DIY Frame respray - going semi-pro

Hi, few question for those who have dabbled in resprays / restoration.

I am pretty good at prepping a frame, and have in the past done a rattle can job on old frames with so-so results. A couple of years ago I 2 pack rattle canned my motorbike tank and it came out really well.

I am looking at getting an old frame resprayed, and for the cost (circa £200) I can't help but think I could buy the tools to do myself and have a bit of a play.

What do you think would be required for a semi-decent job? I am thinking air compressor, gun/nozzles, paint and prep gear. How much do you think this lot would run to?

Anyone selling ?!

Cheers

If you're going down the 2 pac car finish route you'll find that paint is going to be your biggest outlay:

£19 half litre base coat
£10 half litre activator
£55 litre of anti sratch clear coat

And that's before you get into priming and fancy finishes. Those are trade prices too and all + vat. That might do you two frames depending on how many coats you want to put down.

enter code here

Hey, you seem to know much more than me so if I can I would like to pick your brain!

Really cost is not a massive issue. I am not doing it to make a profit. I just think it would be satisfying to do (nearly) as good what I would pay people for!

I know prep can be a massive ballache, and sometimes I definitely think it is worth paying a pro to do.

Is paint really that expensive?!

is the frame lugged ?

Whilst I am here - what is a decent set-up for media blasting / spraying? This will be used very sparingly but would like nice results. Plus tools are good..

Yes the frame is lugged

It a rusty old pre war frame, quite a nice one though!

your main concern will be the lug edges in getting a good overall finish. Preparing them will take ages if you do it right and applying the correct thickness is hard so as not to lose definition but not to allow chipping.
I haven't seen a 2 pac finished lugged frame in person so can't comment, but I'd imagine the thickness might be an issue?

No idea! The tank was a simple shape. Doesn't have to be 2 pack but I think 2-pack lacquer would be more durable? Any idea on the kit needed?

2 pac with an anti scratch clear is probably going to be a lot more durable than a standard enamel finish from the likes of Vaz ect. Good paint is ALWAYS expensive!! My mates a pro painter (motorsport) and I've seen him taking a hefty Snap On to paint and no serious damage (nothing that couldn't be very easily repaired).Thickness is not an issue as the paint goes on in thin layers, it all depends how many layers of base coat you want to put down. He says 4-6 base coats is a standard for motorbike painting.

Sand blasting is pretty straight forward, and can be done in a home made enclosure no problem. You just need the space.

Quote a good guide to diy sand blasting here (Lidl) sold a compressor/gun kit last year for £30 and it was apparently excellent:

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/sandblasting.htm

2 pac painting really requires an oven to speed up the drying times. I got a frame clear coated by my mate and he didn't have time to stove it. Took about 8 days to dry properly by a radiator. You could always do a beer/oven deal with a local paint shop if it was just the odd frame you're painting.

He also paints with a mask and an airline so he's barriered from the fumes. But he's painting like 50hrs a week, I'm not really up on the inhalation effects but probably a standard filter mask is okay for occasional use. Best to research it though!

Realistically you could probably 2 pac a bike frame for £30-50 materials + your time. If you became quite slick with the paint gun I reckon you'd likely end up with a superior, mute durable finish than a £200 paint from the usual suspects. Afaik the anti scratch final coat is acrylic based and it's extremely tough.

Finally, these guys are popular with motorsport painters:

http://www.carpaintuk.co.uk/pricelist.html

HSE guidance on working with 2 pac paint spraying systems (although a lot of this is now considered OTT as water based paints have been introduced and greatly dilute the danger of isocyanates):

http://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/bodyshop/isocyanates.htm

The British Council (in conjunction with Maker Lab) ran spray painting courses in London last year but I'll be fecked if I can find the link. These guys might be able to help you, but my experience of Maker Lab type projects is that practically it's a load of wank:

http://southlondonmakerspace.org/

Awesome. Thankyou ColnagoDaft for sharing so much information. I remember putting my fuel tank in the kitchen oven to prove - lucky the house is still here.

I think last time I used 2pack I had a window open in the garage and tried to hold my breath! I will invest in a mask but really this will only be a couple of times a year thing for me so hopefully no ill effects.

Sand blasting will probably take a back seat as it's a little overkill for my needs, and reading the links you posted seems to create A LOT of dust/mess etc. I'll stick to my paint stripper / wirewool / sandpaper / dremmel combo.

Again thanks for all the info, I'll be on the lookout for ALDI's next compressor sale.