teachingprotx
Legend
Bump
How to create a custom paintjob (very detailed)
- Thread starter User Name
- Start date
teachingprotx
Legend
Is anyone using a clear coat spray for added durability.?
Would love to hear from anyone who is having good success with hard durable clear coating from a spray can.
I have found the most durable chip resistant clear coat available. It is called 2 k clear
Max. 2 part paint can . However it’s very expensive at $19-26 for a can, so I’m looking for something cheaper in a one part spray can - no mixing of hardners, that is durable .
Anyone have info or working suggestions?
Would love to hear from anyone who is having good success with hard durable clear coating from a spray can.
I have found the most durable chip resistant clear coat available. It is called 2 k clear
Max. 2 part paint can . However it’s very expensive at $19-26 for a can, so I’m looking for something cheaper in a one part spray can - no mixing of hardners, that is durable .
Anyone have info or working suggestions?
Thiem's 1HB
Rookie
Why do you keep on going on about a product that even the makers say is likely to be carcinogenic and causes birth defects etc etc??
teachingprotx
Legend
Dude I’m asking for alternatives chill bro
hypervox
Rookie
This is my attempt,
hypervox
Rookie
Did you ever do a spray job on the rf and if so how did you remove the velvet/rubber paint?
teachingprotx
Legend
Bump
As a graphic artist, I would advise getting waterslide decals made of the official graphics you wish to place on your racket. Cutting out letters with an exacto knife requires a skill that few possess. About to go throught the process now.There have been multiple requests for a thread on how to go about doing a custom paintjob. I have done two paintjobs now and have a pretty good grasp on putting together a quality paintjob. I have done both a jet black paintjob and a more intricate white/blue babolat paintjob on a prince o3 white.
*Warning* By repainting a tennis racquet, the warranty will be voided and the tennis racquet will be permanently changed.
Supplies
I was able to purchase all of these supplies at true value. The model car paints (optional) may need to be purchased at a model store.
Paint- If you have an airbrush, that would be fantastic and make the job considerably easier, but we are going to assume that we don't have an airbrush on hand. There are a few types of paint to choose from, including, but not limited to: lacquer, epoxy paint, and regular household paint. When you decide on your paint, you are going to want to stick with the same type of paint and brand if possible, this is to avoid any reactions.
Lacquer: I used lacquer on my white babolat paintjob and liked it. It dries fast, which is tricky, but if you are careful, you will be alright. It dries very hard and nice and shiny. You can buy it in small spray paint cans for model cars as well as at any hardware store in white, black, and clear. Below is a picture of a guitar painted with lacquer and then polished.
Epoxy paint: Epoxy paint is also very very hard. It is used as the paint on a refrigerator. It is heavy though, and colors are limited to black and white.
Regular paint: These paints are cheap and have many many colors. They are definitely an option. You can also purchase these in a matte finish, which will dry very quickly, and give a cool affect, similar to the K90. Matte finishes don't need a high gloss clear coat.
Personally, I would use lacquer, but is important to put it on in very thin coats, or it will fog and you will have to start over, I had to and it was not fun.
Primer- You are going to need a primer to put on the racquet after you strip down the paint. I would recommend bondo's car primer. It will fill any little nicks in the racquet and give you a nice surface to work with. It comes in gray and white I believe. If you are doing a lighter colored paintjob, then go with white, darker, go with gray.
Sandpaper-Sandpaper is very key. You will need to get sandpaper in a variety of grits. 100 grit to help strip the paint, 250-400 grit to finish the stripping, 600 grit to sand between coats, and 1000-1200 grit (wet) for the final sanding.
Masking Tape-Masking tape I found works better than painters tape, it holds on easier.
Paint stripper-Paint stripper is really needed to remove all the paint. I had to remove the paint from an o3, which was easily the most difficult stage in the entire process. Make sure to wear gloves and cover your working area.
Steel wool-You will want to use a medium grit steel wool with the stripping.
Foam paintbrush- You will need multiple of these for painting on paint stripper.
New grommets-It is possible to just use the old grommets, but I would recommend taking advantage of TW's cheap shipping on small orders.
A room-temperature ventilated area-For the paint to dry, you will need a relatively warm ventilated area.
The Process
The main steps for a custom paintjob include:
1.) Preparation
a.)Choosing the racquet and desired paintjob
b.)Stripping, sanding, and cleaning the frame2.) Priming
a.)Choose a primer ex. gray for dark, white for light
b.)Paint the racquet with several thin coats of primer
c.)Lightly sand primer
gino
Legend
Are you doing a custom cosmetic? Would love to learn more about the process
I’ve actually almost finished doing my first partial restoration on a prince original graphite with some black satin enamel car, paint, and clear coat. I send it carefully with wet and dry paper and did an overall 1200 grit final sand over the whole racket, even over the original decals, which did not disappear at all. I’ve attached a couple of images to show you how it’s looking after only the first coat of clear.
Files shared via Tresorit
Tresorit uses end-to-end encryption to keep file exchange secure and private. Access the received content via this link.
web.tresorit.com
Files shared via Tresorit
Tresorit uses end-to-end encryption to keep file exchange secure and private. Access the received content via this link.
web.tresorit.com
Files shared via Tresorit
Tresorit uses end-to-end encryption to keep file exchange secure and private. Access the received content via this link.
web.tresorit.com
NicoMK
Hall of Fame
I have just acquired an (old) new baby and I am very pleased with it. Thing is, she has a few chips, and most importantly, she is ten grams heavier than her (already heavy) sisters. I haven't checked yet but the swingweight is probably a tad higher too. It's a racket from the late 80s and the unstrung weight of 350 (!) grams wasn't uncommon at the time, after all.
Anyway I wanted to repaint the racket in its original red colour, and reproduce the vintage stickers too.
I plan to sand it, with the hope of getting rid of approx. 15 grams to match my other frames once the racket is repainted etc. It may be possible, I think, if I do it cautiously.
My question is: is sanding the racket till I get to the graphite can affect its play / feel in anyway? I don't think so... any opinions or feedback maybe?
Thanks!
Anyway I wanted to repaint the racket in its original red colour, and reproduce the vintage stickers too.
I plan to sand it, with the hope of getting rid of approx. 15 grams to match my other frames once the racket is repainted etc. It may be possible, I think, if I do it cautiously.
My question is: is sanding the racket till I get to the graphite can affect its play / feel in anyway? I don't think so... any opinions or feedback maybe?
Thanks!
Last edited:
If you're careful, no. Use wet and dry sand paper, starting at 120 to get rid of the paint, 240 once you reach the primer layer, then 400 to get to graphite, then 600 to smooth out the 400. How are you going to reproduce the sticker? Are you a graphic artist? Or will you photograph them and have someone recreate them based on photos?
NicoMK
Hall of Fame
Hi, thanks for your reply. Re. the stickers, I already have the company logo of that time. I have a few Photoshop / Illustrator notions so I may be able to reproduce the other graphics of the racket. Then a local company which makes stickers should be able to create them for me.
My main concern is to reduce weight enough once the racket is repainted to match all the others. We shall see...
Last edited:
You'd probably have to carefully weigh as you go and account for everything that will be added to the racket. Grip, Grommets, layers of paint, layers of clearcoat, decals, everything. Do a little spreadsheet of all the items. I also found this thread which might also have the info that you're after. https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...t-is-removed-by-sanding-off-the-paint.325059/
NicoMK
Hall of Fame
Thanks, the link just above is very informative, I keep it in my favourites. Seems that you can lose quite a bit of weight when sanding a racket. It's definitely worth a try, thanks again for your help.
I've just finished doing the decals on a custom white Prince Titanium Response. I've updated the look as per the 2022 Phantom Graphite series from Japan. The decals I made myself as i'm a graphic designer by trade.I’ve actually almost finished doing my first partial restoration on a prince original graphite with some black satin enamel car, paint, and clear coat. I send it carefully with wet and dry paper and did an overall 1200 grit final sand over the whole racket, even over the original decals, which did not disappear at all. I’ve attached a couple of images to show you how it’s looking after only the first coat of clear.
Files shared via Tresorit
Tresorit uses end-to-end encryption to keep file exchange secure and private. Access the received content via this link.
Files shared via Tresorit
Tresorit uses end-to-end encryption to keep file exchange secure and private. Access the received content via this link.
Files shared via Tresorit
Tresorit uses end-to-end encryption to keep file exchange secure and private. Access the received content via this link.
https://web.tresorit.com/l/3MKqz#tPyHMW7BIE4BzdBDZfrgwg
https://web.tresorit.com/l/UMCet#A_uHpwIdA8bofl70yxgS4A
https://web.tresorit.com/l/DAUdM#aV4c7rK7TTkRamxd1Z6Cfw
https://web.tresorit.com/l/pSiNu#E2XsHDVbYS-XzdiZjMpOmg
Not sure if it’s just me but none of those links work. It says the link has been revoked by the creator
Files shared via Tresorit
Tresorit uses end-to-end encryption to keep file exchange secure and private. Access the received content via this link.
web.tresorit.com
teachingprotx
Legend
Wow!
Hi! Yes Wow on first look, but that was my first attempt where the quality of the paint was terrible and it never dried. i've since bought at Iwata airbrish, and will be using super high quality paints with film free decals or vinyl stencils for the graphics.
Similar threads
- Deleted member 232704
- Racquets
