bellweatherman

I just found out that if you are doing a home paint job, it could take literally 6 months or more for the paint to cure so that you don't touch it and get indentions and thumbprints all over the bike. 6 months! Pro painters shorten the curing time time by baking recently painted frames in a large oven. Well, my kitchen oven doesn't fit any size frame and it's really not that hot right now, certainly not oven temp hot.

So, basically I just want to paint the frame and go ride. It's not even that expensive of a frame so I don't care too much if it doesn't look great. I just don't want thumb prints all over the frame. Anyone with any rattlecan experience? Oh btw, how many coats should I do. 1 coat primer + 1 coat paint + 1 coat clear? thnx

slvoid

Buy one of those fan heaters and have it blowing at the frame for a while. It'll cost you a couple extra bucks this month of your electricity.

AnthonyG

I used to do some custom model making and use spray can paint and it didn't need 6 months to dry to the point where you wouldn't get finger prints. That's just crazy! Now maybe if your in some freezing, damp place it might not cure properly but still 6 months is excessive. If the paint hasn't dried to the point where you don't get finger prints in a couple of days at the most I don't know if it ever will. You need to dry it somewhere with a little warmth though. Say above 20º celcius.

Anyway if you want to do a decent job start with a light sanding of the old paint with some wet n dry, wash off the grit and wipe it down with a paint preperation solution just prior to using the undercoat. Using a preperation solution makes a fair degree of difference to the longevity of the new paint job.

OK I was going to talk about spray technique but first a VERY important question. Do you have a suitable OUTDOOR or VERY well ventilated spot to spraypaint and if outdoor it shouldn't be windy. You realy need a spray booth or another suitable location or the result will be cr*p.

You sound like you wanted to do a good job yourself but you need somewhere suitable to do it or don't bother.

Regards, Anthony

Eggplant Jeff

To not get marks it'll need to be a couple weeks, 6 months is for full curing meaning it won't get beat up much if you lean it against something, scrape something against it, etc. Leaving it outside in the sun will help. Probably a space heater is the best option as slvoid suggested.

TYB069

I wouldn't leave it out in the sun untill the paint is no longer sticky and reasonably hard. The reason is that there is lots of bugs, dirt, pollen, etc that would adhere to a freshly painted frame . If you could put inside next to a window in the sun, maybe it would cure faster. Personally, I'd just use a space heater. As far as not curing for 6 months, are you spending too much time in the paint booth without a mask (I kid, I kid) or are you planning on using some whacky paint?!?!

Eggplant Jeff

Uhh, normal spray paint? Try it dude. Spray paint something with a decent number of coats (say 3 color, 2 clear). Come back in a week, you'll still be able to mark it easily with your fingernail. Probably still after a month. Six months may be a tad excessive, but after only a month or two it'll still scrape off easier than it will later.

I do agree about not putting it outside for at least a day, it should feel dry, you don't want the bugs and dirt and crap sticking to it.

TYB069

Spray paint? That stuff drys pretty quickly if you ask me. I'll give you that the paint will be harder after a month rather than a week (think lacquers for instance) but I would not say I'd be able to mark spraypaint easily with a fingernail a week later. Maybe your definition of easy to scratch is different than mine . After a couple days I think spray paint is usually ready to go. I just make sure to put on thin(!) coats and allow some time in between coats.

BryE

You could paint it and leave it until it's dry to the touch (an hour or so) and then leave it in your car in the sun. That would heat it up pretty nicely. You won't leave thumb prints after it's dry to the touch, but be careful not to ding it against anything.

Also, make sure you clean the frame with a wax and grease remover before you put primer on it, and then don't touch it again until you've applied your last coat of clear. Duplicolor has a product called 'Prep Wipe' that works pretty well as a wax/grease remover - just wipe it on and follow behind with a clean rag. Make sure you wipe the liquid from the Prep Wipe before it can evaporate, and it will remove every fingerprint so the paint will adhere better.

CastIron

Halogen work lamps.

bellweatherman

Hey! All great ideas everyone! I like the hot lamp ideas. I'll probably paint this in my garage. Nice and quiet, no wind.

What about primer? Should I use white primer, grey primer, or red primer? And are acrylic paints the same thing as lacquer? Are they better or worse than enamel?

In Absentia

Check out these posts:

https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/66606-frame-painting-diyers.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/144045-painting-your-bike.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/53788-frame-painting.html

Good luck!

bellweatherman

Are acrylic paints the same thing as lacquer? Are they better or worse than enamel?

DannoXYZ 

No, acrylics are not the same as lacquer; they have a differnet binder. They're a more modern version of enamel, tougher. Personally I would use a polyurethane. You'd use an activator and reducer based upon ambient temperatures.

Steve1697

[QUOTE=bellweatherman;2510223]I just found out that if you are doing a home paint job, it could take literally 6 months or more for the paint to cure so that you don't touch it and get indentions and thumbprints all over the bike. 6 months! Pro painters shorten the curing time time by baking recently painted frames in a large oven. Well, my kitchen oven doesn't fit any size frame and it's really not that hot right now, certainly not oven temp hot.

So, basically I just want to paint the frame and go ride. It's not even that expensive of a frame so I don't care too much if it doesn't look great. I just don't want thumb prints all over the frame. Anyone with any rattlecan experience? Oh btw, how many coats should I do. 1 coat primer + 1 coat paint + 1 coat clear?

Steve1697

wrap the frame with news paper around 5 pages put it in a sack and place it under the sun util the frame is cured.the process is like an oven with just the right heat tempreture with out damaging the paint on the frame.use ur thumbnail to assess the curing period.

OldTryGuy

Hair dryer

2 Piece

What kind of paint???? Maybe technically 6 months for full cure, but it will be dry to touch within a few hours.
Some paints are designed to cure differently, powder coating requires an oven, UV curable requires special UV lights to cure, two part paints require a catalyst to harden and cure, and plain ole spray can paint (I do not recommend on a bicycle- its better suited for mailboxes and yard ornaments) cures via evaporation.
You would probably be better off taking your frame to someone who can apply a proper paint job. Powder coating seems to be a popular choice here on the forums, while I like a nice 2 part paint (I have proper spray equipment and paint my own frames with 2 part paint; paint/ hardener).
Get yourself a nice air compressor, a nice spray gun, and most importantly real nice safety equipment like air filtration mask and gloves. Then go to your local automotive paint jobber and get some good paint and have at it, after you apply the proper primer.

AlmostTrick

OP posted this over ten years ago. I hope his paint has dried by now!

BlazingPedals

You could always build your own oven out of a few sheets of foam insulating board and a heat lamp. Be sure to include a window and a thermometer inside so you can monitor everything.

indyfabz

You must be new around here. Look at the date of the original post.

martianone

One must really have to mine to find a dormant 10+ year old thread.
Not sure why one can still be able to post to it ?
That said - a couple years ago I did a rattle can paint job on a steel frame, used Rustoleum red base primer. Put on two coats, two days apart - then waited about a week - temp was 70-80ish. While dry, the paint was still a little soft. Then winter came and rode a different bike, put the rust red in the basement. By spring paint was very much harder.

BlazingPedals

Caught me on that one! Newbies can't win - if they ask a question we tell them to search the archives, if they pull up a dead thread, we complain about that, too. At least he asked a new question. As to how many coats, it's up to you. I generally primer and sand between coats until the surface is smooth (all pits filled in.) Then apply color coat until I have full coverage (sanding between coats again to keep things smooth,) then finally clear. The clear adds depth and shininess, so more coats of clear = nicer looking. I've found that most rattle-can jobs are soft regardless of how long they cure.

Retro Grouch 

That's funny!

This is a 2006 thread. Paint technology has been constantly evolving during all that time. There is always something new to learn about paint. My last aha moment came when I realized the importance of the respray window. Enamels work best if you respray either while the previous coat is still tacky or else wait until it has completely cured. With a spray can the completely cured will be a week or so. Otherwise the top coats will seal the under coats and keep them from curing.

fietsbob

there are UV cured paints.. 'oven' is a light box (tanning beds use UV emitting bulbs)

and there are catalyst paints, Epoxy like, they cure thru a chemically triggered process..

Rattle cans use solvent, suspended ... vehicles to get it thru the nozzle, that evaporate..


good to read the fine print, product safety bulletins, etc.





....

BlazingPedals

Yes, but when Steve1697 resurrected the zombie thread, he asked how many coats to use. Since he's asking about rattle-can paint jobs, I presume he's not using fancy, expensive specialty paints.