Painting basics

Few Q's

I have some ArBodies bodywork that I rode in primer for a while and need to paint.

What is the basic process to clean them since they aren't fresh? Just soap and water or since they've been exposed to oil and grime is there a solvent I should use?

Once clean, should I reprime them or just start with paint.

As far as painting goes, is a $50 gun from Lowes enough better than rattle paint to go with a gun. I could also go to Scott AFB and use their gun and booth for a little more than the price of buying a gun.

After paint, should I sand before clear coat? What with?

Is there a good number plate decal for 07 GSXR's or should I expect to paint on the space for number plates.

Thanks very much for taking the time to share your knowledge.

 

If I were you I would take it to someone who has experience and knows what they are doing. By the time you buy paint, clear, paper, gun, ect, you could have paid someone to do it. If not, leave it primered, put some stickers on it and roll.

 

Fair enough but I have my wifes bike to do too and if they ever need repair/touch up I'm set to do it. So, in the long run it's a skill I think is worth learning even if my results aren't as good as a pro and initially requires a little investment in time and money. After a few tries I'd expect my results will be acceptable and at least beat running around on a primered bike.

Thanks

 

i clean mine with alcohol to get the grime off. Sand it lightly and wet it down to get the dust off. I use Krylon spray paint and just put a couple coats on. Looks good so far.

 

Light application of Acetone should clean it up. Might need to wetsand as well to scuff up the surface. If you had stickers on the bodywork be sure to get all the sticky film off.

Depends on how bad the bodywork is. Repriming won't hurt. Judgement call on your part.

HPLV gun would be good. The better the gun (and the compressor feeding it) the better the finished product assuming you spray the paint on properly. If you have access to a real paint booth and equipment, then that's probably the better way to go.

Depends on the type of paint you use. Dual stage (clear coat sprayed on separate), then yes wet-sand before clearcoat.

If you go with single stage paint, then wet-sanding is not necessary.

Get vinyl number plates. That way you can remove them if necessary. Easier than repainting. Plenty of people on the board that can get you some number plates.


There are a few paint threads on the beeb, a quick search should pull them up. I'm pretty sure some of the more accomplished painters had some tips in there, I used them when I painted my bodywork for the first time.

 

Be sure to get all the sticker glue removed.
Wet sand the BW with 320, wipe clean with 3M 900

 

Soap and water is fine if everything comes off. You can use simple green as well or whatever to get the majority of the grime off. It doesn't need to be squeaky clean as you will be sanding anyway (to create a mechanical bond). Just make sure it's completely dry, free of any solvents and dust free before you start applying any paint.

Depends on what paint brand/line you are using. You should use the same primer/base/clear from the same manufacturer but that depends on what you're painting over. Armour Bodies uses a good primer that sands well and I've applied the base color right over it before. The point is to make a good bond to the base material so that the paint adheres well and won't flake or pop off. A good prep of the base is what counts. If you are using a 3 part, as long as you prep it well, you can start with the base color and avoid repriming. No guarantees though.

A cheap HVLP will ALWAYS produce better results than a rattle can period. It's because you can control the paint flow/amount/pattern/etc and get consistant coverage. If you have access to a paint booth with a decent gun for cheap, that would be the best bet since 3 part paints can be pretty harmful without proper ventilation and protection. Hopefully, the booth will give you access to a proper mask and ventilation.

If you want a cheap HVLP gun, remember that you need a good size compressor to provide the amount of air volume needed. You could also make a paint booth with plastic sheeting as long as there is good ventilation. One last point, you can get great results with a cheap gun. Prep and practice is way more important than price.

Again, depends on the brand of paint. However, most will NOT want you to sand the base color coats before applying clear in the same 24 hour period. If it sits a few days before clearcoat, you will want to scuff the surface slightly with 400-600 grit. The paint should come with info on "flash" and "tape free" time along with instructions on clearcoat application.

Recommend painting the number plate backgrounds and getting vinyl numbers. Vinyl number plates never really come out to great because of all the curves on the bodywork. If you're taking the time to make the bodywork look good, why have a rippled, number plate.

Good luck and hope it goes well. I use to wonder why paint guys would charge so much for painting bodywork. Now I know, and it sounds like you will too

 

That may be true but it is a learning experience and one that you always get better at. I bought all my own stuff including the cheap gun. Sure it was more expensive the first time around but it all paid for itself the second, third, and now fourth time around. I am now just having to buy some more paint and clearcoat.
I think you should remove as much dirt as you can when cleaning the old primered bodywork. When you sand it, you don't want to push the dirt into the bodywork and have to end up dealing with painting problems. A good adhesive remover will go a long way in removing all the dirt. And use fresh towels as well when cleaning it. You don't want to rub the dirt over to another spot on the bodywork.

 

I used to paint my own.. However after the $ for the gun.. $ for the sand paper, filler, acetone, clear ect...and then the paint its cheaper to let somone else do it who does it for a living... Just my opinion...

 

As far as the number plates go, I just had to get some and went to a local sign shop and they sold me a huge sheet for $20. I just cut them to fit as needed (probably enough material to do 3 bikes easy).

 

if your using a basecoat/clearcoat process you do not need to sand or scuff up the basecoat before applying the clear.

 

My old 02 bike..about 4 hrs, and under $50.00 to paint, no clear coat, makes it easier to repair. All paint is Krylon..

 

Very nice Krylon product there Hammer. I got mine painted and it came out great, no runs until I got to the clear. I was running out of time and rushed it a little I guess. Got a good smooth wet final look. A little basic this time out with solid colors other than shooting on the number plates and masking them off. I stapled plastic to the garage roof and made a booth. Got a Husky HVLP from Home Depot and paints from NAPA. I'd say I did the whole thing for $220 so far and can do it again for ~120 per 3 color paint job.

I still have to do the tank, how much prep should I do on that? Sand it to bare metal and prime or just pull out the decals under the clear coat, scuff and prime?

 

Painting bodywork that has been ridden with just primer can be a huge PITA. Oil, rubber, dirt, etc will make fish eyes all over the place. Hot soap and water to start, then lightly sand. Get some bare metal primer and give it a nice even coat. This stuff can deal with any residue. Wet sand with 400, clean and dry, then Krylon away....

 

The tank on that bike was blue and white, I sanded it with 400 wet, then cleaned it with acetone, then put 2 light coats of primer, then a wet primer coat. Sanded with 400 wet, then painted it white, then the red and black.

just make sure to give the primer time to thoroughly dry..

 

$60 worth of quality spray paint (forgot the name but it comes in a gold can from an art supply store) and two sheets of sandpaper (400 & 600):

 

Under 20 bucks..

 

Make sure to practice on your wife's bike 1st

 

if you have access to a booth and gun.....it would be worth your time and money in the long run to find someone that knows what they are doing and have them show you in the booth. that way if you decide you don't' want to ever do it again, you are not out all that much, and haven't bought tools you will never use

 

been using the same harbor freight gun for a while now and got it on sale for 14.99 and i purchased the extended warranty so they will replace it for free if it ever breaks. compared to the Husky they sell at Home Depot its waaay better. and the Husky cost 90$

Painting is just messy, its not hard you just need patience. One word of advice is priming is not a full on coating, it is simply a coat which will allow the base coats to adhere to. you do not need to completely cover the whole surface with primer, just give a nice overall spray, sand down the rough spots and shoot the base coats. Now use the base coats for complete coverage. let dry and mask off for second coats, etc etc...dry and then clear.