Bike Painting Tips

Step 2 Painting.

- Rustoleum Painters Touch primer and clear coat are my favorite. The primer dries super quick and bonds really well. The clear doesnt yellow and doesnt sag as much if you load it on too thick. I also really like Rusoleums American Accents paint. It comes in a ton of colors and they are almost all satin finish so each coat/layer bonds well. (No I dont work for Rustoleum, its just what my hardware store had and I like it.)

- I lay down two coats of primer and generally two coats of paint for each color. On the Cannondale I used three for the base tan color.

- I do a light sanding between coats of color with 600grit wet/dry paper. The paper cuts through low spots pretty quick so dont stay in one area too long. I dont sand when doing the detail bits.

- I like to use allot of clear for extra protection. Dont load it up in one big coat, use a couple light coats and let them dry in between.

Comments

[gold fish]

are we suppose to use 180 grit or 600 grit sandpaper?

[metrometro]

Both. 180 grit to remove paint. 600 grit to even out paint between layers.

The 600 will be very smooth paper compared to the 180.

[ckatzenburrger]

so, i want to paint my handlebars like a candy cane i.e. white with red spirals. would it turn out fine if I used white primer, taped it up like white swirls, did the red, took the tape off and clearcoated it? would that look terrible cause on some parts it was only primer and clearcoat?

[jeff-o]

Do you have any problems with dust attaching to the wet paint?  I always seem to have trouble with that...

[Troph]

acetone or denatured alcohol bath works very well between sanding as a grease/dust remover between coats. and is dirt cheap

[burpreynolds]

details would be nice here. Do you rinse the frame after sanding or just wipe it off? How long do you dry between primer & paint, and between coats of paint? I can never get paint jobs to take, so I want as many observations as possible from someone who can.

[brianhabicht]

I'll be finishing my instructable for my bike soon. I'll have detailed info on how to get a quality finish that sticks and looks good too.

[2wice]

Any recommendations on painting over a brand new paint job? A light sanding, primer, then color?

[brianhabicht]

 no primer needed on a fresh paint job, just rough it up with 600 grit. Or even better get one of those 3M maroon scuffing pads and give it a good sanding. wipe down with wax and grease remover and allow to dry. Be careful when choosing paints, I use duplicolor automotive lacquer because all of there automotive lacquers are compatible with each other. Good luck!

[Funkmasterlogan]

when putting the primer on you should put it on really wet, but be careful not to run it, then sand it with 800 grit WET until you get the orange peel off then use 1000 grit WET and then finally use a wax and grease remover, dont use anything silicone based or your paint wont stick, also after painting your bike you should put a few coats of clear the next day, so that the solvents in the paint have time to vaporize.

[brianhabicht]

 as in silicone paint you mean? enamel?

as far as putting the primer on, lighter coats with flash time between coats is the best for adhesion.  If your finish is rough and you need to build a sandable coat I would definitely lay down thicker coats. A few light coats of primer works great, I would say less is better (you don't need to empty a whole spray can, just 3-5 LIGHT coats). When sanding I would use a 600/800 dry ( with wet sanding you have to let it dry and make sure its completely dry before painting. I would say atleast 24hrs of dry time). Then wipe down with wax and grease remover and allow time to dry completely (some wax and grease removers evaporate very slowly, MAKE SURE IT IS DRY OR YOU WILL KNOW IT LATER). Hit it with a tack cloth right before your about to paint and your good to go!

[coolpizzadude]

would it be worth using clear coat I've hear that it can yellow and run easy.

[fastback570]

you get what you pay for, 99 cents is not gonna cut it if you want a nice job