Not happy with my "paint shop"

[drooker56]

Ugh... I started painting today. I like the color but I have no garage and I am forced to paint in my MI basemet. I hung plastic but dust still falls in my paint. Its so very frustrating. So far I am only on the frame, swing arm, final drive and brackets. I will have to do something different when it comes time for the tins.

[dbeardslee]

I like to do my painting outside where I don't have to worry about dust - just bugs. I also like to paint with HVLP equipment so I don't give every car in the neighborhood chicken-pox.

[rman]

Paint booth

Yeah I feel your pain. Just painted my tank and badges. It did not turn out too bad but some of the embedded dust bunnies give the paint a rough texture in places. I will leave mine as is for now and chalk up leassons learned.

Next time I will create a paint booth in my garage using plastic with a fan blowing into it with a dust filter.

[DiverRay]

I also used a plastic "booth", with a HIGH VOLUME fan "sucking" the air out, and furnace filters on the intake side. If you can hose down the inside BEFORE you start to paint, there should be NO dust.

[XJOK2PLAY]

Painting...

A few years back, when I used to work as a fleet mechanic for Tulsa Cable, I also did paint and body work on the fleet as well. The best things I could recommend for trash / dirt control in your finishes are:
1) Plastic on walls and cielings.
2) Wet the floor down right before you begin.
3) Fan, with filteration, facing outward to exhaust dust and overspray.
4) Being careful with your spray rig, and air pressure, not to stir up dust.
5) Clean & tack cloth everything seconds before you begin.
Usually, you'll come out ok if you can do these things. I like to spray with as low pressure as I can, starting with a wide fan and overlapping strokes, but starting with only a "tacker" coat, then getting heavier and narrower with each successive coat. Depending on room temp, watching for flash between coats. In colder climates, humidity and temp are your 2 major enemies... exhausting the air out is great, but drops temp. Temp gets too cold, paint won't flash, which means runs. Humidity can cause your paint job to "blush", which sucks. (How would I know this? LOL) A good thermometer and humidity guage will be your best tools in the paint room, next to a good quality gun and good quality paint materials. Prep always sucks... but is absolutely critical for a good finish. Just take your time, and don't hurry. It'll pay off!
Good luck. Hope this helps out.
Bob

[digitalsam]

I did all of my painting outside. but I rattle canned about 25 coats and wet sanded the heck out of it with 2000 grit sandpaper. I still have to clearcoat and polish, but it came out pretty nicely.

[bikerphil]

I rattle canned about 25 coats and wet sanded the heck out of it with 2000 grit sandpaper.

Not trying to hijack but...
Hey Sam, I just rattle canned a tank with many coats of enamel, but I haven't wet sanded it yet, got any tips?

[digitalsam]

Not trying to hijack but...
Hey Sam, I just rattle canned a tank with many coats of enamel, but I haven't wet sanded it yet, got any tips?

I actually followed advice from a website. I don't have the link here at home, but I had an old but clean white tshirt and a bucket of rather soapy water. Keep the tank very wet, constantly rewetting it and don't use a lot of pressure. With 2000 grit paper, it doesn't feel like you are doing anything. The tank is supposed to feel very smooth, but it is the polish that will make it shine in the end. I will send the link of the website to you on Monday.

[Mashermoto]

Below is a shot of my 81 XS650 that I shot with a base coat/clear coat.



I'm a far cry from a professional at this stuff, but what I find with the clear coat systems is that you don't have to worry a whole lot about imperfections because they come out after sanding. I use 1500 and then 2000 grit to get the surface real flat, then I use compound and swirl remover to get that wet look shine

I did this one in my garage with the overhead door open I quit worrying about the sterile environment after watching a guy paint my neighbors 68 Chevy hood with a four color scheme custom job. He did it in the garage with the overhead open and it turned out great.

This bike I had the frame and frame parts powder coated. I don't know what it cost in your neck of the woods, but I paid about $275. That's cheaper than what I could hire a painter to do it and not much cheaper than what I could buy automotive paint to do it myself. Because they sandblast everything you don't have to worry about all the rust and battery corrosion coming back to haunt you.