Painting equipment for bike frames

[Lewis Moon]

I've been wanting to get the Atlanta resprayed because, for some unknown reason, Ben decided it was a good thing to have a blue/white fade with the white in the drive train area. Can someone suggest a good, budget spray gun? I have a compressor and can build a spray room. Also, now that Imron is gone, what is a good paint?

[buldogge]

Are you trying to spray single color?

Are you trying to spray single stage or basecoat-clearcoat??

All the major players still have urethane single stage paints.

My guy uses PPG...but all the majors make good coatings.

-Mark in St. Louis


I've been wanting to get the Atlanta resprayed because, for some unknown reason, Ben decided it was a good thing to have a blue/white fade with the white in the drive train area. Can someone suggest a good, budget spray gun? I have a compressor and can build a spray room. Also, now that Imron is gone, what is a good paint?

[Lewis Moon]

Single color (Cinnabar red...I AM the mercury man) with clear coat. Unless there's a reason not to use the clear coat....

[ultraman6970]

Get a detail gun from harbor freight like for 15 bucks. Is not a bad gun, just set your pressure to like 50 psi and you will be ok.

As for the paint, well polyurethane is the way to go IMO, any decent car paint supplies shop can mix you whatever you want, just ask half a pint, you will have enough paint with that because you have to thin it (get a quart of thinner compatible with the paint, ask the guy). This type of shops usually carry like 2 or 3 grades of paint, get the cheapest one, reds and greens are more expensive due to its composition (tints and crap), but in round numbers half a pint can be like 15 bucks to 25 bucks. DuPont in red or green can get easy up to 80 bucks for half a pint.

Get polyurethane clear coat and activator too.

as for single stage, well... the difference between single stage paint and base coat clear coat ones (2 stages) is that the single stage has clear in the paint, and that pretty much is the same thing than adding some clear to a can of base coat :D Makes your life easier because you dont have to clear on top. Some guys like single stage, other painters dont. If you paint a base coat w/o clear coat it will peel quite quick and the color wont match what you want, it is designed to be used under a clear coat, color will be dull.

Hope this helps.

[buldogge]

If you don't have a lot of experience spraying frames, and you want the ability to easily re-work areas...use bc-cc.

Also, if you chose a metallic or pearl paint you can't sand/work the basecoat without messing with the pigment/flake distribution...you'll need to re-spray.

Don't skimp on paint...you don't have to buy top-tier stuff, but the shop-line stuff will lay thin and just need more coats for proper coverage.

In the last 3 weeks I have bought a 1/2 pt. of Plum Crazy (PPG ~$100) and Hurst Gold (SW ~$110)...anything that has heavy metallics or pearls will be $60-120 1/2 pt. in mid-lines @ the majors.

You'll need primer, base coat, reducer, clearcoat and hardener...as well as a reasonable gun, fine-line tape (possibly), thinner, and prep-sol or at least acetone or alcohol.

The product/supplies adds up fast...often cheaper to find a decent painter for a single color job.

Do you have decals as well?

-Mark

[smontanaro]

as for single stage, well... the difference between single stage paint and base coat clear coat ones (2 stages) is that the single stage has clear in the paint....

If you use a single stage paint won't it be kind of difficult to slip your decals under the clear coat?

[ultraman6970]

Absolutely :). Thats the reason old bikes dont have their decals under clear coat, the type of paint they used was like a 1 stage paint, quicker to get the bike off the lines but after a few years or even months the decals were gone or super cracked, example of this is old pinarello's.

[Lewis Moon]

If I do this I'll go single color, no decals. I'm a rookie so this should be as simple as possible. What I worry about most is having the paint run or dull the lug lines.

[AngryScientist]

reading this made me think of a thread across the hall. there is some good stuff in there, including the warning by the groovy cycleworks guy. i would read through the whole thread before you start.

good luck and let us know how it works out!

http://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum/f2/carbon-frame-repair-restore-project-43364.html

[J.Greene]

The first question should be.....how do you keep all of this stuff out of your lungs.

[lzuk]

Try www.tcpglobal.com they will have everything

[buldogge]

Very true...but...Lewis is a smart guy, and I assumed he was bright enough to wear a respirator and cover his head.

Another expense, of $50-100, if you don't already have the respirator.

If you can get it sprayed locally (and well) for $250-300, I would just do that, frankly. Get the decals, get the painter to let you apply them after the bc, before he/she clears.

-Mark

The first question should be.....how do you keep all of this stuff out of your lungs.

[saf-t]

Polyurethanes contain diisocyanates, which are dermal and respiratory sensitizers- and you can develop respiratory sensitization (e.g., an asthmatic response) from dermal contact alone.

The standard respirator for work with these compounds is a supplied air model- airline.

It's certainly possible to work with them safely, but not casually.

[AngryScientist]

in reality, unless you are deadset on DIY, you'll almost certainly get a better looking, more durable, and cheaper result from prepping the frame yourself and having it powdercoated. powder is a great inexpensive way to get a good finish on the cheap.

[Lewis Moon]

in reality, unless you are deadset on DIY, you'll almost certainly get a better looking, more durable, and cheaper result from prepping the frame yourself and having it powdercoated. powder is a great inexpensive way to get a good finish on the cheap.

Very true...but...Lewis is a smart guy, and I assumed he was bright enough to wear a respirator and cover his head.

Another expense, of $50-100, if you don't already have the respirator.

If you can get it sprayed locally (and well) for $250-300, I would just do that, frankly. Get the decals, get the painter to let you apply them after the bc, before he/she clears.

-Mark

I also work for an environmental agency....

The cost is a real decision criteria. It's steel so I could have it powder coated...except for the fork. I was just not real happy with the last powder job. Lots of orange peel.

[false_Aest]

I'm sure someone has probably suggested you look at Rody's (Groovy Cycleworks) blog about painting.

I wanted to work with a few friends to put together a paint booth but we ended up nixing the idea simply because of the health hazards and possibility of explosion. We were only looking to do a few frames and the $$ investment wasn't worth it.