to mask as the Xylene saturated the paper above the drivers headlight and created some nasty melt.
I will have to resand the headlight.
First pic is after sanding headlights with 1500/ 3000 trizact on a 3 inch pad for the 7424. Using Ultimate compound with a 3" 3M buffing and M205 with a 3M black.
I coated with Optimum Opti-lens. I bought the 10cc syringe over a year ago for 65 but the Guz told me it was available for 32.99 from Auto Detailing Solutions now.
Even at 65 it will do about 4 sets of lights. Hell for the 65 it was worth not having to fiddle fck with hazing repeatedly.

The hood here is undone. I just wiped it off. I should have sanded but kids are always in a hurry.

Notice the few spots of clearcoat left. The hood looks shiny because the Meguiars D114 is still drying after wiping off

c1.jpg_zpslpsbk16x.png


The middle section turned into a fuzzy mess.
c2.jpg_zpsb3wslpqf.png


This is how it ended with the shiny remaining from over dosing...I was disappointed that I would never be a pro plasti dipper.

c3.jpg_zpsbbvp8k11.png


Not the best pic but after spraying the Xylene yesterday.
If i was to do it again I would prep better with sanding and do what Matt( Idrive ) suggested and spray between coats with the xylene to thin and smooth discrepancies.

If it was my car on my time I would strip it and do it again.

c4.jpg_zps5k8npzus.png


Closing is 10/26 so next time I will have a better setup. I need to figure out high bay lights. Stuck between T5 or T8, gotta have light for detailing.

house_zpskvqjjpxs.jpg
 
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I think you did that car a favor considering the amount of overall rash on it. You've made it more presentable and tried something new in the process. A victory. Next if there is a next... you might try rattle can clearing some missing clearcoat areas to see if it improves the look. Those Corollas are good cars and fairly easy to work on.
 
idrivejunk said:
I think you did that car a favor considering the amount of overall rash on it. You've made it more presentable and tried something new in the process. A victory. Next if there is a next... you might try rattle can clearing some missing clearcoat areas to see if it improves the look. Those Corollas are good cars and fairly easy to work on.
Click to expand...

I did think about the clear awhile ago but the base bronze or gray, whatever color, is pretty much gone. It all looks like stained galvanized metal.
The dip isn't perfect but she thinks it's tons better than before.
Her intentions are to run it into the ground, so I may end up doing the whole thing eventually.

I did have a full can of dip here so after I wet it, I hit it with the dip then sprayed Xylene again. Very effective way to get it to lay down.
 
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