From: Andy <AndyDP@pacbell.net>
To: vx800-l@mcf.com
Subject: Painting motorcycles at home
Date: 2/3/00 8:25:00 AM

I recently re-did one of my bikes at home with spray cans, so here goes. I didn't want to use paints that really require a spray booth and lots of
equipment to be safe, at home.

Remove all of the original paint, fill the dents with filler let it cure for a
few days. Sand until the finish is a perfect as you can make it. Then wash the parts with soap and water, rinse thoroughly. Do not touch the parts with bare hands, clean cloths only.

Use sandable red primer, 2 coats and then sand with #400 wet sandpaper in a sanding block. You will see areas that need more filling. Depending on the depth of the problem you can use more sandable primer, spot glazing or more body filler. Repeat until you are happy with the surface. Wash the parts with soap and water. Spray with grey sandable primer and sand the surface.
The different colour will make problem areas stand out quickly. Repeat the filling and sanding until it is as perfect as you wish. Wash the parts with soap and water. If the colour you are painting the bike is lighter than the grey primer, then spray 2 coats of sandable white primer and sand. Wash the parts with soap and water. Let it cure for a few days, in a dust free place with nothing touching the surface.

Wash the parts with soap and water. Wet down the ground around you to keep dust down. You should mask the edges of the tank with expensive painters masking tape, I used light polyethylene to cover large areas, newspaper can scratch the surface. You are now ready to spray the colour. First do the insides of the panels and the underside of the gas tank. Now position the tank and start spraying. Keep the suggested distance away from the surface while keeping the spray can as perpendicular to the surface as you can. Use overlapping strokes on the paint and remember to start spraying then move onto the part and stop spraying after you are off the edge of your part. The first coat of colour should be quite light. Wait the suggested time. After that apply enough coats so that your colour is deep and even. Later coats can be
heavier but remember many light coats will achieve the colour without running, heavy coats run. Let this dry for a couple of hours and peel the masking tape off.

Let it dry in a dust free place for about a week. Now wet sand with #600
sandpaper. Be very light around creases and edges, you will go through the colour surprisingly easily in these places. You just need to break the gloss on the painted surface.

Wash it thoroughly with soap and water. Repeat the procedure you used for colour to apply the clear coat. Many even coats of spray waiting the
suggested time between them. When you are finished spraying put the parts in your dust free area for a week to cure.

If you want to, stop here, sand the parts with #1500 sandpaper. Wash with soap and water. Polish it with a professional polishing compound, I used 3-M "Finesse It II" available from auto body supply stores (expensive) and a power lambskin buffer.

If you want more protection for your hard work and from gasoline, you will need to do a few coats of urethane clear coat. I strongly recommend that you do this. Most urethanes are yellowish, take this into consideration when you are choosing your colour. Or you can find a crystal clear urethane if you search for it, that will not add yellow to your paint job. Sand with #600 wet sandpaper. Wash with soap and water. Apply urethane, light coat first then heavier coats waiting the suggested time between coats. On your final coat, you wish to have a very even wet looking surface. Let this dry for a least anhour before you try to move the parts. Let this cure for at least 48 hours.
Sand with #1500 wet sandpaper and then finish polish with "Finesse It II".

For paint and primer and urethane try to use products from only one company so you will have no problems with compatibility. Use lacquer paint and clear, and the appropriate primers. Lacquer slightly dissolves the layers beneath it when you spray which helps even the paint out and blend it in as well as giving good adhesion. This makes it quite easy to use. I used "Plasti-kote" brand paint because it was from a store that was nearby and I found the colours that I wanted.

A few thoughts; don't hurry, this takes a lot of time if you want it to last.
This is for 1 colour of paint let me know if you want to know about
multi-colours and pin stripes. You cannot sand metallic paint, it flattens the surface so that it no longer looks metallic; you must sand then apply one more light, perfect coats. There is less dust in the air early in the morning.

You will be amazed at the results you will get, I was.

Good luck.

Andy