DIY Painting Tips

[joshuajcrouch]

It's not too late to paint it RED.

Sorry, I had a couple of glasses with dinner.

Haha you are funny.  Well I cannot get it to blend.  I am thinking re-painting is going to be my only option.

Any advice on stripping the clear coat?  Do I just sand it off by hand?  Any recommendation on grit and technique?

[ducpainter]

Just sand (600) and repaint.

If  you used quality automotive grade materials it'll work.

Just don't use heavy coats of base. That might cause lifting.

[ChrisK]

DP, when planning on doing a stripe, would you recommend getting a decal stripe that is an exact match to models such as the S2R's, or would you recommend painting and clearing it along with the rest of the tank?

[ducpainter]

DP, when planning on doing a stripe, would you recommend getting a decal stripe that is an exact match to models such as the S2R's, or would you recommend painting and clearing it along with the rest of the tank?

I mask and spray. Vinyl never buries as well due to the thickness of material. You also need to wait before installing vinyl or you could have issues with adhesion or bubbles under the vinyl. That requires an intercoat clear that gets scuffed before masking or two applications of regular clear which I generally do anyway, but if you do everything in one day with the intercoat clear there is no sanding. If you don't understand that let me know and I'll try to explain it better.

You can do the stripe first or last...I usually do it last. I rarely do offset stripes unless there is a surefire way to make them line up when viewed from the back of the bike. The S2R offset stripe doesn't and I don't care for it.

I like centered stripes like on the S4RS.

Use fineline tape and make sure it's stuck down well. It sucks to have to touch up because of leakage. Some colors...like pearls and most metallics don't touch up well.

[ChrisK]

Pull up the tape after the paint is dry or immediately after spraying?

Also, I purchased a spray gun - I know this may be a loaded/dumb question but... I don't want to break the bank buying paint for my project. What is the best bang for the buck primer, paint, and clear you would recommend?

[ducpainter]

Pull up the tape after the paint is dry or immediately after spraying?

Also, I purchased a spray gun - I know this may be a loaded/dumb question but... I don't want to break the bank buying paint for my project. What is the best bang for the buck primer, paint, and clear you would recommend?

I'd wait 10-15 mins depending on how heavy the coats are. If you go too soon the paint can 'string' or pull off the other color.

Look into PPG 'Omni' or DuPont's  'Nason' for value line materials.

[ChrisK]

Thank you, next question, will a quart each of primer, base, and clear be enough to do a cowl, tank, and fender?

[ChrisK]

Now that I really think about that question, I'd be shocked if it wasn't enough, lol

[ducpainter]

Thank you, next question, will a quart each of primer, base, and clear be enough to do a cowl, tank, and fender?

You can get pints of color, and in some cases you can buy partial pints, but they hit you with a premium. A pint of the main color will be enough if you use the right color primer.

I use sealer and would advise that you do also. It gives you a uniform base color which aids in coverage(use less paint...which is good for many reasons) and improves adhesion. If you're going with anything but black you want a very light color primer if you don't seal. White would be best. It's important to have a uniform base for your color.

The rest is sold in qts and gals.

You can buy smaller sizes of activator. Activator is pricey. Pick products...primer/sealer/clear that share activators. You'll save money.

[Langanobob]

DP,

I use DuPont Nason mainly because there's a DuPont dealer nearby.  I'm an amateur and  only paint my own stuff and the Nason paint seems to be good quality to my eye.  But then I don't think I've ever used top of the line paint to compare it to or have a reference point.  Is there a noticeable difference in the job or durability using "economy" paint?  Is there more pigment in the higher end paint?

Another question that came up from ChrisK's questions is shelf life.  I've used some pretty old leftover paint without the sky falling.  Obviously if the paint, primer or activator wasn't stored properly and is skinned over or has thickened it's no good.  But what about paint that looks fine even though it's old?  I think DuPoint says a year but I've used paint a lot older than that.  If I was painting someone else's bike or I'd only use new paint, but for my own hobby projects, what are the risks and what can go wrong using old paint?

Thanks,

Bob

[ducpainter]

DP,

I use DuPont Nason mainly because there's a DuPont dealer nearby.  I'm an amateur and  only paint my own stuff and the Nason paint seems to be good quality to my eye.  But then I don't think I've ever used top of the line paint to compare it to or have a reference point.  Is there a noticeable difference in the job or durability using "economy" paint?  Is there more pigment in the higher end paint?

Another question that came up from ChrisK's questions is shelf life.  I've used some pretty old leftover paint without the sky falling.  Obviously if the paint, primer or activator wasn't stored properly and is skinned over or has thickened it's no good.  But what about paint that looks fine even though it's old?  I think DuPoint says a year but I've used paint a lot older than that.  If I was painting someone else's bike or I'd only use new paint, but for my own hobby projects, what are the risks and what can go wrong using old paint?

Thanks,

Bob

Bob,
All of the higher end materials have some advantage. Primers have more solids for better fill, color has more pigment (and sometimes different technology) for better coverage,
and clears have better gloss and usually 'handle' better...flow...dry to dust free. For the DIYer there isn't much advantage. For the shop there are productivity bonuses, but mostly it's the warranty. If you use product for which you're paying over $100/pint your jobber will be there for you if there's ever an issue.

Most paints will last a lot longer than the manu says if it's stored in an airtight can. The exception can be activators. Under certain conditions they can go bad quickly. Their biggest enemy is moisture. If you spray using an old can of activator, that looks fine, it may not give the properties you're looking for meaning it won't crosslink and will be like unactivated paint. I've never seen any other ramifications.

HTH

Nate

[Langanobob]

Nate,

Yes, it helps.  Thanks.

[ChrisK]

DP, I'm planning on using Dupont Nason.

I know that the following line contains the code for the color I want: 674 CAL 28 T3120300-HF

My question is, I'm obviously very much so a novice and that line means nothing to me. Is that one code, two, three? If I go into a Dupont dealer what do I tell them I need so that I end up with the correct color.

Thanks.

[ducpainter]

DP, I'm planning on using Dupont Nason.

I know that the following line contains the code for the color I want: 674 CAL 28 T3120300-HF

My question is, I'm obviously very much so a novice and that line means nothing to me. Is that one code, two, three? If I go into a Dupont dealer what do I tell them I need so that I end up with the correct color.

Thanks.

Where did that number come from?

It's not a Ducati code.

[ChrisK]

Yeah it's from a Triumph, but it's the color I'd like to make my bike.