Gonna paint the old girl....

[rugguy]

After dropping the bike twice, it's time for a makeover. I am going to use an HVLP rig to improve my chances of getting good results. I searched the threads for answers but still have a couple of questions. If you have personally painted your bike before please feel free to "weigh in".

1) I see a ColorRite paint color that I like. Anyone have any experience with this paint?

2) Which system did you use? Any alternative suggestions?

3) Did you use the same paint for your metal gas tank and your ABS plastic?

4) I am painting my Interstate, do you think one quart would be enough?

Any experienced feedback, tips, shortcuts, suggestions or cautionary tales would be greatly appreciated.

[pancho]

Painting is a pretty big subject... you may try searching you tube for ideas and goggling painting systems.  Your questions are a bit too broad for a straight answer, but I do not think one quart of paint will be enough.  There is primer, sealer, catalyst. reducer, paint and clear to consider. I would go with a urethane system for ease of application and durability, but after that, there are a lot of choices.

[Jack B]

When we painted my bike I was surprised at how much work there is to get a good paint job.
I saved a lot of $ but it is a job I wouldn't do by myself.

[BF]

My vote would be to take your tins to someone who does it every day and knows for sure what they're doing. 

It might be cheaper in the long run. 

[rugguy]

Thanks guys...did all that...just had a couple of questions to see what anyone who had done it themselves had to say.

[bentwrench]

I would give House of Kolors a look,they have some amazing stuff.

[rugguy]

Thanks Bent...will do......I have done all the rehab work on this bike myself. Including the two times I have laid it down. I plan to do the paint work myself as much for the enjoyment as the savings. I know I could get a pro to do it....but I don't take her to the stealership every time she has any other problem so I'll be painting her myself. The worst that could happen is that I have it redone by a pro.....but I do plan to post pics of the process.

Thanks again

[cmawest]

kudos for trying it yourself. after a lifetime painting cars I will give you one piece of advise. DONT !!  there is so much to know, and material will cost you a small fortune, some as high as $400.00 a pint just for the paint. then sandpaper, solvents, primer, sealer, paint, clearcoat, compounds and polish. trust me, when you have paid this much for quality material and screw it up, you will find having a professional either do it for you, or stand and show you how, to be the cheaper of the choices. you can save money by doing the teardown and reassembly, and doing all the prep work yourself, but I would highly recommend you take the high road and have it actually painted by a pro.

[rugguy]

Blanko...I appreciate the advice....and I am sure it is sound. But I bought the bike as an insurance salvage with a salvage title. As you know, Valks are hard to kill. So I replaced all the broken parts and did the body work and prep for paint.

Dropped it five feet to the pavement off a Penske ramp and had to replace parts and do body work all over again.

Laid it down five weeks ago when I hit sand in the N. GA mountains. More body work and prep.

My point is that putting a $2500 paint job on this baby isn't a good investment. I have priced all the materials I need at $550. Plus, I want to paint ghost flames before the last reduced coat. I come from a long line of mechanics and paint and body men....although that is not my profession. So I plan to have fun, channel my ancestors for guidance and be proud of the results...regardless of any imperfections. Never planned to show it...just ride the h*ll out of it which I do.

I am ordering my vanity plate that says F6REHAB this week too.

Thanks again.

[wiggydotcom]

Rugguy,

I can fully understand where you are coming from.  
You might just surprise a lot of people with how well you do.
I'm looking forward to seeing the results-especially how you do the flames.

If it's not intended to be a show bike, do your best and miss the rest!

[rugguy]

Yeah Wiggy...and she'll be hard to inspect at WOT....

[bentwrench]

I try to do as much prep work as I can myself.Let the pro with the hi-tech booth do the shooting.

[rugguy]

The way I see it....it couldn't be any uglier than it is now.

[Kep]

Once watched a drunk house painter paint his pick-up truck with enamel house paint and a paint brush in the hot sun..could not find a brush stroke in it...looked really nice !

[pancho]

I'm puttin my money on you ending up with a paint job you will be proud of rugguy..

 Dropping the bike off that ramp must have hurt in more ways than one...  ouch

[rugguy]

Pancho....hearing 800 lbs hit the pavement sideways is a pretty sad sound. Regardless of quality of her paint job, she's mine and I plan to continue to ride her like I stole her.

[rugguy]

Here are some pics in no particular order. I have spent the last three weekends working on her new paint job. Bright Cobalt Blue metallic with Sour Apple Green metallic flames. I plan to order a Breugel and do the flame outlines in gold enamel metallic. The photos are not the best quality but I am digging the new colors and 98% perfect paint job. Being as you can't color sand metallic, any small defects I have will receive a flame "lick" over them.

The hardest part is getting the HVLP gun and the paint to flow correctly. Compressor output PSI, gun inlet PSI, tip PSI, pattern, color flow and air adjustments are just the beginning. Then using the right activator for the ambient temperature I am spraying at. Deciding to tin or not to thin. Larger nozzle for primer....smaller for paint. And then the humidity comes into play. I have had to repaint a couple of parts, but all in all, for a "Frankencycle" bike, I am very happy.

All parts are painted with two coats (or more), except for the tank, and are waiting for flames. Once the flames are painted she will receive two coats of clear to make it all pop. But the metallic already pops in the sun. Can't wait to see it cleared. I plan to have the paint done by the first weekend in June and then put back together by the second weekend. Then, I am then going to have a vanity license plate made for her that says "suitsme". Because in the end, that's all I care about. I have done all the engine, suspension and body work myself, so no way was I going to pay $3500+ for custom paint and body work on a girl who's gone down three times.

The only problem is, now that I have done one, I want to do more.....see the photos here if you'd like.

https://valkyriepaintjob2014.shutterfly.com/pictures/8

[The emperor has no clothes]

Looks damn good! Does look like a lot of work. Can't wait to see the finished product

[pancho]

Good project rugguy, big project,, I know you are looking forward to getting back on her again when she is all glamoured up.   

[Valkjerk]

Looks real good so far Rugguy. I wish I could be there to help you with the pin striping. I learned with brushes and tried the Beugler striper but couldn't perfect my stripes because getting the paint to flow properly proved to be more than challenging. Went back to the brush. Keep us posted.

[rugguy]

Well, she's finally done. And it was worth every minute (and dollar) I invested in this rehab.  Someone asked me to post photos when done so here they are in the link below....in no particular order. Which is EXACTLY the way I work. It's not a "purists" Valk color scheme. But she has been through the wars and I wanted her to have some fun.

Paint, primer, clearcoat = $345
Bondo, sandpaper...a LOTS of sandpaper, lacquer thinner, rags = $214
2", 1", 1/2" & 1/4" Blue mask and four rolls of 3M Fine Line tape = $135
HVLP Spray rig =$89
Compressor $50 (got a great deal)
Miscellaneous stuff =$125
Five weekends and more than a few nights =$0 (labor of love)
Raising a bike from the dead and loving it =PRICELESS

BTW....Going rate around Atlanta was $2500 plus flame work which was another $1000
This was my first and can't wait to do the next one....already looking.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/l4ffj99vpwgvtzy/AABNA9hvHmcaohbkh5ONFK_5a

[The emperor has no clothes]

Very nice! I love the selection of your colors

[pancho]

Wow,, that was a bunch of work,,  looks good rugguy.  I'll bet you were ready for the tape job on the faring to be FINISHED!

Now it's riding time.    Still like to see some more completed shots,, from the side and overall.

[salty1]

Great effort!  You should be proud of your work!