How to create a custom paintjob (very detailed)

[chrisingrassia]

Weighed my racquets this morning.
White racquet, 4 3/8 grip, w/2 "O" dampeners = 12oz
Black racqet, 4 3/8 grip, w/2 "O" dampeners = 12oz
Black racquet, 4 1/2 grip, w/no dampeners = 11.3oz

Interesting. Would have expected the 4 1/2 racquet to be heavier. SCIENCE!

 

[lwto]

I like the old WW2 P51's
so I tried to replicate it with my BLX Blade 98

 

[richardc-s]

I like the old WW2 P51's
so I tried to replicate it with my BLX Blade 98

Nicely done, how did you do it? Lots of masking tape or vinyl transfers?

 

[richardc-s]

Finished my Aero Pro Drive...











In the end I painted it a matte grey, although it looks black in a lot of the pictures. The last two pictures show its true colour quite well. I think it looks really smart with the contrasting grip

Now I just need to get it strung and it'll look lovely hung up on my study wall!

 

[lwto]

Nicely done, how did you do it? Lots of masking tape or vinyl transfers?

Thank you, yes it was a bit of a chore but the skinny was painting certain parts, for instance the yellow, then masking it off, the blue in the throat, mask.
The black and white was actually pretty easy, the white is the base coat actually, and then I taped it cross wise with 1/4" electric tape, In the middle where the grommet holes are I slit it down the middle with a razor and peeled off alternate pieces of the tape and painted it black, then lifted the left over tape off and it gave me that checkered pattern.
After I taped it off, I just painted it the silver.. which is a dodge Titanium paint actually.
It's what I used mostly, spray paint from the auto store, since there is so many colors that are supposed to match your car color.

 

[richardc-s]

Thank you, yes it was a bit of a chore but the skinny was painting certain parts, for instance the yellow, then masking it off, the blue in the throat, mask.
The black and white was actually pretty easy, the white is the base coat actually, and then I taped it cross wise with 1/4" electric tape, In the middle where the grommet holes are I slit it down the middle with a razor and peeled off alternate pieces of the tape and painted it black, then lifted the left over tape off and it gave me that checkered pattern.
After I taped it off, I just painted it the silver.. which is a dodge Titanium paint actually.
It's what I used mostly, spray paint from the auto store, since there is so many colors that are supposed to match your car color.

Fair play, that must have taken forever! I would be afraid to use it after putting in so much effort!

Car paints are very good for this type of thing, I've used them before and they seem nice and durable. This time around I actually used graffiti spray paint as I liked the colour... Time will tell how durable it is!

I assume you lacquered it to help protect it?

 

[lwto]

Fair play, that must have taken forever! I would be afraid to use it after putting in so much effort!

Car paints are very good for this type of thing, I've used them before and they seem nice and durable. This time around I actually used graffiti spray paint as I liked the colour... Time will tell how durable it is!

I assume you lacquered it to help protect it?

Actually, it didn't take to long, especially when you rush it.
I was apprehensive about putting over coat on it because I've had some bad luck before with metallic silvers or golds, but it held up pretty well.
Actually I don't use it cause I went with another racquet.

Have you managed to end your racquetholism? Please share your advices

These racquets which I only partially redid, I like them, not as much work but still personalized them.

 

[richardc-s]

Actually, it didn't take to long, especially when you rush it.
I was apprehensive about putting over coat on it because I've had some bad luck before with metallic silvers or golds, but it held up pretty well.
Actually I don't use it cause I went with another racquet.

Probably a good thing you don't use it, that way you can hang it on a wall and admire it

You can put all the lacquer on in the world and it still won't hold up to hitting the court!

 

[scotus]

Finished my Aero Pro Drive...











In the end I painted it a matte grey, although it looks black in a lot of the pictures. The last two pictures show its true colour quite well. I think it looks really smart with the contrasting grip

Now I just need to get it strung and it'll look lovely hung up on my study wall!

Those sticks look awesome without all the gaudy yellow paint and decals.

 

[Turbo-87]

Those sticks look awesome without all the gaudy yellow paint and decals.

I agree. I am a big fan of monochrome paint jobs. All you really need is a brand name decal, if that. Some paint jobs are as bad as late 80's cars.

 

[richardc-s]

Rackets now strung up and on my study wall

 

[Nicholas Kakatsis]

Gents,

I am new in this forum and consdieirng the topic and the work presetned by all, I need your input and help.

I play with a Volkl SG 10 Mid, which at least for me ....truly love palying with.

I have managed to repaint it in a Dark Pearl Grey with Balck gloss decals adn matte clear coat. The result was quite satisfactoy but here is where I have been struggling the last 2 months...Clear Coating.

If any of you have ever purchased a Volkl or owned a Wilson Pro Staff and tried to remove the original paint you will have noticed that the matte clear coat is quite abrasion resistant let alone its chemical resitance properties. Unfortunately no matter the type of clear coat I have used in many painting efforts (I have 3 rackets...) the perfromance results where poor after 1st time of play or even during the 1st stringing process. Either the string machine would create significnat marks where the pins attach to the rackjet (even if the coating has been baked) or the ball creates huge abrasion marks when it happens to hit the frmae(one hand BH player here). The types of coatings I have used where from automotive custom made 2K matter clear coats (from global brands) to even polyuretahne coatings used to rpotect floors from abrasion. Nothing has worked thus far.

I was wondering what is your expereince and if you have any advice that can help me tackle this.

Thanks in dvance for your kind help..
Nicholas
chemaicl resitance

 

[richardc-s]

To be honest I think you're always going to have those issues if you do it yoursef.

Your best bet is taking it to a car body shop and getting them to lacquer it with the spray gun and baking it in their spray booth. That way you'd get a top quality finish that will be durable.

 

[THE MAN]

Gents,

I am new in this forum and consdieirng the topic and the work presetned by all, I need your input and help.

I play with a Volkl SG 10 Mid, which at least for me ....truly love palying with.

I have managed to repaint it in a Dark Pearl Grey with Balck gloss decals adn matte clear coat. The result was quite satisfactoy but here is where I have been struggling the last 2 months...Clear Coating.

If any of you have ever purchased a Volkl or owned a Wilson Pro Staff and tried to remove the original paint you will have noticed that the matte clear coat is quite abrasion resistant let alone its chemical resitance properties. Unfortunately no matter the type of clear coat I have used in many painting efforts (I have 3 rackets...) the perfromance results where poor after 1st time of play or even during the 1st stringing process. Either the string machine would create significnat marks where the pins attach to the rackjet (even if the coating has been baked) or the ball creates huge abrasion marks when it happens to hit the frmae(one hand BH player here). The types of coatings I have used where from automotive custom made 2K matter clear coats (from global brands) to even polyuretahne coatings used to rpotect floors from abrasion. Nothing has worked thus far.

I was wondering what is your expereince and if you have any advice that can help me tackle this.

Thanks in dvance for your kind help..
Nicholas
chemaicl resitance

Sounds like the basecoat and the clearcoat are not compatiable or the clearcoat was not catalyzed correct. In other words the clearcoat is not curing correct even if you are baking it out.
If it was my guess you did not use the correct catalyst or the right amount. That's very important in the curing process.
I would suggest to anyone wanting there racket painted is to take it to there local automotive body shop and let professional's handle your project.
It will make your life your easier and without the mess and headaches.

 

[Nicholas Kakatsis]

Thanks a lot for the feedback.

Actually I agree with the perspective that any professional work will be superior to mine. I am not a pro in either (painting and tennis that is )

That said, and trying to answer some of the remarks above, the paints and clear coats I have used were chosen as a color and type by me and pressurized in spray cans by specialized employees of 2 different shops. In that sense the ratio mix was not controlled by me. Also, the choice of material that could blend together were considered (Acrylic). Being unaware if I can mention this here and I apologize if I should not- I have used PPG industries base coats and clear coats from their "Refinish" lines which is widely used by many top automotive firms. I would suppose that the guys who blended the materials into the spray cans, knew what they were supposed to do...
On a second note, I find it difficult to accept the fact that a professional spray gun, will have such a materially positive effect in the durability of the outcome. In my case I am pursuing a prolongation of the durability and especially the abrasion resistance characteristics, but rather any abrasion resistance at all! Obviously in that I could be totally wrong!

 

[richardc-s]

If you kept hitting a tennis ball against a car door, other than denting the metal, it will be unblemished and the paintwork will not mark. There is obviously something that a professional body shop can do which you cannot, this could be the prep work, paints/products used or the baking process.

It could be worth taking it to a local body shop and getting a quote?

 

[THE MAN]

If you kept hitting a tennis ball against a car door, other than denting the metal, it will be unblemished and the paintwork will not mark. There is obviously something that a professional body shop can do which you cannot, this could be the prep work, paints/products used or the baking process.

It could be worth taking it to a local body shop and getting a quote?

Agree....it appears he is doing it right, but I would go back to the automotive paint shop and tell them your problem and hold them accountable for your adhesion problems. Good Luck!

 

[Nicholas Kakatsis]

Gents, thanks again fro the input. richard I agree 100% with the example.
Actually I visited an auto body shop today and he said that even if I did nothing wrong, there is no way one can get the maximum out of a clear coat sprayed by a can vs. one sprayed by a pistol.

As scuh, I will be trying one racket with him to see the results and keep you posted.

 

[THE MAN]

Gents, thanks again fro the input. richard I agree 100% with the example.
Actually I visited an auto body shop today and he said that even if I did nothing wrong, there is no way one can get the maximum out of a clear coat sprayed by a can vs. one sprayed by a pistol.

As scuh, I will be trying one racket with him to see the results and keep you posted.

I do not agree with what the body shop is telling about the difference between a can and a spray gun. One can of clear is more than plenty for one racket and the application between the two should not be that much difference except you can regulate the spray gun and the can you cannot . I believe the problem is in the clearcoat they made for you. Could be old or outdated clearcoat.

 

[richardc-s]

G

Gents, thanks again fro the input. richard I agree 100% with the example.
Actually I visited an auto body shop today and he said that even if I did nothing wrong, there is no way one can get the maximum out of a clear coat sprayed by a can vs. one sprayed by a pistol.

As scuh, I will be trying one racket with him to see the results and keep you posted.

Good to hear, I look forward to seeing the finished product!

 

[chrisingrassia]

If I had the patience and time to do it all over again completely, I'd avoid the clearcoat completely. Unnecessary weight, and prevents you from doing any touch up spraying over time. Just keep it matte.

 

[chrisingrassia]

What's up dudes/dudettes, I've made the switch to a different frame last month, so my painted APD+'s are sitting idle. Anyone out there interested in buying? $100 each?

 

[burosky]

Make sure that you should put something in grommet holes. Toothpick might be good or I use toilet paper (just roll it).
Otherwise, you will be a little hard to put a grommet back in.
If you have a problem to put it back, use hair dryer a little.

I use my Dremmel tool to lightly sand the paint from the grommet holes. Much less work than plugging and unplugging each hole.

 

[burosky]

I just did a couple of paint jobs on both of my Prince Textreme Tour 100T. Being a GSW fan I did a Warriors themed job on one. For the other, I converted it into something that would be the equivalent of a 2017 special edition Wilson Pro Staff.

I'd post pics but I'm too cheap to update my photobucket account.

Does anyone know of a free hosting site for pics?

 

[diredesire]

I just did a couple of paint jobs on both of my Prince Textreme Tour 100T. Being a GSW fan I did a Warriors themed job on one. For the other, I converted it into something that would be the equivalent of a 2017 special edition Wilson Pro Staff.

I'd post pics but I'm too cheap to update my photobucket account.

Does anyone know of a free hosting site for pics?

imgur is a simple, straightforward, good one.

 

[Erlang]

I just did a couple of paint jobs on both of my Prince Textreme Tour 100T. Being a GSW fan I did a Warriors themed job on one. For the other, I converted it into something that would be the equivalent of a 2017 special edition Wilson Pro Staff.

I'd post pics but I'm too cheap to update my photobucket account.

Does anyone know of a free hosting site for pics?

Try https://imgur.com

Photobucket killed this thread with the switch to the paid plan. 80% of the pictures are missing now

 

[Jay Sean]

Still active? Any comments on durability of these paint jobs? Or what kind of clear coat is the best?

I landed on enamel clear coat as opposed to laquer. It's harder.

 

[sredna42]

Has anyone ever tried a high pressure water jetter to blast the paint off a frame?

I'd love to re-do my racquets in matte black, like the blacked out pro-stock frames. No logos and plain.
Finding a paint that will stretch as the racquet flexes, and that is hard enough to resist chipping, would be difficult I imagine.

 

[Jay Sean]

Are these kinds of paint jobs durable?

 

[richardc-s]

Are these kinds of paint jobs durable?

Not as durable as the original paint that's on a racket, but they can still take a scrape and bump.

I'm really careful with my rackets so the ones I have painted are still looking really good, but if you're someone who hits the ground quite often then they're going to get chipped just like any other paint job.

Nothing stopping you from just painting it again if it does start to look a bit too beaten up.

 

[Jay Sean]

Not as durable as the original paint that's on a racket, but they can still take a scrape and bump.

I'm really careful with my rackets so the ones I have painted are still looking really good, but if you're someone who hits the ground quite often then they're going to get chipped just like any other paint job.

Nothing stopping you from just painting it again if it does start to look a bit too beaten up.

Thanks for replying! I did one recently and it wasn't even durable enough to hold up to a few ball shanks. So I was hoping the results are supposed to be better than that because I am trying again. Using enamel clear coat this time instead of whatever it was before (which I'm sure was fine on the paint I sprayed over) but I'm also fully stripping the racquet paint this time and allowing it much more time to dry.

I just wanted to hear it from someone who feels they did a good job. Should the custom painted racquet be immune to a tennis ball hitting the frame?

 

[richardc-s]

My latest paint job, nice and simple, matt grey with no lacquer. Funnily enough this particular paint (general automotive stuff) seems really tough. It's taken a few little knocks and shows no sign of damage.

Head Radical (Zebra) with cap grommets, strung with VS gut mains and Pro Hurricane crosses @ 50lbs

 

[richardc-s]

Thanks for replying! I did one recently and it wasn't even durable enough to hold up to a few ball shanks. So I was hoping the results are supposed to be better than that because I am trying again. Using enamel clear coat this time instead of whatever it was before (which I'm sure was fine on the paint I sprayed over) but I'm also fully stripping the racquet paint this time and allowing it much more time to dry.

I just wanted to hear it from someone who feels they did a good job. Should the custom painted racquet be immune to a tennis ball hitting the frame?

Normally the paint will hold up fine to a ball hitting it, however one racket I did showed ball hits as white scuffs. Don't know what I did wrong, maybe it was a different brand of lacquer?

When you do the paint make sure you do light coats, if you do thick ones they take forever to dry and I find they're more susceptible to chipping.

 

[Jay Sean]

That looks really good! I'm impressed to hear it's held up well. What kind of paint was it (more specifically)?

I've been using rustoleum metallic spray paint. Love how mine looks and pray it holds up this time.

 

[burosky]

I just did a couple of paint jobs on both of my Prince Textreme Tour 100T. Being a GSW fan I did a Warriors themed job on one. For the other, I converted it into something that would be the equivalent of a 2017 special edition Wilson Pro Staff.

I'd post pics but I'm too cheap to update my photobucket account.

Does anyone know of a free hosting site for pics?

How do you embed pics from imgur? Sorry, clueless.

 

[toby55555]

No gold bling jobs?

 

[Zoolander]

How do you embed pics from imgur? Sorry, clueless.

You want to post pics on here? Go here.... https://postimages.org .Click choose image and then find and click on the pic you want. When done copy the "direct link" line "https.......jpg". In here click on the rectangle next to the smiley face just above and paste that direct link line in there. Should come up.

 

[burosky]

Here is my Golden State Warriors racket.

 

[Zoolander]

Here is my Golden State Warriors racket.

wow that is ridiculously good! You sir obviously have a lot more patience than me!

 

[Sixpointone]

Hi Burosky,

That is really a well thought out and incredibly executed paint job. Thanks for sharing!

Best,
John

 

[burosky]

Very flattered. The unfortunate thing is I got tempted to use it during a league playoff match and continued to use it after. As with any racket that is getting any kind of use, it got scratched up quite a bit and it ended up with a lot of paint chips. Rather than patching the scratches and chips I decided to sand it down to re-paint it. I just got so busy I stopped midway and haven't restarted. I'm thinking of using using a rubberized coating paint called Plasti Dip. Rustoleum also has their own called FlexiDip. Since the price per can is very similar, making a choice on which one to use will all depend on the color and finish selection. Both are available at Home Depot. If you want to have an idea what this is, check out your pliers. The rubber that coats the handle is the same material. I'm thinking since it is rubber, it shouldn't chip. Aside from that, one or two coats would probably do the job because it is thicker than regular paint. As an added bonus, this material can easily be removed. It doesn't have to be sanded. It can be peeled so if you make a mistake or get tired of the paint job it would be easy to redo your racket. Has anyone tried using this? As usual, once I get around to finishing it, I will post pics.

 

[Zoolander]

Vaguely remember reading people talking about it in here but dont know if they did. Suspect it may add a fair bit of weight?

Very flattered. The unfortunate thing is I got tempted to use it during a league playoff match and continued to use it after. As with any racket that is getting any kind of use, it got scratched up quite a bit and it ended up with a lot of paint chips. Rather than patching the scratches and chips I decided to sand it down to re-paint it. I just got so busy I stopped midway and haven't restarted. I'm thinking of using using a rubberized coating paint called Plasti Dip. Rustoleum also has their own called FlexiDip. Since the price per can is very similar, making a choice on which one to use will all depend on the color and finish selection. Both are available at Home Depot. If you want to have an idea what this is, check out your pliers. The rubber that coats the handle is the same material. I'm thinking since it is rubber, it shouldn't chip. Aside from that, one or two coats would probably do the job because it is thicker than regular paint. As an added bonus, this material can easily be removed. It doesn't have to be sanded. It can be peeled so if you make a mistake or get tired of the paint job it would be easy to redo your racket. Has anyone tried using this? As usual, once I get around to finishing it, I will post pics.

 

[Zoolander]

https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/plastidip-on-tennis-frame.515910/

 

[burosky]

Based on those post, it seems like plasti-dip was only good in theory. Thanks for saving me the cost of the paint and time to do the work. The search for a better paint, process or method continues.....

 

[lawlaw]

Forgot to post these a while ago, latest custom mold 90 frames based on the colour scheme of a Chanel racquet. A nod to Sean Connery's James Bond and some customised model details (AL90) and a signature on the bottom of the throat completes the design. The white grips usually feature a plain white finishing tape to avoid a visual break between the bottom of the handle and the throat where the black begins.

They forgot to add the artwork to the reverse side of the frame which was extremely annoying, but life goes on..

 

[beltsman]

I am thinking of adding a glossy finish to a racquet. Can I keep the original paint and simply spray on a gloss? Do I need to sand? What's a good product to use?

 

[joah310]

I am thinking of adding a glossy finish to a racquet. Can I keep the original paint and simply spray on a gloss? Do I need to sand? What's a good product to use?

I think you may want to scuff up the surface a bit before applying.

 

[beltsman]

I think you may want to scuff up the surface a bit before applying.

Hmm I don't want to do that. Maybe I will pass.

 

[joah310]

Hmm I don't want to do that. Maybe I will pass.

I'm not sure. I havent done much painting so you maight want to hear from someone more experienced.

 

[aarenes]

Forgot to post these a while ago, latest custom mold 90 frames based on the colour scheme of a Chanel racquet. A nod to Sean Connery's James Bond and some customised model details (AL90) and a signature on the bottom of the throat completes the design. The white grips usually feature a plain white finishing tape to avoid a visual break between the bottom of the handle and the throat where the black begins.

They forgot to add the artwork to the reverse side of the frame which was extremely annoying, but life goes on..

How was the lettering added to this paint job, anyone have an idea?