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You will need:
- An assortment of wet and dry sandpaper. From 100 - 1000 grit. (150, 400, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000)
- Primer
- Colour paint
- a LOT of Laquer
- Washing up liquid
- An area to paint in, that is ventilated, and as dust free as possible.
- Cheap black spray paint
- Rubbing / cutting compound
- some clean rags
- masking tape / paper to mask areas off.
- optional: Tack-Rag
Step 1 (clean the panels)
- Remove panels, (honestly, don't try to paint them on your bike).
- Remove your screen and headlights (if possible), remove stickers, and mask over any areas you do not want painted.
- Clean them, take some warm soapy water and rinse them all off nice a proper. Get all the dirt off, front AND back. Even if you are not planning on painting a particular area, if it is dirty and you touch it, your hands will be dirty and you will be putting dirt on the areas you ARE painting.
Step 2 (prepare your work area)
- Prepare your working area, put a cloth down, cover anything that could get covered in paint particles, ensure the area is well ventilated, create some device for holding panels whilst you paint etc.
- I used a hanging rail + coat hangers in my garage to hang the panels from the cieling, this allowed me to get a better spray since I was using aerosol paint (can works better upright).
- For the nose cone, and rear panels, I put my panels on the ground, on top of clean pieces of cardboard.
Step 4 (Sand off old paint)
- I would suggest doing this away from your painting area, to avoid having dust in your painting area.
- Sand all the old paint of your panels using 150 grit sandpaper. You can do this by hand, or with a belt sander.
- Sand in straight lines, all in the same direction.
- Ensure you get in to all curves and crevices (will need to be done by hand).
Step 5 (repair the panels)
- Ensure that the panels are all smooth, and repaired.
- Repair holes with a fibreglass repair kit.
- Actual broken pieces of plastic can be repaired with ABS cement.
- Fill any dents or scratches with general purpose body filler.
- Sand your panels again with the 150grit sandpaper ensuring repair work is flush, and the hole panel is smooth.
Step 6 (Primer)
- If you want the finish to look it's best, this step is vital.
- Was your panels, well. I suggest washing up liquid as this removes all oily build ups.
- Allow panel to dry.
- Apply a generous coat of primer, all over.
- Then take 400grit sandpaper and sand it smooth.
- Apply several more (thinner) layers of primer.
- The overall primer coat must be very thick, this is what will smooth out the surface of your panels.
Step 7 (level the surface)
- Once dried, rough the primer up using 400 grit sandpaper, by lightly running the paper over the surface by hand.
- 'cloud' the panel with a can of black spray paint. You don't need to PAINT it black, just make it cloudy.
- You are then going to sand all the black off, this will show you where the high and low areas of paint are.
- This step isn't vital, but will enable you to get the surface absolutely smooth.
Step 8 (Paint)
- Wash the panels again, well, with degreaser / washing up liquid.
- Allow panels to dry.
- Apply several THIN layers of paint at a time, so thin the colour barely covers the surface.
- It should take 3 or 4 layers before the paint actually covers the surface.
- Allow the paint to dry between each layer (if you did them thin enough, it should be around 15 minutes per coat).
- if you get any runs, you will need to sand that area down and re-apply paint.
- Continue applying thin layers of paint. You WILL learn the meaning of watching paint dry.
- Once you see complete coverage, add another 3 or so 'insurance' coats. These too should be very very thin.
- The paint WILL look VERY dull, and rough, and won't look the final colour. This is normal!
Step 9 (Clear Coat)
- Wipe your now dry, painted panels, preferably with a tack-rag (which is a special sticky cloth for removing dust particles).
- Apply just like the colour coat. VERY thin layers.
- This should be roughly 6 - 8 layers thick, if not more, as this is the protective layer, and what gives the paint it's shininess.
Step 10 (finishing)
- Once the clear coat is dry, if there are any runs etc. I suggest going over them with 800 grit again, getting everywhere flat.
- Then sand the hole panel with ABSOLUTELY SOAKING 1500 grit.
- Then sand the whole panel with ABSOLUTELY SOAKING 2000 grit paper.
- This will get the entire panel nice and thick. DO NOT sand through the clear coat.
- Now you will need to get the panel shiny again.
- Wipe the panel again.
- Rub the entire panel really well with a rubbing or cutting compound,.
- This will be the most labour intensive part.
- You can use a buffer if you wish, but be careful not to go through the clear coat!
- Finally, finish off by polishing the panel!
Notes and Warnings:
- Make sure you are in a well ventialted area!!!!
- Ensure you read the warnings on the paint, paint applied with a spray gun can be VERY toxic.
- Aerosol paint can be equally dangerous, although not usuall QUITE as lethal...
- Always do thin layers to avoid running, and to speed drying.
- Always allow your layers to dry between coats.
- Always wipe or clean your panels between stages.
- ENSURE you are in a dust free environment.
- Your wet sandpaper, should be soaked through totally, in clean water, with dish washing liquid in. This prevents the sand paper from sticking.
- Be patient.
Alternative Easy method:
- Sand whole panel with 100 grit.
- Clean.
- Spray primer on, quite thickly, but not too thick that it runs. 2 or 3 thick coats should be enough.
- sand with 800 grit.
- clean.
- Paint several THIN layers on. VERY VERY thin. Allow to dry between each coat.
- sand LIGHTLY VERY WET 2000 grit wet and dry. (if you don't have any wet and dry, then you can actually use just regular printer paper soaked in water).
- clean (carefully).
- spray many layers of clear coat. Again VERY thinly. This should be nice and thick.
- Rub down with TCut or rubbing compound.
- An assortment of wet and dry sandpaper. From 100 - 1000 grit. (150, 400, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000)
- Primer
- Colour paint
- a LOT of Laquer
- Washing up liquid
- An area to paint in, that is ventilated, and as dust free as possible.
- Cheap black spray paint
- Rubbing / cutting compound
- some clean rags
- masking tape / paper to mask areas off.
- optional: Tack-Rag
Step 1 (clean the panels)
- Remove panels, (honestly, don't try to paint them on your bike).
- Remove your screen and headlights (if possible), remove stickers, and mask over any areas you do not want painted.
- Clean them, take some warm soapy water and rinse them all off nice a proper. Get all the dirt off, front AND back. Even if you are not planning on painting a particular area, if it is dirty and you touch it, your hands will be dirty and you will be putting dirt on the areas you ARE painting.
Step 2 (prepare your work area)
- Prepare your working area, put a cloth down, cover anything that could get covered in paint particles, ensure the area is well ventilated, create some device for holding panels whilst you paint etc.
- I used a hanging rail + coat hangers in my garage to hang the panels from the cieling, this allowed me to get a better spray since I was using aerosol paint (can works better upright).
- For the nose cone, and rear panels, I put my panels on the ground, on top of clean pieces of cardboard.
Step 4 (Sand off old paint)
- I would suggest doing this away from your painting area, to avoid having dust in your painting area.
- Sand all the old paint of your panels using 150 grit sandpaper. You can do this by hand, or with a belt sander.
- Sand in straight lines, all in the same direction.
- Ensure you get in to all curves and crevices (will need to be done by hand).
Step 5 (repair the panels)
- Ensure that the panels are all smooth, and repaired.
- Repair holes with a fibreglass repair kit.
- Actual broken pieces of plastic can be repaired with ABS cement.
- Fill any dents or scratches with general purpose body filler.
- Sand your panels again with the 150grit sandpaper ensuring repair work is flush, and the hole panel is smooth.
Step 6 (Primer)
- If you want the finish to look it's best, this step is vital.
- Was your panels, well. I suggest washing up liquid as this removes all oily build ups.
- Allow panel to dry.
- Apply a generous coat of primer, all over.
- Then take 400grit sandpaper and sand it smooth.
- Apply several more (thinner) layers of primer.
- The overall primer coat must be very thick, this is what will smooth out the surface of your panels.
Step 7 (level the surface)
- Once dried, rough the primer up using 400 grit sandpaper, by lightly running the paper over the surface by hand.
- 'cloud' the panel with a can of black spray paint. You don't need to PAINT it black, just make it cloudy.
- You are then going to sand all the black off, this will show you where the high and low areas of paint are.
- This step isn't vital, but will enable you to get the surface absolutely smooth.
Step 8 (Paint)
- Wash the panels again, well, with degreaser / washing up liquid.
- Allow panels to dry.
- Apply several THIN layers of paint at a time, so thin the colour barely covers the surface.
- It should take 3 or 4 layers before the paint actually covers the surface.
- Allow the paint to dry between each layer (if you did them thin enough, it should be around 15 minutes per coat).
- if you get any runs, you will need to sand that area down and re-apply paint.
- Continue applying thin layers of paint. You WILL learn the meaning of watching paint dry.
- Once you see complete coverage, add another 3 or so 'insurance' coats. These too should be very very thin.
- The paint WILL look VERY dull, and rough, and won't look the final colour. This is normal!
Step 9 (Clear Coat)
- Wipe your now dry, painted panels, preferably with a tack-rag (which is a special sticky cloth for removing dust particles).
- Apply just like the colour coat. VERY thin layers.
- This should be roughly 6 - 8 layers thick, if not more, as this is the protective layer, and what gives the paint it's shininess.
Step 10 (finishing)
- Once the clear coat is dry, if there are any runs etc. I suggest going over them with 800 grit again, getting everywhere flat.
- Then sand the hole panel with ABSOLUTELY SOAKING 1500 grit.
- Then sand the whole panel with ABSOLUTELY SOAKING 2000 grit paper.
- This will get the entire panel nice and thick. DO NOT sand through the clear coat.
- Now you will need to get the panel shiny again.
- Wipe the panel again.
- Rub the entire panel really well with a rubbing or cutting compound,.
- This will be the most labour intensive part.
- You can use a buffer if you wish, but be careful not to go through the clear coat!
- Finally, finish off by polishing the panel!
Notes and Warnings:
- Make sure you are in a well ventialted area!!!!
- Ensure you read the warnings on the paint, paint applied with a spray gun can be VERY toxic.
- Aerosol paint can be equally dangerous, although not usuall QUITE as lethal...
- Always do thin layers to avoid running, and to speed drying.
- Always allow your layers to dry between coats.
- Always wipe or clean your panels between stages.
- ENSURE you are in a dust free environment.
- Your wet sandpaper, should be soaked through totally, in clean water, with dish washing liquid in. This prevents the sand paper from sticking.
- Be patient.
Alternative Easy method:
- Sand whole panel with 100 grit.
- Clean.
- Spray primer on, quite thickly, but not too thick that it runs. 2 or 3 thick coats should be enough.
- sand with 800 grit.
- clean.
- Paint several THIN layers on. VERY VERY thin. Allow to dry between each coat.
- sand LIGHTLY VERY WET 2000 grit wet and dry. (if you don't have any wet and dry, then you can actually use just regular printer paper soaked in water).
- clean (carefully).
- spray many layers of clear coat. Again VERY thinly. This should be nice and thick.
- Rub down with TCut or rubbing compound.
but thanks for he guide man. The only I can see is like a list of 'things you require' would be nice rather then sifting through the whole thread. But thanks again man
