Hey Guys,
I like to restore vintage road bikes. I have been trying my hand at painting. Not trying to make museum pieces, just trying to make bikes look nice. I have been sanding with 400 grit wet paper to take out chips, nicks et. After sanding, I thoroughly clean with soap and water, wipe down and allow to dry 24 hours. Then I've been using gloss enamel rustoleum in a spray can. At that point it looks pretty good except where I taped off head badge area. I sprayed that area with clear and it matches pretty good. I was thinking the clear would make the rest of the bike glossier. When I sprayed the rest of the bike, I noticed where there was a decal, the paint and clear coat just wrinkled up. This didn't happen until I applied clear. I assume I left some adhesive in that particular area? It didn't happen every where there was decals, so I am just assuming I didn't clean or sand all adhesive where that clear coat interacted? Also, should I have flatted the enamel again with steel wool or 400 grit wet before I added the clear coat? Trying to get the right process in place. Thanks for any input. Best regards, Doug