# Post your rattle can paint job



## Sped Man

Have you repainted a bicycle with a rattle can (commercial spray paint)? How did it come out? Please post photos and what paint you used and what we should avoid. Any tips? Any brands of spray paint we all should avoid?


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## Nick-theCut

VintageSchwinn.com paint.
Love the pre matched colors.  Wish it was a bit harder of a finish.  




I learned many a tip from a few members (Buster, Bricycle & Djshakes)

Your paint is only as good as your surface.  Sand, primer, sand, primer, sand, primer, sand, primer, sand. You get the idea.
Heat helps the layers bond, so working in a hot day or allowing it to cure in warmth helps.
I do about 3 coats, 5-10 mins apart.
The first layer isn't heavy, just a tacky basic cover.
Make sure your rattle can tip is clean for even spray.  
Make sure you have enough paint to finish the job.
Enamel paint without clear coat is the most original finish to vintage.


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## rollfaster

*I have to do a repaint...*

On an Evans interceptor 100 girls bike for my nephew. It will be for his girlfriend. I really do not like to paint, everyone that know me here knows I like original paint. But I have to do a pink and white cancer awareness theme on this one for her. Thank god this bike does not have nice paint to begin with. I will be using krylon watermelon pink on the frame and fork. I'll keep  y'all posted. Rob.


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## Duchess

Just Rustoleum or Krylon from one of the box hardware stores. IIRC, about 6 coats paint, 4 or so semigloss clearcoat with wet sanding at the end and light spot polishing. The graphics are inkjet decals.


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## Sped Man

Nick-theCut said:


> VintageSchwinn.com paint.
> Love the pre matched colors.  Wish it was a bit harder of a finish.
> 
> 
> 
> I learned many a tip from a few members (Buster, Bricycle &
> 
> Your paint is only as good as your surface.  Sand, primer, sand, primer, sand, primer, sand, primer, sand. You get the idea.
> Heat helps the layers bond, so working in a hot day or allowing it to cure in warmth helps.
> I do about 3 coats, 5-10 mins apart.
> The first layer isn't heavy, just a tacky basic cover.
> Make sure your rattle can tip is clean for even spray.
> Make sure you have enough paint to finish the job.
> Enamel paint without clear coat is the most original finish to vintage.




Nice job Nick-thecut. Thanks for the tips.


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## DonChristie

As said prep is key and temperature! I shoot early in the morning when wind is calm then let bake in hot sun. My Dx was done that way 3 yrs ago.


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## cadillacbike

*rattle can*

Krylon, And just like Nut-thecut said. A lot of prepping.


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## ivrjhnsn

I did this one with Krylon , many years back . Happy with the outcome. Just have to do several coats , finish with as wet a coat as you can without having it run ,and you'll get a nice shine .


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## JChapoton




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## mike j

*Rattle canned*

I've been liking some of the Rustoleum satin colors that are fairly new. They seem muted, period  & match the patina'd chrome better than a high gloss. You can also gloss them up w/ clear coat.


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## 37fleetwood

ok, so which of my bikes wasn't rattle can?

while I did have it custom mixed, the tank on this was painted with spray cans.






this was all rattle cans, even the pin stripes!





this one was Duplicolor, just happened to be an exact match for the original color.





this one was Walmart $0.96 per can blue and cream





rattle cans all the way!





one of my first rattle can jobs.





there were more if you want photos I'll look for them.


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## Talewinds




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## jd56

The wife's choice of yellow...
Kylon was used.


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## spoker

paint is paint it doesnt care what it comes outa,prep and finish are important and most aerosoles today hae sumscreen,thats why inside only pait is less expensive,believe it or not your terminology will help you do a better job,i personally like aerosol and plastic filler vs rattle can and bondo,rattle can somehow says your work is 2ng class,go to a body shop and you might be suprized how many aerosole cans are there,weld through primer for example


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## bike

*Paint is paint?*



spoker said:


> paint is paint it doesnt care what it comes outa,prep and finish are important and most aerosoles today hae sumscreen,thats why inside only pait is less expensive,believe it or not your terminology will help you do a better job,i personally like aerosol and plastic filler vs rattle can and bondo,rattle can somehow says your work is 2ng class,go to a body shop and you might be suprized how many aerosole cans are there,weld through primer for example




I have seen rattle can jobs with TONS of prep- they look great!@

Take your fingernail and pop it off- even with prep- 

In my experience, the very expensive auto paints have superior adhesion and plasticity, so if you value your time why not go the extra buck and have something that lasts.


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## St.Peter

*fun theme bike*

This is a fun rattle can project


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## antque

*1950's Schwinn Streamline, Spray Can Painted*

this bike was painted with lacquer car spray can paint even the pin-striping was done using spray cans and masking tape.


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## rollfaster

*You guys do great work*

And nice results with rattle cans I must say. My problem is I tend to get in a hurry. That useally ends of in a poorly painted bike.


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## bricycle

These are rattle can except for straight bar tank.


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## twomorestrokes

'62 Typhoon in Radiant Rustoleum...


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## militarymonark




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## militarymonark

This one was paint matched using a rattle can


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## militarymonark




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## CrankBreaker

*20" Muscle Bike Spray Bomb Job*

I built this for my dad's classic car restoration shop, he wanted a "simple, cool looking bike" for display in his show room. A relatively easy bike rebuild, all spray bombed with Krylon Flat Black and Flat White, Black Metallic Engine Enamel and Chevy Red Dupicolor. A lot of the time spent was prepping this thing for paint, and the big bummer is that no mater how many coats of the flat black you put on, it can chip extremely easy down to the primer! Added a Soviet MV3 head badge for grins!

From what I do know, it's a Sears Free Spirit bike, which I found the head "sticker" when sandblasting the frame, but have no idea on the year and whatnot. The only info I have is from an estate sale on an Ebay Auction that had this same bike, originally blue with a white banana seat but no solid info on the details. If anyone has any knowledge on these bikes, it would be cool to know a little something about it. Nonetheless, cant beat the free barn picks, the bike also included some hay texture, bat-crap polka-dots and and a viscount seat, which I fixed up and traded towards a '72 Schwinn Breeze for m'lady.


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## St.Peter

*Rustolium*

A project from a few years back.


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## St.Peter

*Rustolium*

This was I a bike I put together for the Tour de Fat bike ride in Portland Oregon when they used to bring their event out here


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## MR D

I completed this girls bike using rattle cans. The green bikes are also done with cans!


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## jimbo53

1953 Roadmaster Luxury Liner painted with Krylon enamel rattle can. Lots of prep-sanding, degreasing, primer, paint, clear coat.


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## rustystone2112

*Delta disease*

Rattle can paint jobs i did back in 1997/98 USUING TESTORS the small short cans, they don't come in a regular size can


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## bricycle

Rattle can rules!!!!!!!  Save $$$ and poison yourself at the same time. yeah!


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## mike j

Lookin' really good. You can wear a mask w/ rattle cans also.


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## the tinker

Painting a bike with the canned spray and having it turn out looking like the bikes posted here shows two things: Hard work and love of this hobby."Thumbs  up" to every bike posted!


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## Robertriley




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## catfish

This one.


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## bricycle

mike j said:


> Lookin' really good. You can wear a mask w/ rattle cans also.




...I know, but my nieghbor might think I'm a terrorist.....


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## bikecrazy

I really admire a person who goes through all that trouble to restore a vintage bicycle,or build one to suit their personal needs. Especially when the results are so stunning.


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## VintageSchwinn.com

My first full rattle can job just to test my paints when I first started them, Mead Brown and Mead Tan over HiFill rattle can red primer on a '35 Cycleplane.  Painted about 10 years ago, still looks solid.


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## spoker

u-pol cear is good,you can also get hardened clear in aerosol now,u just activate it when your ready to spray


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## catfish

VintageSchwinn.com said:


> My first full rattle can job just to test my paints when I first started them, Mead Brown and Mead Tan over HiFill rattle can red primer on a '35 Cycleplane.  Painted about 10 years ago, still looks solid.




Very nice! I've been meaning to stock up on some of your paints. I had a list going of what I needed.... But the list keeps getting longer. I guess I need to get to some of my project bikes.......   Catfish


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## sleepy

mike j said:


> You can wear a mask w/ rattle cans also.




So true. Nowadays people panic and wither at the slightest trace of an airborne carcinogen....they never would have survived the 50's/60's!


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## dodgerblue

Maybe someone else has given this advice out and I just never saw before . You can get excellent results from a rattle can if you heat your tap water as hot as you can get it . Stick can in water for 10 minutes or so . When you hit trigger it'll spray so nice . Also any rattle can paint can be decanted and shot through air gun . I have even used nail polish w/ reducer of course with great results . I hope this helps somebody . Michael / Dodgerblue ...


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## Freqman1

dodgerblue said:


> Maybe someone else has given this advice out and I just never saw before . You can get excellent results from a rattle can if you heat your tap water as hot as you can get it . Stick can in water for 10 minutes or so . When you hit trigger it'll spray so nice . Also any rattle can paint can be decanted and shot through air gun . I have even used nail polish w/ reducer of course with great results . I hope this helps somebody . Michael / Dodgerblue ...




I've used that technique for years with model cars. I always boil water so it doesn't take as long to heat the can--just don't walk away and forget about it or part of your kitchen will be a different color! V/r Shawn


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## Ozark Flyer

*1940 Schwinn B*

The red B model not the Streamliner.  Done with Dupli-Color dark red lacquer.  Nice tips on that brand.


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## Freqman1

My 'rat' Phantom... V/r Shawn


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## bobcycles

antque said:


> this bike was painted with lacquer car spray can paint even the pin-striping was done using spray cans and masking tape.




*Ariiiiight........HAD to chime in on this one.   About 10 years ago while travelling to upstate NewYork to buy a bicycle collection with Tiny Timmy B, we were at an amtrak depo in I THINK Syracuse NY when I spotted a clean Red Phantom on Craigslist.  Being the gentleman that I am, I ordered Tim to pack the Amtrak load up carefully and to 'make it quick' while I zipped up the hill to look at this red Phantom.  Well the Phantom belonged to Rick and it was really just a killer orig bike, had to buy it and another red Phantom Rick had as well.  On my way out, Rick stopped me and said......"Hey check this out!"   So we went down into the basement/shopspace of his house and there against the wall was this Streamliner.  The bike blew me away.  It LOOKED like an NOS Bike.  Not a 'resto' at all but a NOS original bike. In fact, Rick didn't say anything about restoring it at first, and simply asked what I thought of the bike.  I asked him how he found such an UNTouched Original bicycle that truly looked NOS from 5 or 10 feet away.   Rick then pointed to a shelf on the wall where several empty cans of spray paint were lined up.  The tools of the trade.   The bike was a MIND blower.   I had never met Rick before,  but explained to him how many 'restored' bikes I'd seen at shows, plus done a number myself and how what HE had accomplished with those spray cans, what few could even do with auto-quality products.  I don't know how many people I told that story to over the years but it really stuck with me, and thanks to the CABE got reaquainted with Rick a couple of years back.  This bike has to be SEEN to be believed!  Totally nailed a top quality job with the 'cans' man!

*


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## mike j

*I strayed from the can...now I'm back*

A while ago, I decided that I needed to paint this bike this color. I don't know why now, but anyway. Paid 115.00 for a pint at the auto parts store. They explained that the new reds are expensive. Well, right after I'm done, Rustolium came out with the color in their annoying high end 6.95 cans. I usually clear coat w/ a urethane any way. Expensive lesson learned the hard way, of course.


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## kermit

Rattle Rattle  Rattle


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## jkent

This whole topic leads me to ask a question.
When your buying a Restored bicycle does it matter to you the amout of money you will pay for a bicycle if it was restored with rattle can paint? Even if it looks really good?
Would it upset you if you bought a bicycle that had been restored and later on you find out that the bike had been painted with rattle can paint?
From some of the paint jobs I have seen it looks like it would be hard to tell the difference.
But what does this do to the quality of the restoration? Quality of the paint? I know you can get quality paint in a can and even have custom paint mixed up and canned. but is there a difference in the longevity of the paint job from rattle can to spray gun?
JKent


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## bricycle

I'm a Dupli-Color fan from way back. But am pissed off at them for down sizing their cans. no tiny ones either now, just one size and nail polish size bottles!!!!!!!!!


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## catfish

jkent said:


> This whole topic leads me to ask a question.
> When your buying a Restored bicycle does it matter to you the amout of money you will pay for a bicycle if it was restored with rattle can paint? Even if it looks really good?
> Would it upset you if you bought a bicycle that had been restored and later on you find out that the bike had been painted with rattle can paint?
> From some of the paint jobs I have seen it looks like it would be hard to tell the difference.
> But what does this do to the quality of the restoration? Quality of the paint? I know you can get quality paint in a can and even have custom paint mixed up and canned. but is there a difference in the longevity of the paint job from rattle can to spray gun?
> JKent




It always matters how much you pay for a bike. What matters more is asking the right questions, and getting the right answers. Not vague answers, or the run around. Honesty is the best policy.


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## catfish

Rattle can restos have been around for a long time. I've seen many of them that were top notch jobs. You realy need to know what your doing, and take your time.


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## kermit

To jkent....I sold a Pierce chaindrive to a guy and give him a can for touch ups... All of a sudden (later) the paint wasn't automotiveand made such a freakin crybaby tantrum I sent some money back just to shut him up. The paint job looked good just wasn't Automotive Paint...O WELL...


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## VintageSchwinn.com

The paint I sell in my cans is the EXACT paint I sell as touchup paint and it is super expensive spray gun paint from Sherwin-Williams that I have pumped into cans, hence the not cheap prices.  This is the same paint used on cars.  The only difference in the cans is the cure time is a bit longer as there's no hardener added.  It's all in the technique and skill !


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## momo608

VintageSchwinn.com said:


> The paint I sell in my cans is the EXACT paint I sell as touchup paint and it is super expensive spray gun paint from Sherwin-Williams that I have pumped into cans, hence the not cheap prices.  This is the same paint used on cars.  The only difference in the cans is the cure time is a bit longer as there's no hardener added.  It's all in the technique and skill !




Which Sherwinn Williams product is it?


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## Freqman1

Most auto paint stores now will mix and put the paint in an aerosol. These aren't your typical rattle cans and generally have a broader spray pattern. I, personally, have not used them because I have a decent gun/compressor and it is more economical for me compared to using these cans. V/r Shawn


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## dodgerblue

This is a great thread for someone who might be a little gun shy about doing a good spray job on a bicycle him or herself . Prep , prep , and just slow down . If you got no time and dont mind making somebodies house payment send it to the pros . But , much more satisfaction doing it yourself , standing back knowing exactly where your mistakes are and just SMILE . Great satisfaction doing yourself . Michael / Dodgerblue ...


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## momo608

Freqman1 said:


> Most auto paint stores now will mix and put the paint in an aerosol. These aren't your typical rattle cans and generally have a broader spray pattern. I, personally, have not used them because I have a decent gun/compressor and it is more economical for me compared to using these cans. V/r Shawn




It's a lacquer paint color matched. It's not a urethane that requires a hardener.


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## GTs58

momo608 said:


> It's a lacquer paint color matched. It's not a urethane that requires a hardener.





VintageSchwinns paint is an acrylic enamel and I believe Freqman1 was referring to that type of paint. Not sure if you can get acrylic lacquer from paint suppliers in some of the states but Dupli-Colors Touch Up series (in a spray can) is a lacquer. They also have pre thinned lacquer in quart cans but only in specific solid colors and in three candy colors. Dupli Color is a division of Sherwin Williams.


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## catfish

dodgerblue said:


> This is a great thread for someone who might be a little gun shy about doing a good spray job on a bicycle him or herself . Prep , prep , and just slow down . If you got no time and dont mind making somebodies house payment send it to the pros . But , much more satisfaction doing it yourself , standing back knowing exactly where your mistakes are and just SMILE . Great satisfaction doing yourself . Michael / Dodgerblue ...




Great advice.


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## momo608

GTs58 said:


> VintageSchwinns paint is an acrylic enamel and I believe Freqman1 was referring to that type of paint. Not sure if you can get acrylic lacquer from paint suppliers in some of the states but Dupli-Colors Touch Up series (in a spray can) is a lacquer. They also have pre thinned lacquer in quart cans but only in specific solid colors and in three candy colors. Dupli Color is a division of Sherwin Williams.




I'm still waiting for Vintage Schwinn to tell us what SW product he's putting into spray cans. He claims it's the same paint as the hardener activated paint but without the hardener. Let's say I'm suspicious. As far as you and Freqman1, I have doubts about anything you put up here. Past exchanges tell me you both do not know what your talking about.


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## Duchess

You can put automotive paint into Preval sprayers—they're graduated glass jars (which makes mixing easy) with screw on aerosol cans. The jar with aerosol are about $5 and additional aerosol cans are about $3. I'm using them on my 2000 "Iver Johnson Major Taylor". Base coat came out perfect, but I botched the clear coat in a hurry and due to not anticipating the effect of the dramatic cooling of the aerosol can during use (I plan on swapping cans between coats or half-coats as needed and keeping them in a box with a hair dryer to keep them warm). I wet sanded the orange peel and it's ready to go as soon as the humidity cooperates. Rattle cans are easier, IMO, but the results are far more fragile (which is why I specifically chose a military theme for my rattle can as that wouldn't look so terrible when chipped and poorly blended repairs would add to the military field use effect).


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## momo608

I was looking around and I found this. Much needed info that will help guide people through this maze of mass confusion and deception when the topic of painting comes up. A little dated but not much has changed since this was written. Let's hope it fits in the reply. 

Automotive Paint - Beginner's Guide

It's cool to paint your own car, but talking to the guy at the paint store may cause you to reconsider your plan. Enamel? Urethane? Two-part? Single-stage? The terminology alone can send many people right back out the door. We'll help you sort through some of the confusion with a parts-store cheat sheet, share some of our knowledge based on personal experience, talk to a couple of pro painters, and illustrate some of the latest trendy ideas that even the novice can pull off.

The Basics
All paints are made up of three ingredients: binder, pigment, and a carrier agent. Pigment, or tint, is self-explanatory-it's the color you see. Binder is often referred to as resin, and it can be helpful to think of it like tree sap, that thick, sticky hydrocarbon liquid that hardens when exposed to air. And carrier agent refers to the solution that the resin is suspended in. It keeps the binder in liquid form until it is applied, at which time it either evaporates or chemically bonds to the surface of the car.

Automotive paint resins are usually one of the following three chemical compounds: lacquer, enamel, or urethane. Lacquer is difficult to find (and illegal to spray) in pollution-controlled areas of the country, but it's worth mentioning because you'll still hear guys waxing poetic about hand-rubbed lacquer. The appeal of lacquer is that it's easy to spray, and it dries to a smooth, glossy show-car finish. Compared to today's paints, though, lacquer is crap because it needs a lot of maintenance in the form of waxing and buffing, and it becomes brittle with age. Exposure to sunlight accelerates its aging, and if not religiously maintained, lacquer will be cracked and chalky in a few years. It's also the gross polluter of the paint world because lacquer cures by drying rather than chemically bonding to the car. In other words, the liquid portions of the paint evaporate, leaving the tinted resin, or color coat, behind. Those liquid portions are highly toxic solvents like toluene that don't react well with Green Party members. So lacquer is great for a show car that spends 90 percent of its life in a climate-controlled garage, but not practical on a driver.

That leaves enamels and urethanes as the remaining options. To confound novice painters, there are many varieties of these resins. There are synthetic, acrylic, and even hybrids of the two (urethane enamel, for example). But in general, urethane and enamel refer to the chemistry of the hydrocarbon polymers that form the resin of the paint. And that chemistry affects the look and durability of the finish, how it is sprayed on the car, and, of course, how much it costs.

Seeking clarity, we spoke to some industry insiders about the differences between these two compounds, and all were in agreement: Enamels are a softer resin, usually dry to a glossy finish, and are less expensive than urethanes. Urethanes are generally a more durable product but can be more difficult to spray. Most new cars are painted with a type of urethane, and most collision repair shops use urethane to repair damage. Maaco, Earl Scheib, and 1-Day Paint often use enamels for their economy.

Single-stage, Two-component
Once you've chosen the type of paint you'll be spraying, you may have a couple more options: One- or two-part? Single-stage or basecoat/ clearcoat?

One- or two-part (or -component) is also referred to as 1K or 2K, and it simply means that the paint either does or does not require an activator to dry. One-part products are ready to spray-they may need to be diluted with a solvent, sometimes referred to as a reducer or thinner, to flow through the spray gun properly, but they will dry on their own. Usually one-part paints are not used to repaint an entire car. Nearly all aerosol-can paints are one-part, as are One Shot pinstriping enamels and specialty products like Eastwood's Chassis Black.

Two-part products need an activator, sometimes referred to as a hardener, to stimulate the chemical reaction that causes the components of the paint to cross-link and bond to the surface of the car. We refer to this chemical reaction as "drying," though it really is not drying in the sense of evaporating. Unactivated two-part paint will not dry on its own and therefore has a longer shelf life than one-part paint. For the suede and kustom guys, it's worth noting that two-part products are weatherproof and nonporous. You can leave your car in a 2K primer and not worry about the sheetmetal rusting from the inside out.

Single-stage paint dries to a glossy finish and does not need a clearcoat, whereas the basecoat, or color coat, of a basecoat/clearcoat (BC/CC) system dries to a matte or semigloss finish. The subsequent coats of clear paint are what make it shine. Which one is better? In terms of quality, both are good; it just depends on what color you want. If you want a basic red, black, yellow, or whatever, you can save yourself some time and money by using a single-stage paint-you will not need to clearcoat it. If you want a metallic finish, there are some available in single-stage, but you may be better off with a BC/CC system. The extra layer of clear is added protection against scratches and chips, and it allows for more wet-sanding for an ultrasmooth gloss. If you're thinking about something wilder like a metalflake or pearl, you must use a BC/CC system because the metalflake and pearl treatments are sprayed in between the color and clearcoat.



So those are the basics to arm yourself with before going to the paint store. If you are still up for painting your car, Brian Ferre, a painter for over 30 years and an instructor at Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC), says today's paints are the best they have ever been. He recommends that you pick a brand and use its products throughout the entire paint job. That way each layer, from etching primer to topcoat, will be compatible. Chemistry can vary from brand to brand, and mixing products can sometimes cause strange things to happen to the finish. You don't want to have to sand off your newly clearcoated car because the basecoat started lifting off the primer. For a step-by-step of a recent paint job we did, check out the April '07 issue, in which we gave the CC/Rambler a BC/CC paint job. For our experiments we decided to check out some of the less expensive single-stage paints, as well as a water-based paint from Auto-Air Colors.

Waterborne And Water-Based Paint
California is in the process of further lowering the amount of air pollution emitted by automotive paints, and its guidelines are usually adopted by many other areas of the country within a few years. Even though modern paints don't dry by evaporation, some chemicals called volatile organic compounds (V0Cs) are released when the paint is atomized at the tip of the spray gun and as the paint cures. These VOCs are what allegedly put holes in the ozone layer, rot your brain, and cause confusion, poor math scores, plagues, famines, and other natural disasters. Actually, most of the ingredients in paint are poisonous, and some of the solvents are things like isocyanates-chemicals closely related to cyanide that were used to execute people in the gas chamber-so it is worth looking into eliminating some of these byproducts.

Waterborne paints are the generally accepted solution to that problem. While they're still solvent-based, meaning the carrier agents are petroleum products, the carrier and binder will mix with water, and water is in fact one of the ingredients of the carrier agents in these paints that evaporates as part of the paint-curing process. Waterborne paints have been the industry standard in Europe for several years because regulations are more stringent than in the U.S. There's no need to fear waterborne paints-when was the last time you saw bad paint on a new BMW? All of the major brands available in the U.S., such as PPG, DuPont, and Sherwin-Williams, will be bringing their versions of waterborne paints to market soon.

While the big guys scramble to get their waterborne paints out, there is a small company in Connecticut that has been making completely water-based automotive paint for almost 30 years. Auto-Air Colors started in 1978, marketing its products to custom painters and airbrush artists. Craig Kennedy now runs the company begun by his parents, and we spoke to him about its paint. "Basically, it starts out as a giant blob of plastic," he says, referring to the acrylic polymer that forms the resin for Auto-Air's products. "We then add things to it to keep it in a liquid state." The majority of Auto-Air's carrier agent is water, which separates it from other waterborne paints. Auto-Air has no solvents and emits no VOCs as it dries. "You could drink it if you want to, though we don't recommend it," Kennedy says. He happily sent us a quart of basic black to try out, which we took to Ferre at LATTC so he could show us how to use it.

Since no one makes a water-based clearcoat, you'll have to spray a solvent-based clear over an Auto-Air basecoat. The company offers a wide variety of colors and a lot of cool custom options, from candies and pearls to metalflake and fluorescent colors. Kennedy says the trends he's seeing now are subtle two-tone paint jobs and pearl accents being used on body lines. "Real fire is dead," he says. "We're seeing a lot more toned-down paint jobs, and the two-tone is coming back." Judging by the ease with which our basic black went on, we may just try out a custom paint job of our own. Stay tuned for the outcome.


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## momo608

Duchess said:


> You can put automotive paint into Preval sprayers—




The problem with these types of sprayers are the nozzles and the decline in pressure from the aerosol can. Once the nozzle starts to get plugged up, the party is pretty much over. Base coat paint is very thin so much easier to get it through the nozzle. Clear coat is much thicker and this where most of the problems start. Even on a small project like a bicycle, small compared to a car anyway, you will need quite a few of these aerosol cans to do the job. These sprayers are good for something like a chain guard, but a whole bike? 

These days you can get a decent compressor for about $100, a spray gun for around $35. Probably a couple hundred total to start spraying, but then your set for many paint jobs.


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## THE STIG

shelf rattle can........


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## mike j

Nice... & I like that anti-theft device on the seat!


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## Duchess

The nozzles do suck for the Prevals on clear and if one was planning to do a lot of bikes, it would be nice to have a real setup, but I need a place to put a compressor and a compressor that can handle a high volume of air (if I'm going to bother taking up garage space with equipment I'd use once or twice, it should be able to handle a car where it would save me actual money if this useless house didn't keep taking my car restoration fund), which I've never seen anywhere near $100 even with bad reviews. With the cost of 2K paint and clear and time I've spent, I'd never do this again as it would've been hardly more to have a shop do it and it wouldn't be wasting my time and space (the reason I didn't is that I'd have to have them shoot the base, then I had to take it back for the decals and pinstripes, then drop it back for them to do the clear). I still might just have them shoot the clear as I don't want to ruin it (again) now and as the prep is all done, they could probably just use the excess from a car job, so it would be nothing for them to do. Next time will be rattle cans (the clear coat for which was easy to shoot) or powder coat.


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## THE STIG

this will be swingn from a tree soon


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## GTs58

THE STIG said:


> this will be swingn from a tree soon
> ]




I thought for sure you were the clothes line type. Less overhead fall out.  lmao


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## Osterr

Rattle can red devil enamel


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## the tinker

Ya gotta admit folks, for a rattle-can job, these bikes look real good!


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## Joe Buffardi

*My favorite Schwinn*

Rattle can C Model.


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## pedal_junky

Joe Buffardi said:


> Rattle can C Model.



Very nice Joe, great looking bike.!


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## pedal_junky

And there's no question you can have a fantastic looking paint job with a can. I think the job from a gun, properly done, is more durable.


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## Joe Buffardi

Thank you man!!


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## VintageSchwinn.com

momo608 said:


> I'm still waiting for Vintage Schwinn to tell us what SW product he's putting into spray cans. He claims it's the same paint as the hardener activated paint but without the hardener. Let's say I'm suspicious. As far as you and Freqman1, I have doubts about anything you put up here. Past exchanges tell me you both do not know what your talking about.




It is a single-stage acrylic enamel that was formulated to match the original paint from Schwinn I took to them in the original cans years ago.  Luckily my particular state allows it to be mixed and sold.  In many states, you can't purchase it.  You can doubt whatever you want.  Knock yourself out.


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## VintageSchwinn.com

Not sure what "past exchanges" you refer to, "Momo68" - I have never spoken to you and have no clue who you are.


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## Freqman1

He was referring to me in "past exchanges". Basically I was called a liar and stupid by this self-proclaimed paint expert. I'm glad there is an "ignore" feature here. V/r Shawn


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## spoker

someday when some one makes a statement about a procedure or the product that was used to achieve to get the final results maby their opiniun might have some merit,in other words stop talkin outta your azz,paint is paint,it doesnt care if it came in your kids baby bottle.


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## THE STIG

couple you tube vids, BAM!  you can be a bodyman by noon


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## Gsbecker

Here is mine...this is what got me started! Found in an alley waiting for the garbage truck...frame, springer fork, seat and chain. All badly rusted. Cleaned, sanded primed and repainted the best I could as a teenager...finished with proper handle bars, cranks, wheels and light much later!


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## mike j

Nice... dumpster diving at it's best.


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## spoker

bikes are my second thing 2 do alley crusin is first be suprized the things u see and the ppl u meet,except stay away from the drug areas!!!!


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## Local 13

*My Twin Flex all rattle caned up!*

I'm new to The CABE, but not to bikes. 
This is my first post so forgive me if I screw it up. 
I wish I could have saved the paint on this one but it was too far gone. 
This thing was kind of a bracket case when I got it.
I really just wanted to get some paint on it to keep it from rusting further and it just came together. I may just leave it alone. What do the CABErs think?
Any major criticisms from the Huffman experts?
Chris


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## bricycle

Welcome!  she looks mighty fine to me!


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## Local 13

*Thanks.*

I,m almost certain it's a 38 but I'm not completely sure. 
Maybe someone can  help me out here? 
Maybe point out if I'm headed in the right direction?


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## bricycle

Local 13 said:


> I,m almost certain it's a 38 but I'm not completely sure.
> Maybe someone can  help me out here?
> Maybe point out if I'm headed in the right direction?




You may wish to post this as a thread in '33 to '65 balloon bikes as a question. More will see there.


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## rustystone2112

*shake, rattle, & roll*

Testors Jade green & Sapphire blue, the little short stubby cans  with Rustolium ivory


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## tikicruiser

I painted my Monark almost 35 year's ago with I think it was Rustoleum green and white.I didn't have the chainguard at the time so that was a different paint, As far as using a spraygun being more durable look at the pic's ,spray bombed in 1980. Doesn't look so bad to me...Bill


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## chucksoldbikes

i get my paint from drust and company  they will mix the  color u want  and put it in a spray can i take a  couple   chips off   the    bike   for instance a schwinn and they can make the  paint  just like schwinn did  or the krate man in arazonia  pete the  krate man  and sherman  williams  mixes  his paint  for him just  for him  nobody else   chucksoldbike son the cabe  or  cpcsps@yahoo.com


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## Robertriley

I rattle canned a my tank and rack to then added patina to match the frame and fork.


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## cadillacbike




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## chucksoldbikes

here is  my rattle can jobs both  rattle can and there  both probably  painted  12  maby  15  years ago

chucksoldbikes on the cabe


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## Robertriley

The red flat Tank is a rattle can patina job but pinstriping by the one & and only "Tom"


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## bricycle

View media item 1712View media item 1713Duplicolor the old tall cans. (tank is original tho- paint under fenders was identical original)


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## spoker




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## Robertriley

Here's one I did a while back.  I never use clear, it would make it look too shiny.


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## Robertriley

I had to match the color and patina on a few parts on the one.


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## Rollo

... I did these two a while back  ... Kool Orange Pete paint rattle can lacquer ... and custom mix candy violet and silver base put in a spray bomb ...


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## stoney

Wow, looks like a fantastic job on that Orange Krate. My favorite, orange and '68


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## bicycle larry

THE STIG said:


> shelf rattle can........
> View attachment 595391
> View attachment 595392
> View attachment 595393



as allways very nicely done stig looks reel good .


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## spoker

rustystone2112 said:


> *shake, rattle, & roll*
> 
> Testors Jade green & Sapphire blue, the little short stubby cans  with Rustolium ivory
> 
> View attachment 241304did you use a clear coat and rub it? nice work
> 
> View attachment 241305
> 
> View attachment 241306
> 
> View attachment 241307
> 
> View attachment 241308


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## rustystone2112

Yes urethane  acrylic automotive, no rubbing this is straight out of the gun clear coat, base coat is rattle can


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## Pauliemon

My 1936 Schwinn C model.


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## mike j

Rattle & a good clear coat, someone else mentioned this. If you aren't affiliated with some type of auto body shop, it is very difficult to go w/ strictly automotive quality materials throughout. I think that a good etching primer is key. Between Rustolium & Krylon, they have some really great colors. Oregano, aged bronze, w/ colonial red stripping, all Rustolium, urethane clear coat on this one.


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## 56 Vette

Some amazing work coming from can!!


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## bairdco

Western flyer, rattle can, hydroden peroxide and salt:



 

Blue on blue, fishnet stockings:



 

Rustoleum 2x cover:



 

Orange Duplicolor metalcast fake annodized paint and black:


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## barneyguey

Sped Man said:


> Have you repainted a bicycle with a rattle can (commercial spray paint)? How did it come out? Please post photos and what paint you used and what we should avoid. Any tips? Any brands of spray paint we all should avoid?




Cleanliness, Cleanliness, Cleanliness and some more Cleanliness!


I bought as Advertised off the Web: Original Schwinn Maroon factory matched paint (or something to that effect) in rattle cans. I think the Guys name was Aaron something. I liked the paint, but had a hard time getting my orders. I still need to pin stripe it but it turned out good. When I bought the bike it had all been sand blasted except the fork, I wish it hadn't been blasted. I bet the rest of the paint was real nice. The forks cleaned up nice so I left them alone. Check them out, you can see some chips but the original paint is NIIIICCE.


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## KelRod

Used PPG.


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## THE STIG

not just prep,prep,prep,prep 
ancient chinese secret 
....... did you ever wonder why it sticks to the non prep'd sufaces (vise,table floor, etc) but scratch's off easy on your "prep" jobs


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## buickmike

This.      bike was a rusty mess. Then I sprayed wd-40 on it and it got worse.   glass beaded the fenders. Tank and rack leaving holes in 3 out of 4 items.     Just like the episode of Star Trek where the aliens upon rescueing the female- they didn't know what she looked.               like when they put her together. I too didn't have any guide to look at when I painted her.


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## spoker

Pauliemon said:


> View attachment 647018 View attachment 647019 View attachment 647020
> My 1936 Schwinn C model.



does someone make those masking temps?


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## Jeff54

spoker said:


> does someone make those masking temps?



Yes, most all Schwinn paint templates  ready made by somebody on epay.


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## Pauliemon

spoker said:


> does someone make those masking temps?



On Ebay, oldstuff4usheepdog. Good stuff, I've used several of them.


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## Pauliemon

Almost ready to rock!


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## phantom

Spray Can...Dollar General !


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## chucksoldbikes

just  finished this one spitfire


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## JimK

Not great pictures but......


 



This was a basket case Higgins I bought at a flea market. I know it is not original, I just used parts that I thought looked good on it. All rattle can paint with model car paint airbrushing. Paint job cost about 20.00


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## bairdco

Custom hawthorne 6 bar, rustoleum 2xcover navy blue, real orange, and semi gloss black. 

Sandblasted, no primer, 3M blue masking tape for the pinstripes.


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## tech549

put this one together from 3 parts bikes.


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## Velocipedist Co.

RUSTOLEUM! (and oneshot)


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## stezell

Velocipedist Co. said:


> View attachment 679802 View attachment 679803 View attachment 679805



Very sharp Steve! What paint did you use it like that blue.
Sean


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## Velocipedist Co.

stezell said:


> Very sharp Steve! What paint did you use it like that blue.
> Sean




1. Rustoleum flat
2. Rustoleum gloss clear
3. color sand
4. polishing compound.


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## Velocipedist Co.

stezell said:


> Very sharp Steve! What paint did you use it like that blue.
> Sean



   I sold the bike, but I think this was the blue that I used.


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## stezell

Velocipedist Co. said:


> View attachment 679919
> I sold the bike, but I think this was the blue that I used.



I appreciate it man.


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## johnsailp

Ok what is the trick here?  Do you use tape to on the decals to protect them from paint spray?  What type of paint and how much rust do you remove  before spraying?   Do you use a Clear coat after all done?   Can someone give me the steps here , these bikes look so damn good all painted and stuff!  WOW


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## Jeff54

Velocipedist Co. said:


> RUSTOLEUM! (and oneshot)
> 
> View attachment 679802 View attachment 679803 View attachment 679805



Humm, yum, yum. Nice. I could only hope to flow through those edges half that smooth. No, forget that delusion, I wouldn't dare. Schweeet.


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## 3step

1941 Firestone Super Cruiser Colson bullnose (don't look too close!)


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## nick1985

bairdco said:


> Western flyer, rattle can, hydroden peroxide and salt:
> 
> View attachment 647348
> 
> Blue on blue, fishnet stockings:
> 
> View attachment 647350
> 
> Rustoleum 2x cover:
> 
> View attachment 647351
> 
> Orange Duplicolor metalcast fake annodized paint and black:
> 
> View attachment 647353





bairdco said:


> Western flyer, rattle can, hydroden peroxide and salt:
> 
> View attachment 647348
> 
> Blue on blue, fishnet stockings:
> 
> View attachment 647350
> 
> Rustoleum 2x cover:
> 
> View attachment 647351
> 
> Orange Duplicolor metalcast fake annodized paint and black:
> 
> View attachment 647353




Do you have any tips on how to get the same finish as your Western flyer? What were the steps to get this?


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## Balloonoob

THE STIG said:


> shelf rattle can........
> View attachment 595391
> View attachment 595392
> View attachment 595393



Those are some clean lines.


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## Mark Johnston

Spray lacquer on the black and white one, enamel over lacquer on the other two.


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## Rivnut




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## Rivnut




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## Rivnut

Fun with a site I downloaded


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## Ernbar

Rustoleum black and white enamel rattle can over red oxide primer,  wet sanded with 1500 sandpaper and polished with auto rubbing compound.


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## falconer

If you warm the cans slightly before you spray, you will see a better result, due to finer mist and more pressure


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## Ernbar

falconer said:


> If you warm the cans slightly before you spray, you will see a better result, due to finer mist and more pressure




Yes thanks , I did that and the paint was very smooth.


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