Custom Paint - Workshop specials.

Depends how good of a finish you want to achieve!

Sand it/get it blasted > etch primer > 2k primer > sand > base coat(s) > 2k lacquer > wet sand > more 2k lacquer > wet sand > flow coat 2k lacquer > flat and polish if you can be bothered. (Other painters will have differing process I’m sure).

Cost of decent materials will be a lot to do a decent job though, as you’ll have to buy a lot more than you need to use for such a small project.

Any 2k product is proper nasty shit, so proper respirator and extraction is highly recommended.

I’m shit at giving advice im afraid though, as I highly doubt the way I do things is what would be considered the ‘correct’ way by a lot of other painters. I’m sure @privatepatterson would be happy to provide a some more in depth advice!

What @hoops said.

Everyone who paints will use some combination of those steps which will change depending on many variables. They'll have product preferences based on their personal experiences with them too.
For instance, we tend to favour epoxy based primers as opposed to etch primers here but would alter to suit the project.
If the way you do it differs from the tutorials, then your way is just as valid as any other.

The harder you work, the better it will look but that is a given.

Automotive refinishing videos are a great place to start but the bit that makes them less useful is that you have to speak a little of the language already in order to make alterations and accommodations for your own tools, mediums and substrates. For example, we all use smaller guns in the most part I'm certain.

As Bobby said... everyone does it slightly differently...

Here's loosely the order of operations here...

Media Blast > key the frame > epoxy primer > cure > key the primer ready for base coat > apply 2k basecoat/graphics etc > clearcoat > cure > wet flat > clearcoat > wetflat > flowcoat > cure > wet flat > polish.

Start to finish, factoring natural curing times, this takes us three weeks (depending on the complexity of the design). The painting part is usually around one to three hours in a process that sees us interact actively with the frame for thirty to forty hours in total. The rest is prep, masking and polishing.

Good product is expensive and the minimum quantities you'll purchase will see you right for maybe ten or more bikes... it can be quite costly. If you're London based, drop us an email at colecoatingsworkshopATgmailDOTcom, maybe we could put together a few smaller quantities for you to help you out. Primer, panel wipes, solvents, tack cloths, abrasives etc.

There are places that can supply smaller quantities of product but they'd tend to be more for modelling/hobby craft and may not be particularly robust in the grander scheme of things.