[jester624]

So I've decided after adding up my projects that I might as well learn to paint. I have a motorcycle, car and truck all waiting for it.

My questions to you seasoned painters are:
Primer and sealer options- do I need a sealer? I don't intend on sanding down to the metal on the tank, the fenders are the LM ones.
Do I need a different primer or additive for the two little plastic pieces, I've heard a couple extra clear to help with leg scratching, but since they aren't really flexible I should be fine?

Any other info would be great. I just got myself a 60 gallon compressor capable at 10.2 cfm at 90 psi. Most guns I have seen are using about 10 cfm at 30 psi or so so I should be more than good. I have 2 inline water separators already installed also. I also have a few piece of sheet metal that I will be able to do tests etc on to get the pattern and guns set up.

Thanks guys

 

[jester624]

No one around here paints their own stuff with HVLP guns?

 

[jester624]

I'm not sure if anyone here has read this at all but here are some answers to my own questions. Most of them were answered by the guys as SPI (southern polyurethanes inc.).

These guys are the ****! Offer tons of tips and advice, great prices, and I ordered my stuff Wednesday and it was sitting on the porch today.

So plastic adhesion promoter or not: " take a fingernail clipping size of the plastic in question from (from a non-visible spot, unless you like filling holes) and put it in a glass of water. If it sinks with little help, there are not enough waxes etc in the plastic to be a problem, no adhesion promoter needed, if it floats, you need adhesion agent. --- The plastic all sunk that I tested on the bike, all abs that I could tell.

Is a sealer needed: "no, but it is definitely a good idea, sorta like the second piece of bread on the sandwich, helps stuff stay in the primer and metal, and stuff stay out of the metal/ primer"

All the info on their data sheets is great, and they have a step by step write up too!

So here is my friends PS version of some paint I plan on doing, input would be great!

 

[8sec-z]

I like it. Paint mine while ur at it...

 

[jester624]

Once I get comfortable with the gun, I have a car and truck to do also but I'd be more than happy do paint your bike for a fee

I think I'm going to have him move the red and gold on the front fender to see what they would look inverted.

 

[sfcmcgan]

I have done some automotive painting... the 3 things that hurt the most is 1: moisture (it will orange peel the paint and cause runs) 2: viscosity (to thick it will puddle and sling, to thin and it will run and cause uneven coats. 3: distance and motion (to far away, the paint will begin to dry before settling on the surface. too close it will run and splotch... too fast a sweep and it will spread to thin causing uneveness... too slow a sweep... runs and splotches.)

Other than that.. PREP, PREP, PREP... when you think you are finished prep it one more time... I recommend single stage paint for the 1st time... it is more forgiving.

 

[UrbanRage]

Other than that.. PREP, PREP, PREP... when you think you are finished prep it one more time...

My buddy paints all types of vehicles, and the quality is absolutly amazing. Most of his projects are for show and I asked him the same question... His answer was exactly the same...lol... prep is everything, and that is the biggest reason why a really good paint job costs so much..

 

[sfcmcgan]

Other than that.. PREP, PREP, PREP... when you think you are finished prep it one more time...

My buddy paints all types of vehicles, and the quality is absolutly amazing. Most of his projects are for show and I asked him the same question... His answer was exactly the same...lol... prep is everything, and that is the biggest reason why a really good paint job costs so much..

yep.. the actual painting really only takes a few minutes...

 

[jester624]

The cost of paint and primer doesn't help either. Between the different activators, reducers, etc I have spent close to $350 for enough for the bike. I'll have enough primers to do the car this spring though.

Epoxy Primer $80.85 a gallon
Epoxy Activator $31.75 quart
2k Epoxy $62.50 a gallon
Activator $27.90 a quart
Clear $ 28 a quart
Activator $33.35 a quart
Urethane Reducer $36.45 a gallon
Wax and Grease Cleaner $26.00 a gallon

Cosmos Black paint $49 a quart
Imola Red $38 a pint
Metallic Gold Pearl $25 a pint
Reducer $36 a gallon
Activator $53 a pint

 

[sfcmcgan]

The cost of paint and primer doesn't help either. Between the different activators, reducers, etc I have spent close to $350 for enough for the bike. I'll have enough primers to do the car this spring though.

Epoxy Primer $80.85 a gallon
Epoxy Activator $31.75 quart
2k Epoxy $62.50 a gallon
Activator $27.90 a quart
Clear $ 28 a quart
Activator $33.35 a quart
Urethane Reducer $36.45 a gallon
Wax and Grease Cleaner $26.00 a gallon

Cosmos Black paint $49 a quart
Imola Red $38 a pint
Metallic Gold Pearl $25 a pint
Reducer $36 a gallon
Activator $53 a pint

Just an opinion.. but you are going WAY overboard on the ingredients!... 1 quart of primer... single stage paint with the additive of your choice...and a clear coat if you want it...thats is really all you need... MAYBE some flex agent if you have a L&M fiberglass fender.

 

[crazy8ight]

hey jester, i am not actually contributing to your post a la' answering your question. but i did want to say that i really like that color scheme you are going for.

 

[jester624]

Thanks crazy8, there may be some slight changes but I had the 3 colors mixed up today.

SFCMcGan, I bought enough primer to do my entire car this spring also, it is a BMW hence the BMW base colors one the bike. The manufacturer of the primer (spi) and basecoat (nason) recommende using a Sealer over the primer, the epoxy primer I bought acts as a corrosion preventative on the bare metal, and reduced it is a sealer to prevent bleed through.

As far as the single stage paint, IMHO I might have well saved the money and done a rattle can job, or bought an 18 speed, I wanted the job done right the first time, even if I F it up, which is a possibility. All single stage paint jobs I have seen are so chipped and faded after 2 years you need respray anyway.

I would also like to continue to paint In the future and would like to learn how to really paint, not just spray...

 

[WildFan]

Jester, I think you're fine in your approach to the paint job. If you're going to put that much time into it, you want it to last. I'm going to paint my entire bike this winter as well and will have a similar approach. Prep work first, catalyzed primer, basecoat paint, then topcoat (x2). Of course as everybody already said, there's typically more work between each step.

 

[jester624]

Thanks Wildfan, I didn't think I was too far off, I know I'm planning on using more primer than I need to because their procedure is for restores etc, not brand new tank, plastics, fiberglass. Do you have any experience with stripes or tri color?

Right now I'm modifying the rear fender to not show bolts when its mounted. I have some time before the paint is all mixed too.

As far as the painting, I'm getting pretty comfortable with the hvlp and a midnight blue color. I figured it works well because its not black but real dark so when I'm laying down lines I can see subtle variances in shade as I screw up on the first passes. I cover them again on the second pass, then I sand re-prime the panel, and spray again. The company I bought my primer from had a really good, simple article on setting up of your gun and it seems to work for me, no orange peel, and no runs now that I have a feel for it.

I'm using a large piece of sheet metal left over from my roommates truck.

 

[WildFan]

I have some experience with multi color paint jobs, but not a ton. I work at a prototype shop and we have a pretty nice downdraft booth and automotive paint setup that i use. The most difficult part is hiding the mask line between the colors. If you're going all gloss topcoat you can bury it with a few coats of clear, sand it out and polish it. Another way is to pinstripe over the line where the colors meet. The striping can go over or under the clear. You can use the striping to cover the line if you go with a matte and gloss topcoat.

 

[WildFan]

As long as you're spending the money, you may want to pick up a tack cloth as well (they're cheap). They're great to use just before you shoot the paint or topcoat to pick up any dust, not just push it around.

 

[jester624]

Got some!

Garage got a good cleaning and I'm building my "booth" this weekend with stands for all the parts so I can spray them w/o overspray and get them all in one shot.

I got the rear fender to mount without any bolts showing.

I'm just waiting on the paint to get mixed, the last few tweaks with the lines, and my family to leave after Thanksgiving .

 

[sfcmcgan]

Don't forget the progress pictures!!!

 

[jester624]

Going to post some progress pictures tonight. I put the epoxy primer down on everything after building my booth and some stands to put all the parts.

So far first noob ass mistake was not using the tack cloth I bought before primer and after the degreaser. Oh well, I have some more primer and a sealer to lay before the base colors go anyways.

I will post pictures later, the camera is charging. So far the prep time has paid off, the pieces look smooth.

 

[jester624]

So here are the pictures, going to do some sanding (and filling if necessary) today, then some build primer a coat or two and then epoxy again to seal. Paint will start next weekend probably,

Led Turns

2.25" drop

This one shows that I opened the holes up in the rear for my fender mount to work right. The holes aren't perfectly straight up and down and the fender would bind if they weren't bigger.