Black plastic bumpers and trims
One of the biggest things we get asked about for ski's is how to bring back the faded/greying hard black plastic textured bumpers and other mouldings on the ski's. We have a little something that works an absolute treat on this as well.
Mr Black is a trim restorer we developed over a few years. It brings back a beautiful darker finish - not silicone based, greasy or slippery. It's quite long lasting and won't wash off on the following rides, in fact we used it on one older ski and that sees weekly use and it lasted just on a year before needing to be done again. It has also become very popular with a lot of dealerships selling 2nd hand ski's all over Australia!
Use it in the shade, with dry conditions and the temperature between 15 and 30 degrees. Use Nitrile gloves, as it can stain your skin. Don’t get it on clothing, other fabrics or unsealed surfaces like concrete, as it can stain. If the plastics are more weathered and have an uneven finish, gently use the Magic Rub Bar melamine sponge with Sublime Clean on it first, to create a more even surface. If the plastic has “Tiger Stripes” or other prominent marks in it, be aware that Mr Black may not completely eliminate these.
Before we apply Mr Black, we use our Flash Prep spray to remove any dirt, oils or silicones from previously applied products from the surface. These oils can negatively affect the way Mr Black bonds to the plastic surface. Spray Flash Prep into one side of a folded Dirty or Dark Deeds (in a complete kit we call the Black Box) microfibre cloth, then liberally spray Flash Prep on the affected plastic trim and wipe it down well, flipping the cloth to a clean side often.
Shake the Mr Black bottle well. Work in small sections, like 1⁄4 of a bumper or a section of trim at a time.
Apply a few drops of Mr Black (less is more) evenly in our Black Apps foam applicator (these come in our Black Box, or can be purchased separately). Then, rub into one section of the trim, back and forth, to prime the applicator pad. Once it starts spreading well, give it an even, thin coat, over the plastic surface, using an overlapping motion.
If the plastic is very porous, it will absorb a bit more product. Don't over saturate or apply too much Mr Black to your applicator to compensate for this, add just one or two extra drops and continue with the overlapping thin coats, to give you the best result.
Leave to cure for a couple of minutes (this time can be less if it's overly warm or humid).
Now, go back over the area with a second dry and clean foam applicator, using gentle pressure and a side to side motion. This will level out any high spots and create a nice, even finish.
Wipe Mr Black from accidentally applied areas, like adjoining panels, headlights or glass, with a clean and dry, low pile microfibre cloth (or the Dark Deeds cloth in our Black Box kit). You can use a spray of Flash Prep in it for a little bit more cleaning power if you wish. Wipe in one fluid motion, then fold it to a dry, clean side, for a final wipe.
If marks are stubborn, or you don't notice them till much later, you can remove them with our Paint Cleanse & Restore.
We found in our testing that Mr Black will easily wipe off from most areas when freshly applied, which is why we don't make a big thing of masking off adjoining areas when using it. However, if your ski has single stage, unsealed paint, and you know you can be a bit messy, it can pay to mask that area off with a low adhesive painters tape before use.
Apply a couple more drops of Mr Black to the application foam and continue to the next section of trim. Always have an overlapping wet edge on larger trims, to ensure an even finish. Do not let it dry and come back later to it, as it can be difficult to match up the two areas.
Repeat the above steps till the job is all complete.
If the plastic is in poor condition it can be good to give it a second coat. Allow a 1 hour cure time before applying the next coat. As the surface is already sealed from the first coat, you will notice it uses a lot less product and is quicker to apply the second time around.
Do not cover or get it wet for 12 hours while it cures.
Wash any Mr Black from your skin with soap and water after use. Note that any cloth you use with Mr Black will become permanently stained.
You can use both Bead Machine and Wet Dreams over Mr Black once it is cured, which will further prolong the time between needing to re-coat it again.