Topic: question for the rattle can experts(update used a Preval sprayer)

[BeSeeingYou]

I am planning on painting an XS650 frame and bits with SprayMax 2K paint in a rattle can.  Never painted something as convoluted as a frame before I am unsure of the amount of paint.  Will one can do two coats on a frame and swingarm plus other assorted small bits like battery box, lower tree, centerstand, etc.  The surface area is small but so much is lost in overspary on something like this.

[kirkn]

No, one can won't do.

On the times I've done frames, swingarms and bits, it's taken 2 ~ 3 cans.

I like to start with the frame upside down, and paint everything you can possibly see.  Then, flip it right-side-up, and you'll see the areas you'd swear you didn't miss but did.    Then, once you've done it right way up, you're already sure you've done the 'bottom' areas, so you didn't miss anything and it'll look perfect as viewed when assembled.

Kirk

[BeSeeingYou]

Thanks, good tip on flipping the frame.

[heffay]

Unless you're bent on doing it yourself... price powdercoaters.  I work for a security door manufacturer and we do our own paint, but send out for powder, he charges us $75 a door.  Granted, I don't think that is his retail price,  I think it is  $100 for his retail customers.  Before you say a frame is much harder to powdercoat, consider a door with perforated steel for the screen... that is much harder than a bike frame!  Imagine getting a proper coat inside each and every one of the 1000+ holes. 

I'd rather pay an extra 50 bux for a powdered frame.  I think all frames should be powdercoated.

[jamesb]

eastwood frame paint is very good i did my cb550 frame 5 yrs ago it still looks like new. it only took one can frame,kickstands,swingarm,and lower tree.one can went very far and i still had some left.although it's very pricey then it was 32.00 a can but well worth it.

[BeSeeingYou]

It's more of the "do it myself"mentality driving this and the low dollar budget for the bike.  I am not going cheap but everything will be done by me.  I am doing some other bits like airboxes( 2 on the XS), battery box, stands, caliper, and a few other small parts so it's more than just the basic frame.  Another thing I did was to clean up the welds.  Filed down the high spots and filled and faired the low with JB Weld as a filler and knocked off all the little welding nipples and spatters.  Not sure how the filler would have reacted with the powder, might not be an issue, never checked. Not to mention it would not hold up to sandblasting.   I always thought the welding was a bit ugly on these bikes and why have a nice paint/powder job and those welds.  The JB seemed to make a nice dense sticky filler (mixed with aluminum powder) and sanded easy.  I may have used up one 1 oz tube set on the whole frame and then sanded some of that off in the process. 

I looked at some of the frame paints like Por 15 Hardnose and even linear poly marine paint which was my choice as I was going to brush it on due to having to work inside( I needed black to repaint my sailboat hull so it was a natural choice) .  But....our spring here has been crazy.....it's 80 today with nice weather as far as can be told so now I can work outside and spray.  Plus I decided on something other than basic black.  Going with a Mazda color Tungsten Grey.

[heffay]

I can respect that.

[sangyo soichiro]

I agree with Kirkn, it'll take a few cans.  If you can hang your frame somehow (from a tree, or something like that), that will help you to get all the little spots you may have missed otherwise.

[LesterPiglet]

Another thing is to start with inside the frame and finish on the outside. Nothing worse than smudging wet paint trying to get at hard to reach areas.

[faux fiddy]

I always thought hammerite looked good on other things and it is pretty durable.

Rattle can nation, can it be?

[srbakker]

Nice,uh... Helmet?

[Duanob]

I didn't really like the Preval sprayer. You're limited on spraying at any angle far from 90 degrees. Everytime I followed the contour of my tank the preval would started to sputter paint when the angle became too much. next time I will put color in the Spraymax can.

[sinister902]

I don't know if this is regular practice or not......but I've recently discovered "appliance epoxy" available in spray cans.....and I've been experimenting with it on some smaller bits in my builds.... it comes in gloss black and gloss white.

it is INCREDIBLY durable considering it comes from a spray can.

It looks and feels like powdercoat after full cure, and so far I'd say the durability is FAR greater than anything else you could spray on it at home, and it's only marginally more expensive than plain spraypaint per can

[BeSeeingYou]

I didn't really like the Preval sprayer. You're limited on spraying at any angle far from 90 degrees. Everytime I followed the contour of my tank the preval would started to sputter paint when the angle became too much. next time I will put color in the Spraymax can.

Yeah it does have problems when you get near 45 degree angle.  The small pattern worked good for the frame, less overspray going all over.  Not sure yet if I would use if for the finish coat on larger surfaces.  Need more practice.

[BeSeeingYou]

I don't know if this is regular practice or not......but I've recently discovered "appliance epoxy" available in spray cans.....and I've been experimenting with it on some smaller bits in my builds.... it comes in gloss black and gloss white.

it is INCREDIBLY durable considering it comes from a spray can.

It looks and feels like powdercoat after full cure, and so far I'd say the durability is FAR greater than anything else you could spray on it at home, and it's only marginally more expensive than plain spraypaint per can

 Epoxy is not UV stable so it won't hold up to UV exposure long term.  It will chalk and lose it's gloss but yes it's hard and goes on nice.   An indoor paint.

[LesterPiglet]

I always thought hammerite looked good on other things and it is pretty durable.

Rattle can nation, can it be?

I used smoothrite on my frame, nice finish but chips easily. Probably need a soft clearcoat on it.