Inexpensive Painting

[Ohioan]

I've looked at the painting how to in the Garage. It sounds pretty simple. I just can't find any of those paints/chemicals anywhere. Are there more comonnly used stuff around somewhere?

I need a good stripper for the tank. Gasoline started to strip it for me.. don't ask, I don't want to talk about it.

What is a good paint? I want a acrylic laquer correct?

[1978GS1000custom]

you want to use urethane so the fuel does not effect it. ppg or any other good name brand should do. base coat clear coat is the only way to go.let me know if you need help with the process. cliff

[Ogri]

Make your way through the yellow pages until you get to auto body supplies. There should be a list. Look for one that displays a PPG logo. They will point you in the right direction.

[spyug]

As mentioned, you need urethane. They are usually a two part/ three part i.e. paint, hardner, thinners. They have fixed ratio of paint to hardner and you get a special mixing cup to get proper mixing. They are easy to use but you do need a compressor and HVLP gun (but you know that already).

There are some paints that have a high shine content and you don't need a clear finish coat but most of us go witha clear finish.

What I have done to keep down cost is use spray bomb colour then urethane clear coat as it is impervious to gas. NowI have heard that duplicolor clear in a can is now impervious but I'm skeptical. I have also been told that some auto paint suppliers can do up urethane paints in spray bombs for you but I don't know anymore about that.

You should be able to get everything you need from a good auto paint supplier or even on-line I expect. The nice thing about good auto paint guys is that they can match any colour you want. Take in a swatch of colour and they'll whip you up a batch.

Hope this helps a little.

Good luck with the project and don't forget the pics.

Cheers,
Spyug

[Henryinva]

PPG acrylic urethane, single stage, "Concept". great stuff, about bullet proof.

[Nessism]

The painting materials suggested by the others in this thread are the proper way to paint something so it will last. Problem is that the urethane paint material is expensive.

Common rattle can auto paint as available at discount auto parts stores can be used to paint your bike if you don't have the money for the proper materials. It's possible to get a good looking finish this way but understand up front that if gas is allowed to dwell on the paint for more than say 30 seconds, the paint will likely be damaged. Better than nothing I suppose...or just save up and get the good paint.

[dardoonk]

Two part Urethane Clear in a can - $32.95 and enough to clear your fuel tank. 6 ounces, which is probably more paint than you actually get in regular rattle can

http://www.expresspaint.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=2&idproduct=2175#details

[Ohioan]

Yeah, I said INEXPENSIVE paint.

I just need something to protect the tank NOW while I ride around. Saving up for bike parts is going to take a while, paint wasn't in my budget for this bike.

I'm just going to primer it, and then flat black it for now.

What about painting the engine? Id like to black it all out.

[Henryinva]

Duplicolor make a clear engine paint that stands up well to gas. Just tried some the other day and it last long enough that you can wipe it off and still have paint on the bike. Try it on something and pour some gas on it after a day or so. You'll see what i mean!

[TheCafeKid]

Yeah, I said INEXPENSIVE paint.

I just need something to protect the tank NOW while I ride around. Saving up for bike parts is going to take a while, paint wasn't in my budget for this bike.

I'm just going to primer it, and then flat black it for now.

What about painting the engine? Id like to black it all out.

Duplicolors black 500* ceramic base engine enamal (found at any autozone) works fantastic...I used it on my GS1100ES motor. Make sure the motor is spotless clean before you start (ie get rid of any grease, oil, gas etc) shoot it light for a couple of passes, then start a nice wet coat on the pieces (i would pull the case covers off if you have the ability, they look much cleaner and have less of a chance of running if you paint them OFF the bike, but i did mine on it) Frankly, I think my motor turned out beautiful, especially after that stuff hardens and heat cures with a couple of runnings of the motor...then you can use car wax on the covers when you wash, REALLY REALLY shines em up...

Now, this is assuming you want a gloss finish...it comes in gloss, semi gloss, and flat...Though if you're going for a flat finish, I would recommend PJ1...its the closest finish to stock...

[Dreef1999]

So a detailing gun with a 1.0 tip is good enough to handle motorcycle painting, right? Is the el cheapo harborfrieght or ebay hvlp mini guns serviceable if an individual doesn't mind adding a little extra eblow grease?