Now to Paint.

[Buffalo Bill]

I'm taking the leap, and buying a spray gun. I have no one to embarrass except myself. I'm a damn good handyman, so won't take me long to get decent results, or reveal stupid ideas.
Will show my progress in a few weeks, my GS550T cafe will be my first. I'm going to use Petty blue overall with a cream white racing stripe, similar to the '79 GS1000S.
Bill

[ReTread]

It'll be pretty hard to find any critics of that particular color scheme on this site.

Good luck on the project.

I've used Sherwin Willams products recently. Great product, great tech support.

[toolman]

well wild bill, the easy part is the spraying .the body work and prep will make your paint look pro.
attention to detail is every thing and lots of patients helps to. follow the directions on the products your using and all will go good for you.
good luck .....toolman

[rustybronco]

I'm taking the leap, and buying a spray gun. I have no one to embarrass except myself. I'm a damn good handyman, so won't take me long to get decent results, or reveal stupid ideas.
Bill

Which gun are you thinking of getting?

[Buffalo Bill]

Afordable and good spray gun.

Which gun are you thinking of getting?

The Sharpe FX2000, because it's conventional, gravity fed, and there's a wide range of tip sizes. Shopping at tcpglobal.com for Kustom Shop paint too, urethane was recommended for bikes.

[Nessism]

A touch up gun is a good size for motorcycle type projects. If you go this way, get a gun with at least a 1.0 tip. Another important thing is to get a good water separator and hook it into your air line as far downstream as possible. My compressor actually has two water separators, one near the compressor and another downstream. Also, get one of those small water seperators that screw onto your spray gun, they help catch that last bit of water that always seems to get through.

Good luck and please post lots of photos of your project!

Edit: details about the Sharp gun were posted while I was typing. Looks like a good choice although you won't need that wide spray pattern. What tip size are you going to get?

[oshanac]

Buffalo Bill-please post a pic of your set-up, what size compressor you are using, etc. We are DIY forum and as many detail as you can provide, we'd be greatfull to have!

[Buffalo Bill]

Sharpe tips

Looks like a good choice although you won't need that wide spray pattern. What tip size are you going to get?

I thought about choosing a touch up gun, but the regular size will be useful on other projects, the wide pattern I'll just have to dial down. I'm going with 1.3, and 1.8 tips, for starters. That fiberglass seat cowl I made will need a 2K primer.
I've decided I don't care for body shaping with fiberglass and body filler. Next time I'm using aluminum sheet regardless of it's shaping limitations.
Bill

[Jon Burke]

Agreed on the pics. Before pictures too! BTW, i work in Bridgman...not too far from you it appears.

[Buffalo Bill]

Solvents for cleaning spray guns.

Guys, can I buy a solvent at the hardware store to clean my spray gun after using urethane? I would prefer to buy it over the counter.
Thanks. Bill

[Ogri]

If you use a cheap solvent like acetone, be sure to clean the gun thoroughly. By this I mean leave no residue. It does not contain any butyl alcohol to stop the cross linking of the urethane. By this I mean that any product that is not cleaned out will not only dry but will harden and will be difficult to clean out later.

All this to say, just buy acetone and clean it well.

[Nessism]

El chepo lacquer thinner is good to clean your gun assuming you are spraying automotive type paints. Don't skimp when the time comes or you will pay for it later.

BTW, spent Saturday painting; shot the frame, swingarm, etc, in the morning and shot some other parts with clear in the afternoon. Used an airbrush to hit all the little brackets and such hard to reach spots and then hit the frame with the touch up gun afterwords. Used Por-15 Hardnose paint. Pretty good stuff.

[Buffalo Bill]

If you use a cheap solvent like acetone, be sure to clean the gun thoroughly. By this I mean leave no residue. It does not contain any butyl alcohol to stop the cross linking of the urethane. By this I mean that any product that is not cleaned out will not only dry but will harden and will be difficult to clean out later.

All this to say, just buy acetone and clean it well.

Thanks, “Cross linking", that explains the broad mix of solvent ingredients listed for the “Compliant Cleaner”.

[TheCafeKid]

Lookin good Ed! Im debating on using that Hardnose or doing powdercoat on the ES when I take her down for a full refurbish this fall/winter. Im leaning toward PC..cause its cheap enough, but that POR15 looks killer... maybe for the motor for sure..

[Buffalo Bill]

El chepo lacquer thinner is good to clean your gun assuming you are spraying automotive type paints. Don't skimp when the time comes or you will pay for it later.

BTW, spent Saturday painting; shot the frame, swingarm, etc, in the morning and shot some other parts with clear in the afternoon. Used an airbrush to hit all the little brackets and such hard to reach spots and then hit the frame with the touch up gun afterwords. Used Por-15 Hardnose paint. Pretty good stuff.

Is that a 550 frame? I'm not ready myself to spend time on a frame restore, good work Dude!