unisteez said:would you mind explaining this process a little bit more?
no, i wouldn't mind at all...
but first, check out this case modder's site on how to achieve a "show
car" paint job (be sure to read parts one and two): 'how-to, part one'
(http://tinyurl.com/hve7z)
as the site says, the first key to a good paint job is preparation. of
the process, the preparation takes the most amount of labor, by far.
*1st* -- you'll need to completely strip the existing paint from the
frame... the fastest and best way to do this is to sandblast the
frame... ask your local paint or machine shop if they've got the
equipment and if they'll do it for ya... it shouldn't cost much.
if this isn't a possibility, the second best way to go is to get a wire
wheel and attach it to some sort of hand-held rotary tool such as a die
grinder, buffer or drill. it'll take an hour or two but you want take
the frame down to bare metal.
*2nd* -- now you want to clean the frame of any residue, grease, etc.
wash the frame with soap and water... dish soap is fine... although if
you're paranoid that the frame is really greasy you can wipe it down
with a solvent such as kerosene before the wash.
rinse it well and let it dry in the sun. completely, bone dry. if you
want to be sure it's dry, you can put it in your oven and bake it at
200-250 degrees for 5 minutes or so... just remember to use oven mitts
when taking it out of the oven!
*3rd* -- set up your frame for painting: un-bend a wire coat hanger and
find a way to attach it to the frame such that it's out of the way.
the KH frames have a little hole (the size of a BB) at the bottom of
the seat tube... i straightened the hanger, sent it through the hole,
then bent the end to resemble a small hook. you could also use a brake
mount or bearing holder to hang the frame by. now hang the frame such
that it's a few feet off the ground so you can spray it from many
different angles.
make sure you have a clean area to work in, free of dust and debris.
lay a ground cloth down to catch the overspray and trap any fallen
dust. it's best to paint when it's cool (65 - 80 deg F) and dry (not
foggy or misty or humid), otherwise the paint may not adhere very well,
or it will take a long time to dry. it's also best to paint in still
air... wind may cause your spray to go all over the place, and even
worse, it may kick up dust that will stick to your paint.
i painted my frame in my garage, leaving the front and back doors
cracked a little for ventilation. even with a ground cloth, everything
in the garage got a fine mist of paint on it! cover EVERYTHING in your
work area that you don't want getting dirty, dusty or painted. that
includes you! wear full-length pants, shirt, a hat, shoes, AND A FACE
MASK. you will be breathing paint otherwise and it will stick to your
nose, throat, etc. bad stuff.
*4th* -- primer time! make sure to put your first few coats of primer
down soon after you've dried the frame... otherwise your frame might
start rusting and you'll have to start over with your prep! use an
etching primer, such as rustoleum, which eats through surface oxidation
and binds directly to the metal.
apply two or more VERY VERY THIN coats... it's okay to see bare metal
under your first or second THIN coats... just wait and do more coats.
if you spray too much at once the paint will run, clump up, etc. and
it'll look bad. if you do this, don't worry, wait at least 48 hrs. for
the paint to dry, sand down the clumps and start over (make sure to
rinse and dry every time you sand!). make sure to get paint
everywhere, underneath the seat post, around the bearing holders (don't
put too much paint UNDER the bearing holders!), around the crown, etc.
when you paint, hold the can 1 - 2 feet from the frame and hit the
frame with little blasts of paint. wait 3-5 minutes between each THIN
coat... 10 mins max... otherwise you'll have to wait at least 48 hrs
for your next coat(s). four or five coats should do... although when
you re-sand the frame (step 6 below) that'll tell you how well you
coated it, and what spots you may have missed!
*5th* -- WAIT. when you're done painting you prolly want to check it
to see if it's dry, or move it around, or whatever, but you really
shouldn't. moving the wet frame will likely get more dust on it.
touching the frame will leave fingerprints... handle it only by the
hanger if you must, but it's best just to let it sit (make sure it has
some ventilation) for at least 24 hrs. before you move it and at least
48 hrs. before you touch it.
MAKE SURE YOU WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE TOUCHING THE FRAME!!! Until
you've got your last coat of paint on the frame, you don't want to get
the frame dirty... it could ruin your finish!
*6th* -- successive coats: you may want to follow with several coats of
color then again with several coats of clear gloss (or flat) depending
on the desired finish. you'll first want to sand and clean the
existing surface... at least 48 hrs. after the previous coat, rub the
frame down with some fine sandpaper (~400 grit or higher) or some fine
steel wool (better).
don't rub too hard, you'll take all the paint off! you just want to
smooth the existing surface of any irregularities and provide the next
coat with a rough-ish surface on which to bond. make sure to rub every
part of the frame you painted a little, then rinse the frame well (rub
it with your hands or a soft cloth while rinsing) and let dry. you
want to get all the grit you sanded off the frame! don't use an oven
or hot air gun to accelerate the drying at this point (ordinary paint
can't handle temps higher than 250 deg F), but if you're really
impatient you can use a hair dryer on a low setting.
you're ready for your next coat(s)! have at it! paint it as much as
you like! if you want that showroom shine, put several coats of clear
gloss on top, then rub the frame down with a buffing / polishing
compound (see the link above for advice and pictures)... rinse it clean
then give it a coat of turtle wax. WOW that's shiny!
--
maestro8
Those are my principles. If you don't like those, I have others. --
Groucho Marx
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