How to paint a motorcycle
MATERIALS
Thinner
Body Filler
Lightwieght Putty
Epoxy primer
Epoxy Sealer
Paint for Base Colour
Clear Coat
Sandpaper by grit: 80,120,400,600,1500,2000
MAKE SHIFT SPRAY BOOTH
If you're like me, you don't have the luxury of a down-draft paint booth in your garage.
Here's what I did. I emptied out a storage area that's attached to the rear of my garage.
I covered the walls with white plastic, and placed a multi speed fan in the window.
I then went around with a roll of insulation tape and sealed the edge of the fan to the surrounding plastic on the walls.
Now onto lighting. After the first time you try painting something, you'll quickly realize just how important a well lit paint area is.
In fact when it comes to lighting, the brighter your paint area the better.
A friend of mine gave me a couple four-tube florescent fixtures, which I hung on either sides of my new paintbooth. It's good to have reflective walls. Lining the walls with white plastic not only saves your walls, but it's also quite reflective.
SAFETY
Before I go any further, I want to stress safety. It's a very bad I idea to paint in a room that's attached to your house. In fact, it may not be legal in some jurisdictions. Also, paint fumes are not only super toxic, they're highly flammable. Make sure your fixtures are wired properly, and that your fixtures are fully encased with lens covers installed. Last but not least, make sure you have a good quality respirator with the proper filters for the type of paint you're using.
PAINT EQUIPMENT
For tools you'll need at least two paint guns, a air regulator with a water filter, a compressor, and of course some air line. As aforementioned you'll need 2 paint guns... one for painting primer, and another for painting base and clear coats.
PREP FOR PAINT
Make certain your fuel and oil tanks are pressure tested and leak free before you begin.
Ideally, it's good to sandblast your steel parts, especially if they have old paint on them.
If you choose not to sandblast, make sure to sand them really thoroughly and wipe them down with a non oil-based degreaser prior to starting the job.
The next step is to apply filler to the low spots and any trouble areas. It's a matter of personal preference, but I prefer to spray a coat of epoxy primer prior to spraying on the base coat. This provides a nice base for the filler to adhere to. Mix your filler in small amounts (it cures fast) and apply it smoothly and evenly onto your work piece.
Once the filler has stiffened, sand it smooth with 80 grit and look it over for any low spots or chips, then fill and sand again. After the necessary rounds of filler and sanding are completed, it's time to prime.
Spray on a couple of coats of epoxy primer. After the primer is dry, get a
spray can of black paint and very lightly spray it over your work piece. This is the guide coat.
The light black coat will show any ripples, low spots or defects in your prep work. To fix the problem areas that the guide coat exposed, you'll want to use flowable putty instead of filler. Put on the putty in nice even coats, then smooth it down with 80 grit sandpaper (wrapped around a rubber sanding pad). Once you get the high spots sanded down, smooth it down even further with 120 grit, then completing it with 400 grit. You are now ready for a final round of primer.
Once the primer is dry, sand it again with 400 grit to give it a roughed surface for the base coat to stick to. I like to spray on a coat of epoxy sealer just prior to applying the base colour coat. In addition to providing a really nice surface for applying the base color, it also prevents any solvents from popping through and causing bubbles in the clear coat. Make sure to follow the paint manufacturers specification sheets with regards to mixing times, mixing ratios and painting temperature. Not following the guidelines will cause you much unhappiness...believe me.
BASE COAT/CLEAR COAT
Now comes the color coat. Spray on the colour coats as per your paint manufacturer's spec sheet.
Now comes the clear. After the first round of clear has dried, wet sand it down with 600 grit.
You should see rows of ridges appear in the clear as you sand. Continue until the clear is even and the ridges are gone. If you're painting graphics on, now is the time to do it. After applying the graphics, spray them with another round of clear. It may take one or more rounds of clear to completely bury the graphics. Be sure to wet sand flat with 600 grit between rounds of clear.
After the last round of clear is on, sand it down flat with 600 grit as before. When it's nice and flat, finish it off with 1500 grit. If you want to get it even more silky smooth, go for a final session of 2000 grit.
POLISHING
Now for the rewarding part. The final step is to buff it to a mirror finish. You'll need a multi speed polisher, a buffing pad, and some polishing compound. There are lots of different kinds of buffing compound available. Your local automotive supply store will be able to recommend something.
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