Originally Posted by
DIMcyclist
Sandable primer is usually never a bad thing but speaking from personal experience, if you have lot of scrollwork in the lugs it can get tedious.
However, with regard to rattle-can being generally less durable, I think you're mistaken because it all comes down to the paint. I agree that the stuff you get off the shelf at Fred Meyer & AutoZone is inferior product, but that's because of the paint itself, not the delivery system. The paint doesn't care if it's sprayed through a gun or a can; what matters is what it's made of-- whether it's a true, solvent-based enamel, an 'acrylic enamel' (aka: 'alkyd'), or a lacquer; each of these are different formulas, and all of them are available in rattle-can form.
While I generally use an airbrush for a job like this (you can't beat the control you get with an airbrush), I have used rattle-cans to good effect; however, in both cases I've used real enamels, and had them made at a custom shop; in the case of the rattle-can paint, using the Omni-Fill system.
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Yeah +1000. It is not the delivery system that matters, it's the material inside. It's kind of like beer. Canned beer is cheap beer, right? Well, not always. Paint is the same. Some paint shops will fill cans for you with good stuff.
Spray cans a perfectly acceptable size for a bicycle. Realistically, the overspray is going to require some hand wet sanding regardless to get a professional looking finish.
For a cheap enamel, the Rustoleum Professional is pretty decent. Takes a couple months to fully harden. It might respond to baking, I didn't try it. FWIW I do not like the 'professional' clear at all. It reacts badly to sunscreen and turns to gum. The standard Rustoleum is better. I'd assume that it's alkyd based.
The Brits still use stoved enamels. It's a proven tech, and very durable. I have stoved Sherwin Williams industrial enamel onto metal furniture, and go it to dry very hard in a few hours. The 'stove' was a couple homemade heat lamps. Problem is it's not easy to find quality stoveable enamels in the US.
So for a very high quality finish, 2 part auto paint is probably the best choice. HOK or whatever. Just be sure to wear a respirator. The stuff is poisonous.