Professional paint job at home - how do I do it?

[fridayflash]

graco 1095 airless is your best bet matey

p/t

[Subike]

lots of good advice given here.
Follow the good stuff and you will be fine.
My only addition to what has been said is temperature / humidity / wind
Make sure you do the painting on a day that the temperature is going to be above 10* min for the day, no or very little wind and low humidity.
Dampness and dust are your enemy
This may sound stupid to some but.
The inside of an of van makes a good spray booth for bikes.
I have an old furniture truck that I use as a spray booth, dust free, and a natural bake oven on a sunny day.
I try to do the painting as early as possibile in the morning when the air is still or late at night when it is warmer. Depends upon the day.
Never be in a hurry
Be ready to walk away and have a beer as soon as anything goes wrong.
painting under stress? just makes a fuck up.
Above all, enjoy doing it,make if fun, have good music going.

[fLaThEaD FreD]

Thanks mate thats some really good pointers. So you didn't sand between the second paint stage and the clear coat?

of doin it yourself thats as much good as your'll get first time.
I have all the gear at home for panel,paint and mechanical and can bluff my way through if needed. I touch up the paint on my SS commy when needed but my bike is another story.
I dosent cost much for a painter. Just had my Tank and front guard resprayed proffessionally for $200 cash. I would have spent at least half of that on materials so for $100 it was a "NO BRAINER" for me........weigh it up before you start.

[awayatc]

If you ride fast enough you will be just a black blur anyway.....

Or the unwashed muddy look hides a multiple of sins....although more effective on a dirtbike.....

I once accidently burned a bike....came out black as well....matt black rather, and a bit smelly when standing still....

[nudedaytona]

graco 1095 airless is your best bet matey

p/t

How much to hire one?

[nudedaytona]

I dosent cost much for a painter. Just had my Tank and front guard resprayed proffessionally for $200 cash. I would have spent at least half of that on materials so for $100 it was a "NO BRAINER" for me........weigh it up before you start.

That's pretty good. Can you tell me who did it for you?

[scumdog]

Haven't done a whole bike yet but had top results touching up cars, etc using spray cans (not those little duplicolor cans - but they're OK for small stuff) made up by the local paint-shop.

Get good gloss and colour undetectable from the surrounding area and you can do the job anywhere.

Patience and practice grasshopper.

[wildcat_lgf]

IMHO there are 2 schools of thought with painting your own bike...
1) You want to paint it for the challenge and to learn the skills
2) You want to save money by doing it yourself.

If it's #1 then by all means go ahead, but be prepared to spend alot of time and money learning. You will need to get a decent compressor and spray gun and practice painting on scraps of metal/plastic before getting to your fairings. You will also need to spend a fair amount of time prepping your fairings (sanding, filling etc).

Its tempting to think that paint will fill any minor blemishes - this is NOT the case, anything you can see prior to the topcoats going on will be magnified by the colour and clear. Don't underestimate how long it'll take to prepare the fairings correctly.

If you are going for #2...it will be difficult to save money doing it yourself with little experience or the correct tools. Paint and materials are quite pricey when you have to buy them in small quantities.

However, so I don't leave you too depressed - check this link for an idea of what is involved and what it could look like - yes I know its a car, but the principle remains the same. It's an excellent read and helps explain the process a bit more. Enjoy

http://www.autobody101.com/forums/ab...ight=tri+stage

[The Pastor]

so you need to sand down the clear coat then buff it back up?

[Owl]

so you need to sand down the clear coat then buff it back up?

No!

It’s a very time consuming step that could be avoided with the right gear, environment and knowledge.

[The Pastor]

No!

It’s a very time consuming step that could be avoided with the right gear, environment and knowledge.

so for somone like me, who has very basic /cheap/crap gear, a horriable work enviroment and no knowlegde at all, i should give it a go :P

[boomer]

i so wish i'd seen thi thread earlier.. i lollied in real life..!!

Brush?

BRUSH?

are you deaf as well as daft.. YES A BRUSH FFS !!! lollies.

for fucksakes dont use a brush, it will look like shit, use a roller!

hehehehe

surely you are taking the piss

i think he's serious Au, hes a contender for Maori of the year..??!

I say stuff it all.. get out the ol paint brushes and do your bike up like a mural. No solids, no flames, no pin stripes. Nice thick painted lines of the hills or something that inspires you.

That'd be sweet.

I hired someone to do that to a guitar once. Made for a nice showy guitar.

I bet it was a stunner mate...



dude, take it to your local garage to do..!!!

[The Lone Rider]

I bet it was a stunner mate...

I guess there's no accounting for taste... especially if you only think inside a box.

Very cool stuff - http://images.google.co.nz/images?q=...=1&sa=N&tab=wi

[1 Free Man]

There is an old saying
" there are good jobs and there are cheap jobs but there is no such thing as a good cheap job."
Lots of good advise offered in this thread. Just be aware that black is probably the worst colour for showing up blemishes in the A. Item painted and or B. the preparation of the said item.
Good luck with your endevours brave person!!

[gunrunner]

I want to do a professional-looking paint job on my bike but don't want to pay a professional.

I just want one colour (black), with the rest of the look done with stickers.

How hard can it be? So there's a bit of sanding, primer and top coats to apply right?

How much paint would I need, and how much does quality, long-lasting paint cost?

The bike has abs plastic fairings and a plastic tank.

Its the old saying you get what you pay for .