Painting -- Not as Easy at it Looks
After what seemed like weeks of sanding and smoothing, it was finally time to begin the paint job for the Triumph. The gas tank and fenders, as well as the frame, had several dings in them which were filled in and smoothed over with bondo. Everything was finally smooth as glass (well, maybe not smooth glass......more like shower door glass in some places, but remember, I'm just a beginner!) and ready for the first coat of primer. At this point, I should say I've spent a little while researching this primer/paint thing. I even sent some e-mails to noted motorcycle painters asking them for pointers and tips. Basically, what I learned from the websites was about smooth, even application of the paint; I learned nothing from the e-mails. Of those I sent, 100% came back telling me I should not try this at home and expect a good job -- it was something that professionals spent years practicing and perfecting. Great. Just what I needed to hear. Since the "professionals" had been absolutely no help, I read one of John's books, "Kustom Painting Secrets" by Jon Kosmoski. If I wasn't confused already, I most certainly was after reading some of the text:
Explain that in easy-to-understand terms.
"Don't worry about it," he told me, "you can sand them out." I took a deep breath, more like a sigh, because I thought I was so close to completion and now I was looking at even more sanding. As time went on, I developed a gentle sweeping motion with the spray gun and learned not to hold the trigger so tightly. Things went a little better. I actually managed to give the tank its first coat of primer with no runs. The painting books tell you the paint must "flash" before applying another coat. I read and read about this flashing thing, but it was never really explained in detail. I felt really stupid when John told me the "flash" was basically a word which meant 'drying to the touch.' Well, why didn't they just say that in the first place?
To wet sand the primer and compound, I used 300 grit paper. The sandpaper was kept wet by dipping it in a bowl filled with water and a squirt of Ivory liquid. This type of sanding takes a gentle touch, because if rubbed too vigorously, you can go through all the layers back to bare metal again. After four coats of primer, all the parts were put inside to cure overnight before the actual paint job began. I must admit, I was pretty excited when John began mixing the black paint and reducer in the spray gun. Here it was.....all the sandblasting, scraping, sanding, grinding, priming, bondoing and compounding were at an end. John handed me the gun, I sprayed a test squirt onto a piece of wood, and began painting. The "professionals" in the books make it look so easy, but it's not. At least to me it's not. I can remember using Krylon spray paint in a can and having it run too, so I guess I shouldn't have expected such a good job for my first attempt.
I guess I'm finally learning by doing. As my father always told me, experience is the best teacher, and I've sure had a learning experience with this motorcycle. I've also occasionally wondered if anyone is actually reading these articles. I found out at my last poker run that at least one person has been following them......... One lady rode her bike over next to ours, pointed at her glossy black paint job, and asked (with a devilish grin on her face I might add), "Hey Janet, what shade of black would you call this?" Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10
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John
filled the sprayer with grey primer mixed with reducer, turned on the
air compressor and said, "Here ya go." I had read that you need
to hold the gun relatively close to the metal so you would be painting
metal instead of air, but I quickly found if you hold it too close, you
have paint runs. As you can imagine, I soon had paint dripping off the
fender (the first thing I painted). As John came over to see how work
was progressing, I noticed his eyebrows slightly raised. "I have
runs," I told him, wanting to acknowledge the fact that I was not
doing so well. 
For
the tiny pit marks and imperfections, I used an orange compound which
must be applied between layers of primer. It went on very smooth and you
could use your fingers without having it turn into concrete on your hands.
This compound must be wet sanded before applying another coat of primer
on top of it.
As
each part took on a black color, I finally began to relax. I realized
I was going to spend even more nights ahead with the sandpaper, but somehow
it didn't seem such a hard task anymore.