Painting a yellow to black fade...

[GasX]

I am embarking on my second paint job prior to the big one. What I mean is, I am painting another one of my kids bikes before I do the "real job" of painting by motorized baby...

Anyway, I am painting it yellow and black (engine paint rattlecan) and was thinking of a color fade on the frame yellow (front) to black (back). Anyone have any advice for even the most ghetto of efforts?

Not trying to be special, the recipient is 5 and not picky, but I'd like to to look decent from a few feet away at least...

 

[GasX]

For ****s and giggles, here is the first paint job on my 4 year old's bike...

 

[curtisfox]

Doing it with spray can is hard. Get some cheep wall-mart paint and pratice on some scrap. Foging like that you have to hold way back and it will be almost dry when it hits. Then you might have to clear coat after to help it stick..........Curt

 

[thegnu]

If you want to do that fade I recomend this dont use rattle can paint unless its your only option, your best bet would be to find a local body shop an see if they would be interested in helping you out for a price obviuosly.if you must do it your self , look around on line I have found refillable spray bottles an compressed air in cans that screw onto the refill bottle. spray whole bike yellow first , then determine how big of a fade you want , on average here in the shop we tend to make the fades as wide as possible or about 30% of the size of the area which has total coverage in black for your example.
Technique : achieve your coverage in black lets say your coverage with this color is in an area 12 inches long then thin your paint to a ratio of 1.5 to 2 parts thinner an make the fade with this mix at your over spray edge apply your first coat of thinned color over an area about 1 1/2 inces wide using a 50% overlap allow to flash off then 2nd coat using same technique an build up to desired distance. I do reccomend practicing on a peice of old sheetmetal till you are comfortable , because doing this on tubes is difficult.
hope you get a good result.
Gary

 

[GasX]

haha

I don't think this fade idea is going to work out. I'll probably paint the steering tube yellow and get some yellow flam,e decals from the crafts store...

 

[thegnu]

give it a shot practice on your lil ones bike an then master it on one of your builds ! c'mon dude !!

 

[moonerdizzle]

I see nothing wrong with a rattle can paint job. I have done many rattle paint jobs. To get them to turn out nice its all about the prep work. Sand all the clearcoat off if you dont strip the whole frame bare. Use the best primer you can afford and do 4 or 5 light coats spaced about 15 to 20 minutes apart. The real thing to a decent rattle can paint job is light coats. Also use some type of clear coat. If you can afford it, this product here is the best clear coat you can get.

Spray Max 2k High Gloss Clearcoat aerosol

Its a 2 part gas proof clearcoat. I used it on my KZ400 tank and it worked out perfect.

 

[thegnu]

By no means am I knocking rattle can paint jobs its just easier to produce certain looks with a spray gun or similar equipment where your able to control your paint mix ratio's better .

 

[moonerdizzle]

By no means am I knocking rattle can paint jobs its just easier to produce certain looks with a spray gun or similar equipment where your able to control your paint mix ratio's better .

I hear ya. Another thing you can do to get a decent paint job on the cheap, if you got access to an air compressor and spray gun. Take a can of brush on rustoleum paint. You reduce it a bit with acetone so it flows. And shoot it out of a gun.

 

[GasX]

I think it turned out pretty well after all - I found some flame stencil stickers and used them instead of the fade idea...

 

[metalmaster]

That looks great. Good job!!!

 

[rustycase]

The paintwork looks dandy!

I'm SURE your 5yr old is REALLY happy with it! lol

....when trying for a fade, you can use card-stock spray shields, taped to a stick and held by hand, or taped in a relative position, away from the surface...

A lot of fun work can be done with rattle cans, but you will get far more options with better quality paint. ..even the acrylic artist paints and a cheapo airbrush from HF..

Give it a try sometime!

Best
rc

 

[NunyaBidness]

Even I, who don't post very much, am moved to posting my great admiration for a job well done. Those young men have bikes with a custom paint job done by dad. It don't get no better.