Just got done with the first primer coat on the beater Nishiki frame that was my first fixie, and is now being resurrected (upgraded to an IRO frame a little over a year ago and the beater got stripped.).

The directions on the primer (rustoleum rattle-can) say "Topcoat or recoat within one hour or after 48 hours." Does that mean if I don't cover the primer with the final coat tonight I hafta wait two days?

I was just gonna shoot the primer on there and hit the sack. Figured I'd do the top coat tomorrow. Is it gonna come out looking like crap (not that it matters *all* that much. It's gonna be a matte-black "beater" conversion no matter what I do.), if I do that?

-Trevor

I think that it has to do with a second primer coat. I'd wait but then I am a perfectionist and would of sand blasted the thing down first. Id do something like:

get to bare metal, wipe it with a solvent, dry, spray a very light coat of primer, wait 20, spray another light coat of primer. wait 2 days, sand with wet/dry 600grit, spray another light primer, wait 2 days and sand again with the 600, wash with joy soap and dry then spray a few light coats of finnish color.

If it is just gonna be flat black, and you are happy that you sprayed it all with enough primer, and your dying to piant in 24 hours, see if you can heat it a bit with a blow torch from a good distance to make sure that the primer has hardend then sand and spray the finnish coats. Do not heat it more than warm to the touch, then wash it off with joy to get rid of the minute amounts of oil from your hand.

Dont use anything with a lower number than "600" for the wet dry sand papaer. You soak the sand paper in water to sand it smooth. You can get that at an auto store.

I think they just mean that it depends on the air conditions where your frame is drying.

I sprayed on about 3 coats of primer (about an hour between coats) then each morning I sprayed on a color coat. Kept that up until I used up the can, probably overkill. Took me about 2-3 weeks but I wasn't in a hurry.

I started at bare metal. Spent a few evenings this past week, yesterday afternoon and part of today stripping paint. First with chemical paint stripper, then with a grinder wire wheel, then with a dremel wire wheel to get all the remaining nooks and crannies. Followed that up with a good rub down with a course scotch-brite pad and a once over with denatured alcohol and a rag. Then, I started with the primer. So far I've shot two light coats of primer about 10 or 15 minutes apart and am deciding what to do next.

The frame is hanging from wires attached to the garage door track in my one-car garage. They don't interfere with the working of the garage door, but I'm not sure I want it hanging in the middle of my garage for too long.

I can deal with a few days though. I'll probably go ahead and wait a couple days before I shoot the top-coat. I've still got a set of wheels to build, so it's not as if I'm in *that* big a hurry to get it painted.

Thanks for the tips guys.

-Trevor

i'm about to do the same, but with automotive paint. post your progress or at least final result pics. :)