Quick question: Spray.bike, is it worth it??
- Thread starter Martini-night
- Start date
Nabeaquam
BoTM Winner
I use semi gloss on antique frames. Nothing looks worse than original cleaned up rusted parts and a pretty frame. I age the paint on these bikes by rubbing in stove black and graphite spray lubricant in places that usually look the worse on an old frame. The parts that no longer have any nickel plating have stove polish on them. There is a ton of prep here to make it look factory. I’m not concerned with the brittle rattle can paint chipping off or scratching as it adds to the authentic looking finish. I used my home built spray booth for these frames.
enc
Kona Fan
in answer to the OP question, I've never used spray.com paint because I've never been overly impressed by images i see if the results. Some users have commented on the “dry” finish and low gloss.
spraying with aerosols is a lot of work but very satisfying. I've done a few now and improved with each one.
spraying with aerosols is a lot of work but very satisfying. I've done a few now and improved with each one.
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PhillB
GT Fan
I've used it, a while a go to repaint an old Raleigh Mountain bike. I was enjoyable and quite easy. Lot of prep, but thats the same with any can paint. The results, well I put on 4 coats of clear finish. Used the bike a fair bit afterwards and got a few chips, but to be fair, it's hard to say whether they were worse than they would have been on the original paint. I recently bought some more to respray an old GT Talera frame, this time I'm going to use a 2k Clear Coat, which 'internet research' tells me will provide a more durable finish....we'll see!
I think it all comes down to what you want to achieve. If I was renovating a rare bike, and could afford it, it get it done professionally, but I'm not, the bikes probably worth less than the cost of the paint
, plus as I say, I enjoyed the process
I think it all comes down to what you want to achieve. If I was renovating a rare bike, and could afford it, it get it done professionally, but I'm not, the bikes probably worth less than the cost of the paint
, plus as I say, I enjoyed the process 
MSYT
Retro Guru
"Youtuber" here I guess.
I used Spray.Bike for my first "proper" respray and really didn't rate it like a lot of others do. It's half decent for laying down thick layers but I found I had to spray really close to the frame and ended up with tonnes of dry powder overspray. I tried the zinc primer on another build and think that was even worse for the powder build up. Really didn't like it at all and no, I don't believe I recommended it.
I was recommended to try Montana so I did and found that to be a lot better but as others have said it's alllll about the prep and technique. I've used Montana on a few bikes now, teamed up with some 2K clear and got better and better results with practice but I'm still finding it chips quite easily and on a couple of bikes I had the 2K stay "soft" for a bit which was weird. Still learning though so...
I used Spray.Bike for my first "proper" respray and really didn't rate it like a lot of others do. It's half decent for laying down thick layers but I found I had to spray really close to the frame and ended up with tonnes of dry powder overspray. I tried the zinc primer on another build and think that was even worse for the powder build up. Really didn't like it at all and no, I don't believe I recommended it.
I was recommended to try Montana so I did and found that to be a lot better but as others have said it's alllll about the prep and technique. I've used Montana on a few bikes now, teamed up with some 2K clear and got better and better results with practice but I'm still finding it chips quite easily and on a couple of bikes I had the 2K stay "soft" for a bit which was weird. Still learning though so...
PhillB
GT Fan
Quite a few recommend Montana, I think I'll try that next
klunkrider
Retro Guru
I use Montana so can only comment on it but I know both Montana and Spray.bike are ‘pigment rich’ sprays so I imagine they work very similarly.
‘Pigment rich’ means they have more pigment powder suspended/dissolved in the solvent than your usual rattle can ‘car paint’ type product. You have to be a lot closer with the can than you do with these other paints or the solvent flashes off and it’s dry pigment hitting the frame which doesn’t stick properly and feels rough.
I reckon a lot of people don’t know this so end up using Spray.bike wrong and that’s why it seems so love it or hate it.
They are 3 main ranges of paint from Montana, I prefer the Black range because it’s high pressure, I find the low pressure cans are really bad for this drying before it hits the frame thing. Any time I’ve used them I just end up with a load of coloured dust covering everything in my workshop! Maybe they’re really great for painting walls but bike frames, nah so much. I don’t know how Spray. Bike compared to Montana’s high/low pressure cans.
Montana seems to dry pretty quickly but I think it takes a fair while to really cure and harden up properly. It’s easy to chip it while its in the dry but not hard stage so if you get a bit keen and try build the frame or whatever up too soon, it’s dead easy to make a mess.
I do a zinc primer (anti corrosion as I’m only working with steel) then colour, quite often splatters or some of the Montana ‘Marble’ paint and then at least one coat of Halfords Heavy Duty PU lacquer (which I have found through some fairly extensive experimentation to be the toughest non 2 pack lacquer around).
I try to give each layer 24 hours in decent weather, longer in the cold, to dry than once the lacquer is on I try to give at least a few days before building. I’ll often leave a finished frame out in the workshop for a few days then once the smell has died a bit I’ll bring it into the flat where it’s warmer for a few more days.
It’s never going to be quite as tough as powder but I repair a lot of frames and having been powder coated is a surprisingly common denominator. IMO most powder coaters blast too aggressively and there’s nothing anti corrosive about powder. Some places do it right but most are sadly more interested in doing handrails and sign posts and will rattle your nice steel frame through with the same blasting media and (lack of) attention to detail.
‘Pigment rich’ means they have more pigment powder suspended/dissolved in the solvent than your usual rattle can ‘car paint’ type product. You have to be a lot closer with the can than you do with these other paints or the solvent flashes off and it’s dry pigment hitting the frame which doesn’t stick properly and feels rough.
I reckon a lot of people don’t know this so end up using Spray.bike wrong and that’s why it seems so love it or hate it.
They are 3 main ranges of paint from Montana, I prefer the Black range because it’s high pressure, I find the low pressure cans are really bad for this drying before it hits the frame thing. Any time I’ve used them I just end up with a load of coloured dust covering everything in my workshop! Maybe they’re really great for painting walls but bike frames, nah so much. I don’t know how Spray. Bike compared to Montana’s high/low pressure cans.
Montana seems to dry pretty quickly but I think it takes a fair while to really cure and harden up properly. It’s easy to chip it while its in the dry but not hard stage so if you get a bit keen and try build the frame or whatever up too soon, it’s dead easy to make a mess.
I do a zinc primer (anti corrosion as I’m only working with steel) then colour, quite often splatters or some of the Montana ‘Marble’ paint and then at least one coat of Halfords Heavy Duty PU lacquer (which I have found through some fairly extensive experimentation to be the toughest non 2 pack lacquer around).
I try to give each layer 24 hours in decent weather, longer in the cold, to dry than once the lacquer is on I try to give at least a few days before building. I’ll often leave a finished frame out in the workshop for a few days then once the smell has died a bit I’ll bring it into the flat where it’s warmer for a few more days.
It’s never going to be quite as tough as powder but I repair a lot of frames and having been powder coated is a surprisingly common denominator. IMO most powder coaters blast too aggressively and there’s nothing anti corrosive about powder. Some places do it right but most are sadly more interested in doing handrails and sign posts and will rattle your nice steel frame through with the same blasting media and (lack of) attention to detail.
Martini-night
Dirt Disciple
Thanks for the feedback.
I'll go with Montana then.
I need to paint a frame.
Do you recommend;
Montana primer,
Montana Gold
and any 2k clear coat?
I don't know much about bike paints but I've seen on YouTube its better to use a 2k clear coat
stefanano57
Pace Fan
