Getting a decent paint job done

[Robby]

As dedicated followers or Robby will know, I spent rather a long time restoring a CB250RSA. Restoration doesn't perfectly explain the process however, because I did my usual job of impeccable mechanicals and poor cosmetics - see pic.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/09042010532_1_.jpg

I painted the frame with hammerite, having de-rusted it first. It seems that de-rusting it isn't a great idea, the hammerite doesn't stick to good metal as well, but it was necessary so I could find the bits where it had rusted through and sleeve them (for the geeks, details of how I sleeved it below).

The real problem is the bodywork. That crap red paint job you see there ended up costing me over £200 in paint stripper, wet and dry, undercoat, colour coat, decals and lacquer. It also took about 50-100 hours of work over 3 months. It isn't particularly hard, the lacquer lifted one of the decals, it's generally crap.

So, who can recommend a bike painter that they have used (don't say dream machine if you haven't used them). I want to get an original paintjob, or close enough to look it. For instance, if the original paint is hard to obtain or very expensive, I can go for a slightly different one. I'm not particular about if the decals are stickers or painted, and I don't want to do a single bit of prep. Time isn't important because I have a spare good set of bodywork to get painted, but it will need the old paint stripping or whatever they do first.
Also, if you have had a paintjob done, say what bike and what it cost. If it's very expensive I'll try and find a local car sprayer and give them precise instructions.


For anyone contemplating their own spray job, who hasn't done it before, here are a couple of recommendations and my costings.
Buy a compressor. I used rattle cans. A compressor is a tool you need, you just don't it. I need to get one. Rattle can paint is also very expensive for what you get.
Buy a book on doing bodywork, read it cover to cover before you begin. I didn't, and still haven't. I should have, because on my 30 year old bike there is mild steel, stainless steel, chrome, aluminum alloy, at least two types of plastic, possibly some cast iron (rough, could just be cast steel) and lots of rust.
Build yourself a home spraybooth and use a mask. I didn't, I sprayed in my garage on a workmate. I blew my nose and paint came out, lots. I could have made basic booth using wood that was lying around and plastic sheeting or old bedsheets for the sides.
When stuff is drying, make sure it's out of the way and stable. My dad knocked over the freshly painted tank, didn;t say anything, and put it back. I came back down the following week to check on it, and was confused by fresh scratches in my fresh paint. If you live with your parents, or use their garage, remember how clumsy at least one of them is.
Anything involving filler will be a horrible screaming nightmare. It will look and feel glassy smooth, but once the colour coat goes on it'll show horrible deep scratches and an outline.

Costings. This is going to be painful. Mostly bought from halfords.
Paint stripper - £40
Wet and dry paper - £15
Filler - £5
Primer - £15
Filler primer - £40 (sigh)
Colour coat (red) - £40
Lacquer - £20
Decals - £60

Total - £235

You may notice that I bought enough paint to do a car. This is because I had to keep taking it off and doing it again.

[Damon]

First mistake you made is using halfords cans. Shit paint and bloody expensive.

You should pop to a local car paint place and get them to make up some 2k areosol cans. They usually work out at about £12 a can, but the paint is the same as you use in a compressor. 3 cans normally will do a full bike.

Also, top tip when spraying is to warm up your cans in warm water before spraying. Makes such a difference Try spraying with a cold can and then with a warm can, you will see what I mean

[gmanxiii]

My mate just had his SV650s resprayed to a single colour of his choice (weird gunmetal grey/blue) at a place called SMB Motorcycle Accident Repair but its in Stockport and your all the way down south. He had his bike nicked before christmas and the police found it all knackered up in someones back yard. Been down the road on both sides and every panel had a scratch or scuffs on it, the tank had a ding in from where they took a hammer to the ignition and missed. Whole lot was filled and resprayed for about 300quid, this included front fairing, the lowers on both sides, tank and rear seat pod, they. It actually looks mint now, finish is pretty damn good. Looks like for not a lot more for what you had paid for in materials you could have had it done properly and less the hassle.
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VFR400NC30 > ZZR600 > CBR600FX > CBR1000rr

[everyreasonto]

I plan to get my zxr400 sprayed. I got a quote for £300 for one colour, which wasn't too bad considering the amount to spray. I spray myself but I can't be arsed to do it!

[Clanger]

Robby, have you had a close look at my paint job, it looks like pearlescent paint, but it isn't it's two paints, and is sign-written on the side too. My whole paint job, including wheels and mini headlight fairing was £700.

It was done by Graham at Plastec, Burghfield near Reading. I have seen a lot of his other projects. He is seriously good and has trained a lot of other sprayers the trade too, including one of my mates over in Norfolk (he travelled all the way to Reading to get trained).
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter won't mind - Dr. Seuss

[BanditsHigh]

[G]

A:

[ms51ves3]

[ZRX61]

Why did you need the paint stripper?

[Robby]

To strip paint. It had been ratted before and resprayed a few times before that. The top layer of matt black was mostly over dirt, and beneath that was red, green, and blue.

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Helios Red (code R33) its a cellulose type.
Can't find the info for the blue.

Lookin' good so far.

Are you restoring it to 100% ?

RSA WHORING TIME (for reference purposes)

https://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m174/howlingterror_2006/DSCF0101.jpg
https://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m174/howlingterror_2006/DSCF0102.jpg


Pat
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[DrDonnyBrago]

[DrDonnyBrago]

[Dazbo666]

[BanditsHigh]

^^^ Spot on ... black base coat, then fishnets (on the tank not me) and BMW Midnight Blue metallic, then mega amounts of lacquer to bring the finish up to the same level as the Suzuki 'S' so that when rubbed down it was flush