How to Custom Paint an Old Snowboard for One's Valentine

Snowboarders love defining themselves by what's painted on their boards. However, you can't always find a snowboard that matches your personality or the personality of the person for whom you're shopping. If you have an old board on hand, custom paint the snowboard design and give the snowboard as a gift.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Old snowboard
• Bristle brush
• Alcohol or general cleaning solution
• Epoxy
• Sandpaper
• Primer
• Contact paper
• Masking tape
• Razor blade
• Paint

Prepare the Snowboard for Painting

1. Clean the board and look for splits in the body of the snowboard. Clean out any cracks caked with dirt and grime by using a small bristle brush and general cleaning solution. For stubborn dirt, try cleaning with alcohol, mineral spirits or acetone.

2. Fill all cracks with epoxy or putty and let it dry.

3. Sand the board down, making sure the filled areas are smooth.

4. Wipe the dust off the board with a rag once you're done sanding.

Paint the Snowboard

5. Spray the snowboard with a coat of primer paint. While waiting for the primer to dry, plan out your custom paint design using a program like Photoshop, or just drawing it freehand.

6. Cover the snowboard with contact paper or masking tape, transfer your design to the board, and trim it out using a razor blade or angled, sharp utility knife. Peel off the paper or tape in pieces, based on your color scheme and what color you're spraying first.

7. Use spray paint, or a paint sprayer filled with automotive paint, and paint over the exposed area of the design.

8. Continue painting in batches, making sure you let the snowboard dry a few hours in between each painting.

9. Finish the custom paint job by spraying on a layer of clear coat. This helps seal your design and prevent minor chipping and scratches.

Tips & Warnings

• General use of a snowboard means any paint job suffers cracks and scratches. If you don't want all your hard work destroyed, use your custom painted board sparingly.
• Never use mineral spirits, acetone or spray paint in an enclosed space.