What is clear coat?

Question

I am painting my bike soon to another colour. I am using spray paints. But all my friends are telling me something about clear coat. Can someone tell me what that is, and when I need to use it when I am painting, and what it does? Thank you.

Answer 1

Clear coat is the protective finish that goes OVER the colour coat. If you don't apply the clear the colour won't last very long... it'll flake off or become very dull.

Here is a good way to paint your bike. Note that I don't know what kind of lacquer paint you have in the UK, but you will want acrylic lacquer sometimes called automotive lacquer to do the job.

1) After completely disassembling the bike have it sandblasted to remove ALL the finish. If the frame is aluminum, it should be walnut shell blasted, or you can chemically strip the paint.

2) Spray it as soon as possible with grey SANDABLE lacquer primer. DUPLICOLOR brand paint is all lacquer, I think, and you can get it from your local autoparts store. Buy the BIG cans, not the small ones. Apply at least 1 full can, in coats, 15 minutes apart. Don't worry about light runs for now.

3) Wait at least 48 hours. There is a difference between dry paint and cured paint... it needs to be cured. Sand the primer using 220 grit aluminum oxide paper (white in color) until the surface is smooth. It shouldn't take much unless you have a lot of runs.

4) Using a tack rag, lightly go over the entire frame (don't rub!) to remove the sanding dust.

5) Apply several light coats (3 or 4 perhaps) of the color of your choice. Make sure the frame is completely covered. Follow the directions on the can. Again, use LACQUER, the same brand that you used for primer. Apply coats 1/2 hour apart. Be sure you cover every part and do NOT get runs. If you get runs you are applying it too heavily.

6) Do NOT sand the color coats. Apply the LACQUER clear coats, perhaps 2 full cans worth, coats 15 minutes apart..

7) Let the frame alone until you can't smell the paint anymore when you get up close and take a big whiff. If you can smell it, it ain't dry! This will take 2 to 3 days at least.

8) Wet sand the entire frame CAREFULLY with 800 grit, then 1000 grit sandpaper. Make sure to keep the paper wet and to wipe away the white slurry that forms. If you start to see the color in the slurry, STOP! You have sanded too hard and reached the color coats. Repeat steps 5, 6, and 7, then try again. Don't try to "touch up" the area, it will look terrible.

9) Using white paste polishing compound, follow the directions and polish out the whole frame.

10) Do NOT wax or wash for at least 10 days.

If you rush this you will end up with a sloppy mess and you'll kick yourself for ever trying. However, if you take your time and do it right it'll be a very cool feeling.

Answer 2

Oh . . I was going to suggest a tin of Hammerite!!

Looks like Mirage has given you step by step instructions for a 1st Class paint job! . .not much I can add to that really!

EDIT: Drat! - I cant' resist a little add-on!

Mirage has given you an excellent set of instructions for a professional looking paint job. But . . . . .

If you plan on using more than one colour then, spray the lighter colour first and use masking tape and newspaper to hide the areas you don't want coloured! (don't push the masking tape on too hard or it may pull paint off when removed - been there, done that!)  before you apply the clear coat!  -  I did all of this once when I sprayed a Lambretta in a DPM design (disruptive pattern material) The 'Army type camouflage' effect, took four colours to build up! - Hard work but it was the fashion in the early 'Eighties!

If you fancy a 'Raw' look, then consider bare Aluminium??  prepare with fine 'wet and dry' paper to create a satin  anodised effect, then use a Clear Coat to finish it off. (Halfords do a clear coat for bare Aluminium).

Just to lower the tone slightly, when I rode an old bike to school (it had rod and roller brakes!) I painted it white and added stripes, in a fluorescent orange acrylic paint (from a local Art and Crafts shop) - Talk about loud!!!!

Best of luck.

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