Painting Skis - info post

**jrm27** · 12-15-2006, 11:06 AM

Yeah, that's exactly what I am going to be doing. I just need to put on the gloss and hope for the best durability I can. Well done. your skis look great.

**goldenboy** · 12-16-2006, 07:57 PM

I put a lot less work into all of the skis that I have painted, choosing to paint a solid color and then re-apply as needed, since the tips and tails usually get a bit scratched. Here's a pair of axioms, that will soon belong to Huckwheat. Some great tips in here if I wanted to put a little more work into it.

Squatch · 12-16-2006, 08:04 PM

painting white over black: difficult. But hopefully worth it.

**cooltsi** · 12-23-2006, 07:59 AM

These are a set of Dynamic Powder extras (same as the powder plus I believe), painted with three coats of Durabond truck bedliner from the rattle can and then masked down the center followed by two more coats down the outside edges. Three coats of clear to follow up. I scuffed up the topsheets pretty good by running them through my 6" beltsander quite a few times. Tyrolia D10's (Din 6-17)on the skis with 110mm wide brakes that had to be bent just a bit to clear. I cut a 30mm deep swallow at the rear in the aluminum tail and riveted the tips and tails. The tail has a 40mm deep aluminum insert so I went just short of the insert. The snowflake is my wifes addition.

http://www.ida.net/users/slambson/po...ra%20tails.jpg
http://www.ida.net/users/slambson/po...a%20tails2.jpg
http://www.ida.net/users/slambson/po...tra%20tips.jpg

**jrm27** · 12-29-2006, 11:16 AM

Since this is the thread that brought me here, I thought I'd contribute with my most recent project!

This is a pair of Volk 5 stars that I got for cheap and fixed some delam on the tail. I painted them red with a little Russian soldier motif. It took about 17 very light coats for the base layer of red, another 10 or so for the black highlights and then probably about 20 light coats of acrylic clear coat lacquer (2 cans worth). I didn't sand it down because I didn't have the tools, nor the energy.... i just prepped the top layer and then used good old Krylon Fusion for the colors, and then some auto paint clearcoat from Napa for the rest! Sorry for the terrible picutre quality, hopefully you can still see everything alright.

(before i painted, this is after I fixed the tail and then taped off the rails and masked the edges)

(here's afterwards, sorry for the terrible picture quality)

(here's a closeup of the tail with the soldier graphic)

(here's the tips.. I like the Volkl logo, so I thought it woudl be nice to keep it!)

So, that's it! If I can, I'll try and get some better pics this weekend. These are my one of a kind "Volkl Ruskis"

**tjschuldt** · 02-22-2007, 09:15 PM

Hi guys...I'm new to this forum but found it through a yahoo search. I just bought some cheap used skis and want to paint them but wasnt sure what was the best route to go.....and there are so many options....any suggestions for the beginner?

**leroy jenkins** · 02-22-2007, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by tjschuldt

Hi guys...I'm new to this forum but found it through a yahoo search. I just bought some cheap used skis and want to paint them but wasnt sure what was the best route to go.....and there are so many options....any suggestions for the beginner?

How bout you read this fucking thread. Look at the title, doesn't it kinda seem like the info you required would allready be in here?

**powderripper** · 02-23-2007, 12:29 AM

talked to a friend that works a sherwin williams auto paint and he had painted a few boards with auto paint with flexitive added to the paint and clear coats. S.E.M. has a paint for flexable plastic or vinyl the he thinks would work better. As for the top coat, if your rich, the best would be clear tape for rock protection on car hoods. comes in 6x80 inches. getting a price tomarrow. 2nd choice is spray on rock guard for bumpers and rocker panels, flexable and durable. availble in spray can or by the Qt.
Too bad these arn't any longer-- could cut in half.
http://www.originalsnowboardart.com/index.aspx

**72Twenty** · 05-01-2007, 10:23 PM

I think I am going to paint another pair this summer... my Pocket Rockets. They are pretty beat and I mostly just use them on lazy days at my local hill. I will post the process when I have time to do it.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 05-18-2007, 03:42 PM

sorry for the bump of the old thread, but a thought occurred to me.
Isn't polyurethane coating flexible? I know it doesn't go on smooth, but couldn't you do a few coats and then sand it? would this work, or would it look terrible/chip off?
EDIT: And what do I do to make it smooth if my top sheet is already chipped/gouged in a few places.
Armada topsheets are that piece of nylon which chips off, plus I put a nice gouge where the sidewall and topsheet meet, with no core exposure.

**NippleHighPow** · 10-12-2007, 04:22 PM

Hey sorry for the old thread bump but I was wondering if anyone has any experience with more detailed top sheets. My guess would it would a lot more tedious but probably doable. I have an extremely talented friend who is willing to put the time and effort into a cool design but I was wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience. It wouldn't be like a Armada detailed design but just more than just 2 or 3 colors.

**peds** · 10-13-2007, 05:02 AM

Excellent thread this - I'm modding a pair this winter, this thread has given me some idea of how to go about it, as before my only thoughts were to do as a boarder friend of mine went and use vinyl topsheets... which, as said, might not withstand ski clacks as well.

I'll get some photos up once they are done - around February time, most likely

**somegeek** · 04-14-2008, 11:09 AM

Any reports on how the Krylon Fusion clear or auto store clear coat has held up?

Pondering putting some new colors on my B3s.

somegeek

**Dromond** · 04-14-2008, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by somegeek

Any reports on how the Krylon Fusion clear or auto store clear coat has held up?

Pondering putting some new colors on my B3s.

somegeek

The Fusion paint has held up well for me. It's hard to say exactly but my painted explosives still look decent after maybe 20-30 days. There are signs of wears but absolutely no chipping. I think that it's you're best bet for the money.

**somegeek** · 04-14-2008, 11:40 AM

Right on.

I'd read back in this thread that many light coats was key to building up solid paint layers and the clear layer. Amped to give this a whirl!

Thanks for this.

loJack · 04-17-2008, 10:21 AM

Here are a couple of pairs of skis I have painted in order to protect athletes from fucking up their sponsorships. I have had my best results using Krylon Fusion but the fact remains painting a ski is like painting a car tire, its going to get fucked up. That being said I recommend painting your skis flat black if you want the best results. They will look better for longer and are easy to touch up.

**somegeek** · 04-17-2008, 10:29 AM

You covered the ribbons!

Thanks for the info. I am pondering a pretty basic pattern... noted regarding flatblack.

Those Coop silhouettes?

somegeek

loJack · 04-17-2008, 10:41 AM

Didn't sweat the tails since they are powder skis but I have since found some nice PBR stickers that would have worked perfectly, all smoke and mirrors. Silhouettes were provided by a nude internet model.

**Ed el Loco** · 09-10-2009, 12:12 AM

Digging up an old thread because I finally painted some of my own. Got these from cooltsi, they came with a coat of truck bed liner and bunch of different color paint. I sanded them down and put a coat of flat green and then a few stencils.

**ShredBG** · 09-13-2009, 11:09 AM

big thanks for all the info on this thread. just brought my original teneightys into the 21st century. felt its only right that the ski that started it all was given a facelift

**ren** · 09-13-2009, 01:10 PM

Those look solid Shred

**Gordyman** · 03-08-2010, 04:53 PM

Atomic Powder Plus owners, and this may be true for other older skis:

I discovered that if you sand off enough topsheet, you get a charcoal black surface. I skied them like that several days and then recently put a coat of urethane on them. I did it to protect the two stickers.
Attachment 75272

**Govey** · 11-09-2010, 07:22 PM

Fantastic thread, I'm getting a pair of this year's S3s, hate the graphics, so I think I'll keep the orange Rossi logo and paint the rest a matte black.

I'll post updates when I get around to it.

Edit: I sound like an idiot, but I'm getting the S3s for almost free... =)

**Dory Breaux** · 11-11-2010, 01:31 AM

Originally Posted by Govey

Fantastic thread, I'm getting a pair of this year's S3s, hate the graphics, so I think I'll keep the orange Rossi logo and paint the rest a matte black.

I'll post updates when I get around to it.

Edit: I sound like an idiot, but I'm getting the S3s for almost free... =)

Why? Nothing wrong with the S3.

Not finished, old pair of Seths that needed new life.