Paint job ?

[mike1969]

Gman, That's very nice work. How many years practice have you had.? I'm sure your first paint job didn't look that good.
I wouldn't want to spend money on a compressor and paint gun I wouldn't know how to use for one paint job.
Like I said ,it depends how much experience you have in painting, how much money you want to spend.
You can go nuts spending money on a paint job or powder coating if you want a show bike, or just want a decent looking rider for very little money.

[Geeky160]

I understand that USC Spray Max 2k High Gloss Clearcoat Aerosol is fuel resistant. Be careful though if you a allergic to cyanide.

[G-Man]

I built my first compressor when I was 19 from an old lawnmower engine, an electric motor and a truck air brake reservoir. Pretty much all scrap parts.

I used it to paint my CB400F....

CB400F Green - 2.jpg by graham.curtis, on Flickr

The bike was damaged when it was knocked over by a bus. I decided to refresh the whole thing and do the fairing to match. That bike covered 14,000 miles in its first year. Still have it and repainted it back to standard some years later.

My Restored CB400F2 by graham.curtis, on Flickr

I masked and sprayed in the lining with rattle cans but the rest was done with spray gun and compressor.

G

Gman, That's very nice work. How many years practice have you had.? I'm sure your first paint job didn't look that good.
I wouldn't want to spend money on a compressor and paint gun I wouldn't know how to use for one paint job.
Like I said ,it depends how much experience you have in painting, how much money you want to spend.
You can go nuts spending money on a paint job or powder coating if you want a show bike, or just want a decent looking rider for very little money.

[conbs]

For any inexperienced folks wanting to do a paint job - rattle can or gun - I recommend you do a lot of reading before you start. It turns out this paint stuff involves a lot of science. There is a lot that can go wrong. Even though I have read a lot, I still learn something each time I have applied paint.

I rattle-canned color shift paint on a tank last spring. That stuff is VERY easy to spray on and get the effect. But, it requires a black base coat. The "kit" has very small cans of base, color shift and clear coat. The problem was there was not enough in the black to get good coverage. So I used a Rustoleum black that I had to supplement. Bad idea. I had read it but, didn't follow the advice: NEVER mix paint from different manufacturers on a paint job. They use different formula's to create a chemical bond. Because of that the different manufacturers have different times between coats. Not enough time and the paint stays wet and runs; too much time and too much of the volatiles go out and you won't get the bond between coats.

There is a lot to read and plenty of YouTube videos. A warning: some of those videos are just plain baloney. A few "local shops" have good info; many seem to give advice that will results in screwed up paint (with the idea you will come to them for the fix). There are plenty of YouTube videos with guys like Kevin Tetz and there is a lot on the Eastwood site.

Whether you are going to use a rattle can or a gun, you need to know how the paint itself is going to act. The more you know, the better your paint will be. And, we all know that it is your paint that makes the first impression for your bike. It you have a super gloss finish on your paint, your bike will be the one everyone talks about.

BTW that gas drip thing is a big problem (another issue I found out about from experience) You need a clear coat that is "fuel resistant". Walmart sells a Rustoleum 2,000 degree clear that says it is "fuel resistant. Someone on the internet (who seemed very knowledgeable and showed pics) recommended it. I think Diamond Clear from Eastwood might work, too but, with either you are getting back into the mixing-manufacturers issues. It might be solved if you get a really good cure before the clear coat. That takes time. The best solution is what was suggested: get a gun and use a good 2-part base coat with a UV cured base and clear.

There are few things more painful than seeing a drip of gas ruin your shiny new paint job (More experience). Take time to find out why and how it happens and you will save a lot of headache. If you use the wrong paint it may never cure enough to avoid this issue..

You can get a good paint job using a rattle can and you can get a crappy one using a gun. The result will depend largely on how much you understand about the stuff you are spraying.

I hope this helps some aspiring painters. Just know that some "experience" is unavoidable. Keeping it to a minimum is the key. A great paint job will make it worthwhile.

[G-Man]

Bill

Super advice. I read lots of books and magazines on painting technique as a young man and have had plenty of 'experience' days. Some times the exact same paint at the same temperature on the same base will just behave strangely.

Often you just have to walk away and leave it for a day or two.

For a similar reason to the gas problem I always use silicone brake fluid in my more modern bikes. The more common stuff wreaks havoc with paintwork. Must do some tests with modern European fuel and paint never had any problems in the 'old days'.

Just to counter your pearls of wisdom. There's no substitute for having a go. Even if you just paint a small bracket, you will be full of pride when you sit on your bike. Paying someone 100s of dollars to paint your bike can be satisfying but the feel you get from knowing that you painted it yourself to the best of your abilities is truly wonderful. Brush, spray can or spray gun - they can all be coaxed into doing some lovely finishes.

G

[JonnyT]

All great stuff guys! I'm in Birmingham.....interstates everywhere....lots of us here...see some of y'all tomorrow"

[conbs]

G,

I agree with everything you say, including especially that there is nothing like having a go at applying paint. I just recommend some reading first. And I especially agree that there is nothing like the feeling you get from doing it yourself (even though you will notice more flaws than anyone else)

I got an enormous number of compliments on that color-shift paint job. It really was eye-catching when done, even though there were some issues with the paint (that no one but me seemed to notice). I highly recommend trying it. I used Duplicolor but, I think my next try will be with Rustoleum because their cans are bigger.

My point is that there is no better way to eliminate the intimidation factor like a little knowledge about what you are doing. But, in the end you are right, G: Just do it.