Painting

[christianmb]

Buelly, it definitely looks like you do some great work! I am thinking about taking my virgin trek into paint this winter, and I'm very apprehensive, but doing some reading, research, and thinking as to what I want to do. Maybe you can offer some advice though. I'm looking to shoot House of Kolor. Have you had any experience with their paint? How hard is it to lay down compared to PPG, BASF, DuPont(I know HOK is made by them), or Martin Senour? I'm looking forward to it, but I want to make sure I haven't bitten off too much. Thank you in advance!

 

[wolfo68]

project bike will be basecoated with this color

my red will change to this

 

[fwkapaun]

Nice Paint Job!

 

[BuellyBagger]

Thanks Christian. About ur ?... House of Kolor is quality paint as r the other three manufacturers u listed. Ne manufacturer has different clears and bases and sealer and primer surfacers within their own line in varying price quality and usability. Ne paint u buy is gonna spray different than the next so it will take practice. HOK has one major benefit and thats custom color options. Beyond that its mostly a well advertised system(thats why all the "cool" painters use it). I have heard from painters that i know well that have done custom paint for 10-15yrs that while they like their colors their clears r iffy in ease of use and durability. Still good paint though. Ive never sprayed it. I have sprayed PPG, DuPont, and BASF diamont and Glasurit. Which all have their own attributes.

 

[BuellyBagger]

Most important even more than the paint u choose is:
Your Prep work
Your Facility to paint in
Your Spray Equipment (gun, compressor, and air purification system)
And Your Patience (paint can get frustrating)

Oh and always wear a good respirator this stuffs not good for u

Just let me know what u need to now about every step from decal removal to sanding cleaning priming preping painting colorsanding and so on.

 

[BuellyBagger]

Wish I had a video camera and some extra parts i could do a lil DIY vid.

 

[Kuntreeboy]

See and I am the opposite!! I have the parts and video camera just no ability to do a DIY vid!!!

 

[christianmb]

Thanks a mil, Buelly! I know I have heard the term before, but I forget what colorsanding is. Could you explain it? I know I have a lot to learn, and I am a novice. The biggest thing I will have to work on is the patience.

Right now I am wetsanding with 800-1000 grit, but I wonder with all of the inaccessible parts of the bike, would it be better to have it bead-blasted? I figure it is easier to ask questions now than have a crap paint job with runs and orange-peel.

 

[BuellyBagger]

well colorsanding is fine sanding your top coat (clear coat or final color coat if its single stage) with 1500 or finer genrally. down to a flat smooth finish. When i colorsand and want the paint to be show quality perfect i start with a soft block and 1500 (i use meguirs UNI-Grit paper) i wetsand until ne orange peel or dirt nibs or no longer visible, then 2000 by hand, the 3000 tri-zact pads (3M) with a DA or by hand depending on the size of the panel. Then Buff with trizact u can even buff by hand if u cant afford a buffer. Remember only take as much paint off has u have to to get a smooth finish u need 2mils (thousandth of an inch) of clear to protect the base and it doesnt take long to cut a mil off.
Always allow ur wet paper to soak 15-30 mins or until the backing is saturated b4 sanding it makes it cut more unformly. Thats the basics of Colorsanding.

 

[BuellyBagger]

What parts r u painting christian u might want 2 use a lil more corse paper. And in hard to reach places u can use 3m scotch brite pads to sand. RED=400-600 grit Grey=800-1500 grit. Ne where u want paint to stick the panel must be scuffed all shine removed from every knook and cranny edges everything.

Maybe u could post some pics as u go so i can c what ur working with.

 

[BuellyBagger]

bump

 

[BuellyBagger]

I thought of this tid bit of knowledge 2day @ work and i thought i'd share it. For all of u planning on paint plastics. Adhesion premoters are a mysterious porduct to many paint ametuers but heres what they r plain and simple. They are a solvent based product that is desinged to stick to plastic by seeping into the small poors and grabbing a mechanical hold while also slightly softening the plastic to form a chemical bond as well. This not their only purpose. They also form a thin barrier between your paint and ne mold release agents that may still b escaping from ur plastic. Mold release is just what it sounds like it is an oily chemical that allows plastics to be removed from the mold they're formed in.

The most important things to remember when using adhesion premoters:

They r not magic, if at all possible scuff(sand) ne plastic b4 adh premoter and further coatings r applied. The only plastics that fall under non scuffing are textured which only cant be scuffed if u plan on keeping the texture.

Read and follow all pruduct instructions exactly

A light coat of Adhesion premoter is best excessive amounts can actually prevent good adhesion and can leave excess solvent trapped below urpaint.

Dont Beleive Everything You Hear/Read... if the claims the product seller makes seems too good to be true they likely r. If it the product seems too simple or too good ask some u trust that has used it how well it works

 

[BuellyBagger]

Got some new info on a "no scuffing nescessary" plastic primer that has worked much better than Bull Dog (or ne other product) in tests... I'll try to remember to get the product name and info monday i didnt catch the paint rep b4 he left 2 day. Sounds like it'd work slick on belt covers side scoops all the texterured bits of an xb.

 

[Applepooh]

Some nice knowledge here.
Ty BuellyBagger
[up][up]

 

[vtech007]

I have an '05 XB12R, which is the Thrust Blue in color. I am considering adding an aftermarket right side air scoop, and I would like to paint or have it painted to match the stock body color. How or where can I find paint that will match the color exactly and be the appropriate type for the application? Thanks!

 

[BuellyBagger]

Vtech,
To begin with painting to match your new scoop u need to apply the proper undercoats to the part.
I assume you r buying the BUELL factory part... if so it comes as a molded in color textured black plastic. If u want the part to be smooth: You need to wash the part with hot soapy water(carwashsoap) and dry it. Then clean the part with a automotive paint plastic cleaner (BASF rm902 for example). Then use a grey scotch brite pad or 2 to scuff the part completelyu can also use a sanding paste to help clean and scuff the part but if u do make sure u get it all washed off. and clean again with plastic cleaner.
Then u need to apply an adhesion premoter (BULLDOG, 3M PPOTPO adh. premoter, BASF rm865/867) in a very light coat and allow to dry for 10-20 mins. Then apply a primer surfacer/high build primer to fill the texture. this may require apply 3 coats, sanding, 3 more coats and sanding again to smooth out the raw plastic. after uve smoothed the plastic and final sanded with 400-600 grit u r ready for base coator top coat if u use a single stage system.

The best match can be acheived easily with a color scanner(all good auto paint stores have one and some body shops do as well) chip decks will also work. Either one may require minor tinting to get the color perfect.

When u get the part ready for paint u let me know and ill walk u thru painting... good luck and remember beeee patient!

 

[12R_FIRE]

I painted the interior plastics on my truck with Krylon Fusion Plastic Paint. I took them out, soaked/washed them in simple green (remove oil residue), rinsed, wiped down with rubbing alcohol, rinsed, and then did very light coats every hour or so (patience). Finished them off with the Krylon Plastic UV/scratch resistant clear coat. Worked great and I'll probably end up doing my Buell plastics someday. Sorry for the thread jack.

 

[BuellyBagger]

no prob12R... i should've mentioned that as a cheaper more doit yourself oriented option. Fusion does work very well on plastic i swear its magic!

 

[ReconLdr]

Glad I found this thread. I plan on painting my front fender, tank and seat fairing this winter. (I've never painted with anything other than Krylon. (this could get interesting)

I'm thinking of keeping the frame and wind screen black and everything else Synergy Green. I'm not sure when I will start since I think I might get a ride or two in before the snow starts piling up....

 

[BuellyBagger]

The first try @ painting is always a bit of an adventure. I suggest buying some paint thats a lil cheaper than what ur sprayin on ur bike(but still of the same variety ie.base/clear, ssingle stage w/e) and paint something that doesnt matter... like ur lawnmower or some old junk. Gives u a chance to learn to use ur spray equipment and get a feel for how the paint works.