Pearlescent white/2 tone whiteonwhite flames

[Ripp]

I'm going to be perfectly honest I'm new to every detail of bike life but since i bought my bike in March I've traveled over 9 states and 7000 miles. While in Transit I decided That I want to build custom bikes and I'm starting Tecnicians school soon.

Enough of the bullshit

I'm going to customize my 2003 Shadow starting with pipes this week and I'm getting an airbrush this week to do the custom paint job on my bike & I need some good advice. I have a friend who is an auto painter. He's full of advice but he's unclear on paints and airbrushes.

First of all i need to know if these paints will work In air brushes.

<a href="http://www.hokpaint.com/scripts/depot.exe?pgm=itemdet.bbx&id=HOK+KF06-PT&custnum=WEB-CUST++&password=&sesid=0830091041" target="_blank">

House of Kolor Shimmering Paint</a>

<a href="http://www.hokpaint.com/scripts/depot.exe?pgm=itemdet.bbx&id=HOK+KG07-4Z&custnum=WEB-CUST++&password=&sesid=0830091041" target="_blank">[/URL]

http://www.hokpaint.com/scripts/depot.exe?pgm=itemdet. bbx&id=HOK+KPF100-2Z&custnum=WEB-CUST++&password=&sesid=0830091041</a>

Second I could use all the tips I can get to make the Paint Job as professional as I can.

Third How much paint will i need to do this?

I want to do a shimmering white on Plain white two tone flame job with phosporic ghost flames and glass flames as well toping it off with pearlescants. I have found a photo of what i want it to look like although it doesnt have the ghost flames or the glow of the pohosphoric flames. To top it off i want the flames to look 3 feet thick.

[url="http://http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ltshvfun2gether/vwp?.dir=/Yahoo!+Photo+Album&.dnm=White%2bon%2bwhite%2bflame.jpg&.src=ph&.view=t&.hires=t"]My model

 

[Bornhard]

Ok...looks like you want a lot of answers.

First off that HoK powder will spray through an airbrush, but the airbrush needs to have a large enough fluid nozzle to really spray enough material through it. I use the Iwata Eclipse line and have no problems putting pearl powder through it. Mix the powder with HoK SG-100 & the recommended amount of HoK Reducer. You just need a small scoop of powder to achieve the results you want.

No clue on the amount of paint you'll need, because I'm sure about the number of pieces you want to paint etc etc. I can usually get by with a quart of paint to cover a Harley gas tank with 2 fenders with 3 coats of paint.
Those 2oz bottles of dry pearl go a long way, so usually one container of pearl will do a few bike jobs & sometimes a lot more.

One bike paint job I saw had a plain white base, with Hok Snow white pearl flames & then a second set of flames done in alabaster white pearl. It was a real nice effect and the over all look of the bike remained white.

Try out the ideas you have on scrap metal, or sheets of aluminum available at major home improvement stores. A lot easier to do that & learn how to get the results you want before starting on your bike parts.

For the rest of the info, such as flame painting, there are tons of post in here & places on the web explaining the process in detail. Good luck!

 

[Ripp]

ALL RIGHT!!!

You've set my mind into overdrive now.

thanks for the advice that's what i needed to know I'm driveing myself nuts thinking about it. We're in the middle of a tropical storm HEHEHEHE but you should know about the Hurricain Partys....I would have never thought about practicing on something as cheap as that stuff. I'm a drop my nuts IDIOt..... It's the wrong time of year to strip my bike so that will give my mind somewhere to wander.

Any advice on stripping paint off plastic...

Thanks again

Really though I apreciate all your feedback....

 

[Bornhard]

hmmmmm find a local automotive paint supply store....ask them for a paint stripper that's for fiberglass and plastic....DO NOT USE the Airplane stripper for metal parts. It will eat holes right through the plastic or fiberglass!!!!

Just noticed you're in TX...I'm a BIG fan of Iron Horse bikes and it was an Iron Horse bike I saw painted in those 3 stages of white. there's a Sign company out there....I think it's called Sign Warehouse (near Dallas). You can find them on the net....I'm not sure if they will sell to just anybody, but the carry aluminum, powder coated sign blanks in many sizes and they are reasonable priced. I paint tons of test panels and show piece murals on those things & couldn't go w/o them. 18"x12" is cheap and plenty of space to paint on....get more than one at a time...LOL

 

[Ripp]

a buddy of mine suggested i practice on my flatbottom alumimum boat. It's large and would be the wildest boat on Lake Livingston.

I painted on my girlfriendss helmet last night. but i didn't like what i came up wit so i strip;ed it back to the original crome and I'll probably remask it tonight and repaint it the airbrush i ended upp with seems ok but i am afraid i'll be ordering one a little different before long.

How long should i wait after painting before i remask for the second layer of flames.

If you can think of anything else that can be helpful I appreciate your input. I've always been good at everything i've set out to do. This is one thing i am excited about and I want to do a job that will bring awe on the road.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Bornhard]

what brand airbrush did you end up with?

you trying to lay down the base coat with an airbrush? Hopefully you're using a larger spray gun for all that base coat painting!

Hey the boat idea works for me! If a metal building is available for you to paint on, paint on it!!! paint everything that's metal is my motto! I'm painting my shop's refrigerator right now!

about the time deal with the second set of flames, it really depends on how you did them. When I do two sets of flames I lay one completely out spray it, pinstrip it & then put a couple coats of clear over the whole job.
That will force me to wait over 24 hours to do the second set of flames, but hey you can sleep most of it away!

Now I go in and see a set of flames with some nice shiny clear on them, so I start sanding with 600 grit to make sure the clear is very smooth and dull, then I layout another set of flames making sure I don't fully cover of the first set. spray those, pinstrip & do the finally coats of clear etc etc. Now YOU can and many do it this way....paint your first set of flames, let dry for an hour or so and then lay out your second set of flames. Here's where you need to be careful....where you see the first set of flames after taping out your second and masking off the whole area, you will need to sand down those areas until it's smooth, so those lines made by the flames do NOT show through your second set of flames. Got it, good! Now go practice!

 

[Ripp]

You got it down PAT. I'm asorbing all this info by winter I think I'll be ready to strip it all down. Your right about painting the base coat. Thats where my painter buddy comes in real handy. He's got all the guns, or I'lll rent what i need.

I know what you mean about painting everything around If my kids would be still i'd paint them too.....hehehhehe.

All the tips u got I'll appreceate them. The kids just came home from school and their teachers all want T-shirts like i made for the kids. Good I needed some beer money.

I'm working on getting into A.M.I. in Daytona, Hopefully staring next month.

I ended up with the aztec paintbrush. It was the best they had at the local hobby shop..It''s plastic and i amm concerned about the tips wearing out but I can always up grade. I could have saved about 50$$$ by ordering over the net and would have gotten the collaspable one like u recomended. i still may return the one i got last week and order that one anyway. but it paints good so far.

thanks,
chris