Rattlecan

[noise_is_life]

Also related to my fixie project :D, does anyone have any experience with rattlecan frame painting. I've seen some really beautiful stuff on MTBR, but haven't seen alot of detail about how they accomplishment.

I know it can't have the durability of powder coat, but how durable is it.

The only experience I've had it is when a friend in college repainted his crappy road frame silver and it IMMEDIATELY started coming off. So I always assumed it wasn't really an option, but obviously some people out there are doing it.

[Magic]

Pat,
Work with lite thin coats of spray. Bombcan painting can turn out nice if you take the time to prep, primer and use lite coats of paint. Dark primer for darker colors and lite colored primer for liter colors. To heavy of spray will create an orange peel look. Alternate your spray pattern from horiz. to vertical. Some light sanding between coats with very fine sandpaper will help the finish as well. I hope your project turns out for you Pat. Good luck.

[danger!]

I've done a lot of spraybomb jobs on frames, here are some of my thoughts:

Prep is the key: You pretty much can't spend too much time on prep, and if you prep well, the spraybomb job can look fantastic. I usually completely strip or media blast the frame. Then, sand with 400 grit, or 200 if there is some paint residue leftover. If the frame is really clean, you can sometimes just do a good scrubbing with a scotchbrite pad.

Primer is your friend: I use self-etching automotive primer, or an epoxy sealer called DP-40, which is the sealer they use on airplanes. Using a good primer will ensure that the paint will stay put, since the primer is what bonds to the bare metal. You can also use a filler primer if you have scratches leftover from sanding.

I get those trigger handle thingys for spray cans when painting, because my finger always gets sore. (I'm soft) But they also help with getting good results, too. When painting, always work the wet edge-meaning, overlap your passes, so you don't get overspray bands in your paintjob. Also, when using a spray can-release the button at the end of a pass! I take long horizontal(if possible) passes, releasing the button at the end of a pass, and moving the can away at the same time. This will keep you from getting too much paint on, which will result in sags.

Ok, I ramble, hopefully this will help.

-Dan