Tire Paint

[plum500]

Anyone (probably on other projects) have any experience with the Gledi white wall tire paint? Looking at the demonstration video - it looks like incredibly tough stuff. I have a 17" on my car, and while I thought I'd be OK with the black wall tires, it's just not doing it for me, and I want the letters white, so I'm wondering if this stuff will do the trick. (tires are 275/50/17 out back and 255/50/17 in front - so there's some sidewall)

In this day in age where you can sell advertising space anywhere, I am surprised RWL went the way of the dodo.

[plum500]

[deleted]

[oldcarnut]

Did you try it out?

[plum500]

Actually... I tried something else out tonight, and posted, then deleted because I thought it didn't work. Turns out, I just had to let it dry for a couple hours. What I did was dry to the touch, but I think the enamel I used reacted with the paint I used as a primer, and things had cure a bit.

If anyone is curious, either for doing up raised letters on 17s, or whatever, maybe repairs or applications on other types of projects, I found this worked:

* Scotchbrite pad on the rubber you want to paint, I criss crossed a bit, but it doesn't actually do anything to the tire that you are going to feel with your finger, just makes it nice and dull
* Degrease - I used a piece of paper towel dampened with a bit of lighter fluid to clean my test piece of rubber
* Used Dupli-Color vinyl fabric paint as a base coat (if any paint has got to be flexible, this is it) and lightly sprayed an even coat on the test
* Followed up the vinyl/fabric paint with a top coat - I just grabbed a can of yellow enamel I had sitting on the shelf

I used a 3/8" thick slab of rubber to test on, and I can fold it in half, scrape at it, and the stuff will not come off.

I read about someone using the Dupli-Color vinyl paint, on another forum - but I wanted to check it out, and improve on the prep method. As well, the colors available are limited for sure, and the white isn't all that great, so I thought why not use it as a base coat? Chances are, another paint will still to it - plus that opens the door to either white or yellow lettering.

And with the spray, vs the thick brush on stuff, I think I can make this pretty convincing with sharp edges, and no brush strokes.

Fred

[Mopar Nut]

Actually... I tried something else out tonight, and posted, then deleted because I thought it didn't work. Turns out, I just had to let it dry for a couple hours. What I did was dry to the touch, but I think the enamel I used reacted with the paint I used as a primer, and things had cure a bit.

If anyone is curious, either for doing up raised letters on 17s, or whatever, maybe repairs or applications on other types of projects, I found this worked:

* Scotchbrite pad on the rubber you want to paint, I criss crossed a bit, but it doesn't actually do anything to the tire that you are going to feel with your finger, just makes it nice and dull
* Degrease - I used a piece of paper towel dampened with a bit of lighter fluid to clean my test piece of rubber
* Used Dupli-Color vinyl fabric paint as a base coat (if any paint has got to be flexible, this is it) and lightly sprayed an even coat on the test
* Followed up the vinyl/fabric paint with a top coat - I just grabbed a can of yellow enamel I had sitting on the shelf

I used a 3/8" thick slab of rubber to test on, and I can fold it in half, scrape at it, and the stuff will not come off.

I read about someone using the Dupli-Color vinyl paint, on another forum - but I wanted to check it out, and improve on the prep method. As well, the colors available are limited for sure, and the white isn't all that great, so I thought why not use it as a base coat? Chances are, another paint will still to it - plus that opens the door to either white or yellow lettering.

And with the spray, vs the thick brush on stuff, I think I can make this pretty convincing with sharp edges, and no brush strokes.

Fred

Any pictures?

[plum500]

I didn't have a chance today. Will post pics in the next couple days though. Final thing I want to figure out - because I am spraying, masking with tape would be a pain and probably not that effective anyway. Though I think some tuck tape would stick pretty well, outlining letters would take way too long. So I am either going to try some liquid stuff - or I think what I will probably try first is a water soluable gel. Should be able to brush it on around the raised letters I am going to paint (and mask a block around the word as close as possible with tape) and shoot it. Hopefully it will give a nice crisp line and just wash off with the hose. I've seen some pics posted on other forums of brushed jobs - there's some really good, and some really bad. If I can't make someone look at least twice and have to ask me where I got the Nittos with the raised yellow lettering, I don't want to do it

Here's one of the more successful hand painted jobs I've seen - but, this took some time and patience I'm sure, and a steady hand that I just don't have very often.
http://sandscorcher-eng.blogspot.ca/2010/03/tire-porn-2.html

[oldcarnut]

http://www.r6live.com/r6-how-guides/47678-how-paint-tire-lettering-link.html

[Patronus]

Huh..
thanks for posting

[Mopar Nut]

Could you use carbon paper to trace the letters, then transfer the image to wide tape. Tape the cut out lettering on the tire over the original lettering. Then paint.

[plum500]

That's a great link - masking like that seems like it would not be that bad.

I actually thought about that carbon paper idea last night ... well, sort of, I was trying to think of a way to do a rubbing to get a print of the lettering.

What I was thinking though - if I could get a print of the lettering, I would have the letters cut in rubber, and then just glue them on with a good rubber cement. (A *very* thin rubber with a decent rubber cement, I expect would outlast the tire)

There's a company that does this - but their website is a little limited - no information on what brands/model tires they will do. I just sent them an email.
They are a bit pricey though.

For the 10 bucks I paid for the vinyl paint, and a little time investment, I still think I'll paint. I might check out that paint in that link above too though.

[Mopar Nut]

http://www.r6live.com/r6-how-guides/47678-how-paint-tire-lettering-link.html

This is a good idea.