plasti-dip tips wanted

[Grinder]

I'm masking off parts of a fan, to put a pattern on it for my Archon build. From what I've read, it seems like a lot of people do a light coat of plasti-dip, let it set up for 15 min, do another moderate coat, then pull the masking tape before it dries.

I've never used this stuff before, so I'd appreciate some expert advice I'd like to get this right the first time, as it proving to be a painstaking task to mask this elaborate pattern! Hopefully it will turn out nice. After all, I did take an art class in grade 6

[snef]

You will need more than 2 coats

For my build or plasti-dip project

I always use 4 or more coats
Let it dry 24 hours and use a good knife and cut the plastidip where is the masking tape and remove the tape

[Grinder]

Thanks snef, I appreciate the advice. Do you have pics in any of your build logs where you did this? I'd like to see how intricate a pattern is possible.

I was hoping to avoid doing it this way. The pattern is really detailed and it will be painful to go over it again exactly, plus I'm concerned about unbalancing the fan by going too heavy (as the pattern isn't perfectly symmetrical).

Have you ever tried the technique I described?

[Grinder]

Also, is there any advantage to plasti-dip other than peeling it off if need be? By the time I go over the fan blades a couple of times with a knife, it might no longer look so great if I end up reverting it to stock anyway. So paint might be an option if it would be easier to peel off the tape without having to use the knife, as long as the paint doesn't come with it.

[snef]

I never use plastidip for complicated thing

but im sure 2 coat is not enough specially with white

but I cut the republic of gamer logo on my motherboard

[Grinder]

That looks nice, and does have some fine detail. Here's what I'm looking at. As you can see from the mock-up I have it about half masked.



The curvature of the blades makes it awkward, and it doesn't help that I couldn't remove them. There was a plastic plug in the back of the fan, but I was starting to destroy it just trying to get it out, so I went for taping the frame instead.

Still trying to decide whether to use plasti-dip or just paint the darn thing.

[Hooded]

With a design like that and using plasti-dip I would have concerns about throwing fan out of balance, because Plasti-Dip is not evenly distributed around fan.
imho I think a paint would be better choice for this application. Weighs less will also require fewer coats and will be much easier to remove the masking.

[snef]

Yes, dont use plasti-dip, use regular plastic paint

And plasti-dip is not good for fine detail like that

And very nice design

[Grinder]

With a design like that and using plasti-dip I would have concerns about throwing fan out of balance, because Plasti-Dip is not evenly distributed around fan.
imho I think a paint would be better choice for this application. Weighs less will also require fewer coats and will be much easier to remove the masking.

Thanks Hooded, I expressed the same concern about balance in post #3, despite it being a low speed fan, and the paint being *relatively* evenly distributed. Plus as you say, easier to remove the masking, just peel carefully. Should I let the regular paint dry first before removing the masking? I'm thinking like 30 min or so after the final coat, and doing several light coats.

Yes, dont use plasti-dip, use regular plastic paint

And plasti-dip is not good for fine detail like that

And very nice design

Thanks snef. I originally wanted to use plasti-dip in case I messed it up. But I suppose I can just repaint the fan. Besides, the plasti-dip probably costs more than the fan

I'm glad you like the design. I'm trying for a phoenix and a dragon (light vs dark) chasing each other's tails around the fan, and the hub kinda looks yin/yang like. But I'm not absolutely confident in my artistic ability, and don't want it to look tacky.

[Grinder]

Any tips on spraying this with regular spray paint? How best to avoid the paint bleeding into the masking, or tearing or not leaving a nice edge when the tape is removed?

I tried a quick experiment on a scrap piece of plastic, the first test I did two coats and let it dry 30 min each, but the edge wasn't crisp. Looked like it pulled a bit.

The second test I sprayed and peeled right away, but it bled under the tape as I peeled it. Seems like I might have gone too heavy.

So what's the best approach? Extremely light coats 30 min apart and let the last dry a day? Painter n00b here lol.

[Hooded]

Sharp cuts, light coats, and remove while last coat is still tacky but not wet

[Grinder]

It bled through a little, probably the quality of the masking tape. But the results look pretty good for my first effort at masking a pattern like this, especially considering that no one will be putting their face in close to this, and it is a spinning fan after all.

A pic of the results is in my Archon thread. Thanks snef and hooded for your help!

[Grinder]

I should add that I did 5 VERY light coats about 10-15 min apart, and pulled the tape 15-20 min after the final coat. The spots that bled through a bit were where the tape was in really thin strips (1/8 inch or less), so not held down as well. Since I wasn't going over existing paint, in hindsight I'd probably use something that sticks a little better, but I'm still happy with the result.