where can i get painting done?

[evanparker]

i really need to learn to paint a bike one of these days, but lets put that aside.

I need my tank, and my side covered for my 1979 GS850 painted black. They currently have lots of old paint coats on them. I asked my local macco and they weren't having any of it. I even offered to strip and prep them for them, but no luck.

Do you guys have any recommendation on going about finding someone to paint this thing? How much have you paid in the past?

[tkent02]

Nver2old on this forum does excellent work, if you need perfection. If you don't need perfect, do it yourself, it's fun and can look pretty darned good with a little effort.
OK, a lot of effort.
Here's one from a few months ago...

[spyug]

+1 on DYI. Not hard at all. The secret to painting is that its all in the prep. If the prep is crap, the paint is crap....simple.

If you can strip and sand smooth you can paint. There are tutorials all over the web and I think there is one here too. Look on Youtube also for some vids.

You can use rattle can and get a damn fine job fairly easily. Just don't be in a hurry.

A pro paint job will cost several hundred dollars even for something so small and simple. Rattle cans are $5 or 6 each. You might use 4, one for primer, 2 for base (colour) and one for clear top coat. Add in anothe $15/20 for sandpaper, spot filler, tape etc and you'll be around $50 all in (not counting your labour).

It can be fun, you'll add to your knowledge and experience and you'll gain a ton of self satisfaction.

Give it a go.

Cheers,
Spyug

[MisterCinders]

I just did my tank and panels using this guide:

http://www.thegsresources.com/garage/gs_repaint.htm

Although I had some trouble with smoothing out some filler that was in place before I stripped the old paint, it still looks decent. I haven't decided yet, but I may re-do the tank in the Fall to get rid of the bondo spots.

I also went with black, which is pretty easy/forgiving.

The biggest bitch is stripping the side panels because paint stripper melts plastic. Get a bucket and sand, sand, sand. Mine were already a bit ragged, so I focused on the actual panel for stripping. Around the edges, I just made sure to sand through the old clearcoat but wasn't too concerned about getting all the way through the old paint/primer, since you don't see much of that part of the panel anyway.

HTH

[nvr2old]

Nver2old on this forum does excellent work, if you need perfection. If you don't need perfect, do it yourself, it's fun and can look pretty darned good with a little effort.
OK, a lot of effort.

Thanks for the plug. I'd be happy to talk to you about a paint job. Drop me a PM or contact me through my site. www.meticulouspaint.com.

Larry

[cowboyup3371]

Doing it yourself is okay if you take the time to do it right. I didn't and have come across issues but it was also my first time. I'll do it better next time.

[81GS750]

I also went with black, which is pretty easy/forgiving.

I would have to disagree with that statement. Yes black is easy to spray, but it shows every flaw in the substrate. If you have deep scratches or your feathering between primer and existing paint is bad it will show up. Silver is the same way. White on the other hand hides flaws pretty good.

As said before, it all boils down to the prep work. Bad prep = bad finished product.

I'll give a +1 for DIY though.

Coincidentally, I'm re-painting the Seca Turbo silver today.

[beergood]

Forget Macco, try a smaller body shop. If you bring it in prepped, and are willing to be flexible with when you need it, and color choice, you should be able to get it done pretty cheaply.

A buddy of mine had his tank sprayed black and clear coated by a mom and pop shop for around $80. He just had to wait a couple days till they were doing a couple other paint jobs.

[spyug]

I would have to disagree with that statement. Yes black is easy to spray, but it shows every flaw in the substrate.

Absolutely correct. Pro painters will tell you the same. Light colours are actually easiest and probably silver is the best. As mentioned before, you do have to do a thorough job with the surface before you lay the paint however or no matter the colour it will look crappy.

Apart from surface prep, painting requires organization and planning. You need to set up an area that is suitable to paint in, it needs to be relatively dust free and open to fresh air without drafts or airflow and away from open flame (like burners for hot water tanks or boilers) . You need stands to hold your work so you can rotate the pieces to paint all areas (i.e. the tank at least) and you need a good supply of lint free rags and some appropriate solvents for cleanup. Rubber gloves and a proper paint mask are also essential. Always use rubber gloves when handling the cleaned pieces before paint or the oils from your fingers can ruin the paint.

Like any new activity it is best to practice and you should scrounge up some sheet metal to practice on. As I work in the computer industry I use old computer cases but anything flat should work. Read the instructions on the cans, watch a vid or two and have a go. Pretty soon you'll have it down. Just remember, several light coats are better than one thick coat so practice building them up. If you get a sag or a run stop and let it dry then using 600 grit wet/dry sand out the booboo and repaint. No biggy.

Give it a shot and show us what you can do.

Cheers,
spyug

[Rover]

Got my tank painted for free by a body shop.
I had to get my car repaired after an accident.It was a white Taurus.
I asked the guy if I brought my tank in prepped and could he shoot it while he was painting the Taurus.
Much to my pleasant surprise he said ok...and what color do you want it?
I would have settled for white but since he asked I said black.
I also brought the tail piece in.

So,if you car is headed for the body shop...try the leverage you have by providing them with the work on your car.

Worth a shot.

[MisterCinders]

OK - so black is not forgiving (much like this thread)

On the bright side, maybe the flaws in my maiden voyage paint work come from the merciless black paint more than my meager rattlecan skills.

The stuff about a clean, dry painting area is rock solid advice.

For the tank, I painted it in my backyard, suspended it from underneath a trellis, using a wire coat hanger. Bend the hanger into a big loop and hook that to a nail or ceiling hook. Then use the hanger hook to suspend the tank through the mounting bolt hole. This gave 360 degree access to spray the tank without handling it.

HTH