If you really want to do this and have the money I can walk you thru this step by step. Who knows maybe you like it and want to do more. There is money to be made in painting. Everyone has to start somewhere. 
Painting Advice
- Thread starter inunneley
- Start date
I have done a wee bit of painting of motorcycles as i seemed to be doing a fair bit of motorcycle restorations turning basket cases into useable motorcycles
on one i did all the filling and smoothing and the undercoat and left the colour and clear to a pro
then did the tins on the next bike myself but neighbour had been a painter in the past and was available for help and advice and would check over after each step
the bigest problem was getting the environment right as all i have is a wooden shed so had to get the painting done when the weather was right
i did strip the paint off the tank 3 times before i got it good enough would have been cheeper to go to a pro but it was my project and i wanted to do it all myself
Brian
on one i did all the filling and smoothing and the undercoat and left the colour and clear to a pro
then did the tins on the next bike myself but neighbour had been a painter in the past and was available for help and advice and would check over after each step
the bigest problem was getting the environment right as all i have is a wooden shed so had to get the painting done when the weather was right
i did strip the paint off the tank 3 times before i got it good enough would have been cheeper to go to a pro but it was my project and i wanted to do it all myself
Brian
Hey Geezer GlideI love your avatar. I ride with the Live Riders out of Simi valley, a small church of harley riders who love Jesus Christ. thanks Portogrip
Glad to hear that and welcome to the board <><
I think it's a matter of where you are in your life and what your expectations are. If you want something "you" did and are willing to go through the process enough times and willing to spend the money on equipment and materials.....could turn into a lifelong passion. If you have a vision for yourself don't let anyone talk you out of it, if your vision is a really good paint job that does not cost much....you get what you pay for is a good general rule.
I may not be putting this in the right place, but only because I don't know how to post it anywhere else. I painted these tanks for my shovel about eight years ago and they need to be repainted. The decal on the tank is something I would like to do again, but can't seem to find one. Anyone seen these available?http://www.hdtimeline.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=9598&stc=1&d=1301316410
Attachments
painted a little my .02
base/clrs = prep,clean, shoot base, set up then shoot clr. clrs contain
iso-cyanate bad for you to breath. buff ,replace.
use a good water seperator/filter on the compressor close to the gun.
reducers are set up for your air temp ask your jobber for a p-sheet.
any runs in the clr let it harden then razor scrape/cut the run start polishing.
if you are going to tape for multi layers add a hardener to the base.( p-sheet)
there are products that are sold with a gloss in them to bypass the clr coat. mostly restorer products..spend time in your local auto painters shop.
powder coating is also an option thats pretty durable
candies are seen as translucent. they behave like clr coat. a flat common black with a colored candy second coat looks good,very deep on most bikes .
800,1200,1800 grit wet sand paper .i use windex as a wet.
clean-clean -clean spray area draft free for at least an hour or better after each shoot.
get used to whatever gun you'll use by practicing on anything curved.
good light at the spray area
base/clrs = prep,clean, shoot base, set up then shoot clr. clrs contain
iso-cyanate bad for you to breath. buff ,replace.
use a good water seperator/filter on the compressor close to the gun.
reducers are set up for your air temp ask your jobber for a p-sheet.
any runs in the clr let it harden then razor scrape/cut the run start polishing.
if you are going to tape for multi layers add a hardener to the base.( p-sheet)
there are products that are sold with a gloss in them to bypass the clr coat. mostly restorer products..spend time in your local auto painters shop.
powder coating is also an option thats pretty durable
candies are seen as translucent. they behave like clr coat. a flat common black with a colored candy second coat looks good,very deep on most bikes .
800,1200,1800 grit wet sand paper .i use windex as a wet.
clean-clean -clean spray area draft free for at least an hour or better after each shoot.
get used to whatever gun you'll use by practicing on anything curved.
good light at the spray area
rh8234
Banned
In the early 70's I painted all my bikes myself. First attempt was with a rattle can. Looked like (EDIT)
That was on the '65 BSA. I painted my '72 XLCH about 4 times before selling it in 1973. By the time I got to the 4th paint job on it I think I had learned a lot and the paint turned out good. It was a candy apple blue that required a few coats of a silver base and then several coats of the color and a bunch of clear. I used laquer, which could be sanded easily between coats. In about 1977, I baught a totaled 1970 MonetCarlo and straightened out the body. When it came time to do the painting, I let my wife talk me into painting it green instead of the original red. (BIG MISTAKE!) It took me a month of weekends with all the painting, wet-sanding, and buffing, but it turned out fine. Don't let anyone talk you out of trying it yourself. Worst that can happen is you won't like it and you'll decide to take it in for a pro to paint. Experiment. Maybe even look for a set of used tins to mess with so your bike isn't down too long. Doing it yourself can be fun - or it could teach you why a pro paint job costs so much. Either way, it'll be a learning experience.
Please read this...
That was on the '65 BSA. I painted my '72 XLCH about 4 times before selling it in 1973. By the time I got to the 4th paint job on it I think I had learned a lot and the paint turned out good. It was a candy apple blue that required a few coats of a silver base and then several coats of the color and a bunch of clear. I used laquer, which could be sanded easily between coats. In about 1977, I baught a totaled 1970 MonetCarlo and straightened out the body. When it came time to do the painting, I let my wife talk me into painting it green instead of the original red. (BIG MISTAKE!) It took me a month of weekends with all the painting, wet-sanding, and buffing, but it turned out fine. Don't let anyone talk you out of trying it yourself. Worst that can happen is you won't like it and you'll decide to take it in for a pro to paint. Experiment. Maybe even look for a set of used tins to mess with so your bike isn't down too long. Doing it yourself can be fun - or it could teach you why a pro paint job costs so much. Either way, it'll be a learning experience.
Please read this...
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