Painting Your Chopper Motorcycle

PROFESSIONAL AIR BRUSH KIT

chopper bike

Professional air brush kit is the most basic tool which is required to paint a chopper motorcycle. It sprays enamels lacquers inks and other liquids, which operate on fifteento fifty pounds per square inch pressure. It is an internal combine air brush with twin action trigger, which gives only single finger control of air-flow and pattern width. To assure more uniform coverage, an internal combine air brush is used. By using it, you can paint each and every part of your chopper motorcycles as its pattern adjusts from fine line 1/16 inches to broad 1-1/2 inches. It can easily used with the help of compressor or carbon dioxide tank. Air brush with 1/4 - oz. ink (paint) jar, one 2 - oz. jar and two 3/4 - oz. ink (paint) jars with covers, for detail work one ink (paint) tip is also included in professional air brush kit.PAINT STRIPING TOOL

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Paint striping tool is used to paint the dges of a chopper motorcycle. With the help of paint striping tool, you can easily paints a single line or two parallel lines at same time. It can also be used to make latest and hottest designs on your chopper motorcycle.

Making your own custom designs can be proved very valuable as it is different from the various designs which are easily available in the market. Six striping wheels (two 1/16 inches two 1/32 inches one 3/32 inches and one 1/4 inches), four spacers (two 1/16 inches one 1-32 inches and one 3/32 inches), additional washer, storage tray, two 1/2 - oz. jars, instructions and idea booklet are also included in this tool kit.

GRAVITY FEED AIR SPRAY GUN

Gravity feed air spray gun is very fast as compare to any other spray gun available in the market. Gravity feed air spray gun kit is the best spray gun as it includes additional nozzle, air cap, and separate needle sets. For more efficient ink (paint)flow, better control and easier maneuvering overhead cup is included in the kit. The removable air regulator is used to controls the air pressure and allows the user to use the ink (paint) of any thickness. It also maintains the desired pressure and it is unaffected by the power the compressor.

Painting Your Chopper Motorcycle

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Preparing Your Chopper Motorcycle For Painting

After buying you custom painting manual guide, tools, paint and equipments, the next job is to dismantle the motorcycle. Start dismantling your chopper motorcycle with utmost accuracy. While dismantling the chopper motorcycle, you should be very careful with wires attached to the motorcycle.

chopper bicycle for sale

Dismantling chopper motorcycle is not very difficult, if you do it according to the custom painting manual guide. Remove only those parts from motorcycle, which you want to re-paint, as most of the people remove each and every part from the motorcycle and find it difficult to assemble it later. You should remember while dismantling your chopper motorcycle, that you have to assemble it. By using the basic tools kit, you can easily dismantle or assemble your chopper motorcycle. You should collect all the big or small parts of your chopper motorcycle very carefully at the time of dismantling your motorcycle.

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Sanding

Sanding is done to remove the old paint from the dismantled parts of chopper motorcycle and to give smooth and silky surface to paint. The process of sanding is done by using sand papers. Generally, there are two types of sand paper used in sanding process of motorcycles, first is rough sandpaper and second is fine sandpaper. Rough sandpaper is used to remove the old paint from the motorcycle and fine sandpaper is used to give smooth surface for the new paint. If the old paint is remain on the motorcycle then it might cause problem with the new paint. Therefore, sanding is very important before you start painting your chopper motorcycle. Never try to avoid sanding because it is very important for the long lasting shine and grace of new paint.

Sanding Your Chopper Motorcycle

Sanding a motorcycle doesn't need any specialized knowledge or skill. You must be careful while choosing the correct thickness of the sand paper (rough sandpaper and fine sandpaper). Sand papers with grit form 600 to 1000 can be used, depending upon the roughness of your chopper motorcycle. 600 grit sand papers are used for the rough surface i.e. to remove the old paint. 1000 grit sand papers are used for fine finishing of the motorcycle.

Although sanding is not a specialized job, but you have to be expert in judging the smoothness of the surface on which you are going to paint. When you are going for motorcycle sanding, you should be well prepared, as the people who perform such jobs are regularly exposed to dust (powder of old paint). Chances of getting dust in the eye and throat are very common. Therefore, your must wear the safety equipments. Swallowing these powders sometimes might leads to lung cancer.

For the final finishing of your chopper motorcycle, it is recommended to use 200 grit sanding paper. Smooth and sparkling surface of the motorcycle is the reward of proper sanding. Use 1200 grit wet and dry sand paper if you want to paint a metallic color on your chopper motorcycle.

Chemical Stripper for Sanding

If you find it difficult to remove the old paint of your motorcycle with a sand paper, then you can also use chemical stripper. Apply the paint stripper very carefully all over the motorcycle with a paint brush.

Chemical stripper can affect your skin badly. Therefore, you must wear safety equipments while applying chemical stripper on your chopper motorcycle.

How to Apply Chemical Stripper

You should cover all the parts of your motorcycle, which you want to paint, with clear plastic sheet (available from any hardware shop), so the vapors will be trapped inside and will work more rapidly on the motorcycle. After covering the motorcycle parts with the plastic sheet, than wait for the 2 to 3 hours and remove the plastic sheet.

Now you can start to scrape off the old paint from the motorcycle with a putty knife or a paint scraper. After applying stripping chemical on the motorcycle parts and keep the water away from these parts. If necessary, use the stripping chemical again. Never use the chemical stripper to remove the old paint from the motorcycle part, as it can affect the body (metal) of your chopper motorcycle. Therefore, sanding by sand paper is the best and simple way to remove old paint from motorcycle.

Wash the Parts before You Start Painting

After the sanding process, wash each and every part. Washing is necessary and important to remove the sanding powder which is left after the sanding process. There are some people who jump from sanding directly on to the base coat and might suffer later, as if you start with base coating without washing it, then after completing the first base coat, you will find small particles on it. Therefore, wash gently all the parts before you start painting.

For washing purpose, you can use any common soap or dishwashing detergents which are commonly available in the market. You can also use a scrub or a hard brush with these soap or detergent. A scrub or a hard brush will also remove the old paint left during the sanding process. You can also use cleaner to wash motorcycle, but never use any strong and chemically reacting cleaner which can damage the body (metal) of your chopper motorcycle by starting the rusting process. These types of chemical cleaners contain a chemical irritant which is known as Ethylene Glycol Monobutyl Ether. Therefore, it is recommended to use common soap or dishwashing detergent to wash your chopper motorcycle before painting.

Preparing Your Chopper Motorcycle For Painting

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Motorcycle And Chopper Painting Tutorial

PAINT AND PREP SUPPLIES

chopper kits

Reducer

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Plastic Filler

Finishing Putty

Primer and hardeners

Epoxy Sealer

Paint for Base Color

Clear Coat/Hardener

80,120,400,600,1500,2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper

EASY SPRAY BOOTH

If you're like me, you don't have the luxury of a down-draft spray booth in your garage. Here's what I did. I cleaned out a storage area that's attached to the rear of my garage. I covered the walls with white poly, and installed a multi speed fan in the window. I then went around with a roll of insulation tape and sealed the edge of the fan to the surrounding poly on the walls. Now onto lighting. After the first time you attempt to paint anything, you'll quickly realize just how important a well lit paint area is. In fact when it comes to lighting, the brighter your booth the better. A friend of mine gave me two four-tube florescent light fixtures, which I hung on opposite sides of my new spray booth. It's good to have reflective walls. Lining the walls with white poly not only saves your walls, but it's also quite reflective.

SAFETY

Before I go any further, I want to stress safety. It's a very bad I idea to paint in a room that's attached to your home. In fact, it may not be legal in some municipalities. Also, paint fumes are not only super toxic, they're highly flammable. Make sure your lights are wired properly, and that your fixtures are fully encased with lens covers attached. Last but not least, make sure you have a good quality respirator with the correct filters for the type of paint you're using.

PAINT EQUIPMENT

For tools you'll need at least two spray guns, an air regulator with a water filter, a compressor, and of course some air hose. As fore mentioned, you'll need 2 paint guns... one for painting primer, and another for painting base and clear coats.

PREP FOR PAINT

Make certain your fuel and oil tanks are pressure tested and leak free before you start. Ideally, it's good to sandblast your metal parts, especially if they have old paint on them. If you decide not to sandblast, make sure to sand them really thoroughly and wipe them down with a non oil-based degreaser prior to starting the job.

The next step is to add filler to the low spots and any trouble areas. It's a matter of personal preference, but I like to apply a coat of epoxy primer prior to spraying on the base coat. This provides a nice base for the filler to adhere to. prepare your filler in small amounts (it hardens fast) and apply it smoothly and evenly onto your work piece.

After the filler has stiffened, sand it smooth with 80 grit and look it over for any low spots or nicks, then fill and sand again. After the necessary rounds of filler and sanding are finished, it's time to spray on the primer.

Lay down a couple of coats of epoxy primer. After the primer has dried, get a spray can of black paint and very lightly spray it over your work piece. This is the guide coat. The thin black spray will show any waves, low spots or defects in your prep work. To fix the trouble areas that the guide coat exposed, you'll want to use flowable putty instead of filler. Apply the putty in thin even coats, then smooth it down with 80 grit sandpaper (wrapped around a rubber sanding pad). Once you get the high spots sanded down, smooth it down even further with 120 grit, then finishing it with 400 grit. You are now ready for a final round of primer. Once the primer is dry, sand it thoroughly with 400 grit to provide a toothy surface for the base coat to adhere to. I like to spray on a coat of epoxy sealer just prior to applying the base colour coat. In addition to providing a really nice surface for applying the base color, it also prevents any solvents from popping through and forming bubbles in your clear coat. Make sure to follow the paint manufacturers specification sheets with regards to mixing times, mixing ratios and painting temperature. Not following the instructions will cause you much grief...trust me.

BASE COAT/CLEAR COAT

Time for the color coat. Spray on the color coats as per your paint manufacturer's spec sheet. Now comes the clear. After the first round of clear is dry, wet sand it down with 600 grit. You'll notice rows of ridges appear in the clear as you sand. Continue until the clear is even and the ridges are gone. If you are painting graphics on, now is the time to do it. After applying your graphics, cover them with another round of clear. It may take two or more rounds of clear to completely bury the graphics. Be sure to wet sand flat with 600 grit between rounds of clear. After the last round of clear has been sprayed, sand it down flat with 600 grit as before. When it's nice and smooth, finish it off with 1500 grit. If you want to get it crazy smooth, go for a final session of 2000 grit.

POLISHING

Now for the gratifying part. The final step is to polish it to a mirror finish. You'll need a multi speed polisher, a buffing pad, and some buffing compound. There are lots of different brands of buffing compound on the market. Your local auto body supply store will be able to recommend something.

Motorcycle And Chopper Painting Tutorial

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