Velvetizing the armrest storage bin
by southpawboston
(difficulty: easy)
This project creates a velvet-like surface treatment to the upper
armrest storage bin. The effect very closely resembles the treatment found on the coin bin and on the storage bin in the center
console above the HVAC controls (the treatment is officially known as "flocking"), and it kind of makes you wonder why Hyundai
didn't just incorporate this effect on additional surfaces in the car since they went out of their way to do so on the aforementioned
storage bins. It adds a touch of discreet, understated class to the interior. The procedure can easily be adapted to larger
surfaces (i.e., inside the glove box). It's also an inexpensive project as total cost is around $10!
Note: Softflock is hard to find. I tried every craft store I could think
of, and most people hadn't heard of softflock, and when I tried to describe it to them, they had no idea that any such
thing existed. I finally found it online, at https://www.donjer.com/secure/sforderform.htm. It's really inexpensive ($1.95/0.5oz, with shipping under $2), so I ordered three different
colors and found that the black softflock (stock # SF121) most closely matches the flock used in the coin and center console
bins. There are lots of funky colors available, so you could get really crazy and creative if you wanted to.
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Materials needed
Philips head screwdriver,
0.5 ounce black "softflock" powder
Spray adhesive (Krylon, 3M, or similar)
Masking tape
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The Project
1) Remove the two screws holding the padded armrest and upper storage
bin.
2) Thoroughly scrub the storage bin with dish soap and hot water
(the entire armrest can be washed under running water and will not be damaged). It is absolutely essential to remove all traces
of vinyl protectants, which will reduce the effectiveness of the spray adhesive. Rubbing alcohol does not remove some vinyl
protectants. Dry the armrest/storage bin.
3) Mask off the top edges of the storage bin. The textured nature
of the plastic prevents the masking tape from adhering well, so make sure you press/massage the tape thoroughly into place,
especially along the edge you want masked. Mask off the rest of armrest from overspray.
4) Spray a thick, but even, coat of spray adhesive along all inside
sides of the storage bin. Pay attention to corner areas where the spray may be more difficult to reach. If you do not spray
it thick enough, it will dry very rapidly. You do not want it to dry before applying the softflock, or the softflock will
not adhere evenly.
5) Within about 30 seconds of spraying the adhesive, pour the entire
contents of the softflock bag into the storage bin. Holding the armrest/bin firmly, rock/tilt rapidly in all directions, spreading
by gravity the loose powder in all directions. It will get messy, and the powder will get all over the place! but that's okay,
since you have to make sure the powder gets applied to all the sprayed surfaces. NOTE: a superior way to apply the
powder would be to use some sort of bellows-like applicator, some sort of air-powered dispersion gun, that would "spray" the
powder onto the adhesive. Simply dumping the bag contents and swishing the powder around seems to work just fine though. Most
of the powder gets wasted, but it's not like it's costly anyway.
6) Allow the adhesive to cure at least several hours to overnight
before removing the masking tape. Afterwards, blow off the excess powder using a hair dryer or vacuum output, etc. (i just
manually blew off the excess using my own breath in conjunction with a soft brush... I did this part outside so I
wouldn't get loose powder all over the floor!) Optionally, you can rinse the armrest under some running tap water to wash
off the residual excess powder.
7) Viola! Reattach the armrest and you're done!
- southpawboston
