Author Topic: What frame finish should I get if I want to do a custom paint job myself  (Read 671 times)

danymax

Hi all,
I'm planning on ordering a frame and I'd like to do a custom paint job myself, I've messaged the vendor to see if I could get the frame raw without any paint and they said it was possible, but I'm a bit confused if there would be any advantage getting the raw frame without primer vs getting the black matte finish.
I'm going for an opaque paint job so as far as I understand the first layer on the frame would be a black primer, so I'm wondering if I can just get the black matte finish instead to avoid having to do the primer layer, or does the matte finish come with clear coat and would require sanding down before I can apply paint, in which case I assume I'm better off ordering the raw finish frame?



Sakizashi

Re: What frame finish should I get if I want to do a custom paint job myself
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2023, 11:12:16 AM »
Matte black paints are usually a finish over a primer, not just a primer itself, the reason being that RTP or primers perform poorly as an outer layer over time and tend to be hard to clean.

I would specifically ask them for primer only as you want to finish painting yourself, or a “ready to paint” (RTP) finish.

danymax

Re: What frame finish should I get if I want to do a custom paint job myself
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2023, 11:44:30 AM »
ah right that makes sense, I guess if they can provide custom paint jobs they should also be able to provide just the primer layer if I ask. One downside that I'm thinking about is that if I order the raw unprimed finish it will be more easy to inspect the frame for any manufacturing errors (It's my first DTC Chinese frame so I'm a bit nervous on the quality). On the other hand I guess any problem with a frame that can be spotted by eye is usually in the non painted areas of the frame, so I guess there isn't much benefit getting the raw finish