Rattle Can Painting Plastic, tank, and fibreglass

Hey There,

I've made the decision to try and paint my CJ360 myself. I can't justify spending $500 + for a paintjob that I'll probably F up. ( I ride my bikes pretty hard ) I don't have much experience with painting. I've done some quick rattle can jobs on various things but never bike parts. I'll be painting my front fender (plastic) that I chopped, tank and my fibreglass seat. I'm not sure if I can use all the same base coats for all three surfaces, and finish it off with the same clear coat. I want to use a clear coat that will stand up to gasoline. I'm not sure what kind of paint I should be purchasing. I could really use some help with prep work as well. I'm assuming I should start off by stripping the previous paint off the tank. I've seen people use that aircraft stripper. Than sand the bare metal (not sure what grit) so the paint has something to stick to. Now to the front fender, I was just going to start with something like a 100 grit paper to sand down the paint till the plastic, and work my way up to 400? For the seat I was going to wet sand ( not sure on grit yet ). My plan after was pretty much as follows:

-clean surfaces with alcohol
-prime - dust coat - dry for 15 than progressivley apply thicker coats
- wet sand (not sure what grit)
- dust coat - dry for 15 than progressivley apply thicker coats
- let dry for a few days
- wet sand
- clean with alcohol
- apply clear coat
-wet sand
-buff

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated, and may save me from multiple attempts.

Thanks

hi there!

theres a sticky in the painting branch of the forum,which you can stick to coming to preparation et cetera.
im interested in the clear coat question,i was always afraid of doing it myself cuz of the gas dripping all over it.


good luck!

If you want a finish that will hold up to fuel, only way to go is a catalyzed paint. 2K paints use a chemical reaction to cure which produces a finish far more durable than regular rattle can paints. For those who do no not have spray equipment, a Eastwood makes a 2K system in an aerosol can. I've never tried to include a link in a post but I will try it below. And be meticulous with your prep--it will make or break your paint job.



http://www.eastwood.com/paints/2k-aero-spray-paints.html

Forgot to mention in my response earlier that you shouldn't be using a dust coat. Yes, your first coat will be lighter and last coat will be wetter. "Dust coats" are used in specific applications, but for what you are doing a dust coat could inhibit adhesion.