The Dispatch | Expert | Scudo Hub

vaz2121

Member

From: Glasgow Living:~ SW. Scotland

Registered: 2015-08-31

Posts: 1,311

Black Plastic Rubbing Strips

So yet another Lovely Day.............

My Rubbing Strips were/are even after washing looking (although not grey) IMHO "A bit the worse for exposure to the elements".........
{Mostly because my Neighbour's Son had left a couple of witness marks on my O/S rubbing stip}   

I'd been debating with myself what to do?..........
I'd heard of the hot air gun method and ruled it out fairly quickly as I've had a tendancey to melt stuff in the past or unglue stuff that wasn't meant to ............

So settled on what was in the cupboard under sink-Kid Skuff shoe restorer or in my case "kiwi protect and shine" which looks to be  much the same if a bit thiner from Memorey............

Got the MRS to put it in the grocery delivery list a week or so back and the "kiwi" stuff is what arrived as I had next to None of the other stuff left ................. (Plus it's yrs old as my kids (all 4) are now in their very late 20's or 30's)........

I wasted a good bit of time masking up along the top of the rubbing strip and the end edges and then decided to use the cut end of a cereal box as a straight edge.....

As I had two bottles I decided to pour one into a plastic tub (don't remember what was in it.......... But'll go in  bin when I'm done) and an old pot scourer that was obvously dry and both  cleaned .....(Some rubber {ex-medical examination} gloves too for the hands)

After I did the top edge on one side of van I removed masking tape to discover along with carboard edge I had actually covered and missed parts of the plastic.......

So using the bottle's applicator I got it done including the back doors with none of this Blck Sh** going on the paint........... (Ok maybe on a hinge but it was really tight there and I was pushing my luck).............

Then as I said at the start "Yet another Lovely Day" ..........It started to rain quite heavy.................Only going to get better having to do jobs outside this time of year..............

The areas that were dry seamed to beed and a shine Ok but was getting kind of streaky where clearly polish was still wet and also where I was a bit stin-ggy with  using bottle applicator (on rear doors) it to was looking a little streaky when I abandoned things........... N/S rubbing strip and bumpers to do plus any remedial applications............

When I got in shed I found a very small funnel to pour contents back in bottle I recon still have a bottle and 2/3rd's left so should be fine even with a second remedial coat

But although very early days "So far so good" don't know how long it'll last for..........

It's making the rest of the van from what I see through the kitchen window looking in need of a buff up

Last edited by vaz2121 (2020-11-16 17:42:06)

OAT

Member

From: Borders/Dales

Registered: 2017-01-03

Posts: 903

Re: Black Plastic Rubbing Strips

I would take a picture if I was you.  It won't last unfortunately.  I tried allsorts with my little Yamaha scooter which had lots of black plastic.  Even expensive car valeting stuff fades in a matter of weeks.

Best success I had was rubbing in boot polish and building up a coat.  It lasted a bit longer if unbuffed and left mat but still faded in weeks.  It also came off on cloths if you brushed against it.

I think we just have to come to terms with going gray with age.

vaz2121

Member

From: Glasgow Living:~ SW. Scotland

Registered: 2015-08-31

Posts: 1,311

Re: Black Plastic Rubbing Strips

That sounds so familiar............. I remember using a silicon based product IIRC called Back to Black which lost colour fairly quickly I also remember using a floor product called Seal but don't remember the outcome other than some Ridicule At the time {Something about dancing on the Dash board}............

I guess it'll be down to using that "Inky dye type plastic paint product" I used and had a certain amount of success with on the hard Paniers on my bike but still flaking off (It lasted a good year {3,000mls} or so, The rigors of Motorcycle touring) and needing redone, It would take a reasonable amount of  luck with weather especially outside this time of year ...............

You can get again ink type based paint for lettering curtain sided trailers and doesn't flake off ................
Much more expensive than the cheap SH** that I used, Think it came from Halfrauds ..............

Casper

Member

From: East Lothian

Registered: 2015-12-20

Posts: 2,115

Re: Black Plastic Rubbing Strips

I used many a stuff on plastics. We all know how bike switch gear goes grey over time. Old engine oil works OK but needs to soak in and dry so no bike for a day or so. The bumpers on my last convoy i painted with arc-rite satin chassis paint. It still looked this good two years later when i sold the van

JohnDragonMan

Member

From: Derby, East Midlands, UK

Registered: 2020-06-02

Posts: 402

Website

Re: Black Plastic Rubbing Strips

wow nice..  did you use any priming or other prep before painting? whenever i paint to plastic it always just peels off after a time even after keying the surface

---

- JohnDragonMan
Notice: I have the tendency to void warranties, blow fuses, cause fires, and other fun stuff.
Words of wisdom: Internally rust proof the sills and subframe! both skins!!. There's always user serviceable parts inside. "Oh that shouldn't have happened".
My 2005 Dispatch Camper Project

Casper

Member

From: East Lothian

Registered: 2015-12-20

Posts: 2,115

Re: Black Plastic Rubbing Strips

wow nice..  did you use any priming or other prep before painting? whenever i paint to plastic it always just peels off after a time even after keying the surface

No it was straight on after cleaning the bumper

This was when i was making my micro camper. This is Aldi metal paint but i cant say how good that was long term as i sold the van some six month later

vaz2121

Member

From: Glasgow Living:~ SW. Scotland

Registered: 2015-08-31

Posts: 1,311

Re: Black Plastic Rubbing Strips

I decided today to finish off the rest of the rubbing strips with the Kiwi protect & shine boot polish .............
If nothing else to match up the rest, But this time I had a 2 inch foam brush..........
I proceded to ladel it on and appears I was not as careful as before and got some on paint work .........
{My excuse is with it being a foam brush it distorts when applying pressure on getting the excess liquid out and in tighter spaces}.......

I re-did O/S and still had enough to do Front Bumper and Grill and a little bit left of bottle
{I have two bottles and have used one}
Still to do rear Bumper {Should just be enough left over}.........

Here's a few result pics

You can see where I went over

This is when doing the Bumper I notice someone has skuffed it as it wasn't there when last washed {was a while ago}...............
I imagine someone at the hospital caught it a couple months ago...........

But after boot polish it dissapeared

After tidying stuff away..............
I went for my Covid exercise walk and about a half hour later on returning I notice that now boot polish is Hardend/Dried ............

The skuff on the Bumper is more noticeable than before!! ............
It all probably wants a buff........{inc Paintwork}

I guess if all fails it's follow Caspers lead or Bumper and Trim paint! ............

vaz2121

Member

From: Glasgow Living:~ SW. Scotland

Registered: 2015-08-31

Posts: 1,311

Re: Black Plastic Rubbing Strips

This is getting monotonous another FAIL........
The foam brush would appear to have caused where heavily applied in area's some micro bubbles in polish So when it was rainning last night a little of it flaked off  and although still black if you get close you can see a lighter streaky pattern within Polish .............

Turned out better originally

O A T was right  and now it's a scrubb up and follow Caspers lead I guess when I get round to it............

Don't quote me on this as time's passing quick and things to attend to ............. But...........
When Vans up on ramps I've been planning on getting out my old {just what I've got} and favourite for this electric spray gun and squirting on some Chain saw .........Bar & Chain oil I've got underneath it mostly along sill area an around back of Van ...............

Seems good practice and take advantage of situation and time of year ....... Not to mention ramps allready out and van up