painting emblems

[code_red]

i just removed all my emblems. i saw that you have to use bleach to remove the chrome, is this step necessary or can i just put primer over top then black paint?

[GWN]

I'd bleach it, just to be safe. I bleached mine and am about halfway through the painting process and I'm glad I did. I'm using the Krylon Fusion paint for plastics, so no need to even prime it. Probably not the best paint to use, but hey, thought I'd try it out.

[aris]

I never used bleach..all i did was sand the chrome then put about 4 coats of primer then then 4 coats of paint (GM black) and 4 coats of clear
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r272/aristeidis/blackemblems002.jpg

[Noisy Crow]

Some people use etching primer.

http://www.autobarn.net/self-etching-primer.html

[code_red]

finally getting my pics up from 2 weeks ago. car is a bit dirty now.. i left off the 2.3 and 3 badges

im thinking about taking the door moldings off now
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d93/lordexcalibur/SANY2416.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d93/lordexcalibur/SANY2415.jpg

[PearlM3]

I did both mine and my wifes. Used self etching primer for mine and bleach for hers. Hers have stood up but it was a huge pain to clean the emblem for paint. It is easier to just repaint it once a year and the only one you have to do is the front

[GWN]

not sure if anyone has had this problem before, but I just got replacement Mazda lettering and 2.5 emblems (for a 2010 hatch), and bleach had no effect on them whatsoever. I left them in a bleach bath for a solid 12 hours and it did absolutely nothing. Is this just unlucky or have they done somthing to prevent removing the chrome?

I ended up just sanding the chrome down a bit and using krylon for plastic, then a few layers of clear.

[PearlM3]

They need to be bleached for between 5-7 days, 12 hours will do nothing.

[ST3ALTH]

i never bleached mine, i just sanded the chorme, added 3 coats of primer, then added 4 coats of paint, then added 3 coats of clear.... mine turned out great and then have yet to chip! lol

[code_red]

i never bleached mine, i just sanded the chorme, added 3 coats of primer, then added 4 coats of paint, then added 3 coats of clear.... mine turned out great and then have yet to chip! lol

i did the same

[GWN]

They need to be bleached for between 5-7 days, 12 hours will do nothing.

When I did the flying M a few weeks back it took me 2 days, changing the bleach 2-3 times a day. After about 2 hours I'd notice the reaction starting, and then after 5-6 hours the it had to be changed because the reaction had stopped.

So is it just the flying M that's like that and the others need more time?

[M3-ZOOM]

what grit sand paper did you guys use to sand down the chrome?

[GWN]

I used 150 grit, followed by 800.

[osuka]

either bleach it or sand it so the paint you spray on it stays

[Dan Da Man]

Has anyone taken off the moldings on a true red... i have had a my car for a few years I'm worried about sun fading after the moldings are off....

[Cozwell]

I want to take my embelems off but is it like the moldings? they are just stuck on there with double sided tape? or am i confused?

[kjmckenz]

I want to take my embelems off but is it like the moldings? they are just stuck on there with double sided tape? or am i confused?

My front emblem had 4 clips (top, bottom, left, right) that you could remove by opening the hood, pushing (gently!) on the clips and pulling straight out on the emblem.
The rear emblem has glue and two placement knobs (?) so you would have to either "slice" through the glue with dental floss behind the emblem or heat it up and pull it off.

[Roconne]

In addition to that, the rear "mazda" emblem also has a few pins (3 maybe?) in it. Do the same thing though, dental floss or fishing line till you cut enough of the glue off where it can be pulled.

[kjmckenz]

In addition to that, the rear "mazda" emblem also has a few pins (3 maybe?) in it. Do the same thing though, dental floss or fishing line till you cut enough of the glue off where it can be pulled.

Thanks for clarifying.. I meant pins when I said placement knobs. Lol.

Mine had 2, left and right sides. =D

[Nano]

what kind of black paint should i use?

[aris]

what kind of black paint should i use?

I just used a dupi colour blake paint...It was a GM one since i like the shade of black

[hyper7boy]

Just wondering, how do you stick the emblems back on? What kind of glue do I use? Also, where do you buy dupli-colour paint?..and with dupli-colour do you have to use primer and a gloss finish as well or just paint. Any help is appreciated, thanks!

[GWN]

Use 3M double sided tape, you can find it at crappy tire =) it's the red roll I believe. I just used Krylon Fusion for plastic without primer, worked really well. Then I used the krylon clear coat. Somewhere between 4-6 coats of each worked for me

[bluemazda3]

yes.. you can find both at Canadian tire and yes its the red roll... its good stuff

[grex]

lol i took a sick day today so im going to crappy tire now to get started on this lol i also ordered the axela badge so i hope to do the same to that!

[grex]

just a quick question how much sanding did you guys do, all the way down and remove all of the shiny stuff??? I didnt let it soak in bleach just started sanding

thanks

[aris]

just a quick question how much sanding did you guys do, all the way down and remove all of the shiny stuff??? I didnt let it soak in bleach just started sanding

thanks

Ya just sand it till all the chrome is gone....anther option is to wrap it in vinyl..that's what i did

[grex]

okay thanks, well im past the option of vynal lol, I just started using a little dremel tool and the chrome is flying off. Saftey glasses are def a must lol well see how it goes

[rukus]

okay thanks, well im past the option of vynal lol, I just started using a little dremel tool and the chrome is flying off. Saftey glasses are def a must lol well see how it goes

thats what i did too. used a superfine cone, then hand sanded the last of it.

the 2 coats of jrylon primer, 4 of krylon black, then 4 with clear and polished it afterwards.

[grex]

Yeah i got all the chrome of the M and im working on the mazda now, I gave it a nice coat of primer you said to do only 2? Does it hurt to do more? also did you sand down any of the primer before re applying...I just wanna make sure this holds up in the snow/rain

[GWN]

I didn't even use primer and mine has held up for about 3-4 months so far. It hasn't seen a winter, but it's stood up to some pretty serious rain haha. It should be fine with two coats, but more definitely won't hurt. And sanding down before reapplying might also help the look of it marginally, but I don't think it will make a noticeable difference.

[grex]

yeah im kinda worried about the winter months and the effect they will have. I think worse comes to worse next year im going to buy some new ones from mazda if these fail miserably and do the whole bleach bath and then the ammonia bath...i think i read that how too on the mazda3forums and his came out great. I have noticed on some spots where i went a little to hard with the dremel and there are little indents...Its not that noticeable unless you are standing with your face right at your emblem but I know that some people might be doing that to checkem out when there done so that kinda bothers me.

[hyper7boy]

i never bleached mine, i just sanded the chorme, added 3 coats of primer, then added 4 coats of paint, then added 3 coats of clear.... mine turned out great and then have yet to chip! lol

Did you sand the chrome until it was completely gone or just enough to make the surface rough so the paint would stick?

[hyper7boy]

not sure if anyone has had this problem before, but I just got replacement Mazda lettering and 2.5 emblems (for a 2010 hatch), and bleach had no effect on them whatsoever. I left them in a bleach bath for a solid 12 hours and it did absolutely nothing. Is this just unlucky or have they done somthing to prevent removing the chrome?

I ended up just sanding the chrome down a bit and using krylon for plastic, then a few layers of clear.

Did you buy your emblems from the dealership? If so, how much did you pay if you don't mind me asking? I'm not gonna lie, I kinda screwed my emblems up :S I'm looking to get new one's but not sure where to go and/or how much it will cost me.. Thanks!

[grex]

The M alone is 29$ and then the mazda is like the 15 and the 3 is 10 and the 2.5 is about the same....

[Pivot]

Has anybody done a color on color (say Lava Red on Lava Red) set of badges? Pics?

[mazdilla]

Has anybody done a color on color (say Lava Red on Lava Red) set of badges? Pics?

Black Shadow Chrome on Black Mica

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt132/mazdilla/mazda%203%20modded/emblems_shadow_rear.jpg

Closer:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt132/mazdilla/mazda%203%20modded/emblems_shadow003.jpg

[aris]

Has anybody done a color on color (say Lava Red on Lava Red) set of badges? Pics?


My car is blue and my emblems are wrapped in Blue vinyl that almost matches my paint

[mazdilla]

My car is blue and my emblems are wrapped in Blue vinyl that almost matches my paint

PIC !!!

[FoXy]

Black Shadow Chrome on Black Mica

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt132/mazdilla/mazda%203%20modded/emblems_shadow_rear.jpg

Closer:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt132/mazdilla/mazda%203%20modded/emblems_shadow003.jpg

Gee that looks awfully familiar...

[Pivot]

Very nice.

[Souls]

Black Shadow Chrome on Black Mica


where'd you get that? I think I'd like to do mine in black chrome too, but on Titanium

[mazdilla]

where'd you get that? I think I'd like to do mine in black chrome too, but on Titanium

Dupli-Color Part # SHD-1000 'Not available in Canada'

I ordered it online $16 plus ground shipping $21 (I live too far from the border.)

http://www.tcpglobal.com/spraypaintdepot/DC-shadow.aspx

[aris]

Mine wrapped in blue vinyl..thanks to mleblond
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/aristeidis/1ca68a5a-1.jpg

[raghtal]

Another thread was talking about the emblem painting technique where you submerge the stock emblem in bleach for 12 days or so, until all the factory finish has dissolved off, and then painting with Krylon to change the colour to whatever you want.

So here are my front badge, rear badge and rear mazda emblem redone via that technique.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-n2PPgCg4P7s/UFYEI0NJ8rI/AAAAAAAAA4w/RMR_Jax5HLw/s640/IMG-20120908-01432.jpg
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-D3qAeww3Ur4/UFYEI76y1zI/AAAAAAAAA44/h-diIG7rsqk/s640/IMG-20120908-01433.jpg
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-D7hzQUL2QRY/UFYEIxC-hRI/AAAAAAAAA40/x1-kwodovag/s640/IMG-20120913-01435.jpg

Sorry they are not very good pictures but I was in a rush. Will take better pictures with more context on the car, soon.