Painting: First Chinese bike experience w/ LCFS947

[Draz]

Yesterday, my frame is shipped from China. Not sure about the delivery date but I decided to start the topic.

Firstly, I did some preliminary research for painting the frame.
After couple hours of youtube, I was between two options. Spray my bike completely myself or work with a auto body shop.
I get some estimation about the painting price under 100$ even less if i get involved with sanding and stuff. Tbh, I don't mind spend some time to sand the frame.
Auto shop haven't worked on bikes before but, quick research showed me that bike specific paint jobs starts at 200$+.
For now I'm thinking about auto body shop should be good enough for me.

Preparation
I will cover all the pivot points which can be scuffed with the movement, bb, headset, seatpost. Wet sand the UD fiber layer with 600 then 800 grit.

Primer paint
At this stage I'm between getting my own primer or supplied from auto industry.
Options are Spray max 2k epoxy primer spray can OR generic brand 2k primer + thickener + thinner with a spray gun.
Wet sand the primer with 800 or 600+800grit after 24hrs.

Base coat
This is actually the easiest options since I will be quite happy with my jeep's metallic silver.
I can also use some extra shine for the color, for deeper metallic effect. Any idea would be appreciated.
However I'm not sure about 2 color coatings or 1 coating?

Clear Coat
I decided to go with auto industry clear coating since it is pretty durable and spraymax 2k clear coat cost a lot compared to auto spray gun option.
Also Does this stage require 1 coating or 2 coatings?
After applied, frame needs 24 hours to dry, full hardening will be much longer, weeks maybe.

Body shop owner told me base coat and clear coat is one day job and doesn't require any sanding.
Because I don't make any decal(color on color), that sounds right to me. Maybe I will polish the clear coat with 3m ultra fine polisher
I know this is a cheap frame but doesn't have to look cheap.

These information above is my knowledge from internet, I've never done painting before.
Please make your own research before painting.
If someone is experienced enough about painting, maybe clearify the topic?

[Remedy 7]

 I’m not experienced at painting but I’d recommend looking at Audi “Prism Silver” or Porsche “GT Silver” if you want a more robust silver.

Don’t forget to protect it with paint protection film when you’re done, at least in the vital areas.

[Jotegr]

Wet sand the primer with 800 or 600+800grit after 24hrs.

For best results, redo your masking at this point as well

However I'm not sure about 2 color coatings or 1 coating?

Probably 2 light-mid coats for a silver. Never a problem going more.

Also Does this stage require 1 coating or 2 coatings?

I like to do 3-4 clears, go lighter than you think and put down more product over more coats. Less likely to get runs, and its probably better to have a bit more material your first few jobs because you'll likely need to do quite a bit of correction.

I'd highly recommend spraying the colour and the final clear all in the same day.

Make liberal use of tack cloths

and for God's sake make sure you have a very high quality mask and you know how to fit it right. 2/3 part clear coats are absolutely horrible for the body and if they get in your lungs at all, even in a tiny quantity, they will never ever get out. You want to be using filters with an organic rating, like 3M's 6001 for example. PLUS these filters only remain effective for 24-48 hours after you open the package, so maybe get a couple sets!

I'd highly recommend trying a spray job on a stainless steel water bottle or three before moving on to a bike frame. You need to learn your guns/cans before moving on to very complex parts like bikes.

[Draz]

I’m not experienced at painting but I’d recommend looking at Audi “Prism Silver” or Porsche “GT Silver” if you want a more robust silver.

Don’t forget to protect it with paint protection film when you’re done, at least in the vital areas.

That gt silver paint code:M7Z is exactly what i like and very close to my car actually.

I got some leftover 3m film protection.

and for God's sake make sure you have a very high quality mask and you know how to fit it right. 2/3 part clear coats are absolutely horrible for the body and if they get in your lungs at all, even in a tiny quantity, they will never ever get out. You want to be using filters with an organic rating, like 3M's 6001 for example. PLUS these filters only remain effective for 24-48 hours after you open the package, so maybe get a couple sets!

Paint shop will take care that painting, they already have the equipment and they won't charge me much, tbh just painting is a quick job...

Only need a dust mask, even a quality pandemic mask should be enough for sanding.

I was thinking about re-masking because paper like tape would be ruined after wet sanding, thanks for straight mentioning that tho.

2 colors and 2-3 clear coat are enough then, depending on how thick and liberally they are applied.

At this point I will plan the painting and do the annoying work and let the pros do only the painting, because auto shops are usually busy and work only on cars.

[Jotegr]

I got some leftover 3m film protection.

Paint shop will take care that painting, they already have the equipment and they won't charge me much, tbh just painting is a quick job...

Only need a dust mask, even a quality pandemic mask should be enough for sanding.

I was thinking about re-masking because paper like tape would be ruined after wet sanding, thanks for straight mentioning that tho.

2 colors and 2-3 clear coat are enough then, depending on how thick and liberally they are applied.

At this point I will plan the painting and do the annoying work and let the pros do only the painting, because auto shops are usually busy and work only on cars.

Oh I see, if you'll be paying someone else then you should be fine with respect to the difficulty of painting, haha!

Ask the paint shop what they will be doing to cure the clear before you go anywhere near the bike with 3M or other paint protection film. You need the clear to COMPLETELY cure before you apply it - if you're doing it at room temperature, I wouldn't be putting a film on anywhere within a month post spraying. A professional shop can help you decide this window.

[Draz]

Yeah hot summer is coming. Probably couple weeks but, surely i can consult them.

[Draz]

Just finished painting and I have to say it's a real pain in the O.

Notes to the initial thoughts.

Preparation
I will cover all the pivot points which can be scuffed with the movement, bb, headset, seatpost. Wet sand the UD fiber layer with 600 then 800 grit.

This is probably the most important step take your time and make the masking perfect.
A bit of imagination is required to create a stand for the main triangle.
Also manufacturing tolerances were lot less than anticipated, I ended up sanding some pivot points.

Primer paint
At this stage I'm between getting my own primer or supplied from auto industry.
Options are Spray max 2k epoxy primer spray can OR generic brand 2k primer + thickener + thinner with a spray gun.
Wet sand the primer with 800 or 600+800grit after 24hrs.

It wasn't really an issue, just some elbow grease to smooth the primer i ended up only sand with 800 grit.

Base coat
This is actually the easiest options since I will be quite happy with my jeep's metallic silver.
I can also use some extra shine for the color, for deeper metallic effect. Any idea would be appreciated.
However I'm not sure about 2 color coatings or 1 coating?

Base coat aka color, this is where things get excited to look at.
I didn't participate this stage but according to the painter it took about 3-4 coats to hide the primer.
All coats applied on each other 10 minutes interval.
I find a paint shop and made a custom color paint, but it looked different than what it should.

Clear Coat
I decided to go with auto industry clear coating since it is pretty durable and spraymax 2k clear coat cost a lot compared to auto spray gun option.
Also Does this stage require 1 coating or 2 coatings?

This is, I believe where paint guy fucked up the whole process. They didn't put much attention and fucked up the looks. It took 5-6 coats to make it reasonably good look. Always one spot was missing... This was due to the poor preparation no stand just hanging the pieces and it was either too low or too high.

Visually it is 7/10
Smooth finish 3/10
Durability 9/10
It took more clear coats than it should and arguably it's more durable.

Aftermath
It only cost me 30$ but i would pay 100$ for better finish.
Second choice i would completely DIY the project and do a proper job.

I added a sneak peek of the color will add more pictures later

[Jotegr]

Wow, the price. You get what you pay for I guess. I spent probably ten times that only on paint for my Rocky Mountain when I painted it, forget any labour! I think you could probably get your clear in better shape with some high grit sanding, cutting compound, and a polish. This'll take quite a lot of elbow grease and should be done once the frame has a long chance to cure!

[jonnybearback]

I used a can of spraymax 2k epoxy primer on my knife stripped frame. 3 light coats of montana gold color coat (2 cans), another couple of different color coats after masking for decals which was 1/2+ can, then 1.5 cans of 2k epoxy matt clear to finish.
Thats 5 x 300g cans of paint, removing the overspray on the floor and in the filter media, there's almost no way that's only going to have added 150g of weight. I'd guess closer to an added pound of weight
With your huge layer buildup, I wonder what kind of weight of paint you have.

[Jotegr]

With your huge layer buildup, I wonder what kind of weight of paint you have.

I think the painter used spray guns, which allow you to use FAR less paint than rattle cans. I spray with both rattle cans and spray guns, and depending on the gun/paint used, I'll do 1.5-2 times as many layers. My general rule is to try to spray as little paint as I can while allowing it to still hit the frame while wet - this is a safer technique for myself who is not a professional. With rattle cans, I rarely get past a second coat of any stage rather than being able to dial it in a bit more precisely on spray guns.

SO it might not have actually added any more than your rattle can job.

[Draz]

Wow, the price. You get what you pay for I guess. I spent probably ten times that only on paint for my Rocky Mountain when I painted it, forget any labour! I think you could probably get your clear in better shape with some high grit sanding, cutting compound, and a polish. This'll take quite a lot of elbow grease and should be done once the frame has a long chance to cure!

Yes price is real

TBH, i wasn't expecting much just from paintjob, besides couple spots it looks good enough. I got some 3m polish but not cutting compound. Do you think polish would be enough or i need more aggressive stuff to smooth the surface? It's not much gritty but you can feel some powder on some points.

I used a can of spraymax 2k epoxy primer on my knife stripped frame. 3 light coats of montana gold color coat (2 cans), another couple of different color coats after masking for decals which was 1/2+ can, then 1.5 cans of 2k epoxy matt clear to finish.
Thats 5 x 300g cans of paint, removing the overspray on the floor and in the filter media, there's almost no way that's only going to have added 150g of weight. I'd guess closer to an added pound of weight
With your huge layer buildup, I wonder what kind of weight of paint you have.

I guess with all the pressurized gas and evaporating chemicals it weights 300gr in a can. However paint on product should be lot less than that. You may used 1.5kg of chemicals but the actual stuff sticks to frame is 200-250gr max!

[jannmayer]

Yes, most will evaporate. I did two coats of SprayMax 2k primer, 2 to 4 coats of Montana Gold (depending on the color)  and two coats of SprayMax 2k clear. It added up to 110 grams on my XL gravel frame and fork.

[jannmayer]

Now that I think about it, the 110 gram figure also include sanding about 40 gram of matte finish off. The total paont weight was about 150 gram.

[Jotegr]

Yes price is real

TBH, i wasn't expecting much just from paintjob, besides couple spots it looks good enough. I got some 3m polish but not cutting compound. Do you think polish would be enough or i need more aggressive stuff to smooth the surface? It's not much gritty but you can feel some powder on some points.

Polish won't smooth on its own - you need to do some gentle, very high grit wet sanding to get the bumps down. Compound gets rid of the scratches left by the sanding. Polish is used to finish and bring back the gloss/shine.