| Motorcycle and chopper painting tutorial | | | | the filler to adhere to. Prepare your filler in small |
| PAINT AND PREP SUPPLIES | | | | amounts (it sets up fast) and apply it smoothly and |
| Reducer | | | | evenly onto your part. |
| Plastic Filler | | | | After the filler has dried, sand it smooth with 80 grit |
| Flowable Putty | | | | and look it over for any low spots or chips, then fill and |
| Epoxy primer | | | | sand again. After the necessary rounds of filler and |
| Epoxy Sealer | | | | sanding are finished, it's time to prime. |
| Base color Paint | | | | Spray on a couple of coats of epoxy primer. After the |
| Clear Coat | | | | primer has dried, get a spray can of black paint and |
| 80,120,400,600,1500,2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper | | | | very lightly spray it over your part. This is the guide |
| IMPROVISED PAINT BOOTH | | | | coat. The light black coat will show any ripples, low |
| If you're like me, you don't have the luxury of a | | | | spots or defects in your handy work. To repair the |
| down-draft spray booth in your shop. Here's what I did. | | | | problem areas that the guide coat exposed, you'll want |
| I cleaned out a storage room that's attached to the | | | | to use flowable putty instead of filler. Apply the putty in |
| back of my shop. I lined the walls with white poly, and | | | | thin even coats, then smooth it down with 80 grit |
| placed a variable speed fan in the window. I then went | | | | sandpaper (wrapped around a rubber sanding block). |
| around with a roll of duct tape and sealed the | | | | Once you get the high spots leveled down, smooth it |
| perimeter of the fan to the surrounding poly on the | | | | down even more with 120 grit, then finishing it with 400 |
| walls. Now onto the lights. After the first time you try | | | | grit. You're now ready for the last round of primer. |
| painting something, you'll quickly learn just how critical | | | | Once the primer is dry, sand it thoroughly with 400 grit |
| good lighting is. In fact when it comes to lighting, the | | | | to give it a toothy surface for the base coat to stick |
| brighter your paint area the better. A buddy gave me | | | | to. I like to spray on a coat of epoxy sealer just prior |
| two four-tube florescent light fixtures, which I hung on | | | | to spraying the base colour coat. In addition to providing |
| opposite sides of my new spray booth. It's good to | | | | a ideal surface for applying the base color, it also |
| have reflective walls. Lining the walls with white poly | | | | prevents any solvents from coming through and |
| not only saves your walls, but it's also quite reflective. | | | | causing bubbles in your clear coat. Make sure to follow |
| SAFETY | | | | the paint manufacturers spec sheets with regards to |
| Before I continue, I want to stress safety. It's a very | | | | mixing times, mixing ratios and painting temperature. |
| bad I idea to paint in a room that's attached to your | | | | Failure to following the instructions will cause you much |
| house. In fact, it may not be legal in some jurisdictions. | | | | grief...believe me. |
| Also, paint fumes are not only super toxic, they're | | | | BASE COAT/CLEAR COAT |
| highly flammable. Make sure your fixtures are wired | | | | Now comes the color coat. Lay down the colour |
| properly, and that your fixtures are fully encased with | | | | coats as per your paint manufacturer's spec sheet. |
| lens covers attached. Last but not least, make sure | | | | Next comes the clear. After the first round of clear |
| you have a good quality respirator with the correct | | | | has dried, wet sand it down with 600 grit. You'll notice |
| filters for the kind of paint you're using. | | | | rows of ridges appear in the clear as you sand. Keep |
| PAINT EQUIPMENT | | | | sanding until the clear is even and the ridges are gone. |
| For tools you'll need at least two spray guns, a air | | | | If you're painting graphics on, now is the time to put |
| regulator with a water trap, a compressor, and of | | | | them on. After applying your graphics, cover them with |
| course some air hose. As aforementioned, you'll need | | | | another round of clear. It may take one or more |
| 2 paint guns... one for painting primer, and another for | | | | rounds of clear to completely bury the graphics. Be |
| painting base and clear coats. | | | | sure to wet sand flat with 600 grit between rounds of |
| PREP FOR PAINT | | | | clear. After the last round of clear has been sprayed, |
| Be certain your fuel and oil tanks are pressure tested | | | | sand it down flat with 600 grit like before. When it's |
| and leak free before you start. Ideally, it's good to | | | | nice and smooth, finish it off with 1500 grit. If you want |
| sandblast your metal parts, especially if they have old | | | | to get it even more silky smooth, go for a final round |
| paint on them. If you choose not to sandblast, make | | | | of 2000 grit. |
| sure to sand them really thoroughly and wipe them | | | | POLISHING |
| down with a non oil-based cleaner prior to starting the | | | | Now for the gratifying part. The final step is to polish it |
| job. | | | | to a mirror finish. You'll need a variable speed polisher, |
| The next step is to apply filler to the low spots and | | | | a buffing pad, and some polishing compound. There |
| any trouble areas. It's a matter of personal preference, | | | | are many different kinds of buffing compound |
| but I like to spray a coat of epoxy primer prior to | | | | available. Your local automotive supply store will be |
| spraying on the base coat. This gives a nice base for | | | | able to recommend a good one. |