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This text supplies a structured information for these wishing to create a personalized Bike paint end with an airbrush on their bicycle body utilizing the Stardust Bike vary. It covers the basic steps and the particular strategies utilized in this sort of utility.
The procedures used for portray a motorcycle are immediately impressed by automotive requirements. To achieve such a mission, it’s important to decide on a professional-quality paint, whether or not in aerosol or can, and to observe a strict methodology.
Completely keep away from consumer-grade merchandise, which ship inferior outcomes. A poorly ready renovation mission can rapidly go mistaken.
It’s subsequently strongly really useful to learn the technical sheets of the Bike paint kits rigorously earlier than beginning.
Utilizing the airbrush for adornment
The airbrush is a sort of mini spray gun, with nozzle sizes starting from 0.15 to 0.5 mm.
All automotive paints can be utilized as Airbrush paint, offered they’re sufficiently thinned, relying on the nozzle measurement.
Basically, basecoats and Clearcoats should be utilized with a twig gun. The airbrush must be reserved for adornment, particular results, and naturally stencils.
Tip : try the whole kits specifically designed for bikes, together with impact paints.
Abstract of steps to observe
1. Disassemble the complete bike
2. Clear with an acceptable degreaser
3. Sand the floor and take away stickers with warmth. Use P320 abrasive with out eradicating deeper coats
4. Droop the body and fork for portray
5. Apply a filler primer or one particular to the fabric. Drying time: 2 to 4 hrs
6. Sand with P500 paper
7. Paint the completely different shades, sanding with P500 and masking between every utility. Enable 1 hr drying time between coats
8. End with two coats of two-component Clearcoat appropriate for bike frames
Finishing up Bike paint: don’t be fooled by appearances
Movies on social media could make the method look straightforward. In actuality, in case you are not an expert, the slightest mistake in preparation or execution can compromise the look and sturdiness of your mission. It’s subsequently important to take the time to know the merchandise, anticipate every step, and if obligatory, contact a technical skilled for steering.
Learn how to paint a motorcycle body: from preparation to Clearcoat
Whether or not you utilize a twig can or a twig gun, the rules stay the identical, for the reason that chemical formulation are an identical. What issues most is rigorous preparation, precision in utility, and cautious planning. The method depends on a multi-layer system:
• Getting ready the substrate (sanding, cleansing, priming)
• Making use of the paint (single or multi-coat)
• Making use of the Clearcoat (for cover and end)
Detailed steps :
1. Full disassembly
All the bike should be disassembled: saddle, crankset, cables, brakes, wheels, and so on. It’s also really useful to dam the body openings to keep away from infiltration. Partial disassembly is not going to enable clear and full work.
2. Deep cleansing and stripping if obligatory
Take away all traces of grease or impurities earlier than sanding. A carbon body will be stripped with a selected aerosol, whereas a metallic body will be sandblasted to avoid wasting just a few hundred grams.
It’s preferable to maintain the manufacturing unit primer layer, except it’s broken. If the substrate is naked, an acceptable adhesion primer (aluminium, metal, carbon) is important.
3. Sanding the Clearcoat
Sanding with P320 grit permits the paint to stick successfully. This step additionally helps to take away stickers sealed below the Clearcoat. A warmth gun is beneficial for eradicating them with out damaging the floor. As soon as eliminated, sand to degree the surfaces.
4, 5 and 6. Suspension and priming
Droop the body at working peak with wire. Apply a filler primer to clean imperfections and supply a uniform base. This product ensures good adhesion on carbon or metal, however for flawless efficiency, apply a effective adhesion primer coat first.
The primer dries in 2 hrs at room temperature and will be sanded with a block and P500 paper, ideally moist, to appropriate defects and clean the floor.
A 2K paint end is feasible with out Clearcoat, however this sort of utility doesn’t enable particular results corresponding to pearlescents or metallics.
Utility of the paint
Earlier than portray, test that sanding has been accomplished appropriately and that the body is completely clear and dry. The grit used ought to by no means be finer than P500, in any other case adhesion between coats could also be compromised.
Portray and ornament
Decorations are utilized with matt 1K basecoats to be Clearcoated, that are straightforward to deal with and fast drying. Greater than 100 colors can be found within the Graphic and Sparkle ranges (125 ml). Any Airbrush paint, whether or not water-based or solvent-based, can be utilized.
Work in a dry, dust-free setting, with a temperature between 15 and 25 °C.
Advisable instruments
Though aerosols give good outcomes, they’re expensive (75% gasoline). The airbrush is good for small decorations. The best choice stays a twig gun or mini spray gun, for full protection even in hard-to-reach areas. A single instrument can be utilized for primer, paint and Clearcoat, offered the nozzle and thinning are adjusted appropriately.
Designing the ornament
For overlapping colors or results, set up a transparent utility technique:
• Apply gentle colors first (white, crimson), then darkish colors
• Observe the foundations of background colors for particular results: chameleon, holographic, metallic, and so on.
Rule of recoating
A solvent-based 1K basecoat will be recoated inside half-hour of utility to make sure wet-on-wet adhesion. After this time, sand earlier than making use of one other coat or a Clearcoat.
Sanding between coats
• Use sandpaper on primers, customary paints and Clearcoats
• Use a gray abrasive sponge for pearlescents, metallics, chameleons
Professional suggestions for an expert end
Want a number of skinny coats quite than one thick coat.
• Spray gun: skinny, even coats
• Aerosol: fast passes
That is notably essential for particular paints. Keep away from coats which are too skinny in scorching, dry air.
The thinner the entire movie thickness, the higher the outcome :• lighter remaining weight• fewer dangers of cracks or delamination
Creating patterns, logos and decorations
On the sanded base (P500), you may apply easy or complicated designs utilizing masks, adhesive movies or cut-out stencils. A scalpel and effective PVC tapes or clear self-adhesive movie will let you place lettering or logos exactly, both freehand or with digital slicing.
Sticker integration
Stickers should be utilized between the paint and the Clearcoat. Place them on sanded, dry paint, or on contemporary paint dry to the contact, earlier than Clearcoating. The prints are appropriate with skilled Clearcoats. Two coats of Clearcoat are sufficient to cowl the sticker thickness.
Making use of the Clearcoat
Closing part: making use of the Clearcoat, which boosts the colors and ensures the sturdiness of the coating. This may be utilized:
• On contemporary paint (between 10 and half-hour after utility)
• Or on dry paint, after gentle sanding
Two full coats are sufficient for a shiny end with out runs.
Selecting the best Clearcoat
All the time use a two-component Clearcoat, whether or not matt, gloss, versatile or inflexible. A low-grade Clearcoat will compromise long-term sturdiness.
• Street bike: go for a tough, light-weight and high-gloss Clearcoat (e.g. ST8900x ceramic Clearcoat)
• MTB / cross bike: select a versatile Clearcoat, impact-resistant
What number of coats?
Two coats are important to realize a 50-micron dry movie thickness, guaranteeing each safety and shine. Two passes spaced 10 minutes aside, then 24 hrs drying, are required.
⚠️ Past two coats, gloss decreases and the chance of cracks will increase on account of extreme thickness.
Contact-up and re-Clearcoating
If the Clearcoat end is imperfect (boring, runs, and so on.), it’s doable to sand the floor calmly after full curing, then apply one (or two) further coats.
If you want to study extra in regards to the strategies for making use of Bike paint, with or with out Airbrush paint, we suggest studying this very detailed article: Paint a motorcycle
