# What tips do you have on painting a bicycle using a spray gun?



## Sped Man

I have a few bicycles in need of a respray. Their original finish is completely gone. I was wondering what spray gun do you guys use to paint your bicycle frames and any tips you might have for doing a professional job, like the type of paint you recommend, the type of clear to use etc...


----------



## Nick-theCut

Warm day, no wind.  Thin coats, 5-10 mins apart until happy with coverage.  "It's all about that base!"  Sand/primer/fine sand/primer... Etc.


----------



## SJ_BIKER

like nick said ... its all about prepping the surface. and when adding recoats..... wait till its very dry before recoating.... take your time....be mindful of too much paint in one section...lots of light coats is better than long runny drips, but remember the original factories did leave runs on paint jobs....they were cranking them out and some less than perfect paint jobs made it out to the masses.


----------



## momo608

I hope you realize that a guy could spend half a day answering a question like this. I'll put something together quick with the understanding you have at least some knowledge. Starting with a spotless clean bare metal smooth frame. I will also assume you can figure out what primer to use. Partition off a section in your garage or basement with plastic sheeting. Using a box fan or similar, make a rudimentary ventilation system by a door or window. You must do this to keep the bugs out and the over spray mist to a minimum. The best paint jobs these days are done with base coat clear coat systems. Metallics and especially pearls are the most difficult to achieve an even finish, solid colors are much easier. Any automotive brand base coat is fine, from Pete's paint to ppg or the cheaper stuff like Nason, they all work the same. Base coats go on pretty dry so running paint drips are almost hard to do unless you are a clod. You want a fast dry clear coat. This helps against runs and keep the bugs out of your final finish. I usually apply four to five coats of clear, starting with a mist coat and then laying it on heavy on the last couple coats so it goes on smoother. Let it sit for a week and then wet sand the frame with 2000 and hand buff it out with compound. I use 3M parts A and B. You will need a full pint of pearl paint to do a bike. You will need about half that with a solid color. Best to get a primer or sealer that is close to the desired final finish color. A rougher texture in a solid base coat color is hidden by the clear. A rough texture in a metallic or pearl base coat can be seen through the clear. So it is critical to start with a smooth as possible primed or sealed finish before the color goes on.

Clearing over decals requires more steps. One thing for sure, you must wet sand and buff to get decals to lay down without silvering. 

I highly recommend this clear. I also use this spray gun. I bought an expensive touch up gun but it is no better than this cheap one, in fact the expensive one wastes too much paint. All professional paint products have tech sheets available. You can find them online or your supplier can make you a copy. READ THEM! 

http://products.axaltacs.com/dcat/us/en/dr/product/HC-7776S.html

http://www.amazon.com/Grip-HVLP-Air-Touch-Gun/dp/B000GFIB8W


----------



## bricycle

Clean hands, low humidity, and not near dusk (moisture), no wind, bugs, cats, dogs near!


----------



## momo608

comment withdrawn for being counterproductive


----------



## bikewonder

If you use single stage automotiv paint with a hardenr, they won't look over done like dipped in plastic in momo pic.


----------



## pedal_junky

Definitely single stage enamel.


----------



## momo608

comment withdrawn for being counterproductive


----------



## Boris

momo608 said:


> Not one up vote for being helpful but three for a cheap shot. I love it!




This is the CABE, reason, as you know it, does not reign supreme here. Your answer sounded like it was backed up by years of experience and you were very forthcoming, so I'll be happy to give you a thumbs up for that, however I know absolutely nothing about painting other than you did an excellent job on your bike, from what I can tell.


----------



## squeedals

Nope.......hanging my to be painted parts from the clothes line.......LOL! 


Don


----------



## momo608

Just trying to help out with direct answers to direct questions.  

I got this from the CyclArt website. This is interesting reading. These guys are way better than I am for the custom work, but this will give an idea of how much work goes into professional quality paint jobs and the costs involved. Notice how everything above a basic no decal, no repair paint job, is at extra cost above the $695 price.  Typically I have around $160 in paint supplies into each frame, no decals. Chemically stripping a frame and preparing it for primer, 4 to 5 hours of labor not including any dent or ding repairs. In total without decals I'm looking at 12 to 15 hours of labor for a decal ready paint job. If you are going to put all this time and money into a paint job, you do not want to do it twice and you want it to look perfect.  

CyclArt
"You can send the bike to us in any stage of disassembly.  We have a full range of assembly services.  Please do not strip paint."

All CyclArt finishes include an alignment and crack check, and complete removal of old finish.  Then we proceed to one of these base finishes:

"Cat. 5",  is a really tough, powder coat finish. Looks like quality paint, but solvent free and very tough. Very chip resistant, a bit less protective against corrosion and fading. An excellent choice for mountain bikes or tight budgets. A wide, but not unlimited range of colors are available.Powdercoats may not be used on carbon or bonded components and not recommended for heat treated aluminum due to the high baking temperatures required.

The next step up, "Cat 3" is a wet paint finish including an epoxy primer for improved corrosion protection, hand sanding to correct minor pitting, more beautiful, unlimited selection of urethane colors, and a single coat of  urethane clear, applied before any decals or graphics.  These wet paint finishes are also tough, have better corrosion protection, have better film thickness control, may be use multiple colors and are safe on all frame materials.
Cat 2 provides all that Cat 3 does, plus extra clear coats which can be applied over decals and striping. As good or better than the best factory finishes.

Cat 1 is the ultimate bike finish. Additional coats and much more hand sanding can correct pitting or surface defects on rough frames.  On every frame we strive for the best finish possible , even applying multiple layers of clear over decals then sanding completely smooth before applying a glass-like final clear.

Depending on option choices like chrome, custom paint effects, braze-ons, decals etc.  Average for a CyclArt refinish is about $695. Manufacturers, dealers and  race teams get quantity discounts.


----------



## Duck

Dave Marko said:


> This is the CABE, reason, as you know it, does not reign supreme here. Your answer sounded like it was backed up by years of experience and you were very forthcoming, so I'll be happy to give you a thumbs up for that, however I know absolutely nothing about painting other than you did an excellent job on your bike, from what I can tell.



 By this reasoning ( as I understand it) I'll give it a thumbs up for snarkyness - and while not perfect, in time, I'm sure you'll catch on... *   Edit * I'm sorry; I didn't check first to see who already gave it a thumb's up, so I gave your long-winded post a little farther down a thumbs up. instead.


----------



## Duck

squeedals said:


> Nope.......hanging my to be painted parts from the clothes line.......LOL!
> 
> 
> Don



Hanging them up sounds much better then painting them on the lawn- I'll try that, next time.


----------



## Freqman1

I don't claim to be an expert at anything but my dad was a paint/body man for 50+ years and since about the age of six I've had sandpaper in my hand. That said the question I would ask are you doing a restoration or a restification, custom, or refurbishment. I can think of no balloon tire bikes that had factory clear coats and I don't believe the Schwinn radiant or opalescent paints were clear coated either. For that reason I do not use a clear coat when _restoring_ a bike. Otherwise go for it. As the others said preparation is the key to a quality job--I don't care how skilled you are with a gun you can't hide bad prep work with paint! As Momo brought out I have seen little ROI in using the absolute top shelf brands when their base product will generally produce satisfactory results provided you follow the manufacturers instructions. V/r Shawn


----------



## mike j

A lot of great points have been brought forth. You can't go wrong with the three P's. Preparation, preparation, preparation, everything else is secondary. Myself, probably do a little of all four, restoration, rectification, custom & refurbishment. Sometimes a little mixed together. Have never done a complete resto. though. They didn't use clear coats back then so you technically can't call it restored w/ one. More often then not, I will use rattle can, most likely Rustolium. It is by far, the most economical & they have some great colors, but those funky higher end cans drive me crazy w/ their performance issues. Been dabbling w/ hand pinstripping, then scuff it all & use a modern automotive urethane clear coat. Not perfect but pretty durable. And to answer the original question, while I'm on a roll. I use a regular siphon feed gun, have the detailing gun also, but don't use it much. Stopped hanging 'em from trees when I went hi-tech.


----------



## momo608

Freqman1 said:


> I I can think of no balloon tire bikes that had factory clear coats and I don't believe the Schwinn radiant or opalescent paints were clear coated either. For that reason I do not use a clear coat when _restoring_ a bike. Otherwise go for it. As the others said preparation is the key to a quality job--I don't care how skilled you are with a gun you can't hide bad prep work with paint! As Momo brought out I have seen little ROI in using the absolute top shelf brands when their base product will generally produce satisfactory results provided you follow the manufacturers instructions. V/r Shawn




A response not directed at anyone in particular.

True, Schwinn did not use clear coats on their paint jobs. Unfortunately no one is making anything to replace Scwinnn's translucent colors in anything other than base coat clear coat combinations. I still say looking at a 40 to 50 year old abused paint job and comparing that to a brand new base coat clear coat paint job and saying it looks too good is kind of ridiculous. These are year old pictures now, but they can still be ridiculed. I'm not taking any of this seriously so have at it. As far as I know, no one is making single stage replacements for any of these colors. Spray can paint is simply not an option for me on bicycle frames, it is very fragile, doesn't look very good and takes forever to fully cure. Please don't tell me that spray cans do as good of a job as Schwinn did because that simply is not true.


----------



## momo608

comment withdrawn for being counterproductive


----------



## Freqman1

The only part I didn't address was the gun. Personally I use a relatively inexpensive DeVilbiss HVLP gun for finish work but use an ancient (over 50 years old) siphon feed gun for primer/prep work. V/r Shawn


----------



## momo608

comment withdrawn for being counterproductive


----------



## squeedals

Like I said..I hang my parts on the clothes line so you can move around the piece with ease. I also use Krylon that has a micro-spray tip on the rattle cans now. Almost drip proof. After so many bikes you get pretty darn good with that can of paint. I will never use Rustoleum again as I've had real problems repeat coating with that crap. Krylon is good paint, dries fast and you can over coat anytime. I am getting glass like finishes. Dam Rustoleum also takes forever to dry and later over coats react with the previous coat with not so good results. 

Don


----------



## bikecrazy

My favorite gun is a Binks #15 touch up gun. Long out of production, it has been copied by the import makers. The gun was designed by Binks to be used for painting door jams and other tough places.


----------



## Freqman1

momo608 said:


> You use what paint brands that match what OEM colors? Spray paint in a can or spray gun paint? You said Schwinn did not use clear so you will not use it, fine, what is your alternative for Schwinns translucent colors, which most of them are from the late 50's and up, that do not require a clear coat? I threw the OEM colors in there because you make it sound like you have a source for OEM paints that do not require a clear coat. Reading what you wrote, it's not like I could go out there and buy anything with your advice. Aside from saying that prep is important, there is no help there. If he doesn't know that already, he's done before he starts. What happened to that guy anyway.
> 
> Someone mentioned 2 part single stage paint as an alternative to my "plastic dipped frames". What brand of single stage paint matches what colors in my photo? What brand of 2 part single stage matches any OEM color besides white or black?
> 
> I am also looking for new ideas or products I have not heard of before. I know solid advice when I hear it because it can be acted upon immediately. Sorry, just not seeing any of that.




Wow! I guess you haven't been around paint very much. I said I'm using a HLVP gun. Just about any color can be matched to OEM in a single stage acrylic enamel--pick a brand. Some of my work....


----------



## bikecrazy

I get good results with Krylon paint as well. I usually have to wait a week before I recoat though which can slow down the process. To clarify, you have 1 hour to apply the paint and recoat as many times as you want. After that hour or so is up You have to wait up to a week to recoat. Even at that, it helps to put on the first cat pretty dry.


----------



## JKT

----


----------



## JKT

bikecrazy said:


> My favorite gun is a Binks #15 touch up gun. Long out of production, it has been copied by the import makers. The gun was designed by Binks to be used for painting door jams and other tough places.




I believe Binks still makes this gun but is now model 115


----------



## GTs58

I wonder what spray can paint has to do with the question asked by the OP? 

*What tips do you have on painting a bicycle using a spray gun? *


----------



## momo608

comment withdrawn for being counterproductive


----------



## momo608

.comment withdrawn for being counterproductive


----------



## rustjunkie

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/faq.php?faq=vb3_board_faq#faq_guidelines


----------



## momo608

comment withdrawn for being counterproductive


----------



## the tinker

*One Shot Enamel*

I am also looking for new ideas or products I have not heard of before. I know solid advice when I hear it because it can be acted upon immediately. Sorry, just not seeing any of that.[/QUOTE]

Rustoleum spray can primer.  One Shot Striping paint applied with sponge brush.

The green Hawthorne is rustoleum spray green with One Shot Ivory brushed on.
The maroon Roadmaster  was entirely brush painted with One Shot maroon and ivory.
The red Hiawatha[with skirt guards ]is rustoleum red spray with ivory one shot brushed on.


----------



## momo608

the tinker said:


> I am also looking for new ideas or products I have not heard of before. I know solid advice when I hear it because it can be acted upon immediately. Sorry, just not seeing any of that.




Rustoleum spray can primer.  One Shot Striping paint applied with sponge brush.

The green Hawthorne is rustoleum spray green with One Shot Ivory brushed on.
The maroon Roadmaster  was entirely brush painted with One Shot maroon and ivory.
The red Hiawatha[with skirt guards ]is rustoleum red spray with ivory one shot brushed on.

That is amazing work with a sponge brush! I did not know that was possible with One Shot. I think I am a little too caught up with the high tech paints. I mostly paint cars and transferred that knowledge over to bikes and made the mistake in thinking it was this way or no way.


----------



## the tinker

What the heck is that? wild paint work! Nice guns too.


----------



## bikesnbuses

momo608 said:


> comment withdrawn for being counterproductive




Sorry.. Had to quote this..it made me laugh.. Only because this should be seen more in all forum's from OTHER members 
.
Your post on advice for painting was great BTW... Thanks!Jeff


----------



## momo608

the tinker said:


> What the heck is that? wild paint work! Nice guns too.




It is a WW1 German 25cm minenwerfer. I thought some excellent handy work as you demonstrated deserved an interesting response. The camo job is WW1 German but truth be told they would not have been as careful with the brush. The Germans were experimenting with all kinds of camouflage paint schemes and colors in the field during the war and this is one of them. It is called "lousange", usually consisting of three to five different colors. I copied this pattern from an original in a Brussels military museum.


----------



## momo608

bikesnbuses said:


> Sorry.. Had to quote this..it made me laugh.. Only because this should be seen more in all forum's from OTHER members
> .
> Your post on advice for painting was great BTW... Thanks!Jeff




God knows I made a lot of mistakes along the way and still do. I'm pleased to pass on anything that might help others. We are supposed to be having a good time with our hobbies, arguing over it is pretty stupid. I hope today I'm a better man than I was yesterday.


----------



## the tinker

momo608 said:


> God knows I made a lot of mistakes along the way and still do. I'm pleased to pass on anything that might help others. We are supposed to be having a good time with our hobbies, arguing over it is pretty stupid. I hope today I'm a better man than I was yesterday.[/QUOTE
> 
> Welcome to the club!


----------



## Ranger Dan

momo608 said:


> comment withdrawn for being counterproductive




I don't know what you said, but that ^ is courageous and humble, sir.  Upvote!


----------

