Spraying with rattlecans-amount needed?

I'm considering getting my semi-new Bottecchia frame sprayed for my upcoming transformers-themed project, and since powdercoating is way too expensive here (180£+25% tax at a car-sprayer) I'm going to use rattlecans.

Anyway, I know some people have used rattlecans and it seems to turn out pretty good, But how many cans do you guys think I need for about 4-5 layers?
I've never done this before so I'm hoping it'll turn out alright though, probably will be spraying in an old garage.
And btw, do I have to strip all the paint with paint-remover (the kind that bubbles and etches off the paint) or is it okay to just sandpaper the uneven parts and fill them up to have it smooth? I've heard some people saying it's crucial to get all the old paint off, while others say it's better not to 'cause it'll be thicker and more "protective" for the frame.

Also, I'm thinking about spraying my cranks as well..would that work/hold at all? They'll probably get ugly pretty fast, but I can't afford new stuff atm..=)

If your doing it right I'd hazard a guess at around three 400ml cans of a paint like montana. Although I probably wouldnt use five coats tbh.
Painting cranks is fine although they will get scratched up so expect to have to re-spray them.

Not sure if your looking at a multi colour job but armourtex is alot cheaper than £180 utfs.

ask dov

If your doing it right I'd hazard a guess at around three 400ml cans of a paint like montana. Although I probably wouldnt use five coats tbh.
Painting cranks is fine although they will get scratched up so expect to have to re-spray them.

Not sure if your looking at a multi colour job but armourtex is alot cheaper than £180 utfs.

How many coats is enough then? =)

I live in Norway, there's no Armourex here. I've read about them here on the forums, and the prices aren't half bad, but I'd have to fly to London.

If you do not want to strip the whole lot of the old paint AND providing the the underlying frame is in good condition(no rust), you could get away with roughing up the surface with sandpaper to give the paint something to grab. Then you could dispense with the primer.

5-6 cans for a good job + primer.

If you do not want to strip the whole lot of the old paint AND providing the the underlying frame is in good condition(no rust), you could get away with roughing up the surface with sandpaper to give the paint something to grab. Then you could dispense with the primer.

5-6 cans for a good job + primer.

No there's no rust, maybe a couple of spots but I can get rid of that with some steel wool or fine sandpaper, so nothing serious.

5-6 cans is noted! So I need clear spray as well for the shine, or will just the paint do it? I reckon it'll protect the paint from scratching very easily as well..

get a can or two of clear laquer

Ah here, where are all you chaps off to with 5-6 cans?! You will need 1 can, 2 if in doubt. I know some of you guys pretend not to be weight bitches, but do you know how much weight is in 6 cans of paint?! If you want the best finish, raw the whole frame. 1 can of nitromors is all you will need. Strictly speaking, you could just rough up the existing paint with some medium-high grade sandpaper and paint onto that, and you could get an acceptable finish(as long as the surface is relatively abrasive, the paint will hold and tend not to flake) but to be sure to be sure, I would remove all the paint. Montana paints will suffice, but bear in mind that their primary purpose is to be sprayed onto walls. Plasti-kote I've found is a nicer quality paint. Do several coats, 4-6 should be fine. Only put a clear coat on if you want a glossy finish, if it's a matte or satin finish you want, do without, although I'm fairly sure they do a satin clear coat as well.

7 cans

Ah here, where are all you chaps off to with 5-6 cans?! You will need 1 can, 2 if in doubt. I know some of you guys pretend not to be weight bitches, but do you know how much weight is in 6 cans of paint?! If you want the best finish, raw the whole frame. 1 can of nitromors is all you will need. Strictly speaking, you could just rough up the existing paint with some medium-high grade sandpaper and paint onto that, and you could get an acceptable finish(as long as the surface is relatively abrasive, the paint will hold and tend not to flake) but to be sure to be sure, I would remove all the paint. Montana paints will suffice, but bear in mind that their primary purpose is to be sprayed onto walls. Plasti-kote I've found is a nicer quality paint. Do several coats, 4-6 should be fine. Only put a clear coat on if you want a glossy finish, if it's a matte or satin finish you want, do without, although I'm fairly sure they do a satin clear coat as well.

Good point about the weight, never thought about that actually! I talked to the guys at the hardware store near my work, and they said to start with two and see how many layers that'll give me, so I won't sit with 3 unused cans of purple laquer.

I don't know if I'll be able to raw the frame properly, but I'll try, maybe with the chemical stuff that bubbles the paint..I want as good of a finish as possible, 'cause I'm ordering some good decals/stickers and such so I'll be working quite a lot on the bike..
Glossy'n'shiny, yes, so clearcoating is a must..=)

Good point about the weight, never thought about that actually! I talked to the guys at the hardware store near my work, and they said to start with two and see how many layers that'll give me, so I won't sit with 3 unused cans of purple laquer.

I don't know if I'll be able to raw the frame properly, but I'll try, maybe with the chemical stuff that bubbles the paint..I want as good of a finish as possible, 'cause I'm ordering some good decals/stickers and such so I'll be working quite a lot on the bike..
Glossy'n'shiny, yes, so clearcoating is a must..=)

Rawing is easy enough, just slap on loads of Nitromors with a brush and most of the paint should fall off itself. Grab some steel wool and use that to remove any stubborn bits.

This is the size nitromors can you want:

2 cans should be fine unless you are doing ridiculously copious amounts for each coat.

i rattle canned my bmx purple with all the parts still on with a spare can, 1 coat, didnt actually look that bad and still is mostly on!

the fixed gear elite has not quite got into the ghetto fashion that dominated the bmx scene a while ago.

I used about half a can on my forks recently (using plastikote). Nice finish, for about 1 day, rattle-canning will never come close to powdercoating!

However Dov makes life a lot easier now - superb quality painting, really cheap. He once sprayed a custom frame for Cavendish! Look him up.

I used about half a can on my forks recently (using plastikote). Nice finish, for about 1 day, rattle-canning will never come close to powdercoating!

However Dov makes life a lot easier now - superb quality painting, really cheap. He once sprayed a custom frame for Cavendish! Look him up.

I'm from Norway, otherwise I'd definitely look him up or go to Armourex..!
1 day?? I thought, with several coats, then several coats of clear, it should hold for a while!

I've done a few frames with rattle cans and can offer some solid advice. First, if the original paint is not too bad, leave it on and rub it down with 320 grade wet and dry (used wet). This gives a key for the new paint to adhere to. Fill any scratches and pits.

Next give it at least two coats of primer/filler, preferably white because grey or any other colour will adversely affect the shade of the top coats. Only use grey primer if the end finish is black or a very dark colour. You'll use at least one whole can for frame and forks. Spray only in a warm environment. It also helps if the frame itself is warmed up slightly using a hairdryer.

When the primer is dry, if you've done a good job you can just rub down very gently with 400 grade to de-nib the surface. If there are any runs you'll need to sand these smooth. Leave the frame for a few days before applying the next coat.

Give the frame and forks one coat of gloss, then as soon as it's dry (within anhour, usually) give it another coat. The trick is to apply sufficient paint to give a nice gloss but not so much that it creates runs. I would expect to use one can for this but sometimes you need more, so buy two cans just in case.

Allow at least a day for this to dry. I would apply a coat or two of lacquer to give it that pro look. One can should be enough for this.

So, buy two cans of primer, two of colour, and one of lacquer.

Here's one I did earlier:
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/bikes/cb-jubilee-rb.html

And here's another of mine:
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/bikes/ernie-clements-rb.html

Hope this helps - and good luck!

My dad says two cans of 500-600ml, one can of primer and one can of laquer. He is better than most at resprays.

Thanks for that, Wheelnut! Beautiful guide, printing as we speak..=) And your bikes look amazing, never would have guessed they were done with rattlecans!

Going to buy everything later today I guess, and hopefully get on with taking apart the bike this weekend.. do I really need a few days to let the primer dry? I thought 2 hours, 3 tops..but I guess if it's better then I'd rather be patient than end up with shit results!
The colour will be deep purple, so I reckon grey primer will be better to get the colour darker..
Will post some pictures when I'm finished! =)

Yeah, the primer will probably be okay after an hour or so but it depends on how thick the paint is applied and also the air temperature. One frame I did in a hurry ended up looking all crazed because the top coats dried faster than those beneath. I actually liked the effect but it wasn't intended!

i am looking to sell my wethepeople bmx frame, unfortuntaely i sprayed it purple (awfully) a while back, do you think i should respray black or something to get more $$ when selling?

1 Attachment

i resprayed my bmx used 4-5 cans and 2 cans of primer but it still chips..... def not as good as getting it powder coated

i'm not going to pay £70 to have something powdercoated that i'll sell for £40 at a push

Getting good paint and a low pressure can is the key. If anyone has ever written their pseudonym on a wall with the stuff they will vouch for can control. Its not about how much, it's how you spray it.

Anyway, i used Montana 94 for my frame and then some plasticote clear lacquer (which was horrible) photos are on my profile if you want to have a look....

Getting good paint and a low pressure can is the key. If anyone has ever written their pseudonym on a wall with the stuff they will vouch for can control. Its not about how much, it's how you spray it.

Anyway, i used Montana 94 for my frame and then some plasticote clear lacquer (which was horrible) photos are on my profile if you want to have a look....

Thanks for the advice, Dracula! =)
I have a friend who does magic with rattlecans on walls, very good street artist that is..I can ask her if she can help me spray the thing, maybe it will be for the best..

Your frame looks pretty good though! I hope to get somewhat the same result..

Getting good paint and a low pressure can is the key. If anyone has ever written their pseudonym on a wall with the stuff they will vouch for can control. Its not about how much, it's how you spray it.

Anyway, i used Montana 94 for my frame and then some plasticote clear lacquer (which was horrible) photos are on my profile if you want to have a look....

Rustoleum!, if you want it black, white or chrome, sticks to steel very well ;)

Any suggestions on the best way of clearcoating an Alu frame?