New paint job.

[wildfire]

My question is not related to my FJ but I am thinking of repainting another bike I have .

I don't have any professional spraying equipment and I was wondering can you get a decent job from spray cans.

Obviously the surfaces to be painted must be spotless but could I expect a good finish from a can if done right.?

Tom

[Mark Olson]

My question is not related to my FJ but I am thinking of repainting another bike I have .

I don't have any professional spraying equipment and I was wondering can you get a decent job from spray cans.

Obviously the surfaces to be painted must be spotless but could I expect a good finish from a can if done right.?

Tom

Yes, you can do a rattle can paint job with a lot of effort.

Prep area well. you will need to color wet sand in between coats of paint .
then shoot with clear coat and wet sand as well for the best finish .

Make sure you buy enough cans of paint with the same date code .

I am no painter , It took me a week for a gas tank on an XS-650 back in the day.
looked good when done but it was a lot of work by hand.

[Steve_in_Florida]

Decent paint job from a rattle can?

Professional quality? No. Looks good from 10 feet? Maybe.

You have no control over the spray pattern, the air pressure, or the paint volume.

The colour you're shooting also makes a difference. As does the addition of metal flake.

What do you do when the crappy tip starts to spit?

Smaller parts will look better than larger, which will be difficult to fully cover without "bands".

It can be done if you're careful. Watch out for too much coverage, as the paint will tend to sag or run.

Good luck!

Steve

[ribbert]

......... and I was wondering can you get a decent job from spray cans.

........ but could I expect a good finish from a can if done right.?

Tom

Well yes you could but the end result is going to be more about tecnique than equipment.

I reckon you could buy one of those cheap electric spray guns and a litre of paint for the less than all the rattle cans you would need, it is a very expensive way to buy paint and when painting an area, they don't last long.

There would be thousands of online tutorials on spray painting.

The key to a good job will be putting plenty of paint on, in multiple coats, and rubbing back.

I have proper spray equip but I also have one of those cheap electric ones and I find it does a great job and  is what I use for most of spraying jobs.
If doing broad areas it does give a dry edge at the outside of the spray pattern but that can be rubbed out.

The other option would be to do all the prep and all the finishing yourself and just get a paint shop to blow the paint on.

Both of these options will also give you proper paint, although auto paint shops do fill rattle cans on the spot with what ever you want.

I've had a couple of these over 30 years, great little units.

If you've never done before though, there is a lot more to getting a good looking paint job than most imagine.

[FJ1100mjk]

I have seen http://www.dotheton.com/,  http://www.kzrider.com/  where other do-it-yourselfers have gotten good results using http://www.spraymax.com/index.php?id=150&L=1

Check out this supplier http://www.eastwood.com/paints/2k-aero-spray-paints.html for this kind of paint, and many other offerings.

Like others have stated, check out YouTube for vids, and/or just do Google searches on the subject.

Bottom line is, that it can be done. Maybe not to the level of big bucks professional jobs, but according to some reports, good results can be had.

[wildfire]

Lots of good advice. So using an FJ just as an example what would be a general price for a new paint job in the US by a shop?

[FJ1100mjk]

So using an FJ just as an example what would be a general price for a new paint job in the US by a shop?

More than the bike is worth.

[wildfire]

So using an FJ just as an example what would be a general price for a new paint job in the US by a shop?

More than the bike is worth.

Really that much?

[Mark Olson]

I have gotten estimates for my 86 before and it ranges from cheepo job at 1,000-4,000 for a primo paint job.

Had a guy who was gonna paint for materials but he moved away before I got it done.

[FJ1100mjk]

Really that much?

Ask these guys: http://precisionmotorcyclepainting.com/ They come recommended, and I'm using them for something this winter.

Material (good stuff) costs, one color vs. multi-colors, shop labor + hours of prep before and during coats, AND shipping costs are going to run you some money. No way around it. Well, maybe if you find a good guy that does it on the side, in his spare time (you may get it done before riding season starts or not), and may yield mixed results after the money (cash only) changes hands.

Like someone else said: Good luck!

[jscgdunn]

I just Plastidipped my 89 project.....looks pretty good, I think.  Lousy picture in my shop.  Less than 100....will see how it stands up.  Bandit front fender on the way.

In behind hibernating witht the FJs is the new toy....2006 M5.  An FJ with 4 wheels (actually maybe quicker) in terms of performance. 



Unwrapped:

[aviationfred]

Most rattle can paints that you can get from the hardware, department, or grocery stores are Acrylic or Lacquer. I have used the Colorrite OEM Yamaha Silky White in the aerosol cans for my lower cowling. The paint is Urethane and sprays just fine. I have had the painted part on the bike for about a year and the durability and shine have held up very well

[1tinindian]

I have been a professional painter since 1984 and I can tell you, that the problem with aerosol can painting is a serious lack of mil thickness.
I certain paint film thickness is required for durability and depth of shine.
A urethane base coat and clear coat supply these quality and in turn, are some of the reasons for the high cost of paint work.
If you want your work to last, it needs to be done correctly.

And like Steve has said, you have very little, if any, control over that small spray tip.
And there lies the reason for such a thin dry film thickness, as the paint in the cans have to be so over reduced to spray out of that small tip, that when the paint dries, all that when the reducers/ solvents evaporate, you are left with a very thin layer of paint to protect what you have painted. After all, paint is 1: for protection of the base material, and 2: appearance.

Leon

[Pat Conlon]

....2006 M5.  An FJ with 4 wheels (actually maybe quicker) in terms of performance.  

Very bitchen ride Jeff...those V10 BMW's are trick, 500hp, SMG sequential shifting...although they do weigh in at over 4,000 lbs, and 0 to 62 in 4.8 seconds......well...

Your FJ ought to be able to leave your M5 behind. If not, something's wrong.

So....Leon, you are a professional painter., I didn't know that....yea, it totally makes sense now.
You need to meet Brian Hunt at our next WCRs....he also is a painter. The only guy I know with a tattoo of his blue and silver FJ on his calf....

[jscgdunn]

Pat,
It is said "Anyone can ride a fast bike....riding a bike fast is a different story" no doubt the FJ is slightly quicker with good pilot....but that would not be me. 

Motor Trend actually tested the m5 0-60 at 4.1 seconds and quarter mile in 12.5 seconds.  Both machines keep the smiles coming on...... I think we refer to it as "Kookaloo:....

As Jeremy Clarkson said about the M5...back in 2006:
"It's a world of motoring perfection. If you want to take it on...don't bother. It doesn't matter what you've got. It doesn't matter what you've ever driven. This is quicker, it's faster, it's MORE astonishing. You just can't believe you're in a big 4-door saloon because it goes and it feels and it SOUNDS like a Ferrari 430, and that's about the best car I've ever driven. The steering, the brakes, the power. And this noise... The driving experience just dominates everything.... It's an epic car, just brilliant."

If you ever get a chance drive one......things have changed since 2006. 

The new M5 (F10) now has a twin turbocharged V8 and is actually faster.  In terms of sound, the V8 engine sounds are actually piped in though the speakers.....the turbos killed the sound.