There has been some discussion on the blog about window frits, so I conducted a test of my own. My focus was creating a frit on polycarbonate. Glass windshields use a ceramic that is baked on, but we don’t have that luxury.
I used 5 products designed for hard plastics and consulted the marine industry since they use a lot of poly for their windows and windshields. The first part of this test is merely to see which provides the best black coverage, and most importantly which creates the cleanest line.
The five products were:
- SikeFlex windshieldprimer 207 ($30-$50 on line)
- Krylon Fusion spray paint (for hard plastic,hardware store ~$5.00)
- Krylon Supermax All in One (spray paint,hardware store ~$7.00)
- Rustoleum 2X Paint plus Primer
- Jerry Bickle Race Border Spray (on line,~$10.00)
I used a scrap piece of poly windshield. My preferred tape is the 3M thin mask tape used for cars. Once the tape was laid down, I used a 180 and 320 grit to sand as close to the tape as possible without damaging or lifting the edges. The main scuff was done where the glue would make contact. For each product except the SikaFlex, the first coat must be very light to seal the edge of the tape. I then applied up to four coats allowing a 5 to 10-minute flash between coats. I pulled the tape before the paint was dried and each one was a little different, but slightly before it was dry to touch. I discovered the best technique to pull the tape was to pull 180 degrees completely flat (not 90 degrees to the surface). The primer is applied with a wool ball IAW instructions. I discovered that one of the pro racing body manufacturers switched to one of these products as well (patients I will reveal it later). On the picture, while it’s hard to tell, the taped/scored edges are to the left of each black test stripe in each group. I did a simple scratch test with my finger nail after 72 hour drying period. I will conduct a full adhesion test with glue (a SikaFlex and 3M product to see how much force to pull apart and if any of these frits let go of the poly at a later date). So, my summary is based on a 1-5 scale, 1 low,
5 high.
<table style="border: currentColor; border-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes;"><td width="138" valign="top" style="padding: 0in 5.4pt; border: 1pt solid windowtext; border-image: none; width: 103.25pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">
</td><td width="70" valign="top" style="border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt 0px; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 5.4pt; border-image: none; width: 52.55pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">Coverage
</td><td width="104" valign="top" style="border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt 0px; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 5.4pt; border-image: none; width: 77.9pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">Line Quality
</td><td width="104" valign="top" style="border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt 0px; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 5.4pt; border-image: none; width: 77.9pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">Scratch Test
</td></tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td width="138" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt; border-image: none; width: 103.25pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">SikaFlex Primer
</td><td width="70" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 52.55pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">
</td><td width="104" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 77.9pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">
</td><td width="104" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 77.9pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">
</td></tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td width="138" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt; border-image: none; width: 103.25pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">Krylon Fusion
</td><td width="70" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 52.55pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">
</td><td width="104" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 77.9pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">
</td><td width="104" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 77.9pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">
</td></tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;"><td width="138" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt; border-image: none; width: 103.25pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">Krylon Super Max
</td><td width="70" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 52.55pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">
</td><td width="104" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 77.9pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">
</td><td width="104" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 77.9pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">
</td></tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;"><td width="138" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt; border-image: none; width: 103.25pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">Rustoleum 2X
</td><td width="70" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 52.55pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">
</td><td width="104" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 77.9pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">
</td><td width="104" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 77.9pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">
</td></tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td width="138" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt; border-image: none; width: 103.25pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">Jerry Bickel
</td><td width="70" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 52.55pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">
</td><td width="104" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 77.9pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">
</td><td width="104" valign="top" style="border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 77.9pt; background-color: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;">
</td></tr></tbody></table>
This test was not scientific, but it did prove to me that the Fusion (used by the body maker) was the better of the five and readily available at the hardware store. All these products will probably work well, however the Fusion paint gave me the best results all around. If you decide to try one, suggest you practice on some scrap to the feel of how much to spray, and how to pull the tape. So my next test is adhesion.