EvanR
SuperDork
9/24/16 6:17 p.m.
I got a can of the Eastwood Elasti-Wrap (their variant of Plasti-Dip) a couple years ago on a giveaway. Finally maybe got something to use it on - the spoiler on my Sonic.
Couple questions... first, coverage. Nowhere does it say how much surface a single can will cover. I realize there are variables, but will one can cover approximately 10 square feet of surface area with the appropriate number of coats?
Prep is confusing. The instructions say to use a wax and grease remover before coating. Then they say that for easier removal, wax the surface before coating. HUH??
FWIW, the spoiler in question is colored ABS. I assume the color is inside the plastic, because they come pre-colored from Chevrolet.
Any insight appreciated.
I've used it on the Sportster. I did the tank with my free can, just enough in the can for that. I don't think one can is enough for 10 square feet. I then purchased two more Cans of the same color, on for each fender. I bought one can of black and red for some graphics and then three Cans of clear to cover it all. I like it better than Plasti dip. It seems to go on thicker. My bike was denim black, basically a flat paint. I didn't wax it and it peeled off wonderfully in one sheet. I'll get some pictures up when I get access to my computer.
Hal
UltraDork
9/24/16 7:24 p.m.
When I did the grille on my Outback I cleaned it with rubbing alcohol several times, masked it off and then cleaned it again.
The trick to applying it is to do 1 light coat and then 6 or so heavy to the point of almost running coats to get the best finish.
I used 1 can to do the entire grille which probably has about the same surface area as a spoiler.
I have never used elastiwrap so ymmv but with plastidip you need 4-6 full coverage coats for proper peel-ability. In one of the dyc videos, they explained that it takes 56 spray cans to make up the equivalent amount of product if you were buying gallons to dip an entire car. That should give you a rough idea of what you can do with a single can. I'd guess maybe 1 wheel, a grill, or something like that.
I did the rear bumper of my truck with the Eastwood stuff. Mask everything. The overspray goes much farther than you expect, though you can wipe it off with a rag after it is dry. Do lots and lots of thin coats. I tried to do my bumper with one can. I should have used two. It has held up really well.
Once you think you've added enough layers, add one more.
I'd bet that one can will not be enough to do the whole spoiler. The spray cans of elastiwrap that I used needed to be nearly vertical to get anything out of them once the can was half-used. Spraying a spoiler means you won't be shooting with the can vertical.
Consider 4 coats to be an absolute minimum.
Regarding the wax remover/apply wax: the Elastiwrap prep they sell is just a spray-on wax. For prep, I'd say make sure the paint is really clean and apply some paint sealant or wax before spraying on the Elastiwrap. This just makes everything peel off easier.
WAKman
New Reader
9/25/16 2:10 p.m.
Weird, I literally just finished painting the bottom of the air dam of my BMW 328i with Plastidip, and came up to look at the forum while waiting for the first coat to dry.
Terry
OK, finally got some time.
I used one can on this tank which IIRC, was about three coats, maybe four.
Then I used one can on each of the fenders, they are not very big so I think I got around four coats on them.
Then I added the graphics to it.
Then I used one can of clear on each of the three peices, so another 3-4 coats on them.
I left it like this for around six months or so, to me, once applied, it felt more durable than plasti dip.
You can see by how much pressure I'm using to pull it off that it's pretty thick, almost as strong as trying to rip a balloon.
That was with around 7-8 total coats on the pieces. But, it came off completely without leaving any trace behind. The only prep I did was clean the pieces really well. I didn't use any wax due to the flat finish of the paint.
Hope that helps.