Paint suggestions?

So I have been pushed to the end of Jan for paint and I really dont want to wait that long... So now I am going to attempt a decent rattle can job for the time being.. My question is does anyone have any suggestions for paint? I was waching the duplicolor vids on Youtube and they look pretty good, but those guys were professionals and who knows if the finished product was actually painted by their spray paint... anyone?

 

Instead of rattle cans why not try the "50 Dollar paint job" technique the car guys are raving about?

Google the key words "50 dollar paint job" and you'll get LOTS of info...

 

What color are you looking for? Are you still going to have it done at the end of January?

 

Avoid the rattle can. It's not resistant to gas and every drop you get on it will leave a permanent spot. It will also give someone fits when you get ready to do it right. Rather than simply sanding and painting, your bike will need to be stripped down to bare metal and plastic.

 

I checked out the 50 Dollar Paint Job, I am sold, but would need to find smaller rollers for a motorcycle. I think i could do it, once I get the money I think I may try that. My tank is cracked really bad, need to fix it.

 

I have seen a few decent rattle can jobs around which is really why I decided to do it. I'll take a look at the 50 dollar paint job in a fewmins and see what it's all about. There is some sort of two part clear that is resistant to gas which is what I was going to use. But it looks like everyone says to avoid it soI probably will. As for the professional paint I can still get it done at the end of Jan if I want...

 

The high temp Duplicolor is cheap, looks good and is resistant to gas spills.

 

You can use water based paint (air brushing type) for the main colors and any custom graphics (flames, etc.) then clear coat with Duplicolor High Heat clear to protect the finish. You will still need to be careful with spilling gas on it however. If you wipe the gas off right away, it won't leave a stain. But if you wait too long, it will take the shine off the finish. I plan to find some kind of finishing clear that takes a hardener, which will protect the finish from gas better.
The main ingredient in getting a good shiny finish is the sanding process. That's probably the most important part about doing a paint job. You need to get the surface your going to paint good and smooth - like a babies a$$. I always start with 400 grit (I wet sand) and graduate to finer grits till I end up with 1500 grit for the final sanding. A good idea is to spray a thin coat of primer over your sanding project and re-sand it to see where the high spots are. That's seams to be the best way to show just how good the surface is before painting.
After each coat of clear, I wet sand with 1500 grit between coats to get the best finish possible. You can also sand out runs and imperfections along the way as you do the final coats of clear. I ended up spraying 8 coats of clear to get the finish I wanted (that's just me)
Make sure all paints yo use in your project are compatable with one another. It's not a good idea to mix brands as they are not always compatable with each other and can screw up some good intentions! Some brands will actually lift the coat under them. Never mix Laquers with enamels. Laquer will destroy enamel. Laquers are a pain to work with (for me) and I would stay away from them unless your a professional. Do some research and look how others did it and that should give you an idea what your getting into. Good luck and keep us posted with photos! >PD<

 

Here's a link to the "50 dollar paint job". I must say I'm pretty impressed with how Rickwrench's Corvair turned out.

 

After looking at the 50 dollar paint job, I'm not so sure about it... I think I can have much more fun with the spray paint. I'm going to have a look at the color and maker options today and see what I (or the wife) like.

 

Yea that Corvair looks real good and going by what him and others that have done a 50 dollar PJ have to say and show it's quite a durable paint job to boot.

 

nothing wrong with rattle can paint job, if you spend the time prepping and flat it with 1000 or 1200 grade wet and dry before you finish it with petrol resistant laquer. If you spend a bit of time and do it right you will have a really nice looking paint job. Cellulose or acrylic from local motor factors, most of the primers you can get these days seem to be ok to use on plastics with no problem, i`ve gone with acrylic mostly because i think it has a harder finish

 

VHT epoxy in rattle cans is VERY tough paint. If you are going to rattle can that is the stuff to use. I used Dupli-Color on my Kawasaki and it turned out fine... until gas got spilled on it.
This won't work on plastic but I think I'm going to powder coat my XJ1100.

 

I used the high-heat Duplicolor and gas ate it .... I went with the flat black as I love that look... the ceramic in the dupli leaves a nice finish....is there a good way to gas protect the flat without a gloss look?

I want to have this redone for the spring.....

 

I am still debating on which paint to use... At a bike night the other day I finaly saw a bike with the Dupli-Color Mirage spray paint... It looked nearly professional, I was shocked at how well it turned out! He said it was the first time he had ever painted anything but he just prepped well and sanded like a madman... Hopefully I can get whatever I use to turn out like that!

 

i got my stepdad to spray my tank with "SEM" Trim Black...

he's a professional painter at a body shop.... hehe all i did was scuff my tank with a red scotch brite pad and he shot it for me. looks good untill i get some real paint on it.

as far as the "gasoline" damage to the paint.... its rattle can... just shoot it again.

OR use the Flat black High temp engine enamel. thats supposed to resist gas pretty well...

Or do what i do... just don't spill. hahahaha. there's a reason why the gas stations have those blue towels....