Ever look in your cupboard and see a tumbler that just looks like crap? Maybe you’ve used or abused it, or maybe it was free from a conference or a former employer and you just don’t want to look at the logo anymore? Well this article is for you!
So, I didn’t start this project all that well. You see, the goal was simple: remove the logo. I started by trying to use epoxy. My thinking was that I could fill in the low spots in the finish with epoxy, and then spray paint it to make it look nice. This fell apart fast, and if you look here you can almost see it failing in the still photo.
There are visible sticky and high spots in the epoxy, and this is after more than 24 hours of allowing it to cure near a dehumidifier. I needed
Oh my goodness, I says to myself! Well this was where we started. I ran to my favorite hardware store and picked up a giant can of acetone. Then I came home and I got things started. I doused some shop towels in acetone and rolled up my little Yeti burrito:
And then I waited 20 minutes. When I got it open I started to try and peel, and wouldn’t you know dude was 100% right!
I pulled the bumbler out of the bundle and started scraping. The paint came right off, though I did have to use a razor blade and an awl in order to get it out of all of the nooks. Then I took a green Scotchbrite pad and cleaned up the surface. I paid special attention to the logo and the Yeti logo on the back; I wanted to leave no trace.
After I was done getting the old paint off, and the surface was cleaned up, it was time to prep for spray paint. Spray paint is a tool I have been intimidated by since middle school shop class, but it was absolutely the right tool for the job. My hardware store didn’t have the color I wanted, but Michael’s craft shop did. I also kinda love this brand, too.
If it’s one thing I’ve learned about life, it’s that the overwhelming majority of a successful job is all about prep! I put on some gloves and I cleaned the surface with more acetone. I very carefully masked off the edges so that I’d get good paint lines, and then I gave it another wipe-down with acetone.
Then I set up a box outside and started spray painting. I applied four coats, sanding lightly with 400-grit sandpaper, and I think it looks pretty good.
I hope this inspires you to save a bottle from the landfill, and make it new again! I’m definitely going to do another one of these.
