[TrojanHorse]

I've done just about every other thing in rebuilding my bike, so I figure I might as well give the whole painting thing a go as well. My question isn't so much about technique as it is about order...

I'm going to be doing it in the fastest color (red), but I also want to do the white numberplates on the tail and nose. Which color do I paint first? Should I shoot the whole thing in white, then mask off and paint red over top? Paint only one part in white and one part in red with no overspray (both colors go over primer, not over the other color)?

 

[cheekeebandito]

paint questions

personally, I paint the smallest areas first, they're easier to mask off..... for instance, when I paint on numberplates with a border, I paint the border first , then run fineline masking tape around the number plate area , on the border color, then paint the number plate color, then tape off the entire numberplate including the still taped border... then I paint the remaining part of the bodywork, pull the tape soon after , and clear everything ..... when you pull the tape, pull it straight back on itself, as opposed to up and away from the bodywork..... makes for a nicer cleaner edge.... good luck, Les

 

[DT996]

^^^ What he said ^^^

If your primer/sealer coat isn't a light gray or white, you should base everything in White to get the brightest results with the Red. If you do not have a uniform color (repairs, sanding through to other colors) to spray the Red basecoat over, you will eventually see this at different angles of light after spraying. If you do go with the white base, then you can mask like posted above and you're done.

Good Luck!

 

[cheekeebandito]

paint

excellent points, I usually prime the entire piece so you don't get "spots" here and there..... Cheers ! Les

 

[Desmo_Demon]

I don't know about red, but I painted the track bodywork for my 748 in yellow and painted the white number plates after doing the fairing. I used a white primer to get a brighter yellow and the white was fine with only 2-3 coats....but this is with a yellow base. I don't remember if I primed the numberplate areas first or not, as that was five years ago.

BTW - If you don't have an air compressor and a spray gun, you can use the Pre-Val spraying system. I use this for small jobs, such as bike parts. I find I waste a lot less paint in the process, because the overpray is kept to a minimum. I think the last thing I used my spray gun for was to repaint a 1952 Ford 8N tractor....about 15-20 years ago. LOL

 

[955SP]

Think that looks awesome

 

[DesmoDog]

Depends on the colors for me. I typically paint the lightest color first. For stripes, I have them hand done by a guy who's been doing it since the late 50's...

Kinda hard to see here but it's a white sealer over the entire tank, with pearlescent silver on the partions that will be, um, well, silver. Followed that with an intercoat clear so I could outline the border:

Then I sprayed the black, put on the graphics, and cleared it:

Followed up with some pinstriping and tah dah:

EDIT: The benefit of having the stripes done by hand is I only had to get close to what I wanted, you can see some shaky lines in the center photo but all is well after the striper was done. Well, that and I like how hand painted stripes look.

If I were painting the scheme you've described I'd do everything in white, then mask the numberplates and shoot the red.

 

[Rakom]

better white first. to cover a red layer you need a lot of white, instead to cover a white layer it's very easy with red!!

 

[TrojanHorse]

I've got the color codes for red, yellow, etc... what about the white?

 

[DT996]

I've got the color codes for red, yellow, etc... what about the white?

I typically use a standard PPG basecoat white (DBU882) for all fender stripes and number plates, it works quite well for me.

 

[motodisiac]

DesmoDog,

That is beautiful paint job you got there. Good job

D.