Well last year I replaced my OEM windscreen with an aftermarket Maier Windscreen that I found on Ebay. Overall I am happy with the looks but one thing that is annoys me is that along the bottom of the screen you can see the gray plastic on the backside just under the gauge cluster. The OEM screen was trimmed in black in front of that portion so that it did not show through. Any advice on how to hide this? I've considered possibly tinting it darker along the bottom but I have no tinting experience and not sure how durable it is. I've also considered painting the screen but I'm not sure whether or not I should rough up the screen with sandpaper before painting or should I applying paint directly to the smooth taped off portion. What type of paint is best and what type of other prep is recommended? I also need to confirm that Sweetwater420 is the best ale to consume while doing said task. Here is a pic of the screen and you can see the area I am talking about just above the headlights.
Tape it, rough it with 600 grit wet, retape it, spray it with whatever can of black spray paint happens to be closest to hand. They will all look glossy from the outside. If you want to be anal about it, get a can of the special "for plastic" spray paint, might give you a longer lasting bond. Spray just enough to get coverage, no need to layer it on. Best thing you can do is let the prepped screen and the can sit in the sun on a nice 70+ day, then shake the can really well and let a couple light coats dry in the sun. Done.
I used Krylon paint for plastic lawn furniture I picked up at the hardware store. Prep was barely more than washing and drying the screen because I really didn't expect it to work. As it turns out, it worked great.
When I used to be a god-like rockstar drummer, I used to paint the inside of my clear bass drum head with krylon flat black and much to my dismay, the outside looked a mile deep glossy perfect.
[image: View Post]RollinAgain, on 11 March 2011 - 02:41 PM, said:
Seb,
Are you instructions based on painting the outside or inside of the screen? Any difference between the two?
Rollin
Inside!
On the outside you'd want to clearcoat, and you'd have to clear the whole screen to avoid the tape line, not worth the trouble! As mentioned, painting the inside will automatically get you a "clearcoat" look from the outside via the screen itself.
+1 on Seb's painting schedule.
For those who may not have tinted plastic: I've used ordinary fabric dyes dissolved in water at ~80 deg. F. Depth of color is dependent on exposure time. I've done face shields, windscreens and other smaller pieces. Always start with an absolutely clean part. Remember the dye will likely penetrate the tub, tank, bowl or plastic lined ditch you choose to use.
Good fortune, R~
End of thread · 9 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 8 Apr 2011