Tried some vinyl paint on my seat - mixed results

[BennyBlown2v]

I'm gonna be repainting my bike, and wanted to see if I could get away with just some vinyl paint on the seat (going from purple to black, pics below). It turned out great as far as durability, and would have been perfect except even after 3-4 thin coats (as recommended by the instructions), there are some large spots where it isn't glossy, yet other spots where it looks nice and shiney as could be!

I think I'm going to attempt to recover it myself, and if I can't make it look good I have a friend who says he can hook me up with a custom car interiors guy who could do it. I really don't think it would be that hard...no sowing involved, just stapling and stretching - which I have done MANY many times for when making canvases for my mom, she does public art projects.

Pics:






^^^here you can see what I'm talking about on the front part, the transition part, and then a little bit on the passenger seat. It's just sort of dull, like the paint wasn't mixed right...only thing is every coat I made sure to get those spots with a healthy spray

[professorman]

you need a new camera, or a real camera if that is camera phone. Hard to see what you are talking about in those pics

[BennyBlown2v]

Yeah it's really dark, I'll take some out in the sun. in a minute.

[BennyBlown2v]

Ok here we go!

Pics:






^^there are about three spots on the seat that look like that...but for $5 for the can its not THAT bad I guess...better than purple


^^^overall view, non-shiny "blemishes" sort of blend in at different angles, but up close and straight on they are noticeable.

[HS2020]

Take a scotch brite pad and go over it now. this will dull it down some and give it an aged look.

[awsnap]

You didn't clean the seat (vinyl) well enough and you used cheap vinyl dye (paint).

[VifferJim]

Recovering your seat is cheap and pretty easy. A sq yd of marine vinyl, a 3/8th's staple and gun, about an hour or two and a little patience is about all it takes.

I'd recommend against using a pnuematic stapler unless you can control the air pressure (tried it with one that I couldn't adjust and it just blew holes right through the vinyl.

After a week or two of use, it'll mold to the contour of your seat and fit like a glove.

[cynicalrider]

jgmann where can you get vinyl like that?

[awsnap]

Check with you local boat shop and see if they have a contact or even carry it. Or you should have a local upholstery shop that should have it.

EDIT: I'm sure you could even find it on eBay...

[cynicalrider]

im goin to look at some fabric stores today. i found a spot online but i rather get ti right away if i could. does anyone know where i could find flush mount signals? or anything that doesnt stick out as much as stock?

[VifferJim]

jgmann where can you get vinyl like that?

I searched marine vinyl on the internet and came up with a place in Pennsylvania (north central, from what I remember) - $16 a sq yd, plus shipping.

[VifferJim]

im goin to look at some fabric stores today. i found a spot online but i rather get ti right away if i could. does anyone know where i could find flush mount signals? or anything that doesnt stick out as much as stock?

Confessions of an eBay junkie... I got mine from this guy:

http://stores.ebay.com/forwardmotionmc

[rwcreigh]

painting seats????i did not know this could be done.

[VifferJim]

painting seats????i did not know this could be done.

You CAN do just about anything ya set your mind to... it's really more of a question of WHETHER you should do it. And, for as cheap and easy as it is to recover your existing seat, I'd say - no, you shouldn't paint.

[99cadillacman]

I resprayed the whole interior of my low rider truck from brown to black ... it came out good. I had one spot on my dash that was uneven gloss.... hit it with a scotchbrite pad cleaned it with a tackrag and sprayed again....even..

the thicker you lay it on the glossier it is....


I think alot of people look down on spraying seats and stuff.... but hey it had to get sprayed that color at the factory didnt it? the o.e. color didnt just magically appear on the leather/vinyl !!!