Paint job ?

[G-Man]

Bill

I absolutely agree on the reading. I started in my teens and read everything I could find on what goes wrong. Books are cheaper than paint.......

G

[mike1969]

Gman, You do exquisite work. You are the Michelangelo of motorcycles and I can tell you are a perfectionist. You've been working on bikes since you were a teenager. Not many of us here have your ability, experience, or anything close to it.
My point is that someone who has never painted a bike isn't going to be able to go out and buy a compressor and spray gun and get anywhere near the results that you do.
Some of us don't have the money or desire to do a 100 point restoration. We just want a decent looking rider for minimal $.
No offense intended. You are still the man! Mike

[G-Man]

Mike

Too much flattery! I'm blushing .... :-)

Seriously though, I agree, it's perfectly possible to get a really nice finish with spray cans on something as small as a bike. It just takes care and patience. The great thing about paint is that you can rub it down and re-do as necessary. Whatever route you take, Conbs' advice to read up on the subject is still valid. I built my own compressor because I couldn't afford the real thing and I wanted to "do it like the pros".

Before my career in Engineering, I grew up on a farm where (as most farm boys know) you either learned how to do it yourself or it didn't happen. I did let my enthusiasm get the better of me as a teenager when I got asked to spray a 4 wheel drive ex-army Bedford truck. It was just an awful job and I had to live with it for years afterwards...... :-(

As I said before, whatever your chosen instrument - just go out and have a go... My pictures and little anecdotes are aimed to encourage people that any kid from the sticks can do this given a bit of care and patience...

G

[JonnyT]

Have removed all paint that I can. Still small remnants of red paint and I just can't get to the rest. Is it ok to paint another color ( white) ? Will I be able to cover small mostly unseen areas without problems? No bondo is here. How smooth does it need to be to prime?

[G-Man]

Red is a funny pigment. It will migrate through other colors.

The smother you get the surface beforehand the better the final result will be.

Good luck.

G

[JonnyT]

98 .5 % bare metal, so you know the effort is there. By what I've read I'm still not sure what is next. Do I prime,sand,prime,sand,prime,sand? Why must I sand the primer off? Don't want a show bike,just want this red bike to look great as a Dover white. The paint on inside of the back rockers just won't give up.I've stripped 4 times it just don't budge.can I sand it and prime then paint? I'm am fast getting tired of this project that I've wanted to for 45 years. Have spent a scad on accessories and ungodly hours stripping ! Need some go ahead advice.

[mike1969]

Won't try to tell you how to paint but you can use a wire wheel on a drill or grinder to get the stubborn places. Don't know if you have a Harbor Freight tool store near you but they have a nice package of assorted size wire brush wheels for under 5 bucks.