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Skudd
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| 316lad |
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316lad
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 Posted: 20:54 - 19 Feb 2015  Post subject: Re: Spraying Plastics |
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| Skudd wrote: | So what is the accepted method of rattle can spraying fairings and the like? Lets not pretend about all these high fluting methods we have read about or dream about doing. Bog standard B&Q /Halfords spray cans and a bit of time. |
There is no easy way. It's easy if you do it in the paint shop with 2K paint, a couple of grands worth of equipment and all the rest of it.
Rattle cans take a simple process and make it hard because of the quality control - or lack of it in the paint, the temperature, the process.
However, before you despair...you can get very decent results with Halfraud's Rattlers.
Here's the best guide I've ever found and I've followed it with exceptional results...with Thanks to ThrillQuest from the Fireblades Forum.
Do exactly what this says and you'll not see any difference between Paint Shop pro's and Rattle Can Joes in the garage...
SUPPLIES:
• Masking Tape
• Newspaper
• Lint-free Clean Rags
• Scalpel (Exacto-Knife)
• Wax and Grease Remover (for Acrylics)
• Painter’s Tape (Strip Tape)
• Mask
• Goggles
• Cut & Polish
• 5 cans of Primer (3 / 2 different colors)
• 5 cans of Paint
• 5 cans of Clear Coat
• 200-400 (course-medium) Sand Paper
• 600-800 (medium) Sand Paper
• 1500 (fine) Sand Paper
• 2000 (super fine) Sand Paper
WORK AREA:
Cover up anything you don’t want misted. Keep pets out of the area. Preferable place is the garage. Don’t forget that paint stays in the air for some time, meaning it will follow you through the air and it will end up in places that have not been sealed. Dust everything. Keep the work area slightly damp to keep dust from rising when using the spray can (with newspapers).
PAINTING PLATFORM:
Some people paint with the panels flat on a surface like a low table. This is okay, but the problem is that spray cans rely on them being straight vertical - if you tilt a spray can horizontally (especially if it's less than 1/2 full) you start getting inconsistent splutters, which can mess up your up-to-now perfect spray job.
I've found it so much easier to hang your work from a ladder with a pole attached or a beam. This way, your can is always upright and you're free to move around your work and aren't necessarily limited by the table or whatever you're resting it on. Not to mention more comfortable to work with - your spraying at about eye level, not crouching down or bending over. It’s a lot more secure/stable than a low lying table where you or your trusty pet can knock it over easily. The rusty old foldable/collapsable clothes hangar also works ok, but on windy days it has fallen down, along with the paint job...
Have I selected the right color? This sounds like a dumb question, but you’d be surprised how different the color looks in the shop as compared to your bike, especially when you're trying to match a color on another part of the bike. Some stores can identify a color code for you if you take the part in, or better still, some stores can color match accordingly. The auto store in Top Ryde does this and gives you your selected color in a can. A bit more costly than the pre-made ones though, obviously.
Use acrylic paint, as enamels will dissolve with oils and petrol. However, NOTE that the two (acrylic and enamel) DO NOT MIX!!! If you sprayed acrylic and go over it with enamel clear, they'll react and mess everything up. Choose a system and stick to it throughout your whole paint job. That means sticking to one type (acrylic or enamel) from the base primer/filler to base color, coat color, decal color, and all the way through to the clear coat.
In fact, choose a SYSTEM AND BRAND - I've used different branded enamels against each other and had reactions which messed everything up. So try and head to your local auto spray or parts dealer and find a product range with the color selection as well as the primer and clear coats you’re after and stick to it.
If you're about to try different brands on top of each other, test spray something else first to check for compatibility. Acrylic is a lot more forgiving in this regard, unlike enamels which tend to react even across brands. Hence I would strongly recommend using acrylic paints for most motorbike/automotive applications.
SPRAY TECHNIQUE:
Staying steady helps a great deal! Practice, practice, practice. Grab an old piece of plastic or small bucket and hit it! If it looks junk, try and work out where you went wrong. Once you’re happy with the way it turns out, then hit your bike fairing. It’s better to botch up a test-run than to completely screw up your actual paint job, right?
Aim to hold the nozzle about 20 to 30 cm away from the surface, and move your whole hand over the entire surface to be painted, keeping the can as vertical as possible. Don’t just twist the wrist. Move the can up and down, closer and further away while you spray along without speeding up or down.
Move the can in a consistent and smooth movement - not too slow but not too fast (ie, you'll only learn by actually doing it). Do NOT change speeds during your pass, as this will make for an uneven coat. I've found it easier to spray across the long axis of a surface rather than across it / up and down.
Aim with the intention of overlapping the previous stroke by about a third to a half its width .At sharp changes of direction (edges/corners, folds or deflections) just continue to paint each flat surface as separate, and aim to finish each separate section off at a time. If you aim to spray directly at the corner or edge, you'll end up with heavy builds which looks terrible.
Avoid heavy build ups! Generally, if it looks wet, then it's too thick of a coat. Ideally, just spray a light mist, wait 20 minutes or so, then another, wait another 20 minutes, and so forth.
A "light coat" consists of 2 to 3 light quick runs across a surface. For example if you're painting a primed surface, a light coat should still allow you to see the underlying color of the primer through your newly painted layer and NOT mask the underlying color in one hit. If you do end up masking the underlying color in one hit and it "looks wet", then your layers are too chunky and I hope you like orange peels, because you'll get lots of it. You’ll need to lightly wet-sand down the orange peel look BEFORE you start your next coat; this will ensure a smoother paint-job.
I'll go in to a step by step process further below, but here are some quick tips that I've found that'll help your paint job look a whole lot better:
• ALWAYS shake the cans upside down for AT LEAST 2 minutes after the ball starts rattling. I learned the hard way, when I only shook it for half a minute. The result? Large blobs of hard and stringy paint that shot out and destroyed the paint job. Shake it for at LEAST 2 minutes but don’t bother going more than 5, the longer you shake it, the better.
• ALWAYS re-shake the can every minute or so (shake it every time you've cleaned the nozzle, which should be every 5 sprays or so).
• ALWAYS test spray on to a piece of large card board to check the consistency of the spray that comes out of the nozzle. Keep it nearby your spray area, and hit it EVERY TIME just BEFORE you start spraying your bike part. Also, the very first spray usually has a tendency to spit out large chunky blobs that will mess up your paint-job. So to avoid having to wait until it dries, sanding it back, re-priming it and re sanding the priming job in an attempt to hit it again, always hit the practice or test card before hitting your actual job.
• Start & finish spraying each stroke away from the actual surface being painted. In other words, the start and finish of each push of the nozzle should be away off the fairings. This is because the start and end of each push can have large blobs of paint. Best way to describe it is to fade in to the object being painted, and similarly, fade out.
• After about 5 sprays, clean your nozzle on a rag. Else, you'll get large overhanging drops on the nozzle that just leads to further chunky blobs being spat at your work of art. It's tedious, but if you keep this up, your results will look much better for it.
• Even & consistently LIGHT strokes
• Avoid spraying in the sun. Once you've finished hitting it, then move it in to the sun.
• Avoid spraying on cold, damp days. Like trying to get it on with the missus on cold days, it just doesn't work and it's just not worth it.
• SERIOUSLY wait about 20 - 30 minutes between coats, and about 2 to 3 days between color/clear coat layers.
• One thing I've learned (and I'm sure you will too, albeit frustratingly through learning from mistakes...) is that spray painting is all about the preparation!
I've been told before, and rightly agree, that about 90% of the work involved is the prep and post-spraying, and only 10% is actually shooting it with the spray gun or rattle can. Because no matter how good your spray technique is, unless your base or underlying layers are prepped nice and proper, it's going to look like regurgitated breakfast after a night out with your favorite gal pals. The same applies for polishing/buffing the final coat.
PRIMING:
Your fairing should be sanded back of ALL paint and primers from previous applications. You should pretty much be down to the bare plastic or fiberglass. Roughen the surface with the course 200 to 400 grit wet & dry sand paper.
**General note about sanding
Wet sanding is preferred over dry sanding as the sanded paint particles are washed away more readily (so you get more efficient sanding and less sandpaper wastage) and the end result is a more even finish overall without harsh scratches.
I generally cut the sandpaper in to portions that are small enough to fit in to the palm of the hand (about 4 cm by 5 cm). If your pieces are too large, you may accidentally end up sanding an adjacent part that you aren't paying attention to, and worst case scenario is that you accidentally sand through your color thereby exposing your primer layer and then having to spray it again, for example.
Whenever you wet sand (especially important for the finer sanding involved later with colors and the top coat) ALWAYS make sure you have a good bucket full of CLEAN water (about 4 liters) that is clear and free of grit like dirt and sand - any such particles that gets in between your sand paper and the fairing will cause deep scratches that will be visible even after layers of paint being applied!
It helps to have warm water rather than just plain cold water, and generally apply a drop or two of dish washing liquid to your bucket - this helps to glide the sandpaper more smoothly over your work (therefore gives a better quality finish) as well as stopping the sanded particles from clogging (detergent is a good surfactant).
Dunk the sandpaper in to the weak-soap water, and plop the wet stuff onto your working area - this puts plenty of water on to the area you're working on. Sand in a back and forth motion, and try to maintain it in one direction only. If you use circular motions, any scratches you’ve created may become evident from multiple angles rather than just one.
Don't EVER let the sanding area get scummy or dry - if your sandpaper grips the fairing, it means it’s way too dry! The wetter the better, when wet sanding, so constantly put that sand paper into the bucket.
As soon as the clear water changes color, change it out! Or else, all you're doing is putting sanded particles back in between your sandpaper and the fairing, and not only ruins your sandpapering by clogging, but possibly your work as well (scratches from compacted particles).
With everything sanded back, nice and relatively "rough" (with the 200 to 400 grit paper), clean it thoroughly with water and a clean *LINT-FREE* rag, then let it dry.
Then wipe it down with a lint free rag with a small amount of Wax and Grease remover.
Hang it where you're going to shoot it, and let it dry.
Shake your can of primer / filler vigorously for 2 minutes after you hear the rattling ball.
Spray back and forth in an even overlapping pattern starting from the top to the bottom - this ensures a consistent & even layer. Remember to wipe down the nozzle every 5 strokes!
This primer/filler layer is a bit more forgiving, in that you're going to sand it down and "shape" it, so if you do get clumps, it's easily sanded back. But, it's a good time to try and get your spraying technique down for the next layers … the base color.
Apply 3 to 5 light coats (make sure it's even throughout!), leaving a good 20 minutes in between coats. After your final coat, let it dry (in the sun is ok) for AT LEAST 2 hours before wet sanding it with the 400 grit.
The idea is to get a smooth glassy finish that is free of the rough orange-peel look. As much as you may enjoy your daily dose of citrusy vitamin c goodness, it looks like crap on a paint job, so sand it until it's gone.
If you accidentally sand through the primer, shoot it again, and repeat the process.
*** TIP: I usually use the primer-filler, as it provides 2 roles - to prime AND to fill small defects. Once the 3 coats have gone on, I then put on another 2 coats of surface primer (of a different color). This is a guide coating - in other words, when u sand it back, and start seeing the initial coat's color, you know you've gone too far, and can stop sanding right there.
BASE COLOR:
When you’ve sanded the primer surface smooth, clean it again with water, let it dry, and then again with the wax and grease remover. If you're doing a pattern or decals, apply tape (masking or special paint tape) to the areas you DO NOT want to paint. Also, mask and SEAL off any areas you don't want painted.
Remember to tape down and seal the newspaper from behind/underneath the fairing, and not just on the side you can see, because spray paint (being a fine mist) WILL find its way under the newspaper if it's not sealed!
Note: when taping, press firmly on the edges to stop paint from running between the tape and fairing. If you're using masking tape, apply 2 layers, as some masking tape are known to leech paint through (yup, found out the hard way...). Seriously, get painter's tape. It's so much easier to work with (bendy around corners) AND it doesn't lift up paint when you remove it. It's not that expensive!
Another tip: If you’re doing decals or patterns (such as flames), what works for me is to overlap the tape, effectively creating a “film layer” of the stuff, then cutting my design in to it using a sharp scalpel blade. Be careful not to cut too hard in to your fairings with the scalpel. DO NOT discard any trimmings – use the outside trimming of the shape you’ve just cut to spray the internal pattern with. Then once it’s dry/sanded, cover it up using the cut-out, and spray around it, etc.
Applying the Base color is the same deal as the primer. Wipe it & let it dry. Repeat with Wax and grease remover, let it dry. Hang it up, and then apply 3 to 5 light coats (at least 20 minutes apart). The key here is to apply LIGHT COATS.
Remember, with a light coat, you should be able to still see the underlying primer coat. It'll take 3 to 5 light coats to blank out the primer layer, so take it easy and lightly, and have a 20 minute breather in between coats.
If at this stage, you have drips or sags in the paint from heavy build ups, you can either let it dry and sand it back and start all over again, or wipe it down with a wet rag, and spray again. (from other sources: it’s best to let the run dry and sand it, than to try to correct it on the fly.)
So avoid this by ensuring a light crisp spray pattern every time. Just make sure you get a uniformly equal coat down, spraying evenly throughout the entire job.
Let it dry for 2 to 3 hours before removing the tape (if you have them on). Any earlier, and you risk lifting the paint around the tape because it's not stuck down to the primer yet. Any later, and you may end up cracking the adjacent paint. Or worse, your tape (especially with masking tape) lifts the underlying primer away – avoid this by using painter’s tape. Oh, and avoid drying it in the sun if it has tape – the heat will dissolve the glue and you’re left with messy residues to clean up (won’t happen with painter’s tape… have I convinced you to get the painter’s tape?)
Then, let this dry for 2 to 3 days before wet sanding it with the 600 - 800 grit (medium) sand paper. The aim is to smooth out bumps or any clumps that may have resulted. Don't worry about it looking all scratched up when it's dry - you're going to coat it again anyway.
Wipe it clean with a *LINT-FREE* rag, and hang to dry. You can choose to apply another layer or 2 on top of this, or just wait until you put clear coat on top, which will pretty much eliminate the apparent scratches you've just made with the wet sanding.
(The Clear coat is the final top coat of clear acrylic, which will make everything glossy and shiny).
If you chose to do multiple colors, repeat the process of taping/masking/cleaning, painting then sanding (except you now cover the bits you've already painted, obviously...)
Transition zones / Feathering edges:
I decided to make the bottom of my fairing a gradual colour transition, rather than a hard stop from one colour to the next.
Feathering edges create two effects:
1. accentuates or highlights nearby sharp edges
2. gives the appearance of subtlety by blending colors in
There are several ways to feather the edges, but the basic principle is to leave a small gap between the "edge" and the fairing.
You can roll a bit of newspaper or bend a bit of cardboard at the edge(s) to be feathered, and shoot perpendicular to it. The paint mist will lightly find its way in to the edge, and the amount of feathering depends on the height/depth of your rolled paper / bent cardboard. Best way to work it out is to experiment on something else first.
CLEAR COAT / TOP COAT:
Once again, after at least 2 days of drying, wet sand lightly, then clean with a *LINT-FREE* rag, then let it dry. Wipe with Wax & Grease remover, let it dry. Hang it for painting. Apply 4 to 5 light coats of clear coat. Let it dry for 3 days.
Wet sand it with fine grit wet & dry sand paper (1200 to 1500 grit). Wipe clean, let it dry. Wipe with Wax & Grease remover, let it dry. The final clear coat should be 2 more light coats of top coat. Dry for 2 to 4 days, then wet sand LIGHTLY (light pressure!) with (super fine, 2000 grit) wet & dry sand paper. Then hit it with the Cut & Polish and pad to gloss it all up!
Once again, although it is a spray can job, and although it will never look as good as what you pay for at the auto spray salon, with a bit of practice and almost too much patience, persistence and swearing, hopefully you'll be able to achieve something you can look at and say "Yeah, I did that.”
Last edited by 316lad on 21:04 - 19 Feb 2015; edited 1 time in total |
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| pdg |
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pdg
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Skudd
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Posted: 21:34 - 19 Feb 2015  Post subject: |
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Some good info there. It will be close to summer when I need to start spraying, but as I'm doing things bit by bit and keeping myself within a budget of sorts it is great to have things in place ready.
Like people have said, prep is everything, so I have ages to prep stuff.
Cheers, 
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| stirlinggaz |
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stirlinggaz
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| Posted: 01:46 - 20 Feb 2015 Post subject: Re: Spraying Plastics |
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| pdg wrote: | Poundland spray paints are shit.
I mean really shit. |
hi,
i think it depends on what brand they are selling, as they tend to switch them every now & then.
as an example, the grey primer they used to do (was in a red can,400ml) was quite good, but the white primer was absolutley garbage. it was as thin as water & wasnt worth the effort.
as for actual paint, the 300ml cans they sell most of the time, usually only in gloss black or matt black is ok, but because theres hardly any paint in the cans, you need to buy a lot.
i found the gloss black was crap but the matt black excellent.
i used it to cover a tank, then went over it with some clearcoat i had lying around & it came out very nice., imo. a lot better than just doing it gloss black.
the only other decent paint they do is the stuff marked "wheel silver" but as the name suggests, it dries in a bit matt & slightly rough to the touch, but is good for frames etc. (a wee tip, again go over the paint with clearcoat & you get a very nice mettalic siver  )
they used to do some excellent gold or silver mettalic but stopped stocking it a while ago, im glad i bought about 20 tins of it 
cheers,
GAZ
ps : avoid the "mean machine" stuff, most of it is crap |
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kramdra
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| wr6133 |
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wr6133
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Old Thread Alert!
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