Want to paint a Turner

[Eric Brammer]

When I decided to have my (formerly JG's) Turner Fullnose painted (as it was 'school-bus interior' green, pretty unflattering as colors go), I had the talents of a former Kostabi artist at my disposal. George did an awesome job of airbrushing it by hand, and so now I've got a Turner that's hand painted by a gifted artist, that used to raced by John Gilmour, and has been selectively raced in a few recent races by myself, CMC, and Adam Schwippert. The 'Grey Ghost' lives on as a reminder of just how good a handmade board can (and should) be.

Has the value decreased any? Um, NO...
Besides, who can put a dollar value on a ride like this? This board has soul. Whatever you may want to do to your Turner, do it, but do it WISELY. These boards were created by an artisan would put together boards that have personality. Respect that, but allow the board's character to come through.

bTW, I rode my old Turner today, just to compare it to other boards I've got. It rode beautifully, just like it always has!

[Adam Winston]

im going to agree and disagree with that....

quick little blurb.

value isnt based on what the materials are really worth, its based on an image and more importantly a memory... thats why you can sell certain things from your youth on ebay for lots of money but somebody my age would look at it and go hell thats crap why pay 500 for the first ever pac-man video game..

so what im getting at is.. if the board means something to the owner, maybe reminds him/her of better days and all that crap then i would understand the whole "its gotta be classic, restored, simple ect" but if it was somebody like me who doesn't have that connection with the board i would be more inclined to paint flames or metal flake it, because A) a turner would be a perfect surface to airbrush and B) thats just my style...

but i do understand, i could see you painting your turner to be the same as me painting my hosoi hammerhead's, there is no way on this green earth that i would ever paint my hammerheads..


so i guess its just a case of... what does it mean to you... but in the end as far as advice on painting it.... get it done by somebody that knows what they are doing... or else you run a chance of messing it up.. a wood board is easy to fix if you mess up a paint job.. a turner isnt... acrylic paint would be the best bet.... (airbrushing acrylics... try to stay away from enamel paint ie SPRAY PAINT) yup get a pro to do it.. most auto body shops will have a spray booth.. and usually you can just give them a few bucks and get them to spray it down with some left overs from a project they are doing

[Dave Gale]

It depends on the era Turner to me! If it's a classic that is a work of art, keep it pure! I guess all in all, it is the owner's choice. But even Bara should see, the relevance of painting a '69 z-28 in a Mopar Green!

If it's a classic, keep it as true to original! My .02 ...Bobby would want it!

[Adam Winston]

lol blasphemy says YOU.... i think it would look rad as hell.. its one thing to have a turner, its another thing to have a turner that doesn't look anything like the rest of them..

sorry its just my style, i like to have something different, personalized...

i agree pearl would look amazing, if your looking for a custom classic look.. you could match most of the color but it being pearl would give that little extra pop

[Christopher Bara]

Adam, no offense....but metalflake and flames on a classic...that's damn near blasphemy...
(but pearl would be rad)

Youre right about the risks in certain paints though, but that's why i would actually recommend against doing it youself...let a pro handle it...Urethane paints are commonplace in auto repair, including all forms of plastic body panels and vettes....they're safe...i've had two turners painted and a few Jay Adams helmets....it's easy....I'm in the business though, so i dont know what the cost would be for somebody just walking in from the street....

[Adam Winston]

i agree flames would be good...

you guys may know more about me, but a chemical based paint might not be great for the board... seeing as some of those paints are mixed with etchers for metal... personally i'd stick to an acrylic paint, or even better yet.. a microflake, now that would be KILLER.. but hard to spray and takes A lot of clear to cover...

i suggest you do a little DIY and paint it your self, then take it to a place to have it cleared.. some places might just give it a quick clear and not charge too much or at all.. doesnt take very much to clear a skateboard.... i have wasted too much paint and clear learning that the hard way with my HPVL's i dont even use them any more..


but if your going to paint a turner.... you might as well paint in a way nobody else has.... metal flake,pearl, iridescent flames or something? thats what i would do if i had one...

[Christopher Bara]

Take it to an auto repair shop and have them shoot it with a good urethane...Sikkens, DuPont, etc.
Most of these will have the clear coat mixed with the base coat, so it saves a step...

Some may recommend adding "Flex additive" to the paint. It's not necessary. First off, "flex" evaporates with time. It's used on bumper covers when they have to be twisted and shaped to be put back on a car, to prevent the paint from cracking. It only lasts a few days before it dries hard though. Also, Turner paint used to get spiderlines because it's gelcoat, like the pain on boats. Urethane paint doesnt have the same properties, so it's good to go.

Black top, Green Bottom is the bomb too, for something that's still traditional Turner, but still a bit different.

have fun

[Pelle Gustafsson]

or car-paint whit "softner" in it,then you can use what colour you want. why not flames on it? hot!!

[Dave Gale]

Simple Krylon works fine..lightly sand the deck first tho to get the gelcoat type gloss off.

[john scott]

Recently I obtained a Turner cutaway that's perfect (undrilled etc.) in every way except its WHITE! Or worse, more of a cream color. I wish to paint it either red, blk, yell to stay somewhat true to it's heritage. Question is what type of paint should be used in regards to durability, flexing, and ease of application. Thanks for any and all advice on this!