Proper spray job or rattle cans?

[awoo]

I am restoring a Vespa right now, taking it all apart and down to the bare metal, welding bits up etc.

then it comes to the paint.

so I can take it to a bodyshop to be painted or I can do it myself...

will be white pearl paint (ill then be putting some martini stripes along the bottom and front leg shield)


pro costs approx £600 - paint from local paint suppliers, proper facilities.

or I do it, paint from the same suppliers but in aerosol form and a lot less cost overall.

I would do it in my workshop (small, leaky roof, damp, no proper ventilation etc) and content I would get a good enough finish.


but would it be as durable? I will be using it regularly and want the finish to be tough and durable like a paint job should be. keeping in mind a small dampish workshop at this time of year might not cure the paint so brilliantly

would a body shop add hardeners and give better coverage, quality of job etc?

i've sprayed bike frames and stuff but nothing this big before (not that its particularly big)


is it worth coughing up the extra to have someone else do it? or is it just the same stuff only flying through the air on to the metal in a different method

also martini livery for inspiration would be great

and pics ftw

[daslandroverman]

Preparation is the key with paintwork.
A skilled painter with decent prep can manage a better job with rattle cans than some people with a proper gun.

I'd suggest that if you did attempt it in the facilities you have (small, cold, damp sheds are not conclusive to a good finish) that by the time you got it to a decent standard you'd wish you'd paid the £600 for someone else to do it in a heated/ventilated booth.

[comfortablynumb]

There was a feature in Practical classics (2 years ago??) about painting with rattle cans, I didn't pay much attention because I don't even wash my daily. let alone paint it. but might be worth a look if you can find the back issues.

They reckon you could get a pro finish, but as Daslandroverman says, prep is the key

[awoo]

ok thanks.

this:

wish you'd paid the £600 for someone else to do it

is kind of where I'm at. when I've done bigger jobs like cam belts and the like I usually think this when I'm half way through.

[austinpowers]

If you don’t mind putting in the time & effort then you can get a good finish with can’s.
This is the end result with some of Halfords standard black paint and some wet n dry.

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

What Vespa is it??

[awoo]

its a 1983 px125e with 177 polini. bought it as a non runner, got it running pretty quickly but it has a fair amount of rust. the usual rust bubble turns in to a large patch of rust when you start picking at it

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

Feb 18, 2018 0:57:15 GMT awoo said:

its a 1983 px125e with 177 polini. bought it as a non runner, got it running pretty quickly but it has a fair amount of rust. the usual rust bubble turns in to a large patch of rust when you start picking at it

Get it painted properly or in 12 months it will want doing again I reckon.
Or use rattle cans then get it lacquered by a sprayer that way it will be protected by the elements

[Deleted]

Feb 17, 2018 19:05:08 GMT comfortablynumb said:

There was a feature in Practical classics (2 years ago??) about painting with rattle cans, I didn't pay much attention because I don't even wash my daily. let alone paint it. but might be worth a look if you can find the back issues.

They reckon you could get a pro finish, but as Daslandroverman says, prep is the key

The feature article in question was shot in my workshop by Theo Gillam with myself & Theo covering the write up of it - in essence there is a lot to be said of the rattlecan and it is several generations on from the old splat & spit products that were out there - great for small areas single small panels etc and I have made many motors look very tidy with the careful use of the aerosol - complete panels though like the size of Vespa frame / leg shields etc - forget it especially in a pearlescent finish - pay your money and take it to a pro rather than waste a lot of time, money & effort in something that will always be a disappointment.

[comfortablynumb]

Feb 18, 2018 10:32:24 GMT @grumpynorthener said:

Feb 17, 2018 19:05:08 GMT comfortablynumb said:

There was a feature in Practical classics (2 years ago??) about painting with rattle cans, I didn't pay much attention because I don't even wash my daily. let alone paint it. but might be worth a look if you can find the back issues.

They reckon you could get a pro finish, but as Daslandroverman says, prep is the key

The feature article in question was shot in my workshop by Theo Gillam with myself & Theo covering the write up of it - in essence there is a lot to be said of the rattlecan and it is several generations on from the old splat & spit products that were out there - great for small areas single small panels etc and I have made many motors like very tidy with the careful use of the aerosol - complete panels though like the size of Vespa frame / leg shields etc - forget it especially in a pearlescent finish - pay your money and take it to a pro rather than waste a lot of time, money & effort in something that will always be a disappointment.

And there you have it, from the Horses mouth, If Grumpy Northerner was involved with the shoot and thats his opinion, enough said!

[awoo]

this is what I was hoping for. I'm going to get it done properly

[awoo]

just another thing, I obviously want to rust proof this as best as I can.

would putting a good amount of hammerite on the underneath be the way forward or putting under seal on it be the right thing to do?

[astranaut]

I'm too tight to pay for a pro job, and have learnt the hard way to have patience doing it myself, and usually surprise myself (not blowing my own trumpet) how good it comes out. Front bumper of my vectra being one of them, good match and I made myself do the best job I could. Plus it cost about 30 quid in material.




Please excuse the bra, it's hiding a rust home, and it's getting stripped soon

[xbl]

As shown with the front bumper on the Vectra, you can achieve a great finish with rattle cans, it just takes more time to achieve. I repainted a CBR600 in Pirates black after my cousin came off it, it looked good for ages before he sold it.

[Ritchie]

I do it all the time and if you prep properly, give the base coat plenty time to dry and use 2k aerosol laquer you can get it mint and it will be as tough as a pro finish..

I’ll post the link to the laquer I use when I find it.

[Ritchie]

This stuff is the nuts, as I said you can spray this over 1k base coat if you let it cure properly, flat your base coat down with 600 wet & dry heat the lacquer in some hot water and hit it, goes on a treat and looks great. You might get cheaper, this was just the first link I came across with the stuff.
2K aerosol Spraymax Gloss Lacquer Clear Coat Spray 400ml art. no. 2680061 German rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F251373981458

[shielsy68]

friend make s up 2k cans far better results 

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

Feb 18, 2018 17:47:52 GMT awoo said:

just another thing, I obviously want to rust proof this as best as I can.

would putting a good amount of hammerite on the underneath be the way forward or putting under seal on it be the right thing to do?

Stone chip it

[Ritchie]

Feb 19, 2018 15:45:01 GMT slackerTHEpinstriper said:

Feb 18, 2018 17:47:52 GMT awoo said:

just another thing, I obviously want to rust proof this as best as I can.

would putting a good amount of hammerite on the underneath be the way forward or putting under seal on it be the right thing to do?

Stone chip it

Stone chip has no rust preventative qualities in it, all you will be doing is sealing in any rust. Anyway stonechip will not give the finish you want with a bike. You want to get as much corrosion out as possible then zinc prime it really.

[shielsy68]

whs hammerite chips to easy