First Time Paint Job

[Cakey]

I wanted to set up all the panels together and keep them raised off the spray area so I could get to paint the edges properly.

I decide on painting the base of the panels first so that any overspray could be rubbed back before painting the topside.

Also because I was nervous about doing my first proper paint job if I had any runs or stuffed it up I could fix it without it being on view to the world being on the backside of the panel.

I was glad that I did because I found with the curves of the panels it was heaps harder to paint the back than the front of the panels.

It really comes down to the individual if they hang parts or lay parts down. On the past I have found that the parts move around to much with the rattle can jobs I have done before. People who do it more than me would have a better idea of what is wrong or right.

[Cakey]

Alright it's time to mix. I think most of the paints have a warning of not spraying with high humidity or in high temperatures but in Darwin we don't have a choice. It's coming to the end of the wet season and this day was was just like any other. 35 degrees Celsius and 99% humidity. That's life living in the tropics.

This direct gloss paint is 3:1:1

3 part paint
1 part thinner (they gave me acrylic high gloss thinner even though its an 2 pack paint)
1 part hardener

I purchased chemical safe measuring jugs and especially important paint sieves. For the back of the panels I went with 200 ml paint, 70 ml thinner and 70 ml hardener. Measured and mixed all together and then ran from one clean glass coffee jar through a fine paint sieve to the next clean coffee jar

[Cakey]

I found the coffee jars good because they sealed the mixed paint really well in between coats.

My gravity gun holds 200 ml of paint at a time but I did not want to run the risk of any runs or spills at the top when I had to hold the gun over to get the angles, so I only filled up about 120mls at a time.

Mask on and ready to go.

[Cakey]

After doing the hard to get pieces and edges I made sure I had a good wide spray pattern and then continued with the paint on all covers.

Made sure I followed the contours of the panels keeping and even 27 psi. Keeping the gun about 20cm away and starting the trigger before the start of the spray sweep across the panel and only taking the trigger off after completing the run past the panel edge.

I let each coat flash dry for 20 minutes in between coats and worked on the bike in the down time.

I ran about 100 ml of thinner through the gun in between coats so that it did not block up.

I got a couple of small runs but nothing that upset me too much. It psyched me up to do well on the top of the panel and gave me a bit of practice.

Also with the candy paints they recommend that you overlay your spray 70% over the last run so that's what I aimed for.

I am just going by my own research not personnel experience.

[Cakey]

So the back of the panels all packed away to cure for a couple of days after they had dried for about an hour. Time to clean up the spray booth and make sure that the gun is thoroughly stripped and clean as I will not be using it for a couple of day. If you have some general purpose thinners to clean up with it might be cheaper than the high gloss stuff.

[Cakey]

Ok so after a couple of days I was game enough to handle the panels and see if I had any rubbing to do. I went really hard on the edges of the tank side covers so they had some rubbing to do to feather it out with 600 wet.

Gave them a rub and dry and then ready to go again. It took hardly anything to do.

[AussieGold]

you're gamer than me.. i just paid a spray painter and said ...call me when its done looking good .
ps
check your email .some good news and some not so good.

[Cakey]

So I cleaned and got the spray booth ready again after a couple of days and then set all the panels up again.

I was aiming for the money shot now so I visually checked everything again and made sure I was happy with everything. I was glad I did because I missed one spot on a tank side panel.

Went through the paint mixing process again but used 300 ml of paint because I wanted four coats on the top

300ml direct gloss paint
100 thinners
100 hardener

I found the top of the panels heaps easier to paint and had no runs and was really happy with the results. I managed to get four good coats with 20 minutes flash dry time in between each coat.

Same again with let it dry for an hour and then put away for a week before putting on the bike. Clean everything because I might not be using the gun for a while.

Now with this direct gloss paint there is no clear gloss layers and it came up great.

The decals and striping I bought said that they did not need to be clear coated on so that's the way I went.

[Cakey]

All right getting to the good stuff and dressing my lady!

[Cakey]

So now it's wait time for a couple of weeks for a buff. I did get some dust particles so might even go 1500 wet and then a buff. That's it finished except for decals

[Cakey]

It's not original but I like it.

By the way I am by no means a spray painter, this is just how I did it and I hope it helps someone else.

All the best

[handyman1018]

Thanks so much for documenting this. I am in the same spot, first time paint job and looking at using some cans for priming and a spray gun for finishing. Nice common sense approach with great results. Oh and the bike looks fantastic!!!

[Cakey]

Thanks mate. Hope it helps. After getting this one out the way and the bike finished I might up the anti with another spare set of panels that I have out the back but it was a good place for me to start. I was worried about doing both the plastic and the metal together. I had some horror stories with paint reaction with my rattle can jobs on the CX500's. I did not know at the time that a lot of it had to do with the spray can filler I was using reacting with the plastics.

After doing this one I will not go back to rattle can anymore. I had painted the frame with that touch up gun using the POR paint because I wanted a rock hard paint for the frame and the running gear. I think it's pretty easy to get away with painting the frame though so the panels were the ones I was really trying to get right.

It's not that I couldn't afford to get it painted its just that I wanted the satisfaction of saying I did the whole thing.

I only really back into bikes a couple of years ago with my CX500's in to get the Carbies and thanks to the members of NGW, people like Aussie Gold here in Australia and countless others I am giving it a go. I am sure you will to.

I know that there are others out there that would have different and better methods, equipment and painting systems but this was a good starting place for me so I could get better.

[Whiskerfish]

Nice looking results with an Excellent presentation

[luludog]

Great write up with photos showing the process and the excellent work. This will come in handy when I do my first bike painting. Thanks!