Topic: Those who have used spraymax advice / Painting advice etc

[jamesbekman]

Hi Everyone,

I am going to spray two motorcycles and I am wondering if anyone with experience using spraymax can give me some advice and help out with how much primer etc I should order.  The bikes are going to be two differen colors.

Bike #1 is going to have the side covers and the steel gas tank painted.  Im thinking 1k Red as the basecoat and 2k clear. 

Bike #2 is going to have a fiberglass gas tank, cafe style seat, front fender, headlight cover primed and pained.  I am working with gel coat on all the surfaces.  I was going to do a dark battleship grey color 1k and 2k clear on everything.

I figure I should prime everything at the same time for both bikes.  In regards to primer I was thinking 2k epoxy then coats of 2k urethane high build primer.  I believe that should do the trick correct?

Now down to the math of is this even a good idea?  A break down to spray one bike doing a can of epoxy, urethane, base coat and clear would be $85.  At the very least the second bike would be $85, probably more.  Does it make sense for me to paint the bikes myself at a cost of say at the very least $200-$250 after you take sandpaper into consideration and maybe a can or two more of the primer plus shipping?  I have a guy my dad knows and I also have a guy my step father knows who can spray everything for me.  Both think they can get a deal, but a deal isnt a deal the way it used to be with the price of paint nowadays.  But... if I go with a guy who knows what he is doing, im sure he can make quick work of it all.  The only pain in the butt is having my dad or stepdad do the leg work to get a real proper estimate.   I know its cheaper to do it myself and I could do it, but say I can get it done for only $400 in total, I mean that $200 in labor would be money well spent. 

[goldarrow]

anyone can spray paint, the difference is in the quality of the outcome.  that being said, i can spray but i'm no pro and if i can live with my own work, then i do it myself.  if the guys doing the work for you are pro, and guarantee good outcome to your satisfaction, question becomes if their labor worth your money?

[Muckinfuss]

2k is dangerous stuff.  do you have the correct protective gear?......no exposed skin, eyes sealed from atmosphere, NIOSH  powered air purifying full face respirator etc.  I know some people think this is small potatoes voo doo, but the reality is it only takes a few minutes of exposure to ruin your lungs and or create a high probability of cancer growths.   Google "isocyanate exposure".

[jamesbekman]

I have a good resperator, good wrap around goggles but they arent sealed  to atmosphere and a cheap zip up body suit. 

[78whiteorbs]

My advice is go with a single stage 2k over the epoxy. Pick a paint code from a car you like. I have shot dozens of these....wear a good respirator... http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dAjxhuLOToc

[RevDoc]

Hi,James! Another possible solution is to have the work done by students at a nearby Vo-Tech school. They are under good supervision, have all the necessary proper ventilation equipment, no labor costs, just materials, and you don't rot out your lungs and liver!  Not always the quickest turnaround time but you get the satisfaction of knowing you gave some students a chance for some good experience.

Where are you in NY? I grew up west of Syracuse in the middle of the Finger Lakes Region.

[Muckinfuss]

Thank you.  The last time I suggested a vo-ed school, someone compared that to getting a bad haircut from a first term student at barber school.  Nothing could be farther from the truth!  The work done in vo-ed is not done by freshmen, but by third and fourth year students who have already proven themselves proficient enough to get hired as soon as they graduate.....and not just in one area of study.  In my experience...the results are many times better than what I've seen at most body shops that hire some "joe bag-o-donuts" off the street to paint their insurance work.  I've yet to see a home garage paint set up that is guaranteed to keep you out of the hospital when spraying urethane.

[billingstitan]

I don't know if it's necessarily 'cheaper' doing it yourself or not, esp. if you haven't sprayed much.

That said - I did a couple tanks and am glad that I took the time and spent the money, as I am now fairly confident spraying. I learned a lot, ended up having to sand off the base twice before I got it right - but the end result is awesome and the satisfaction was priceless.

The respirator is vital. Also, a very clean place to spray - I used my garage and wet down the floor, which worked fairly well.

I'd say it depends on what you're after. If you just want it done, and skip the headaches, then you'll be WAY ahead by having a professional do the job for you. But if you want to gain the knowledge of how to spray a motorcycle tank, then do it yourself. There are tons of information about sanding, priming, spraying, etc.

I used a metallic on mine, which I would not recommend for a first-timer. You really have to nail it right off the bat, as you can't 'fix' any mistakes very easily.

Still - for me - it was worth the journey and the cost. I sprayed it for the same reason I do my own wrenching - no one cares about your bike like you do.

Good luck!

[wardenerd]

My bike was painted by my wife and itcame out great.  Use the correct primer.  Do not sand between the color applications if you choose  metal flake.

[jamesbekman]

Yea Im all about the no one cares more about your bike than you do thing...  I also have a friend I reached out to about my gas tank and side covers who has sprayed a tank or two...  Ill keep you updated.

Cheers,

James

[jdubb1977]

hey james!  yep, it's definitely a task to do your own paint work.  i did my 750 about 4yrs ago in my garage.  it turned out great & has held up well, but i'm not sure if i'd do it again.  if the costs were even remotely close, i'd probably just hire it out next time.  it's a ton of work and takes a long time.  that said, there's a big sense of pride in saying that i painted it myself! 

i used duplicolor sandable primer, duplicolor auto paint (rattle can, but a mazda color), and the spraymax 2k.  can't remember how many cans of the spraymax, but I want to say 4.  it took at least 2 cans of primer, and whole bunch of the auto paint (they're small cans).  i did my tank, tail, side covers, fender, headlight bucket, & gauges. lot's and lots of sanding and polishing afterwards to get rid of the orange peel.  the spraymax has held up great though, and the occasional splash of gas doesn't affect it at all. 

[PeWe]

Check a good home paint here:
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=132695.msg1509082#msg1509082

Next page is the cakey's equipment showed. A small gun is OK for small jobs and require a small compressor as well. It's not enough with HVLP gun only, many of them need big compressor with high flow.

I have one or two Bergen mini spray guns on my shopping list  (nozzles 0.8 + 1.0 for primer ) + a small silent compressor.

Frame, swingarm, side stand, meter bracket and the other black parts must be easier to leave to industrial painter that can sand blast and paint it together with other industial stuff. I did that for small money. 2k paint

[dlhoulton]

Here is my post on a DIY spray project using Duplicolor and SprayMax.
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=137510.0