Topic: Rattle can paint

[yogi]

Hey all, I have mismatching side covers for my 72 cb500. I was thinking of doing a rattle can job on them to match the Candy Jade Green of the tank. I have a few questions. Is rspaint, vms, or some other company the better option? Any thoughts on procedure? I know my tank has probably faded somewhat, so the match won't be perfect, but I've seen some candy greens that look way brighter than the original, and I don't want that. Finally, do you think 1 can each of the base/green/clear will be enough to get two side covers looking decent?

[rotortiller]

Paint in a spray can generally sucks  but you can get two part in a spray bomb mixed to your color specifications in base and clear coat. With carefully application and buffing it can look sort of pretty good.

[Yamahawk]

Yogi,
I agree with rotortiller, spray cans generally don't have the proper spray pattern to do a really nice job, although I have done it in the past. Also, regular spray paint is not gas resistant, so that is another problem. If you have a compressor, Harbor Freight has some mini detail spray guns which are cheap ($12) and work vey well. You can then get some base/color/clear with hardener, and make a nice job of it. I have used these guns for a few years, and painted several bikes with them, and the results are very good. A plus is, they sell you a 1yr warranty for $2.99, and if your gun doesn't work well, you take it back and get another one...
I get 3 guns, one for base, one for color, and one for clear. And, if you want to primer it, get one for primer also. Use lacquer thinner to clean them, and if you take care of them, they last for a few paint jobs!
Color Rite has your paint, and that would be a direct match for your green, and perhaps you would like to repaint the tank also, and bring back its former glory hehe...
Charlie

[Ace Blackwell]

I’m far from a painting expert and I don’t know your shop setup but the times I’ve tried to spray can a piece of the bike such as seat pan or speedo casing, rarely does it turn out blemish free.  And that’s just black enamel. Not to underestimate your ability, but if you are only talking a shade difference in color and the paint/decals are in good shape, I’d leave it until I could get it professionally sprayed.  Just my opinion.  In either case, good luck.

[gwallis]

I have to disagree somewhat.  If spray can paint is applied properly and wet sanded you can use a urethane clear coat like SprayMax to make it shine and be gas resistant.

It's the clear coat that matters in this case.

[1976cb750f836]

Don't waste any time or $s on spray can Paint!
Get a cheap gun and play with it.
MUCH better results with gun.
Practise on scrap Piece?

[evinrude7]

no paint expert here but i will say if the can you buy has a nozzle that sprays a cone pattern replace the nozzle with one that sprays in a straight line fan shape.  makes a world of difference on your passes. 

[Stev-o]

I've tried to match a side cover twice [two bikes] and failed.

I suggest doing it right and get all body parts painted at the same time, you will be much happier with the results.

[yogi]

Thanks for all the advice. I think I will look into inexpensive sprayers. I do plan on donig a full restore at some point, including having the tank and sidecovers professionally done (and frame and new exhaust and...), but just don't have the $$ for that right now. I am mostly working on getting the bike mechanically sound and looking half-way decent.

[PeWe]

You can order aerosol to you bike
http://www.rsbikepaint.com/en-us/shop-paints.php?colourscheme=3855&2137=on

[katman]

If you don't know how to use a spray can you will fail. I personally used the spray can kit from VMR with excellent results. Been in a few shows and people can't believe it's a rattle can. It still won't match the tank perfectly because of slight fading I'm sure. I did my tank and side covers and it is a great match to the flake apricot. All depends on your prep work. Bike painted was a 75 750K

[Ace Blackwell]

Some ppl just gave that talent. Nice work. I personally never had much luck.

[swissjay]

I'm calling BS on those that think spray cans offer inferior results. Good/great paint jobs has more to do with experience than what you shoot it with.

[Yamahawk]

If you don't know how to use a spray can you will fail. I personally used the spray can kit from VMR with excellent results. Been in a few shows and people can't believe it's a rattle can. It still won't match the tank perfectly because of slight fading I'm sure. I did my tank and side covers and it is a great match to the flake apricot. All depends on your prep work. Bike painted was a 75 750K

Preparation is 90% of your paint work and success, whether you use rattle cans or a paint gun. I prefer to use a mini detail paint gun, as it lays down a nice stripe of paint on each pass, and I have got very nice results, even when I didn't have any idea of how to paint with one. But then, practice certainly makes one better, whether it is with a can of paint or a paint gun. If you do not spend the time and effort into producing a very nice primer coat, and surface preparation of the tank and side covers,etc. you won't get very good results using either.

[DV Red Herring]

Prep, product and skill. I did my bike with all spray cans. If you know what you're doing,  it can turn out good. If not, it might be worth your time and money to get it done by someone who does know

[PeWe]

One important thing I have learned about spray paint, professional gears or rattle can. Do not apply too much paint spraying until it will be glossy since a tsunami of paint will happen.
When spraying home, flies can be attracted. If a fly will land and get stucked, let it dry and remove later. Only the tips of legs might be left possible to polish.

[Dracon]

 I rattled canned my tank and side covers and I was pretty happy with the results. I know it’s not the same level of quality as a professional paint shop, but it is everything I wanted it to be. I did prep and prime everything really well before I sprayed and used 1K clear on after.

[Ace Blackwell]

Dracon, nice job and nice bike. Guess could just be me. I am having a hell of a time just rattle can painting a seat pan that no one will see lol.  Still think I will use a spray gun when I go to paint my tank and covers as a hold over until I can let professionals do what professionals do.

[Pan1cReaper]

Ive done a few rattle can jobs now.

[Davez134]

As already said, it's all in the prep. Also practice on a scrap piece to get the distance/speed down. Use a 2 part clear coat. Spraymax makes one in a can that you puncture the seal between the 2 parts before use. The tank,seat, oil tank, side covers took 2 cans of each color and clear. This was my first paint job, all from a can:





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[Terry in Australia]

Yep, I own a couple of compressors, several quality guns etc, but if you can get a good finish with a gun, you can get a good finish with a rattle can. Don't blame the product, improve your prep and application.

[RAFster122s]

Unless you own a compressor with enough power to operate a spray gun or touchup gun it is beyond a lot of hobbist grasp.  Without having experience shooting a good paint out of spray cans it has a curve to begin and master. Prep is a large part of it, but you also need to use a compatible primer beneath the paint.  Krylon has a reputation in past of being very finicky on base and sometimes would even wrinkle up ruining a paint job with Krylon beneath it.  So, painting the inside of a cover could test your paint.  Open up a gallon metal can and shape it sort of like a side cover hamering the middle flat with curved ends... practice on it. 

You want to paint the edges first with their passes when doing sidecovers then the flat portion.  Consistent distance and speed as well as angle you lay the paint down with can perpendicular to object.  Warm water bath helps atomizing of paint, shaken enough before and during to maintain a good mix.  Don't apply too much at one, very easy to lay it on too thick.  Can should have instructions on time between coats.  Better to lay it down in 4 light coats than one heavy always.  Too light a coat at end results in powdery dry finish, final coats are wetter than initial, but you fight the ragged edge of runs sometimes.

If you cannot paint anything with a spray can without runs, you are unlikely to have good results.

Practice with spray cans that are cheap....walmart $0.99 paint can be used to practice with.  It is a pretty good enamel paint in those $0.99 can actually.
Watch good youtube videos on how to manage a drip/run free paintjob...they can help.


Repaintsupply.com is a inexpensive source and can put anything you want in a good quality SprayMax can which has a good nozzle and the Spraymax hardener mix cans with puncture activator for the 2k polyurethanes are great clear coates that are gas friendly.  They can package regular 1k stuff in same cans.  Repainsupply

[Yamahawk]

That's good advice on how to learn painting! Experience is the best way to learn, I had my share of runs, wrinkling, etc. when I first started to paint stuff. I started with rattle cans, and got a fairly good job, but it wasn't gas-resistant, and that's what led me to try a paint gun and compressor. Now, the Harbor Freight mini-detail guns work very well, and I used it with their $99 8 gallon compressor. I also used a regulator on the bottom of the gun, and the desiccant filter also. They have a decent filter/dryer too, for about $30 that you hook up off of your compressor, and it takes the moisture and oil out of your air supply.
Once you have this set up, your painting can turn out really nice with some practice. The mini detail guns work very well, and can be re-used many times if you clean them well, with a lacquer thinner. I get mine from the Sherwin-Williams auto paint store, and it is cheapest if you buy the 5 gal can. I have their 22 gal upright compressor now, and it works well enough to power a little larger HVLP gun, those take a lot of volume, so your compressor need a lot of air flow.  But, those mini detail guns work the best for painting small items like tanks and side covers. If you're painting a car, now that's a different story, and you need a large compressor with a lot of volume for the regular size HVLP guns.
But, your best painting comes from the best preparation! Make sure that you sand out any defects in your primer coat, and wait for it to cure per the manufacturer's instructions! Also, between coats of paint, also follow the directions from your paint supplier for wait times and mixing your paint, reducer, and hardener.It does take a lot of time to produce a quality paint job. Good luck, I have confidence in your being able to do it.
Charlie

[Bailgang]

Used rattle can on my wife's cb350 earlier this summer. I had to strip 3 coats of paint off the tank and side covers first and then prep from scratch but after it was all primed I sprayed it with Duplicolor rattle can then topped it off with Spraymax 2k clear, color sanded any slight orange peal it had then hit it with polishing compound. I think it came out pretty good for a rookie painter.

[evinrude7]

Used rattle can on my wife's cb350 earlier this summer. I had to strip 3 coats of paint off the tank and side covers first and then prep from scratch but after it was all primed I sprayed it with Duplicolor rattle can then topped it off with Spraymax 2k clear, color sanded any slight orange peal it had then hit it with polishing compound. I think it came out pretty good for a rookie painter.

hell yeah.  that looks great.