Use this Quick Start if you are fully confident that you have the experience, knowledge and skill to successfully apply your TopSkin™ without the benefit of detailed instructions. We recommend that you read the complete instruction guide, but if you want the basics, here they are:
You need bright light to monitor the application and detect bubbles or other imperfections. Give yourself room to move around, we suggest the kitchen floor.
Remove bindings, stomp pads, stickers, rough spots, rough edges, and anything that is going to be covered by the TopSkin™. Remove any residual adhesive left by the stomp pad or stickers with solvent (WD40, Mineral Spirits, GoofOff). You may need to lightly sand any raised imperfections (dings) as they will show as imperfections if left alone. Clean the board with Simple Green, Windex, or some other type of kitchen cleaner.
Make sure that the overlap of the TopSkin™ printed area is equal all around the board. Hold the bottom of the TopSkin™ to the bottom end of the board (we use masking or some other kind of tape) or have a helper hold it to keep it from moving.
Your TopSkin™ is sandwiched between two peel off layers; the TopSkin™ adhesive backing on the back side and the application paper(brownish masking tape-like material) on the front side. Peel and fold back about six inches of adhesive backing from the top end of the TopSkin™. Starting at the bottom of the board, smoothly press the TopSkin™ down to the surface of the board and re-check allignment. With a slow back and forth motion, use your fingers to gently press the exposed TopSkin™ adhesive surface down onto the board deck. Now that the top section is secured, you can release the bottom end. Slowly work your way down the board, peeling the backing off as you go.
Tip: The TopSkin™ is designed to allow air bubbles to escape. If you do trap an air bubble, you need to work the air out towards the nearest edge, being careful not to crease the TopSkin™. You can also gently pull the TopSkin™ back, but be careful, if you over stretch it you will leave a visible stretch mark.
Peel the brownish application paper away from the surface of the TopSkin™.
Tip: Wet the surface of the application paper. It peels of much easier.
Use a sharp blade. We like a one sided razor blade with a protective backing. The TopSkin™ material is flexible and cuts easily with a long, smooth, continuous stroke. Do not use a back and forth sawing motion. Hold the blade tight to the outside edge and at a 30° bevel to top face so that the finished edge is not as susceptible to bangs and nicks.
Tip: Always finish your cutting strokes outwards. This leaves material in place so that you can go back for final trimming.
OK! You have your new Original Snowboard Art TopSkin™ and you are eager to get it on your board and get riding. We have one word of advice…STOP!
Hey, we are amazed that you have read this far! Good for you, keep on reading and you will end up with board that is the essence of you. Stop reading and you will end up with…we don’t even want to think about it.
There are three rules to follow to get the results you want:
1. Take your time
2. Take your time
3. Take your time
Applying the TopSkin™ is not hard or tricky but the process does require that you are careful and proceed slowly.
We have done this a few million times and believe it or not we have learned a few things. To keep our head on straight we always remember that we are participating in the creative process. We are using our own hands to bring art, which we have selected, to our own boards. We know that when we are done we will have a creative expression that is ours and ours only.
You are about to take the creative energy that started in an artists brain, an artist that perhaps lives on another planet, and bring that energy down onto your board. This is an amazing link that you are completing so... “Take Your Time”!
OK, Let’s get Started
Get Your Tools; You will need the following:
Slotted or Phillips Head Screwdriver - Look at your binding screws and get the right tool for removing them.
Stuff removal tools - If you have stickers, stomp pads, bottle openers, cell phone jacks and other stuff on your board you are going to want to remove them. Our advice is to think it through, use the right tools, be careful and keep in mind that your goal is a smooth clean surface for your new TopSkin™.
Sandpaper - A fine grade (200 or higher) of sandpaper will help if your board is used and has rough edges or surface imperfections (dings).
Cleaner - Windex, Formula 409 or some other type of kitchen cleaner. We like Simple Green because it works, doesn’t poop on our planet and doesn't leave a greasy film.
Wipes - Paper towels or clean rags to clean your board.
Tape - A role of masking or some other type of wide industrial tape.
A Sharp Knife or Blade - We have used Exacto knives, kitchen knives and razor blades. Use a sharp blade - a dull blade could ruin your TopSkin™. Please keep in mind that it is for trimming your TopSkin™, not for trimming off any body parts, be careful!
A Well Lighted Place to Work -We like kitchen floors because you usually have bright overhead lights and plenty of room to move around.
There are four things that could mess up your TopSkin™ application if you do not TAKE YOUR TIME!
1. Trapped air bubbles under the TopSkin™
2. Visible dings under the TopSkin™
3. Improper alignment of the TopSkin™ to the board
4. Ugly trimming
Board Preparation
This is a 1-2-3 Thing:
1. Remove The Bindings, Stomp Plates and Other Hardware: Taking the bindings off is simple but putting them back in the right position is hard if you can not remember the proper placement. We recommend either drawing a diagram or making notes as to how the bindings are placed and where the screw bolts go. Place your bindings in a safe place and keep track of the screws. Chuck has a habit of losing them and then finding them in his oatmeal the next morning.
2. Remove Stuff: Remember that the TopSkin™ will show the outline of any stickers or other stuff that you have left on the board. You can loosen stickers and other stuff off your deck that you do not want to show up under your TopSkin™ with Goof Off solvent, heat from a hair dryer or a broad blade scraper. You can use sandpaper to smooth surface dings and rough edges and to remove burrs or other obstacles. The smoother everything is the better your new TopSkin™ will look.
3. Clean the Snowboard Deck: Now apply your cleaning fluid and wipe the board clean with your paper towel or rag. Be thorough! You want to remove grime, wax and any other substance that will impair the ability of the adhesive to do its job.
Remember, the snowboard deck is your “artistic canvas”. You want to be sure that it is prepared to receive the “painting” that you are going to put on it. The Mona Lisa applied over Pinocchio’s nose is going to look like the Mona Lisa with a big nose. Take your time to make sure the deck is prepared well and everything will meet your expectations!
OK It’s Show Time!
Orientation: You are going to work from top to bottom. When we say “top” we mean the front or lead end of the board, where your lead foot is attached. The TopSkin™ material is flexible and forgiving but you can not abuse it! You can lay it down and gently pull it back, but it is like any beautiful thing, it is fragile so don’t ask it to cover your mistakes. If you “Take your Time” you and your TopSkin™ will be good friends and take care of each other.
Application technique: Slow, gentle, slow, gentle…gently lay the exposed adhesive TopSkin™ side on the board, run your finger or thumb gently back and forth across the board, side to side, moving down the board a little bit at a time.
Bubbles: Bubbles under the TopSkin™ are your enemy. By holding the TopSkin™ at a 90º angle to your board as you stick the TopSkin™ down you will avoid bubbles and if you are not “Taking Your Time” and still get a bubble you can gently pull the TopSkin™ back and release the bubble. Use the bright light to see a bubble and then release it if a bubble gets caught.
Position the Board
Now lay the prepared board out on the floor or table, make sure you have plenty of room and that you have bright light.
Align The TopSkin™ to the Deck
Lay the TopSkin™ over the board, check to make sure that the overlap (the amount of printed surface that extends beyond the board) is equal on all sides.
Lock In Bottom End Alignment
Using masking tape, secure the bottom end of the TopSkin™ to the board. Place a piece of tape at the bottom tip and on each side of the bottom tip of the deck.
With the bottom aligned, hold down the front end by applying pressure with your knee or elbow just ahead of where the front binding is mounted to keep the alignment correct.
Lock Down the Top End
Peel back and fold about six inches of the adhesive backing layer at the top end of the TopSkin™. This seems tricky at first - try “tickling” the corner of the TopSkin™- it will separate and peel back. Carefully pull the backing and fold it under the TopSkin™. This exposed TopSkin™ adhesive is what you are going to use to lock in your alignment.
Hold the exposed adhesive end of the TopSkin™ over the top end of your board. It is a good idea to recheck allignment. Working from the bottom of the board, smooth the TopSkin™ down to the board surface all the way up to the fold, checking allignment at you go. Gently press or lay the first one, then two, then three, then four, then five inches of TopSkin™ on the board.
Good job, your alignment is now locked in!
Now release the masking tape that holds down the TopSkin™ on the back end of the board, freeing the TopSkin™ so that you can hold it up at a 90º angle to the board deck. This is the position you will use to slowly lay the TopSkin™ down the deck of your board.
Peel back the adhesive backing and slowly rub your finger back and forth across the TopSkin™ pressing it down onto the board, SLOW NOW!
Whoops, it did not press down the way you wanted. Carefully, pull the TopSkin™ back - CAREFULLY! If you pull too hard and stretch it you will leave a visible stretch mark! If you are gentle you can correct your mistakes. “Take Your Time”.
You have done it! You have taken original artwork and applied it to your board, a few finishing steps and you are ready to remount your bindings.
Trimming, The Final Application Step
The TopSkin™ was printed slightly oversize to accommodate slight differences in board shape and to provide a margin for application error. With your TopSkin™ firmly attached to your board you need to trim off this excess TopSkin™ material.
Don’t Pooh Pooh this step. As noted before, this is where you can turn a good TopSkin™ application into something ugly.
There are two keys to success:
1. Use a sharp blade. The TopSkin™ material is flexible so do NOT saw back and forth at it. The TopSkin™ cuts smoothly with steady, continuous strokes.
2. You will need to make trimming stops or cut outs. Make them OUT not IN. Trim strokes OUT are brilliant moves, trims stokes IN are hard to correct. Think about it, “Take Your Time” and take long trimming strokes.
The angle of trim will determine the how vulnerable your TopSkin™ is to nicks and bruises. A vertical angle leaves an exposed edge to get dinged and banged. By beveling the trimmed edge in to about 30°, you make your TopSkin™ less susceptible to injury.
With your board on a firm footing, rub hard over the top edge of the TopSkin™. This will give you a visual guide for trimming. Take your cutting blade and approach your board to remove excess TopSkin™ material.
Starting from the outside edge of the TopSkin™, pull your cutting edge into and along the outer edge of your board. Slowly cut in, feel the edge, and pull your cutting blade along this line. Use a long gentle stroke and the edge of the TopSkin™ will fall away leaving the clean finished look you want.
The trim line might vary according to board construction type. Vertical sidewall construction leaves an obvious line that is easy to follow. Boards with cap construction have a difficult trim line to follow so be careful and “Take Your Time”.
Final trimming
OK, even if you are Leonardo De Vinci, you may want to go back and do a little trimming clean up. Because you trimmed OUT, not IN, any finishing touches are simple. Take your cutting blade and clean up any imperfections.
Good job! You now have a snowboard with a beautiful Original Snowboard Art TopSkin™ applied to it.
Remount Your Bindings
You will be able to feel and see the binding mounting holes for your board as depressions under your new TopSkin™. Because you took careful notes you can now select the holes you need. Use your cutting blade to make an X in the center of the hole so that it can receive your mounting screw.
Enjoy! You now have a board that is truly originally you. You have joined with a unique creative talent to bring a statement to the world that the both of you uniquely own. Ride fast, have fun, you are ORIGINAL!
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