eric5371

That came out very nice, and I think I will be doing my bumper the same as well.

I have a question for you though. I had previously used the duplicolor on rugged ridge head light covers, and the finish did not come out nearly as well as yours. It doesn't really have the nice texture, but it looks more flat, almost rubbery.

Any tips on the spraying technique you used?

08RescueGreen

Nice! Your jeep looks great!

JK-Rubi

I'm not a professional (i.e., I don't use this stuff every day), but I have a pretty good idea of what might have happened. If it came out flat and rubbery, I'm guessing you were spraying too close and you sprayed too much at one time. You'll find that if you use the pistol grip accessory (an absolute must in my mind) and spray a little further back with a sweeping action, the results should be good. Several applications (4-5) worked better for me, than trying to spray it all on in one or two passes. I waited 20-30 minutes between passes till it was mostly dry, but still slightly tacky to the touch. If you get too close, wipe it off (use something you'll never need again cause it's going in the trash) and try again a little further back - that's how you can adjust the "texture".

Close = smooth.
Further back = rougher.

Tip #2 - if you get too close on the first or second pass, you can leave it alone as long as you come back over it with another pass later. In other words, you don't have to necessarily wipe it off every time, although when I get the occasional sputter when the can is getting low, I'll do so. It's the final application pass that counts the most!!

Thanks.

eric5371

I was planning on using the aerosol cans. What is the pistol grip accessory and does that work with the aerosol cans? Or did you buy the product seperate and spray it with the Truck bed coating spray gun? Sorry for all the questions I just want to the best results possible. Thanks for the great advice.

Edit: I went back and looked at your pics and it appears that the pistol grip sits on top of the aerosol can. Now I just need to find a store that carries that accessory.

JK-Rubi

Yup, attaches to the top of the can and allows WAY better control of the spray. I've found them at Walmart. They're like $3 or $4, and can be used over and over.

eric5371

Thanks for all the great advice. Today's the day... Bumpers are off and washing, degreasing, and sanding has began... Wish me luck lol.

BTW,
Did you or anyone else try to clear coat over the duplicolor? I was thinking it might be good to lay a couple of coats of clear over it when done, but I don't know if it would finish okay? Let me know.

JK-Rubi

Am sure you know this, but make sure to "degrease" after the sanding and just prior to hitting it with the Duplicolor.

Personally have not added clear coat as I loved how well the Duplicolor, as is, matched the fenders when I was finished. Remember, last coat application is for the win.

eric5371

All finished and its looking great!! Just gonna let it dry overnight and install tomorrow.

The reason I went through this process is my JK had the rugged ridge front and rear tube bumpers on it... no bueno. So I purchased the Besttop high rock high access front bumper and the expedition one trail series rear bumper with tire carrier. The Besttop high rock came packed in nothing more than a cardboard box. Needless to say it was all scratched up when I got it. Plus it had a pretty ugly gloss black finish. The expedition one came packed so well it could fall from the moon without damage!!

I appreciate all the good advice, and I will get some pics tomorrow.