Can the pro rmk hoods be painted?
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PAINTING PRO RMK HOOD
- Thread starter yamaha424
- Start date
EDIT: 3-32-2013
Info below that they CAN be painted with correct materials.
Can they be painted... Yes.
Will the paint resist abrasion and flexing... no.
The hoods (except for the 2010 Patriot RUSH) are made of HDPE and are by nature a non stick surface.
Even with sanding and an adhesion promoter the paint will not be durable.. been there done that with HDPE sled parts.
Best to do a wrap like the ones from ArticFX or others out there.
Info below that they CAN be painted with correct materials.
Can they be painted... Yes.
Will the paint resist abrasion and flexing... no.
The hoods (except for the 2010 Patriot RUSH) are made of HDPE and are by nature a non stick surface.
Even with sanding and an adhesion promoter the paint will not be durable.. been there done that with HDPE sled parts.
Best to do a wrap like the ones from ArticFX or others out there.
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ok thanks
S
sledfreak89
Well-known member
HDPE Can be painted. There are several different ways to allow LDPE/LDPE to be painted which includes electrically charging the material or often as easy as using a flame torch to create a static charge within the piece.
Here's my 2 cents... for what it is worth.
There is a difference between "Can you paint"... and will it be durable enough for a hood on a mountain sled?
This topic has come up in the past, and discussed on both sides... To get even minimum bonding of paint, it involves professional equipment and supplies... Plastic paint does not stick well either. Even the SEM brand of professional plastic paint or adhesion promoters recommends against using it on Polyethylene plastics (like HDPE)
This is the same material, HDPE, that the side panels.fenders of the IQ or the belly-pans of the IQR are made of... They looked good for the first few days, or on the show circuit... but in use, looked pretty bad. Which was why you did not see too many of those painted.
I've personally painted HDPE body parts in the past, using professional products and meticulous prep and only had a few rides in the trees before they looked poor....While the TPO parts directly next to those parts that were painted looked fine.
If you really want to paint a hood a custom color or airbrush it... get the TPO hood from the 2010 Patriot RUSH.
There is a difference between "Can you paint"... and will it be durable enough for a hood on a mountain sled?
This topic has come up in the past, and discussed on both sides... To get even minimum bonding of paint, it involves professional equipment and supplies... Plastic paint does not stick well either. Even the SEM brand of professional plastic paint or adhesion promoters recommends against using it on Polyethylene plastics (like HDPE)
This is the same material, HDPE, that the side panels.fenders of the IQ or the belly-pans of the IQR are made of... They looked good for the first few days, or on the show circuit... but in use, looked pretty bad. Which was why you did not see too many of those painted.
I've personally painted HDPE body parts in the past, using professional products and meticulous prep and only had a few rides in the trees before they looked poor....While the TPO parts directly next to those parts that were painted looked fine.
If you really want to paint a hood a custom color or airbrush it... get the TPO hood from the 2010 Patriot RUSH.
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sledfreak89
Well-known member
Yep! A lot of the durability has to do with the finish of the plastic as well. ie. the more rough of a finish the panel is, the more the paint will come off when hitting stuff.
If your planning on keeping her in the trees id go with vinyl to be honest.... Much cheaper and more durable.
If your planning on keeping her in the trees id go with vinyl to be honest.... Much cheaper and more durable.
D
Dmill
Well-known member
would not do it if i was you ... i painted my xp sidepanels and it stuck awesome with adhesion promotor and sanding.. so i decided to paint my hood...
not so good now im stuck with paint that scratches constantly, but i also have a wrap on it too so it helps with it
go online... buy a long roll of vinyl and do your whole sled whatever color you want ... thats what im doing now
not so good now im stuck with paint that scratches constantly, but i also have a wrap on it too so it helps with it
go online... buy a long roll of vinyl and do your whole sled whatever color you want ... thats what im doing now
T
Tec
Well-known member
Manbearpig's Assault has held up great this whole season, hardly even a scratch on the clear coat for being tree basher.
http://www.snowestonline.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252196&highlight=screaming+pumpkin
http://www.snowestonline.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252196&highlight=screaming+pumpkin
Professionally painted or is he a painter with access to pro parint supplies? (clearcoat??)
Minumum costs on the supplies in smallest size containers?
Process to paint?
How many roll overs or tree impacts?
Just trying to get an honest opinion for those reading that think that this might be a "spray can" job.
T
Tec
Well-known member
Gary's overseas on business, hope he can chime in on the details when he can? I know it was professionally done using automotive clear with flexible agents used for Motorcycle plastics. His sled has been rolled probably 3-4 time per ride
has been into trees, Bush's, creeks etc. One on the best things about Paint and clear on the panels, it sheds snow and ice really well!
Thanks for that...
Did he paint the hood since the photos in the post?
On this I see only the side panels painted, which are a different, paintable plastic (TPO).
The hood still looks stock.
Did he paint the hood since the photos in the post?
On this I see only the side panels painted, which are a different, paintable plastic (TPO).
The hood still looks stock.
Figured i'd chime in....I personally painted my HDPE hood. So far I have had great results. I've rolled the sled about 5 times since, but am constantly in the trees. So far, it looks like the day i sprayed it. The key to making paint stick and look good on a surface such as this is in the prep work, and products used. I do paint and body work, so if anyone has any other questions feel free to post or pm me... Here is how to do it...First thing you need to do is get it clean. I would wash it with something like meguires "hyperwash" I do this prior to doing any work on ANY surface i work on. This is the first step to getting good adhesion. Then, you need to scuff the surface. This should be done with a wet grey scotchbrite pad with dupont "blend prep" on it. This will provide mechanical adhesion of the products. Then, Wipe the hood down with duponts 2320 plastics cleaner. continually wipe it for at least 3 minutes. This will make the hood feel less slippery. Then you spray the hood with two coats of dupont 2330 adhesion promotor. This is ready to spray, out of the can. Allow it to flash 5 or 10 minutes between coats. Then you must wait 30 minutes before you can apply FLEXED sealer. Sealing it is important. The sealer with adhere to the plastic much better than the basecoat will. Spray the hood with 1 meduim wet coat of Dupont ValueShade sealer flexed with dupont 2350 flex additive. After you let the sealer flash for 15 minutes you can spray basecoat. NEVER Flex the basecoat. It will more than likely take 3 -4 medium wet coats to cover well. When you spray base, spray with a 50 percent overlap, this will help to keep the paint from striping. Also be sure not to spray it to wet...remember, basecoat isn't glossy, clear is. Once you have it all covered well, let it flash for 5-10 minutes and you are ready for clear. Use a good High Solids clear coat like dupont 4700 flexed with the same 2350 you used in the sealer. Sray your first coated a little bit dry, it is ok to leave a few "puppy tracks" as some call it in the first coat. Again, let it flash for around 7-8 minutes. Then spray your second coat. This one needs to be glossy as this will likely be the final coat you put on. Clear coat is sprayed with a 75 percent overlap. If you are worried about getting runs practice on a piece of masking paper or something. Then, let it dry overnight...you now have a custom painted HPDE hood. This write up probably sounds confusing, but the process is actually straight foreward. On a hood this small, good results can be achieved with a cheap paint gun. The mixing ratios of the products i listed will be right on the can, and anyplace that mixes dupont paint will be able to get this for you. Have whoever does your paint mixing mix 8 ounces(16 ounces sprayable once reduced) of your desired color in dupont Chromapremier Basecoat. This will be more than enough for the hood. Sorry for such a long write up. Hope this helps 
Mtnclimber,
Thank you for taking the time for the awesome write up for this.
I've painted plastics in much the same way using PPG versions of the products.. Including HDPE side-panels and consoles.
My luck with durability was not as good as yours... but then again I'm not a professional bodyman.
For the average Joe, working with Isocyanate activated paints can be pretty hazardous health-wise... been around this stuff long enough with Cronar, Imron, Glamor clear, Awl Grip and others... seen full on respiratory arrest in some people and once sensitized, they could not come back in the plant without another episode...
Are you spraying in a forced air or draft booth?
What kind of dust would the average Joe see without a booth in the final product?
The cost of the prep materials and Base/clear/activator can get pretty high for a one-time-shoot.
I would imagine you have a full paint shop... and would have this stuff in larger quantities in your shop already??
What would your shop charge a customer, out the door, for the paint job described above on a perfectly clean hood with all the decals, screens & clips removed?
What are the smallest sizes available?
Can the Activator for the sealer be used for the base and clear coats?
What do you think the total cost for supplies would be?
Meguires Hyperwash
Dupont Blend Prep
Duponts 2320 plastics cleaner
Dupont 2330 adhesion promotor
Dupont ValueShade sealer
Dupont Activator for sealer/base/ clear (or is there more than one kind)
Dupont 2350 flex additive
Dupont Chromapremier Basecoat
Dupont 4700 High Solids clear coat
Respirator (this is a nasty isocyanate urethane)... Dupont recommends a forced air respirator.
Gloves.
Clean up solvents.
Thank you for taking the time for the awesome write up for this.
I've painted plastics in much the same way using PPG versions of the products.. Including HDPE side-panels and consoles.
My luck with durability was not as good as yours... but then again I'm not a professional bodyman.
For the average Joe, working with Isocyanate activated paints can be pretty hazardous health-wise... been around this stuff long enough with Cronar, Imron, Glamor clear, Awl Grip and others... seen full on respiratory arrest in some people and once sensitized, they could not come back in the plant without another episode...
Are you spraying in a forced air or draft booth?
What kind of dust would the average Joe see without a booth in the final product?
The cost of the prep materials and Base/clear/activator can get pretty high for a one-time-shoot.
I would imagine you have a full paint shop... and would have this stuff in larger quantities in your shop already??
What would your shop charge a customer, out the door, for the paint job described above on a perfectly clean hood with all the decals, screens & clips removed?
What are the smallest sizes available?
Can the Activator for the sealer be used for the base and clear coats?
What do you think the total cost for supplies would be?
Meguires Hyperwash
Dupont Blend Prep
Duponts 2320 plastics cleaner
Dupont 2330 adhesion promotor
Dupont ValueShade sealer
Dupont Activator for sealer/base/ clear (or is there more than one kind)
Dupont 2350 flex additive
Dupont Chromapremier Basecoat
Dupont 4700 High Solids clear coat
Respirator (this is a nasty isocyanate urethane)... Dupont recommends a forced air respirator.
Gloves.
Clean up solvents.
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You are right, working with paints and clear coats especially can be very hazerdous. When spraying in a downdraft booth, forced are respirators are the best option since it is likely that you will have the air pressure you need to run such a system. However, when spraying with a small household compressor, a good fitting charcoal respirator will be your best bet. You are correct that I sprayed my hood/side panels in a down draft booth, however excellent results can be obtained in your garage as well. All lets required is a good cleaning. One trick that really helps keep the dust down in to run a little water over the floor just before you spray. This helps the dust cling to the floor much like it would in a down draft type environment. You'll be quite surprised at how nice of a job you can do in your garage. It's fairly simple to get a dirt free paintjob. Now, for getting the products. I am fortunate to have a hedahls that is very good about selling me only the amounts I need, but in some areas it may be difficult to find such an accomodating place. If this is the case, you are probably better off doing the prep work yourself, then taking it to a shop to have it sprayed. This should still be resonable as it should be a quick and easy process for them. It cost me a grand total of about $80 to repair/paint my hood and side panels. Painting the hood alone should cost you around a $100-$150 bucks in a shop i'd say. In order to buy the stuff to do it right yourself, it would likely be about the same. So, to make it feasable, it'd be best to have a few people that wanted it done, then buy the supplies and do it yourself. But it may be cheaper to just take it in for a single hood.
M
miko700
Well-known member
Painting
Well looks like you guys got er' handled pretty well.....but also to chime in.....for what its worth respectfully.......i've been an automotive painter fer about 15 years.....generally yer best to just let a guy that knows how to do it ...do it.....plastics are very persnickity regarding adhesion and have many variables that come along with them.......most of the time guys just grab some adhesion promoter and get lucky....and usually will....yer also right mh the products are also really quite pricey......truth is I've never heard of a "flex agent" product that didnt evaporate out after time theyre generally for flexing of bumpers during reassembly. Even though the newest two part clears are very durable and I've had some great success painting some sled parts fer bros in the past, theres no way in my opinion paint will ever be more durable than a wrap if thats what yer after. But of course on the other hand even though the wraps are pretty limitless these days with the cool printers now theres no way yer gonna achieve the flat out "gnarliness" of a sweet well thought out paint job.......
Well fer what its worth ........this forum has offered so much cool stuff to me (the not! snowmobile expert) that if anyone ever has a paint question , please feel free to ask, its one of the few things I know about...lol.
Plastics are lot like 2013 drive shaft epoxies.....one small mistake and ya got a real problem (sorry, not tryin to be sarcastic.)
Well looks like you guys got er' handled pretty well.....but also to chime in.....for what its worth respectfully.......i've been an automotive painter fer about 15 years.....generally yer best to just let a guy that knows how to do it ...do it.....plastics are very persnickity regarding adhesion and have many variables that come along with them.......most of the time guys just grab some adhesion promoter and get lucky....and usually will....yer also right mh the products are also really quite pricey......truth is I've never heard of a "flex agent" product that didnt evaporate out after time theyre generally for flexing of bumpers during reassembly. Even though the newest two part clears are very durable and I've had some great success painting some sled parts fer bros in the past, theres no way in my opinion paint will ever be more durable than a wrap if thats what yer after. But of course on the other hand even though the wraps are pretty limitless these days with the cool printers now theres no way yer gonna achieve the flat out "gnarliness" of a sweet well thought out paint job.......
Well fer what its worth ........this forum has offered so much cool stuff to me (the not! snowmobile expert) that if anyone ever has a paint question , please feel free to ask, its one of the few things I know about...lol.
Plastics are lot like 2013 drive shaft epoxies.....one small mistake and ya got a real problem (sorry, not tryin to be sarcastic.)
Painting pro hood
Has any one tried to paint the hood of a pro? I have a black one and would like to paint it white, I know that the 13 limited pro had a white hood but to buy it is over $500.00 that's crazy!!! maybe I will try and wrap it instead of paint, what do you guys think?
Has any one tried to paint the hood of a pro? I have a black one and would like to paint it white, I know that the 13 limited pro had a white hood but to buy it is over $500.00 that's crazy!!! maybe I will try and wrap it instead of paint, what do you guys think?
I was wondering if hydro dipping would work with the shape of hood? I was looking for white decals but think I would have better luck painting it.
I wish I had a better picture of the yellow sled. He painted all of his panels yellow and it looks really good. Most bumpers on cars are hard plastic now so they have the paint to do it
Why are all my pictures always upside down ,lol
