This is super cool!
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Agreed
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Thanks for the kind words, everyone. I really appreciate it! Keep 'em coming! 
I’ve added a few ‘Sneak peek…’ sections to the feature posts above. The Benetton, JPS & Martini skins were all printed as well and they really look stunning. I mean, they came out way better than I think I expected. I went for a heavier satin fabric this time and I’m glad I did. The quality is fantastic. We maxed out the resolution of the images we provided to the printer and they really delivered. Every curve and detail is smoother than KY on glass. The colour reproduction properly pops as well. Take a look.
So yeah, the studs. I’ll give you guys the complete lowdown on that. I’ve got a few reservations about that’s all gonna work out… but anyway, I’ll be back later to tell you all about it and I’ll share some photos from this weekend’s progress on the coating layers. I’m grinning like a schoolboy at how sexy it’s looking!
@Turt_Turt23 - dude, it’s such rich mine of options, isn’t it? Subaru 555 is definitely on the list but I’m not familiar with the one(s) below that though. US motorsports don’t seem to travel very well outside of the US (…and I expect the reverse is true as well). I’ve been looking at this article though and there’s definitely some familiar stuff in there that I’d love to get to. I think the only one that’s off-limits is the BMW M livery cos Lacroix has already nicked it!
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Does it hold its shape better to help with the sharp lines?
Also is it less transparent/more color saturated so less white basecoats are needed?
I’ve been using spoonflower satin, but am all for finding a better fabric if it helps installation.
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That’s the Falken motor sport livery. They do all kinds of motor sports like off roading and track driving, but they also do drift and that was one of the first images that popped up, and that’s the three falken cars in formula drift
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All of the above, mate. Yes.
I used U-Circular Silk Satin Heavy.
I think the only possible downside of the heavier weight I could mention is that it’ll have more of a tendency to lift where it drapes over edges. I trimmed off as much of the drape as possible before vacuum-bagging it… …oh, and you’ll definitely want to vacuum-bag it!
Its weight definitely helps it maintain its form better. Your design is less likely to get skewed. If you’re laying-up the fabric onto a fresh wet base, as I do, you’ve got plenty of time to get the positioning just right anyway plus the wet resin provides all the lubrication you need. Now that’s not to say I got it spot-on but it passes everything but the more forensic examination.
I think the only case I can see for a lighter fabric is if you want to show the underlying wood grain or whatever or if you can’t be arsed to vacuum-bag it. Otherwise, for my money, it’s heavy every time.
Edit: Just checked that Spoonflower Satin. The Satin Heavy is nearly 2.5 times heavier! (172 gsm vs. 75 gsm)
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Lol, that’s me.
If I change my ways I’ll definitely look into some heavier stuff. As is I need 3 white basecoats for a fabric with white in it, otherwise 2 coats for a colorful fabric.
Shame I sold my vac pump years ago.
Yeah spoonflower is really thin. It was very much a PIA to get straight lines and hit the layout spot on.
I didn’t go wet, I waited for tack. Adjustments were easy, but time is of the essence as to not wait/adjust too long and loose adherence.
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@glyphiks would ride that barefoot 
This is what I have to do to get decent alignment on this spoonflower satin
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Holy shit I didn’t even spot these and had to go back to check, those are so cool
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Lol.
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This one looks pretty good for the Matrix IIs
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How do you apply that, resin infusion ?
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Slap and stick!
Brush resin on after basecoats are on, let it tack just the right amount, then apply fabric carefully. Press/rub in with gloved hand or smooth small card.
There are a couple good full tutorials over on freesk8 forum, that’s where I learned most of it.
Both have really good info, I found a balance between the 2.
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Thank you for the infos!!
Sounds ans looks nicer to work with than fiberglass (I have a debuff when work involves glass material of sort) 
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Ha! Yeah, no itchies with satin thankfully.
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Right then, let me tell you about the studs thing.
I’m gonna start with a confession - I’m really not a huge fan of the whole frit look. I love the secure and reassuring grip it gives and it’s obvious advantages over griptape. Thing is, even when it’s done really, really well, to my eyes, it just looks crude, messy, lumpy, unrefined and like a surface job that got all bubbled and blistered and bleh somehow. I’m not gonna post photo examples. You know what I’m talking about.
I was looking for a better alternative when I did the Disco Panther but couldn’t find anything better. Criteria were:
- Grippy! Sharp
- Durable, hard-wearing
- Mustn’t obscure or distract from the graphic design
…ideally add to- or be part of the design, even - Appears more precise, deliberate and orderly
- Makes you want to lick it
I finally found these studs in 3, 2 and 1 mm in various finishes:
They’re perfect sizes for the purpose and the proportions are great. You get a decent sized base surface area to adhere down to the deck and to resist the shearing forces they’ll get… proportionally speaking, that is, cos Christ on a bike, they’re so insanely fiddly to work with! I mean, they’re miniscule! I tried a few different approaches to getting them set onto the deck including pre-fixing them to a glass-fibre weave to then laminate onto the design but in the end, I went with just laboriously gluing each one directly onto the laminated deck and then applying the numerous coating layers over them to properly lock them into place.
There’s loads more I could tell you about that whole process and I definitely will. I’ve learned so much so far and I expect to learn so much more as I continue. Once I’ve finished these first four, I’ll do a complete and thorough write-up on the whole process - maybe with some videos too - so you can all do it as well if you want. By then you’ll benefit from everything I learned from getting it wrong and from making it better. Considering everything I’ve gained from this community over the years, it’s important to give back.
But back to those studs themselves…
Yeah, I do. These studs are ultimately decorative ornaments or something. They’re definitely not intended for this purpose. They’re like plated alloy trinkets so I’m wondering if…
- …they’re going to wear out/down significantly quicker than glass, dulling their sharpness and grippiness.
I’m hoping that the generous number of coating layers I’m applying would help slow that down though, if it’s actually a thing at all. - …bonding to what is basically just a plating layer might cause studs to come loose over time.
You can see above that I’m building a solid meniscus of epoxy around each stud so there’s next to no chance of that.
…but you never know until you try!
I’m thinking silver on the Benetton and the Martini, and gold of course on the JPS.
AMIRITE!?
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Those studs look interesting. I’m curious to see how well they hold up. I was thinking that if they end up shearing off, you could countersink/recess them into the deck 1-2mm or something.
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I bet you could find some ornamental studs like that with a nail or screw on the reverse side.
and/or shove a socket head screw into a drill press and go at it with some sandpaper until it’s as sharp as you like.
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Really impressed with the handful that you’ve already done in a couple of months.
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