2K paint job, and a $12 spray booth

[free99]

Hey everyone, wanted to share the final product of a lot of research and a couple of tricks you may find useful.

Here's the before:


After:

[free99]

The tricks:
I live in a really anal apartment complex, no work of any kind allowed on your vehicles, minded by an old manager karen-type with not much to do. This part of southern California is very dry and thus dusty, and there's always at least a mild breeze goin'.

So: In order to spray this tank, I decided to pick up a medium-size clothes hanger box from home despot, $11.94 plus tax. U-haul has them as well: https://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/Boxes/Clothing-Moving-Boxes/Banded-Shorty-Wardrobe-Box/?id=19407

Pick up a clear plastic painter's tarp from Horror freight, and some masking/packaging tape. Cut an opening in one side of the box, as well as a hole in the top:



Put the tarp over the top and tape it down to keep dust out, but let some light in:


Hang your tank from the support with a bit of wire:


Don't forget the rum:

[free99]

Materials:
PPE (total $32):
1x Gerson Organic half-mask respirator ($18 @ HF, isocynate compatible)
1x Tyvek Bunny suit with hood ($6 @ HF)
1x splash resistant safety goggles ($8 @ HF)

Prep material (total $22):
1x bottle of 90% rubbing/isopropyl alcohol ($3 @ liquor store)
1x sand paper kit, 12 sheets, grits from 240 up to 1200 ($12 @ O'reilly's)
1x dual-density sanding block ($3)
2x Gerson Synthetic tack cloths (Very important, don't skip this!! $2/ea @ HF)

Paints ($67.. ouch):
2x cans of duplicolor grey 2-in-1 Hi-Build filler/primer ($9/ea)
2x cans of duplicolor Inferno red ($12/ea)
1x Can of SprayMax 2K showroom clearcoat $25 (extremely toxic, don't skimp on the PPE stuff, even when outside unless you like permanent asthma)

[free99]

I followed this guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw0ObOdWnRE

The guy does a lot of extra stuff like skim coating, etc.. Just focus on the cross-hatch sanding, the ideas about being careful near sharp reliefs, etc.

Read your can's directions, try your best to follow them as the directions were made by presumably professionals

After scuffing the surface with 240, then 400 grit, I rubbed it down thoroughly with the alcohol. Lay two coats of primer down, or more if needed, to get the surface pretty nice and level. Give it a scuffing with 400, rub down with alcohol. Don't use the alcohol for any steps past this!

Give the tank a really light coat with the red, let it tack up just like how they show in the video. Lay down two light coats, followed by a nice medium coat. Runs aren't a big deal, try to avoid them, but you can always sand them out and spray over that patch carefully.

Keep the surface as dust free as possible, the booth helps, but don't worry too much if something gets in there, you'll have to give it a gentle scuff with 800 grit after about an hour. Rub it down with the synthetic tack cloth. I'd say this cloth is the main reason for my success. Any dust or wayward spray particles were picked up off the surface by the synthetic tack.

Finally, get suited in your PPE. Tape your gloves to the suit at your wrists, and try to keep everything covered, as the isocyanates in the 2k are what make it so gas resistant, but also hella toxic. It'll get into your bloodstream through skin, eyes, and obviously lungs, per OSHA.

Cool? Cool. Lay down two nice coats of the Spraymax 2k clear, at minimum, with 10 or so minutes between, just so you have enough to work with once you get to buffing. Close the booth up by taping it shut tightly, leave it overnight.

Done! The clearcoat is now gas resistant and moderately impact/scratch resistant, but don't test it e.g. with your fingernail for about a week. Don't apply wax or even polish the tank for at least a week, it takes that long at minimum for the solvents in the clearcoat to buzz off, and the wax/polish prevents that.

After a week, or longer, give your fresh paint the old compound polish to get rid of that orange peel. Nice job!

My bike still needs some TLC, but she's getting there. What do they call these again, 20ft bikes or something? They look nice from 20ft away, right?

[nvr2old]

Very clever set up. $67 for paint is nothing..lol. I've spent 5-$600 for paint. Reds are especially pricey. The 2K clear will do a good job of protecting it. Nicely done.

[Rob S.]

Technical question: is the rum 151 proof?

Great job, good how-to step-by-step.

[free99]

Technical question: is the rum 151 proof?

Great job, good how-to step-by-step.

Thanks Rob, being a former Queens native, you know how you gotta do what you can, with the money you've got.

How's the riding out there, should be warming up a little at this point. I plan on riding back to visit my folks once I get the 1000 running.

[free99]

Very clever set up. $67 for paint is nothing..lol. I've spent 5-$600 for paint. Reds are especially pricey. The 2K clear will do a good job of protecting it. Nicely done.

Thanks for the kind words, I figured I can't be the only one in this situation. Figured I'd spread the knowledge, since my skills came about thanks to other people showing me some stuff here and there.

$600???? Wow. I'll bet the end results look stunning though.