What's the best way to prep plastic sidecovers for painting??

[nvr2old]

That sounds like a good system, too. I'll look forward to seeing the finished results.

[Johnny Drummond]

Hey nvr2old, you sound like a pro painter, am I right?,I have spent 20 years in this trade and one thing that I always do with spray cans(rattle cans to you guys) is warm the paint before application.go to a thrift store, buy a saucepan-or take one from the house if you are brave, stupid or married and like to have arguments!!,put the can into it and fill with water until the can is off the bottom of the pot, lift out the can and bring the water to the boil, lift off the heat put the can back in and leave for 10mins. This means that you don't get repetitive stress injury shaking the can. It also allows the paint to flow out of the nozzle more easily and with less spitting which can really mess up a good job.I have painted a lot of bike plastics and the best way to remove the ADHESIVE from the stripes is to sand back to the original surface with 320 wet/dry then use a product called BAR COAT here in the UK which is in all automotive shops, but only for atomiser spray guns not cans,put on one coat of this without rubbing it back, then high build primer usually 3-4 coats flatted down with 600wet/dry, then 4-5 colour coats lightly rubbed down with 1000 wet/dry then 4-5 clear coats. If I use cans the only difference is I tend to put 6-7 coats of primer as comes thinner than I would like.A trick to flatting primer is to spray from a can WITHOUT shaking it a dark colour over the part this makes a splatter effect, when you can no longer see the dark splatters your part should be flat and free from orange peel like surface.Also beware of edges they WILL rub through if you aren't very careful.Johnny

[ddaniels]

Very true about the edges. Anyway, here's my rattle can finished product. Not too bad for an amateur.

[Skaat]

thanks for all the helpful advice.
@ ddaniels: those sidecovers turned out very nice. how many primer coats? how many base coats? how long between base coats? how many clear coats did you use? how long between last base and first clear?

[nvr2old]

Hey nvr2old, you sound like a pro painter, am I right?,I have spent 20 years in this trade and one thing that I always do with spray cans(rattle cans to you guys) is warm the paint before application.go to a thrift store, buy a saucepan-or take one from the house if you are brave, stupid or married and like to have arguments!!,put the can into it and fill with water until the can is off the bottom of the pot, lift out the can and bring the water to the boil, lift off the heat put the can back in and leave for 10mins. This means that you don't get repetitive stress injury shaking the can. It also allows the paint to flow out of the nozzle more easily and with less spitting which can really mess up a good job.I have painted a lot of bike plastics and the best way to remove the ADHESIVE from the stripes is to sand back to the original surface with 320 wet/dry then use a product called BAR COAT here in the UK which is in all automotive shops, but only for atomiser spray guns not cans,put on one coat of this without rubbing it back, then high build primer usually 3-4 coats flatted down with 600wet/dry, then 4-5 colour coats lightly rubbed down with 1000 wet/dry then 4-5 clear coats. If I use cans the only difference is I tend to put 6-7 coats of primer as comes thinner than I would like.A trick to flatting primer is to spray from a can WITHOUT shaking it a dark colour over the part this makes a splatter effect, when you can no longer see the dark splatters your part should be flat and free from orange peel like surface.Also beware of edges they WILL rub through if you aren't very careful.Johnny

We do things in a very similar way, Johnny. I've warmed up spray cans for years, too. I've never put them in quite the temperature you're describing, but, you're alive to tell the story, so.. I've always put them in the kitchen sink in the hottest water I can get from the tap, and even that helps immensely. It does shake up easier, and it definitely flows out better. You can get a nice job with spray cans as evidenced by the red ones pictured, which..BTW, nice job! The only problem is longevity. I know people have had good finished results, but unless the clear is hardened, then the chances of it lasting is pretty slim, especially to any chemicals or errant bird crap. I'd be anxious to try the new 2-part clears available in spray cans, that would certainly help. You know who makes a really good high-fill primer in a spray can? Krylon. It's pretty amazing stuff. I use it on all kinds of small parts and brackets.

[ddaniels]

I'm not a pro painter by any stretch so my painting method follows no scientific method. Here's what I did:

1. 4 coats primer. Allowed to cure for 2 days after final coat. I just let one coat flash over before adding another one.

2. Wet sanded primer with 400 grit. Let dry about 24 hours before hitting with color.

3. 4 coats color, just flashing between coats. Waited 24 hours before clear coating.

4. 4 coats clear. Let cure for about 4 days before wet sanding as described above. I got a little too aggressive with the clear and wound up with some sagging on the sides. Had to wet sand them out.

5. Let sit another 24 hours before buffing out with 3M rubbing compound. I don't have a power buffer so I just did it by hand with a couple old socks. A lot of work.

I have no idea how long it will last or how resistant it will be to bird doo doo. We shall see. How do you harden clear in a rattle can? Still need to put on pin striping. Anybody know where to get some similar to stock as far as width of the stripes? I found some gold pin striping but it's thinner.

[MisterCinders]

ddaniels - how much time do you wait between coats (i.e., within the "4 coats of ____")

[ddaniels]

I just wait until it flashes over. In other words, it's not wet and runny anymore. It's sorta dry looking, but if you touch it, you'll leave an indentation. With laquer, it only takes 5 to 10 minutes or so. The process does not take long. If there's a better way, or if it's wrong to spray another coat that quickly, somebody please tell me. But I've been doing it that way for a long time and it seems to work out ok.