Thread: PLEASE feel free to critique and criticize.

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Hello,

I know I'm not painting a hotrod but its all I have to make custom!! I’ve painted a little bit before on one of my cars a few years ago and I enjoyed doing it but it has been a while since I completed a paint job and I’m struggling to remember everything I’m going to need and all of the tips and techniques that I acquired!! If any one out there has some tips for me let them rip, here is what I remember and the scale of the job........... I’m painting plastic off of a motorcycle and have primed the surface with the appropriate plastic primer from my local napa auto store (that the stage I’m at now). The rest is what I’m assuming to be a complete job so feel free to critique and criticize.

Next im going to sand the primer with 600-800 grit paper then wash the surface with some dawn dish soap and water with a sponge; allow to dry; tack it off with a tack rag, then apply viper black base coat spraying over all of the edges first then over the open surfaces with a 50% overlap for about 3 or 4 coats. Flash time 15 mins between coats. Drying time about 2.5 hours then again sanding with 600-800 grit paper knocking down any orange peal and prepping the surface for a minimal design pattern with orange paint (QUESTION: Do i need to do anything to the surface before I spray the orange over the sanded and washed black and the same for just before I spray the clear over the base coats). Wash with dawn dish soap and tacking off, then spraying the same 3 or 4 coats of the orange; taking off the custom painting design tape 15 mins after the last coat allowing the paint edge to "Fall". Flash time 15 mins. Drying time 2.5 hours then sanding with 800-1000 grit paper knocking down any orange peal and prepping surface for the clear where i will spray 1 coat of reg clear. then 3 coats with 1/64" orange metallic flakes then 3 more reg clear to cover. Flash time 15 mins. dry time 2.5 hours then sanding out for final finish starting with 800 grit working out to 1600 grit paper. (QUESTION: how long do i need to wait till i can polish out the 1600 grit paper sanding marks, and what is the best way to do it.)

IF THERE IS ANYTHING I MISSED OR YOU THINK I SHOULD DO DIFFERENT LET ME KNOW I WOULD LIKE ANY INPUT ALL YOU PROS HAVE TO OFFER.


THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND ADVICE
YOU GIVE ME AN INCH AND ILL GIVE YA A MILE

Everybody has their own technique but I like to pull the paper and masking tape off the design ASAP. If you pull it off right away (Being careful to NOT touch the painted surface) you should have a minimal tape edge. If you can't pull the tape off right away wait until it's dry so the ''paint flakes'' off the tape won't stick to the painted design. Then you can brush the flaky paint edge off with your hand. The dry method is safer, but leaves a higher tape edge.

If you pull the tape off after it has set for only a few minutes, you may pull the flashed paint up with the tape and the paint will stick to the surface of your fresh paint job. Kinda' like pickin' up a piece of "CHEEZE" pizza. That's a good thing with pizza, but NOT so good with paint......................

BTW:
I should add if you want to play it a little safer, ''tape and maskiing paper'' the design off just outside the design line, then "LAST" tape off the design with stripe tape. Then when your done spraying the design, pull just the final stripe tape off. Then pull the rest of the tape and paper off after the paint has dried.

Well i was thinking that there would be more replies to this thread..... maybe 75 of you other viewers could comment or point me to a past thread with some information relating to my topics? i thank the two that did reply and i will use the advice offered and post pics when i finish this weekend.

ANY ONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT PLEASE DO ILL BE CHECKING IT ALL WEEK THROUGH FRIDAY.

thanks again for the help

I didn't comment because it sounds like you know what you're doing. And I don't know nuthin about motorcycles except that when I drive one I can't keep it up.

Originally posted by The Al Show
I didn't comment because it sounds like you know what you're doing. And I don't know nuthin about motorcycles except that when I drive one I can't keep it up.

Keep what up ???

Oh! My motorcycle. I tend to corner too fast. Or hit stumps.

Originally posted by JayGZX7R
Well i was thinking that there would be more replies to this thread..... maybe 75 of you other viewers could comment or point me to a past thread with some information relating to my topics? i thank the two that did reply and i will use the advice offered and post pics when i finish this weekend.

ANY ONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT PLEASE DO ILL BE CHECKING IT ALL WEEK THROUGH FRIDAY.

thanks again for the help

Its not that we dont want to reply and give you advice ,its just that the question is asked over and over and we have replied so many times on the same subject.

I have posted the start to finish on refinishing , might do a search on my name and go through the posts I have replied to.
I wish these posts would of been put into an area in these forums early on so members could click , read and learn.

SprayTech

Thanks thats exactly what im looking for as i asked "or point me to a past thread with some information relating to my topics?" which is not just replies..... like you said there are over 200 threads on this site and i dont know how long i could be looking and not finding anything close to what im looking for. if you have answered the questions im sure i will find them in your replies along with more then just the info im lookin for. so thanks im glad i have a place to start

KEEP UM COMMIN

Reading your post again............

On your last 3 coats of laying down your clear I would let set 24 hours dry time before any water sanding and buffing .
There will be alot of material that needs gassing off before the final step is done. Maybe even 48 hours.

I would hit the 1600 grit with 2000-3000 for your final sanding before buffing , bringing out the shine will be faster this way, less elbow grease

Another thing is get an air palm buffer ( like a dyna brade , not cheap but well worth it ), as bike plastic has some crazy bends and lines.

Spray

well here it is and it went very good......... ill be doing mine next so if there is any tips feel free to still add them to the page im gonna do mine around the middle of march.... thanks a bunch enjoy

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the pictures make this look modist compared to the accuall look of the bike it turned out better then i could have thought. thanks again