How do I spray a two color paint job?

[Hoon]

OK over the years of fixing my own crash damage I can now fibreglass, repair and repaint my fairings in one color.

I'm ready to repaint my latest bunch of repairs and would like to try painting them with a two tone scheme. Basically the top half of the fairing is blue and the bottom half is black. No blending - just a straight line.

The fairings are already prepped and ready to paint. I use a gravity feed spray gun and compressor and usually paint 3 coats of colour then 3 coats of clear.

What is the correct method for applying two colors to a panel?

Do I:

1. Paint the top half blue
2. Let dry til next day
3. Mask blue off and paint bottom half black
4. Remove masking and let dry til next day
5. Paint 3 coats clear

Is this right??

[imdying]

Yeah, paint the darker colour over the lighter one. Get some edge tape from a body shop, gives a cleaner line that regular masking tape.

[classic zed]

another idea is to use a pinstripe between the two colours to break them up, that is also good because it can hide a not so straight paint line, obviously you can clear coat over the pinstripe too.

The pinstripe can be of a contrasting colour or a black one will obviously not be noticed. :niceone:

[Busy]

Always spray the lighter colour first

A good way to do two-tone without much clear (if any) is to spray a base coat on the panel with the light colour (just past the join area), get some fine line masking tape (is thinner than masking tape), tape up the area and mask it off as normal, spray the light colour, wait to dry ...
Then when you mask the darker colour mask into the light colour 2mm (overlap) then once the darker colour is dry, using 1200 wet and dry carefully sand the line which will remove the overlap giving you a smooth edge without any paint lines, spray clear to suit taste ...

[lordandrevv]

i think it is also a good idea to take the masking tape off after the second colour is sprayed when the paint is still wettish towards half dry so that you get a minimal edge along the line. only heard about this, so someone correct me if I'm wrong

[Owl]

OK over the years of fixing my own crash damage I can now fibreglass, repair and repaint my fairings in one color.

I'm ready to repaint my latest bunch of repairs and would like to try painting them with a two tone scheme. Basically the top half of the fairing is blue and the bottom half is black. No blending - just a straight line.

The fairings are already prepped and ready to paint. I use a gravity feed spray gun and compressor and usually paint 3 coats of colour then 3 coats of clear.

What is the correct method for applying two colors to a panel?

Do I:

1. Paint the top half blue
2. Let dry til next day
3. Mask blue off and paint bottom half black
4. Remove masking and let dry til next day
5. Paint 3 coats clear

Is this right??

No!

Depending on what basecoat you're using, you need to be careful not to leave the basecoat too long before clear coating. If the basecoat dries too much, you risk having the clear de-laminate. You should probably look at completing this task within a 24 hour period.

[Fatjim]

Get a two-toned spray can. Repco have them on special at the moment.

[Pancakes]

If you want a pinstripe (white to break up two darker colours?) done nice I can put you in touch with someone in West Auckland. PM me if you want.

[Hoon]

No!

Depending on what basecoat you're using, you need to be careful not to leave the basecoat too long before clear coating. If the basecoat dries too much, you risk having the clear de-laminate. You should probably look at completing this task within a 24 hour period.

I'm using PPG paint. What is the minimum/suggested time I should leave it before it's dry enough to mask off (with 3M line tape) and paint the next colour??

As soon as I finish painting the last colour can I just remove the masking, let it flash then apply the clear as normal?

[Owl]

Spray some kind of test panel along side your fairing. Drying time can vary heaps, but you'll have the test panel to play with so you won't mark your fairing. Couple of hours should see you right before masking off your first colour.
You may want to leave your second colour long enough to be able to tack it off before clear coating. I haven't used a tack cloth for over 15 years, so I'm a little out of touch with that. I use a wet PVA sponge wipe!
Just remember when unsure, experimenting with a test panel may save you some grief. Good luck!

[skidMark]

wanna paint my bike? lol

[skidMark]

Get a two-toned spray can. Repco have them on special at the moment.
is that the stacked nozzle ub3r sp3cz on3?

[Pancakes]

is that the stacked nozzle ub3r sp3cz on3?

Amazing. Simply amazing.

[wildcat_lgf]

I've just done my front fairing metallic blue and white with a straight line between. I masked up the area using a thin vinyl pinstriping tape, then painting tape and paper behind that. Painted the blue and left it a couple of hours, removed the masking and vinyl tape and taped the other side and masked it.

The paint should be touch-dry within ~1hr so a couple of hours should be fine to mask the other side. Just make sure you mask everything! The paint gets into places you wouldn't even think possible, and you won't notice until it gets onto your nicely painted surface.

Once the other side is painted, leave for a couple of hours and remove the masking etc...check your tech sheets for the recommended time between colour and clear paint - I did mine ~3hrs after the colour.