Contemplating coloring my black Fargo. My local hardware store stocks Rust-Oleum, but there are so many different kinds of Rust-Oleum, I'm overwhelmed!
I can order a something online but nice to buy locally. That said, if there is a specific spray can only found it ok ne please recommend. Thanks!
by porktornado77
38 Comments
Spraybike.
https://spraybike.us/
If you are going rattlecan, get automotive paint online and a good 2k clear to finish it.
Paint is all fine. It’s the clear that needs to be special.
Get primer first. Dark if it’s going under dark paint, light under light paint.. Patience, in the form of prep cleaning, primer and light coats, will make far more difference to your end result than what product line you choose.
That said, the high viz pink is on sale. That’s my vote.
I second spray.bike or automotive grade with good clear.
Spray bike isn’t actually any better to spray than rustoleum, at least when I tried it a few years ago. I ran the gambit on spray cans and while there’s some small differences between brands, they’re all pretty similar.
As other commenters have said the important bit is the clear coat. Get a 2 component 2k clear in a can and don’t settle for less.
Spraybike followed by a 2k clear.. be sure to wear a respirator
two options
1. learn about car paint. You can buy the good stuff in rattlecans, but it’s special order stuff. buy a system, match paint and clear.
2. buy [spray.bike](http://spray.bike) (same stuff, smaller cans, curated, nice tutorials)
don’t skip on surface prep and etching primer. The spraybike tutorials can get you sorted.
Paint is secondary as long as you get a really good clear coat, which is near impossible with rattle cans
I’d at least go to an auto parts store, they tend to have a better selection. I’d probably use automotive wheel paint if buying what’s available locally, that should hold up better. Anything cheap is fine, at least it’s easy to add more paint later.
Doing it right, I’m with the “get a good 2k clear urethane and compatible color online.” Or getting an estimate from a local powder coating place.
Montana Cans is what I used, but you’ll want to get 2K Clear Coat. It’s super toxic so don’t be a Fred and not wear any PPE.
Krylon or rustoleum. Make sure you are getting the type that goes on metal.
Go to an automotive paint speciaist and get 2k automotive paint in rattlecans.
It’s basically 1-step car paint and is properly hard.
Rustoleum silver can industrial labeled stuff prep and cure times are absolutely key. Wait a week to let it cure after painting before touchin it or tryin to reassemble.
For color, they are all good. High quality 2k clear coat, prep and finishing are what make a good paint job.
Primer + Can + Clear coat, as long as you use the same base, meaning solvent goes with solvent and water goes with water. Do not mix different bases and you’ll be fine. Also, you’re gonna need to wet sand your frame after each layer, to prep the surface and eliminate roughness or orange peel. When you are done with everything, protect the frame with some Turtle Wax or a similar product.
I used [spray.bike](http://spray.bike) paints and they worked fantastically! I didn’t have to sand down the frame, but did two coats of color, put on decals, and did one coat of glitter clear coat.
https://preview.redd.it/t2yidv287xhg1.jpeg?width=1460&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a907d2a73c26cedbdf56fd99935aa628edf3f732
I’ve not done a bicycle. But have had a lot of luck with Roth Metal Flake, Rattle Bombs. A friend did an amazing professional paint job on his motorcycle. I had a successful project with an old pair of skis.
Go to spray.bike.us
They have a ton of great colors, primers, and clear coats.
I did up an old Bianchi Giro..
All the advice I read online was to keep as much of the og paint as possible as that will help prevent rust. So I just sand it smooth, filled in a few dents/chips. The. I did 2 coats of white primer, then 3 coats of color. Finally 2 coats of clear. I did wet sanding in between coats.
Prep, multiple coats and final clear coat layers matter more than type of paint. It’s still important
I just finished mine with krylon gloss dover white, I wouldn’t use tremclad or rustolium , both take a long time to harden and if you need to sand between coats it’ll be at least 5 days.
https://preview.redd.it/9l79blz9rxhg1.jpeg?width=2117&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ae5bfca71c1dd0a6bdbf6636b725de31fb27cb82
Metallic Blue my choice 🙂
Check out ETOE on YouTube. He has a lot of DIY spray can videos for bikes. He recommends the Montana rattle cans. Worth a watch.
No matter what you do make sure you explicitly follow the instructions on air ventilation and use respiratory protection. I have a friend who has permanent airway disease after using 2k clear spray without proper ventilation.
He literally lost consciousness and the FD treated the whole thing like a hazmat response. He spent weeks in the hospital and isn’t the same years later. He was spray painting a car part in a garage.
Do not fuck with these unless you are prepared to follow the instructions.
Stick with the same brand for primer, base, and clear. That’s all that really matters.
Buy some PVC pipe about the same diameter as your bike frame tubes and practice a few times even if that means you have to buy an extra can of paint. The proper technique is probably more important than the type of paint.
I used the real nice Montana stuff back in the day. Expensive but works great and sticks.
It’s strange not seeing spray paint behind a locked cage
I used spray.bike and liked the result.
https://preview.redd.it/fs4o3lgpgyhg1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a2bb8ee42abdc9f5a6e80a6d788c11b54f072cf4
Simple solution. Sand it smooth and clean, give it an automotive primer/filler, sand clean again, give it a base layer of whatever automotive paint, wet sand, then do whatever type of automotive lacquer/clear coat.
Always use an automotive paint for bikes, since they are metal (mostly), and can be out in the weather for durability.
Any color paint your heart desires.
Oh, and when you paint:
DO NOT DO HEAVY COATS
Multiple light coats
Don’t worry about coverage each pass
Each pass will cover more and more
Wait until each layer gets tacky before applying the next coat.
Take your time.
pink
For a more simple first time painting, get a primer, selected color and a 2k clear. Make sure they’re all the same brand as different sprays can negatively affect each other. (You could also spend a lot of time to see if different sprays from different brands play well together)
Where good PPE. Spray cans, especially 2k, can efffff you up.
I’ve done three bikes with spray.bike, I’m a big fan. Heard good things about Montana too, which is easier to get in-store.
Spray.bike man!!
Almost more important, get at least 5 coats of clear on.
Montana Gold is my go to. I favor the Caribbean color specifically
I threw a Spray Max 2k clear coat on the top.
It turns out great, I done it about 5 years ago now and holds up great.
Haven’t used Montana, Spray.bike , or anything more exotic yet.
Best results i got in terms of how it looked and how it held up over time was when I used Rustoleum – their primer, then appliance enamel, then clearcoat.
This was about 15 years ago and I don’t see the appliance enamel available locally (NY) anymore. It also only had almond, white, or black for color options.
Next paint job I’ll try Montana or the automotive paints that get loaded into spray cans.