Painters normally have a chemical for cleaning prior to applying paint.I would have a first coat of zinc rich paint/primer before final coat.Use the painters knowledge if that is his trade.Good to see a frame not media blasted.Personally,i use no paint stripper,preferring a wire brush and angle grinder.400 grade paper is a good choice for a finish to be applied on bare metal.
maybe a suggestion to mask the serial number area during most of the painting, peeling it off only at the last coat, so that it is easy to read?
they are easy to cover with too much paint.
Here in the states, DuPont sells complete paint systems for many applications. This includes a strong degreaser which is rinsed with water. This is followed by a product that contains phosphoric acid to remove any residual rust and also deposits a layer of zinc to prevent flash rusting. Rinse with water.
Preparation is key to a quality spray job. Your painter should know this, explain the process to you and assure you proper preparation will be done.
Do not rub the frame with anything wet until it has paint on it! Scrub the frame with a fine Scotch Brite pad, wipe it down with some Acetone then coat with 3-4 coats of etch primer. If you want a mirror finish you can then build up the surface, after Scotch Brite, with high build primer, guide coat and flat with 800 grit wet and dry. When painting anything you want to be working the paint for a finish rather than the metal.
I must say,last time i resprayed my frame,it was just the lower part and i sanded it bare before using a Finnegans anti rust primer before the black coat.Touched in little bits over the last 15 years since painting but i do not have any rust problems.Bike is kept in a garage though and always cleaned up after a wet day out.
The upper areas of the frame were painted about 25 years ago and they were red oxide primed.Again,these have had a little retouching over the years just to keep the odd little chips under control.
Nothing special for a finish paint,just acrylic black and clearcoat.
Too many coats will make it very easy to chip.Spray cans are good enough quality.I never get anyone to spray parts for me and the paint is good for many years.
I would not be to concerned about to many coats when using an etch primer. They are not much more then a wash coat and have very little build.
I'm in the other camp from Rambo, I have always used 2K for painting frames. If you intend to have a painter complete the job then let him decide what to apply next. Usually that will entail 2-3 coats of high build primer, followed by sand. Then either a black base followed by clear or just 2K gloss black (essentially black tinted clear coat).
2 pack will be a better paint except for the problems of a DIY job and the toxins in the paint.If you do get a trained sprayer to do the job,he would know the best finish to apply.
Some of the older riders in the UK use a paint called tekaloid.Brush applied but not seen the results myself.Most say its a good finish,but being older,they might settle for old style brush finish.Nice if you have a dust free area to work in.
So many painting methods and the best decision is to examine many finished bikes and ask the owner how it was painted.
As always,i do it myself so i get what i want.Nothing worse for me than paying someone to do a job i am not happy with.
Been painting cars and motorcycles since i was 16 on an amateur basis with a little work in a local garage on small projects.Our Health and safety laws have made it more difficult to actually buy the paint now without proof you have premises with the filters to avoid any harm.This is the reason i only use spray cans now.A compressor applied paint is generally much better,although,with patience,a good finish will come from the cans.
You would end up with a satisfying finish done by your own handywork.Just do not let petrol get in contact.There are petrol resistant clear laquers but they are not totally petrol proof.If petrol does ever spill onto the paint,do not be tempted to wipe it off,it will strip to bare metal.Once dry,it might just polish out or can easily be retouched.
I tend to change colours every 2 years using spare tanks and mudguards because its fun.
Using a polish such as Mer or any hard shell silicone polish might just resist the petrol if its just a few splashes.Be careful with the pump !
The frame,will take 2 large cans of black and 1 laquer if you do not have to refinish part way through.If you do rub out a run in the black and have a matt finish,it will shine back up with a touch of laquer.
Have a go,,with care,and time,it will be as good as it can be and dead smooth and shiney.
I'm all for doing the job yourself and understand the satisfaction factor, but why not use a chassis black that is fuel resistant. After all petrol is a fairly integral part of motorcycling.
I came to this thread late, so my comment perhaps is too late as well.
I don't understand why do you strip and paint a frame with central stand and a swingarm attached ?
Are you sure it won't be easier as separate parts ?
Are you sure your bushings are good and swingarm bobbins are tight in them ?
Sometimes it's necessary to work on central stand brackets as well when the holes get oval.
The bolts not, but I'm sourcing replacement stainless units.
Technically they should have come off, but I haven't had any issues with the painting so far and saves this novice from having to work out how to put them back on.
I might leave the swinging arm and stand on after checking the bushes.No chance of damaging the new paint trying to fit those parts.My frame is in high gloss black.Looks nice enough.I prefer it to a semi gloss look.
Just my two bob's worth (or ten cents or whatever currency you choose). Aerosol paint can indeed look very good, especially if you cut it back with compound and polish it. But there's no escaping the fact that it isn't very tough. The slightest abrasion will scratch it. 2-pack is a lot stronger, as is powder coating. But I doubt you'll find a powder coater who'll do it without blasting the frame first. The only issue with blasting is ending up with grit in the oil tank - it won;t cause significant pitting to the metal.
I would use a screw in silicone plugs in all the oil holes in an OIF frame for blasting. It's a tapered smooth plug so you can screw them in pretty tight. I would feel confident that no blast media would get in the oil tank. Unfortunately not all powder coaters do things the way I do.
Just went through a similar process on a Norton frame. Wire brush in angle grinder, followed by scotch-brite pads. Wiped everything down with prepsol type oil/wax remover. Then multiple coats of Rustoleum etching primer with spray can. Top coat was spray can gloss black Rustoleum engine enamel. The engine enamel is rated to 500f degrees and is supposedly oil and gas resistant. No clear, the gloss came up pretty good but is not ultra shiny, but then again the originals weren't either. If doing a diy enamel job with spray cans, the humidity and temp is crucial to getting a good result. I hit a low humidity period last week and had the heater in my garage set around 70 degrees. The other thing about this type enamel is it needs to harden, sometimes up to a month before much handling. Give it a sniff and if it still smells like fresh paint, it's still giving solvents off.
I've done frames before with regular Rustoleum and with good results. The only problem I've had is where cables are a little loose and they eventually rub some paint away. Pretty easy to touch up. Just spay some in a paper cut and use a small brush. Time will tell if the engine enamel is better.
If you are doing it yourself be sure and use a good solvent respirator.
Let me know how it stands up to the environment H.
I read somewhere that the Rustoleum High Temp paint cures with heat.
For example, if you use it on your barrels it will cure properly by running the bike.
Normal 1 K paint gives off odor to cure.
2 K paint on the other hand absorbs from the atmosphere to cure.
Before applying the 2 K, as you indicated, it's vital that the primer cures properly, otherwise once the 2 K is applied it can no longer breathe.
Delamination can occur causing the outer paint to peel.
That's why I've used a specially formulated 2 K suitable Filler Primer.
Thanks for the safety tip.
I have a new quality 3M Respirator with removable filters.
I used it during the primer process.
When on I could not smell the paint at all.
When I took it off, the odor was very over powering.
I'am striping back my 1977 frame and cycle parts for painting using similar methods, noticed that your compliance sticker has been removed from the left steering head, is this not a problem in Victoria for registration,
I went the other way, securely blocked all outlets, blast and non commercial powdercote. Frame number easily to read and it looks great. From what I have heard powder coat won't fade with time and it also provides a very hard surface to resist chipping.
Here in NSW the RMS will make you jump through hoops and when you jump through the hoops the RMS will set the hoops on fire and make you jump through the hoops again if you don't have a compliance plate/sticker, so I'am just going to paint around the sticker so I don't have to put up with there crap,
I guess this will be another surprise I'll have to deal with when the time arrives. :frown2:
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