[versicolor]

I just finished a new fender and painted it today with Duplicolor Perfect Match automotive rattle can. I did no sanding this time just scratch filler primer, black metallic, and clear top coat. The pics really do not do it justice. I tried to get a good enough shot so you could see how smooth and shiny the surface turned out. I couldn't get a shot that was real good because it's just in my kitchen with poor lighting but you can kind of get an idea. It's also hard to see how smooth it really is because of the metallic finish but trust me when I say this thing has no orange peel and is smooth as can be. Thought maybe you would be interested. Heres the pics:

I'll try to get some outside in the sun tomorrow.

 

[King_Panther13]

Interesting. So, did you sand it initially, then just spray it with filler primer, and add your coats?



I'm about to give a rattle can job to my bike. Going to paint my tank and side covers a semi-glossy olive drab, and paint my engine guards a semi-gloss black. I want something rugged that'll last, and something that matches. I don't care if it's perfect or glossy or shiny or whatever, but I don't want it to look like I took a rattle can to it and then forgot about it.



Looks like this may be a viable method.

 

[dak]

For the tank, id use engine clear coat so gas wont eat it

 

[granlund1]

I know what I'm doing when this riding "season" ends!

Looks like outstanding results for a reasonable amount of cash outlay.

DAK, I will definitely take your advice about the engine clear coat!





Thanks for sharing this versicolor, and definitely put up some more pics!!

 

[redcloud]

I think the reflection of the photographer says it all!! haha...nice job! I love how paint can technology has evolved

post pics when you have her all back together please!

 

[justingallen]

Looks great for a rattle can!



I painted a whole bike via rattle can and it looked great until I spilled a little gas on the tank. The clear coat didn't hold up once the gas touched it. Looked awesome until then. It was silver with a metal flake.



Good job.

 

[versicolor]

For the tank, id use engine clear coat so gas wont eat it

I just use a paper towel from the gas station whenever I fillerup. I hold it right around the nozzle and have never had splash or spillage. But you are right the gas will eat up that clear coat.

 

[versicolor]

Okay it's mounted so I took some pics in the sun. Here they be:

 

[dak]

Awesome! Looks great, I really like the rivets. Gonna go thru and polish em al?

 

[versicolor]

Interesting. So, did you sand it initially, then just spray it with filler primer, and add your coats?



I'm about to give a rattle can job to my bike. Going to paint my tank and side covers a semi-glossy olive drab, and paint my engine guards a semi-gloss black. I want something rugged that'll last, and something that matches. I don't care if it's perfect or glossy or shiny or whatever, but I don't want it to look like I took a rattle can to it and then forgot about it.



Looks like this may be a viable method.

It was a chrome front fender off of a Yamaha something or other. I cut and shaped it, drilled the holes for the rivets and mounting bolts, sandblasted it and scrubbed it with a wet scrub pad. Then I sprayed it with the primer and wet sanded that with 1200 grit. Dried it and painted it with the black metallic waiting 10 minutes between coats. I used 1 whole can. Then I waited 30 minutes and used almost a whole can of clear, again waiting 10 minutes between coats. I installed the rivets, put it on the bike and polished and waxed with Mcguires quick formula.

 

[versicolor]

Awesome! Looks great, I really like the rivets. Gonna go thru and polish em al?

Thanks. I don't think i'll polish all those little buggers.

 

[justingallen]

Great looking bike! I really dig the solo seat and your fender cut out is the perfect finishing touch.







--I may have missed this, but how did you mount your rear fender? Sorry if you covered it earlier and I overlooked it--

 

[NateDawg]

I was using Valspar paint. Got the base coat nice and hazy and completely flat, then did my clear. After the clear had dried a few days I took 2000 grit to it and wet sanded. I couldn't get all the tiny pin holes out of it. There were millions of them. Once I got the pin holes out, I started buffing and found that I had taken most of the clear off but not all. Now there are patterns where there isnt any clear. Not digging Valspar enamel clear, even though it wasnt cheap, and it says premium on the can. Maybe I needed more than 2 coats. I'm discouraged. It's been a couple of weeks now that I have been working on this. I have found an acrylic and lacquer clear coat in a spray can at the hobby store. The cans are small and are 6 bucks a piece. I'm going to sand again and throw on another base coat since I've done so much sanding. Then sand and try more coats of clear, then sand again, then buff. I don't wanna settle till it is truely a mirror finish. With bright light and being inches away it is easy to see imperfections.



Versicolor.... Can you take a photo of your work and perhaps show a reflection? The metal flake might help to mask imperfections, but what is important to me is that I can see if I have something in my teeth off the paint

 

[versicolor]

Great looking bike! I really dig the solo seat and your fender cut out is the perfect finishing touch.







--I may have missed this, but how did you mount your rear fender? Sorry if you covered it earlier and I overlooked it--

I made a small bung that I threaded and welded to the bar that the seat springs are mounted to. I drilled a hole in the fender for a bolt that I come from underneath the fender to thread into the bung. for the bottom I bought a regular old copper conduit clamp and I bolt that to the fender and it's secured to the bike at the battery support. heres a couple up close pics.

 

[versicolor]

I was using Valspar paint. Got the base coat nice and hazy and completely flat, then did my clear. After the clear had dried a few days I took 2000 grit to it and wet sanded. I couldn't get all the tiny pin holes out of it. There were millions of them. Once I got the pin holes out, I started buffing and found that I had taken most of the clear off but not all. Now there are patterns where there isnt any clear. Not digging Valspar enamel clear, even though it wasnt cheap, and it says premium on the can. Maybe I needed more than 2 coats. I'm discouraged. It's been a couple of weeks now that I have been working on this. I have found an acrylic and lacquer clear coat in a spray can at the hobby store. The cans are small and are 6 bucks a piece. I'm going to sand again and throw on another base coat since I've done so much sanding. Then sand and try more coats of clear, then sand again, then buff. I don't wanna settle till it is truely a mirror finish. With bright light and being inches away it is easy to see imperfections.



Versicolor.... Can you take a photo of your work and perhaps show a reflection? The metal flake might help to mask imperfections, but what is important to me is that I can see if I have something in my teeth off the paint

I can try. It's difficult to get a real good picture because of my cheap camera and also because of how the metal flake makes it almost look like a textured finish. When i'm standing there looking at it in the sun it reflects as good as any finish i've seen. I take a picture and it just never even comes close. I have had so many people ask me where I had the paint job done. Lots of shocked reactions when they find out I did it with rattle cans.



When I did my tank I spent over a week following the procedure I found online. I have like 32 coats on that thing and spent hours sanding. I just did not have the patience to do that on this fender so I did a quick job on it. I was completely done with all of the primer, the paint and clear within hours. And looking at the final product I really don't think that all of that sanding and the numerous coats looks all that better. In person the tank does have more shine, but i'm attributing that more to the many more coats of clear that I applied to it. I only used one can of color and about 3/4 can of clear on the fender. In any event i'm happy with it and it's good to the point that I feel proud to show it off.

 

[MechaJubei]

I also did a rattle can job and am really happy with it. I did a flat though and I couldn't find a flat coat that would withstand gas spills. Anyone know of a way to get flat color with protection fro ma rattle can?

 

[jhodorek]

I also did a rattle can job and am really happy with it. I did a flat though and I couldn't find a flat coat that would withstand gas spills. Anyone know of a way to get flat color with protection fro ma rattle can?

Any rattle can won't stand up to solvents. For protection, you have to use a 2-part clear coat with a hardener. One part won't stand up to gas or degreaser (or any other solvent). Even engine enamel clear will soften and blemish where fuel drips on it.

 

[justingallen]

thanks for the pics versicolor. I'm going to be looking into something like this for mine.



Once again, good looking bike.

 

[Blindstitch]

In two years I want to see pictures of the bike. It's either going to be ok or horrible.



I could show you a beautiful tank and panels done right that looks horrible today. Not to discourage people that paint with a rattle can. On the other hand I painted a ford ranger with tractor enamel and and the paint looks fine after 15 years. Go figure.

 

[versicolor]

Well it cost me under $50 bucks all together to paint the tank, fender and frame. It would have cost me less but I went a little overboard with how many coats I applied. So more realistically it would cost maybe $25-$30. The cheapest I could find to have it done "professionally" is $500. That would have been just for the tank, and in one solid color. And that would have been getting a deal from a friend of a friend. I don't know about you guys, but I don't have that kind of extra cash for a "proper" paint job. So if in 2 years my poor boy paint job looks horrible, i'll happily shell out another $30 and do it all over again.