[Ski Pro 3]

I've posted several photos here of my bike since I applied camo peel-n-stick sheets to the main body parts. Now that I'm going forward with the trailer wheel mod, I've decided to also complete the camo by painting the parts not covered with the camo sticky sheets. So, without further adieu, here's some photos as I progress;
First, the bike after the tape on the body panels;

These two shots show the effectivness of the camo against a natural background;

Here is a series of photos showing the rattle can spray paint job I started on the swingarm and points behind the motor. I used 4 shades; two tans, a green and a dark gray.
Also in this photo is the newer seat cover in camo. I stapled it over the original seat cover.

This is the rifle boot. I thought about using a compression pant leg to camo, but decided paint was cheaper. In this photo is a chunk of the Mexican Feather Grass I used as a stencil for the paint work. I tried a pine branch, some rice stalks and some wheat as well as fern. This gave me what I thought the most detail in such a small area of the swingarm and frame parts.

So what do you think? Next will be the motor area. Then the front forks and wheel assembly.

 

[fishhuntr1]

Pics of bike? I see nothing.

 

[Ski Pro 3]

Pics of bike? I see nothing.

I'm sorry but it must be on your end. I logged myself off and I can still see the pics.
Try another browser perhaps? Do you have trouble seeing any other pics? These are not links, they are uploaded to the forum.

 

[littletommy]

I've posted several photos here of my bike since I applied camo peel-n-stick sheets to the main body parts. Now that I'm going forward with the trailer wheel mod, I've decided to also complete the camo by painting the parts not covered with the camo sticky sheets. So, without further adieu, here's some photos as I progress;
First, the bike after the tape on the body panels;
View attachment 210846

View attachment 210847

These two shots show the effectivness of the camo against a natural background;
View attachment 210848

View attachment 210849

Here is a series of photos showing the rattle can spray paint job I started on the swingarm and points behind the motor. I used 4 shades; two tans, a green and a dark gray.
Also in this photo is the newer seat cover in camo. I stapled it over the original seat cover.
View attachment 210853

View attachment 210850

View attachment 210851

View attachment 210854

This is the rifle boot. I thought about using a compression pant leg to camo, but decided paint was cheaper. In this photo is a chunk of the Mexican Feather Grass I used as a stencil for the paint work. I tried a pine branch, some rice stalks and some wheat as well as fern. This gave me what I thought the most detail in such a small area of the swingarm and frame parts.
View attachment 210855

So what do you think? Next will be the motor area. Then the front forks and wheel assembly.

That's really nice Ski!!

 

[Scooterbrained]

I'm sorry but it must be on your end. I logged myself off and I can still see the pics.
Try another browser perhaps? Do you have trouble seeing any other pics? These are not links, they are uploaded to the forum.

I think what fishhuntr1 is telling you Ski, is you did such a good job he can't see the bike, just everything else!

Great Job!

Marty

 

[RuggedMountainTW]

Pics of bike? I see nothing.

Me neither; all I see from the first pics posted is a small section of TW frame, a handlebar, a front fork and a swingarm all suspended somehow in mid air !!!

Seriously though that is all looking awesome man! I'd love to do the TW in an urban digital camo scheme but my bike is already so super sexy with the wild "Black Widow" paint scheme I hesitate. I wonder whether a road-ready ghillie-suit I could don on and off would work well?

Again awesome work, you seem to be taking your time and doing all of it incredibly well. Ohh and using the grasses to help paint the parts was brilliant!

 

[Xracer]

What happens when you step off the bike a loose it in the woods? Beeper or remote control flashing light?😄

 

[admiral]

Good looking Camo TW. I would never have the patience even though I have the time.
I'm also too hard on my equipment. Not riding hard but dropping a lot hard. ...and going through stuff like mud bogs with rocks and logs hidden beneath the top.
Again, great job.

 

[TWBigBlake]

Looks good!

 

[Fred]

Very nice.
Would not the sticky camo sheets have worked on swingarm and lower fork tubes?
Thought it just might make for a more consistent look on those parts with a bit of surface area.

 

[Ski Pro 3]

Very nice.
Would not the sticky camo sheets have worked on swingarm and lower fork tubes?
Thought it just might make for a more consistent look on those parts with a bit of surface area.

The issue was the small surface areas would be difficult to wrap without lots of edges. It's the edges that start to lift and peel away. Notice on the parts that are covered in sheets that I used a black plastic edging material to keep from coming off at the edges.
I tried to get a more 'real' camo via paint, but I am no artist. Just trying to match colors is probably impossible, so I decided not to try. I'm doing the bottom parts not camo sheet covered in a grass style to mimic the way things are in the woods; Nature is more grass close to ground, then sticks and leaves above the ground. Also, notice the seat camo is quite a bit different than the sheet camo.
I'm considering even camo for the tires. Perhaps either Krylon Plastic paint or Plasti-Dip. I did Plasti-Dip paint for the bumper on my Suzuki Samurai. It holds up excellent. Been outdoors for now over 3 years and it still looks great and hasn't released.

 

[Ski Pro 3]

Good looking Camo TW. I would never have the patience even though I have the time.
I'm also too hard on my equipment. Not riding hard but dropping a lot hard. ...and going through stuff like mud bogs with rocks and logs hidden beneath the top.
Again, great job.

The camo paint was actually much easier than I imagined. I bet I spent less than an hour painting. I did spend a lot of time taking the swingarm off and prepping though. I wanted to be sure it was perfectly clean and free of oils and such. I won't be as hygienic with the engine though. I'll use the black as my base and just spritz on other colors for the grass camo look. I checked out a few youtube videos to get ideas on paint technique. One in particular made me believe I could do this, and if not, the paint easily comes off with lacquer thinner without harming the factory paint. It takes very little paint to actually do this as well. I mean literally just a quick base coat of the lightest shade that just barely covers the original paint. Then hold up a hank of grass, and taps of the overlaying colors. Not like it? Keep applying more spritzes of paint in more colors.
I don't know how durable the paint is on the surfaces more exposed to road, or in our case, trail rash, but that's also the beauty of doing this by paint instead of sheets; just rattle a couple cans, grab a handful of field grass and spritz over those spots. Should blend right in. Mud, dust, dirt, etc should all help, rather than hurt the camo effect.

I think what fishhuntr1 is telling you Ski, is you did such a good job he can't see the bike, just everything else!

Great Job!

Marty

Ha! It was late and I take things too literally anyways. Just wait 'til it's done and in the woods. Then it will surely disappear.

What happens when you step off the bike a loose it in the woods? Beeper or remote control flashing light?😄

breadcrumb trail of course should work perfect. Ha!

Again awesome work, you seem to be taking your time and doing all of it incredibly well. Ohh and using the grasses to help paint the parts was brilliant!

Here's the video I found most useful.

 

[Ski Pro 3]

Duplicate, please delete

 

[Ski Pro 3]

Duplicate, please delete

 

[oldworld 124]

The issue was the small surface areas would be difficult to wrap without lots of edges. It's the edges that start to lift and peel away. Notice on the parts that are covered in sheets that I used a black plastic edging material to keep from coming off at the edges.
I tried to get a more 'real' camo via paint, but I am no artist. Just trying to match colors is probably impossible, so I decided not to try. I'm doing the bottom parts not camo sheet covered in a grass style to mimic the way things are in the woods; Nature is more grass close to ground, then sticks and leaves above the ground. Also, notice the seat camo is quite a bit different than the sheet camo.
I'm considering even camo for the tires. Perhaps either Krylon Plastic paint or Plasti-Dip. I did Plasti-Dip paint for the bumper on my Suzuki Samurai. It holds up excellent. Been outdoors for now over 3 years and it still looks great and hasn't released.

Ski Pro 3, Just wondering which type of "grass" style you are trying to imitate being that your are in California?

 

[Ski Pro 3]

Ski Pro 3, Just wondering which type of "grass" style you are trying to imitate being that your are in California?

Nothing particular, just a generic color break-up. I went out back with scissors and cut some native grass growing and used it.
Look back at photo's 3 and 4 where my bike is parked in front of landscape. That is much like the riding areas I frequent. I replanted that area after a wildland fire took our place out, so it's pretty representative of what nature would look like; rocks, pines, oaks, forest duff, manzanita, some grasses, etc.

 

[Loghousenut]

I like it just as it is.

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

 

[oldworld 124]

Did you clear coat the camo? I put at least 2 coats of clear matte. Really protects the paint.

 

[Ski Pro 3]

Did you clear coat the camo? I put at least 2 coats of clear matte. Really protects the paint.

I've been thinking of putting a matte or flat clear on it. A poly urethane maybe? What do you think?
I'll have to test it first to be sure it doesn't cause the paint to crackle or blister. Otherwise, I figure to just do touch ups as needed.

 

[oldworld 124]

What brand and type did you use for the camo? I use rustoleum clear matte as the finish.