# What type of paint to use?



## Heledir (Aug 24, 2010)

I sandblasted my 58 JC Higgins Flightliner today. Without access to an airbrush I'm going to get rattle cans. What kind of paint/primer should I buy?


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## HIGGINSFOREVER (Aug 25, 2010)

Go to a auto parts store and get DUPL-COLOR spray cans.Get sandable primer, after primer drys use 000 steel wool to gently wipe the frame down.When spraying keep the can moving and shake often.(The can not you) Then spray with clear laquer.TAKE YOUR TIME.


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## cyclingday (Aug 26, 2010)

I agree that for a durable finish, the Dupli-color is the best rattle can finish. The paint dries extremely fast, so you can work with it very well without the worries of drips runs or errors. The key as they say on the can is to take your time and build up the paint with light coats spread out over several minutes between coats. They also have a pretty good selection, if you're trying to match an original color.

 If your trying to match a distressed original paint bike, then I 've found the Krylon to be the easiest to work with. It is not as durable as the Dupli-color, so it takes a beating better. Some wetdry rub out and a good lashing with a few bundles of small guage cable, and you've got a pretty good likeness to a fifty year old paint job.


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## HIGGINSFOREVER (Aug 26, 2010)

The difference is dupli-color is a acrylic lacquer and krylon is a enamel.In 2008 krylon switched to enamel.What i like is with dupli-color is if you get a run you can wipe it out and keep going,with enamal you have to wait till it is dry then sand it out.Also you can wet sand lacquer after painting but since they came out with clear coat in a spray can there is no reason to wet sand.After painting well over 100 bikes with spray cans the best advice i can give is keep the can moving when spraying and shake the can often.I an not sure on this but i think all bicycle manufactures used lacquer.


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## 53Phantom (Aug 27, 2010)

Be aware that Dupli-color paint does chip and scratch very easily. It is a good paint but not nearly as durable as urathane base coat /clear coat or acrylic enamel. If you are careful with the bike, the Duplicolor will work fine. Go with at least 4 coats of clear instead of the recommended 2 coats. Use the Duplicolor red primer to fill any small scratches and imperfections, not the base coat of color. I like to wet sand the final coat after a week with 1000 grit paper and buff out the topcoat . This will remove any small flaws, dust, sand, bugs, and orange peel.


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## SirMike1983 (Aug 27, 2010)

Duplicolor is good if you are familiar with car paints. It dries fast and forms a nice finish, especially if you clear coat it. Beware though that Duplicolor is a hot solvent paint, as opposed to a straight oil-based enamel. This means it has a chemical composition that allows it to melt the layer below slightly to form a tighter bond. This is somewhat true of the spray, but most especially true of their little touch-up bottles. 

Krylon is OK-- does the job, but I don't like the fan nozzles they use on their cans. I used some on the saddle restoration I'm doing. I wouldn't want to use it for a whole bike. 

Rustoleum now makes a nice red primer that is especially resistant to rust. They also make decent spray.

The best way, in my book, is to have a batch of matching metal enamel made up and then to run it through a decent airbrush system. You can go to a paint shop, auto body supply shop or even a hardware store and get the paint computer matched and mixed to your specification. You then take the enamel and set it up to be run through your airbrush system and paint. If I were doing bulk restorations or a whole bike, I would consider investing in that system.


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## JLarkin (Aug 27, 2010)

I buy my paint from R&E Paint Supply in Mountain Home, AR.  Good prices on PPG value brand, Shopline.  Very competitive on putty and whatnot as well.  Best clear ever: SprayMax 2K Aerosol.  Put them on your list.  I just received a box full yesterday.


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## Elijaah (Jan 17, 2011)

depends on the plastic, dirt bikes normally use a pre colored polyethylene and nothing really sticks to it for very long, that's why they use stick on vinyl graphics, where as street bikes use a composite designed to be painted, so any paint can be used, but for best results automotive paint and plastic adhesion promoters along with a flex additive are used.


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