LWTK: how to paint motorcycle fairings with a spray gun

[lit]

What is the best way to do a matt black or grey paint job?
What paint thinner mixture should I be using for an air spray gun?
Do I mix thinners with primer?

Please correct me if I am wrong.
Sand back fairings with 800 grit
Spray on primer
Sand
Paint
Sand
Paint
Then a protective coat?

Thank you in advance.

[R_UFO]

I'm just about to paint my bike too are u using 2 PAC paint?

[agrid]

maybe start with etch primer if the first coat is going on plastic. then undercoat, sanding and a few coats of colour then clear.

[agrid]

just noticed you are going for flat black, so no clear

[rluter]

The mix of course depends on the technology you're using, and the brand. Most reducers/thinners are blends that are specific to the manufacturer. The choice of primer and/or sealer depends on the material being painted; fiberglass, plastic (type?), steel, aluminum, etc. A matte finish means you won't have to sand with as fine a grit, 600 should be okay. I would always choose a clear-coat, especially on a matte finish, because the pigments are exposed to the elements. There are matte clear-coats available, and they will provide you protection from UV and gasoline. But remember that you should not ever wax your matte finish!

[Dragunov-21]

Anyone able to tell me whether sanding the final coat (3M 1-pack enamel matte) is a bad bad thing or not?

[xphread]

My understanding is you don't sand back enamel because the protective coating is formed on the outer most layer...
You cut that and you risk getting water underneath

Not that water proofing is quite so critical when there is only plastic underneath... if there is any bog /patching paint underneath I wouldn't cut through the enamel finish or it might delaminate or expand and the repair will crack or possibly fall out.

[agrid]

The mix of course depends on the technology you're using, and the brand. Most reducers/thinners are blends that are specific to the manufacturer. The choice of primer and/or sealer depends on the material being painted; fiberglass, plastic (type?), steel, aluminum, etc. A matte finish means you won't have to sand with as fine a grit, 600 should be okay. I would always choose a clear-coat, especially on a matte finish, because the pigments are exposed to the elements. There are matte clear-coats available, and they will provide you protection from UV and gasoline. But remember that you should not ever wax your matte finish!

I've never seen matte clear-coat. Does the finish come up with that nice matte finish? The only matte jobs I've had have ended up looking crap when grease got on them so this sort of clear could be the go.

[Dragunov-21]

Cheers xphread, I'm in the process of doing the cbf and really like the look of matte black sanded up to 3k grit.

If it gets buggered I can just redo it I suppose, since it only cost a hundred bucks to begin with and practice is always good lol.

[xphread]

3000 grit!??
That has got to be something like a lens cleaning cloth, no?

[lit]

I should add that half the bike has road fairings and the other half has fiberglass race fairings. Should I use different paint for the fiberglass?

[Dragunov-21]

3000 grit!??
That has got to be something like a lens cleaning cloth, no?

Something like that lol... Brings blades to a mirror finish though