I've read enough enough material about paint to make my head spin like that girl in the exorcist. I'm actually worried about vomiting out pea soup as a result. It would appear that a degree in materials science and chemistry is needed to even begin to understand what goes into paint and what will work. Or, the years of experience from paint pros like you that I hope to draw upon today.

A little background. I have a motorbike. As many motorcycles are, it's almost all plastic. I'm not wealthy and therefore cannot afford the $800 that was qouted to me for painting my plastics by a pro shop. I know the money is worth it. They'd use an automotive grade urethane paint that I'm sure would look great and stand up to the abuse. Well, I'm selling the bike and I don't think a buyer would appreciate the $800 markup on the paint job as much as I would. I would like a very specific color, as I feel this unique color would help the bike move due to no other motorcycles resembling it. However, wanting this color has left me in a hard spot. Your readily available krylon fusion doesn't come in the color. I went to Sherwin Williams after learning that they will make rattle cans in custom batches. Well too bad, the color I want cannot use the oil base that they use to make spray paint. Shucks. So, I dug deeper, scoured the internet until my eyes were bleeding and there were blisters on me fingers. I've learned a little about paint. Just your basics, mind you. The different types such as: urethanes, oil based laquers, enamels, latex, etc. I've ruled out urethanes. I do not have the equipment, booth, respirator required for it. Let alone the skill. Oil based is out thanks to Sherwin Williams schooling me on that. This leaves me with an exterior acrylic latex. Should remain flexible and durable, AND, the biggest and awesomest reason of all, ALMOST EVERY HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE CAN MIX IT!!!! YAY!!!! unlimited color! Easy to obtain! Cheap! My plan seems perfect, right? Well, that's why I come to you for advice. Advise me on whether or not this will work and provide reasoning why it may not. So.......


The plan: I will fully prep my plastics. Clean them. Sand them. Alcohol to remove reidue. I will then use an adhesion promoter on the bare plastic to help the sticky happen. I will follow up the adhesion promoter with some plastic approved, flexible primer. Then. The color. Sprayed on with an airless HVLP gun with the proper nozzle and paint thinned to the consistency required. I will do layers upon layers of this until desirable. Lastly, I will complete my Sistine chapel with this awesome stuff I just discovered existed. It is a two step urethane clear coat that comes in one spray can. There are separate chambers in the spray can that are punctured and the urethane clear coat is mixed and able to be sprayed. This adds the durability and gas resistance every motorcycle needs.

The question: will it work? I have done the research and by all intents and purposes, it would seem it would. Nonetheless, I want to ask the real world experience of you pros. What do you all think?


Thank you for any help and constuctive criticism you can provide!

Uhhhh... let me make sure I am understanding this correctly. You want to take a house latex paint shot on with an airless (that is NOT an HVLP gun system by the way, they are considered hydraulic because they pressurize the liquid in the 2500 to 4500 p.s.i. range) gun, then go over it with a urethane 2k clear??????????? Did you look up Auto Air Colors or Wicked brand water based finishes? They are at least designed for automotive application and would require only a mini gun for a bike. Then you could still use a 2k clear over them.

DarrelK wrote:Uhhhh... let me make sure I am understanding this correctly. You want to take a house latex paint shot on with an airless (that is NOT an HVLP gun system by the way, they are considered hydraulic because they pressurize the liquid in the 2500 to 4500 p.s.i. range) gun, then go over it with a urethane 2k clear??????????? Did you look up Auto Air Colors or Wicked brand water based finishes? They are at least designed for automotive application and would require only a mini gun for a bike. Then you could still use a 2k clear over them.

You understand me correctly.


Looking at both of those you recommended, aren't they both water based acrylics? How would that differ from using another water based paint, regardless of listed application? Exterior acrylic latex paints dry to a hard, durable, yet flexible finish and work on plastic; why wouldn't it work? Not saying you're wrong, I'd just like to know your reasoning and how the paints you suggested are fundamentally different from what I was inquiring on using? What chemical composition separates them?

supremekizzle wrote:The question: will it work?

The answer: No.

The reason: Despite apparently similar names the paints are fundamentally different in both design application and composition. Nor would the house paint be compatible with either the adhesion promoter that you plan to use under it or the urethane ( I thought you'd discounted this) that you plan to put over it.

The result: A mess.

The solution: Give the bike a good clean and a polish. Carefully brush touch any chips or minor scratches. Sell it and move on.

I worked my way through college doing handywork, painting, etc., and yes, even worked in a plastics extrusion plant in their tool and die dept. Worked with gallons and gallons of latex house paint. I've also done a truck and car project in Auto Air colors. In short, the two types of paint aren't even close to the same well, other than they are both water borne. Latex house paints go on thick and remain rather rubbery most of their entire life. And yes, I said rubbery not just flexible. The base colors from Auto Air, Wicked, etc., go on fairly thin and set completely dry not unlike most auto base colors. When clear coated with a 2k urethane you probably wouldn't even know you were looking at water based. Couldn't imagine trying to get a urethane clear to lay down right on household latex.
Let's put this another way. If Auto Air, Wicked, etc. were the same as household latex why would they even try to compete with the hardware store latex? Ask the guys in pro shops if there water based colors are like latex..... uhhh... that would be a no....

NFT5 wrote:

supremekizzle wrote:The question: will it work?

The answer: No.

The reason: Despite apparently similar names the paints are fundamentally different in both design application and composition. Nor would the house paint be compatible with either the adhesion promoter that you plan to use under it or the urethane ( I thought you'd discounted this) that you plan to put over it.

The result: A mess.

The solution: Give the bike a good clean and a polish. Carefully brush touch any chips or minor scratches. Sell it and move on.

Thank you for this response.

DarrelK wrote:I worked my way through college doing handywork, painting, etc., and yes, even worked in a plastics extrusion plant in their tool and die dept. Worked with gallons and gallons of latex house paint. I've also done a truck and car project in Auto Air colors. In short, the two types of paint aren't even close to the same well, other than they are both water borne. Latex house paints go on thick and remain rather rubbery most of their entire life. And yes, I said rubbery not just flexible. The base colors from Auto Air, Wicked, etc., go on fairly thin and set completely dry not unlike most auto base colors. When clear coated with a 2k urethane you probably wouldn't even know you were looking at water based. Couldn't imagine trying to get a urethane clear to lay down right on household latex.
Let's put this another way. If Auto Air, Wicked, etc. were the same as household latex why would they even try to compete with the hardware store latex? Ask the guys in pro shops if there water based colors are like latex..... uhhh... that would be a no....

Thank you for expanding on that. The only problem with autoair I'm not able to get custom colors mixed. That was the whole draw to getting paint at somewhere like hone depot. Follow up question: is there any kind of paint I can get at a home depot, etc that can work? Also, I do not have an air compressor set up. When you previously said a mini sprayer, did you mean those small ones for models and airbrushing? That would take forever! Even if they are only motorcycle fairings. Is it the same problem with household acrylic enamels? Auto paints are arcrylic enamel. They're not water based and are VOC paints. Thanks again.

Instead of buying an airless sprayer, get one of those small air compressors ($100)
and a trim paint gun. That'll allow you to easily paint the bike panels. AutoAir has a
large enough selection of colors to allow you to mix your own custom color.
Darrel has done some fine painting using AutoAir, and it's very easy and safe to work
with.

Toss a little urethane reducer or some lacquer thinner in that latex and watch it turn to cottage cheese. You're talking about spraying a urethane on top of it but it will eat and melt that latex no matter how dry you let it get before putting on clear.
But to me it sounds like your mind is made up.

Okay, dug this back out....
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=7938&hilit=Darrelk+kit+car+build

Supremekizzle.... check out page 2 in particular. I shot all the color and color effects in Auto Air with a Harbor Freight Mini-Gun on that car. Coverage with these types of paint is quite good and it lays down fast. A bike would be fast and easy. As for the custom color thing... you can intermix yourself by buying the 4 oz. bottles and come up with your own custom looks. I've heard that the Wicked colors are even more user friendly. Friends of mine started an entire custom helmet art business based around Auto Air and now are using Wicked.