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Painting in 45 degree weather?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tarbash 27
  • Start date Start date
T

Tarbash 27

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On my project bike I need to paint some things. I want to do it myself. Its down to about 45 degree's here in NY. I need to paint my triple clamps, fork leg lowers, wheels, swingarm and frame. First of all, I hate painting more than anything and Im horrible at it but I insist on doing it myself.

I want these parts to be more durable of a finish that nice appearing. I really dont care if the paint comes out a little sloppy. As long as it wont flake or chip off easily. Im painting all these pieces satin black.

Is there any way to get the paint as durable as it was from the factory? I can barely scratch my frame with the original paint job and would like it that tough. Any suggestions? Would type of paint do you guys reccomend? Rattle can that is.
 
prep prep prep prep, preparation is key, if the item to be painted is not prepped correctly it wont look good or last. (I am expert on doing it wrong! LOL)

powder coating is best for durability.

you can paint it but at that temperature it will take a long time for it to dry.
 
Painting at 45 degrees causes some issues you should be aware of. First of all, if you're using rattle cans, the paint won't properly mix when you shake the can. If you're using an airgun, you'll have clotting problems as the paint exits the gun, leaving large "pebbles" in your finish. That will also happen with a rattlecan.

If you insist on painting in the cold, try mixing the paint in a heated area, then immediately proceed to your painting area and use it while it's still warm. That should help alleviate most of the clotting.

As previously stated, it will take a long time for your parts to dry in the cold. Once they are semi-dry and dirt won't be imbedded in the surfaces, you can use a hair dryer on low heat setting to speed things along in that arena.
 
I have a little space heater in my shed that I used to warm the can and piece I was priming tonight. It seemed to work out pretty good. Ill let it sit overnight and see what its like tomorrow.
 
Not cheap but Por-15 paints are reputed to be very durable. Not sure how they would perform at low temps though.
 
Even at 45* as long as the day is sunny you should be ok. It is a good ideas to leave the parts in the sun till they are warm to the touch and keep the paint inside until you are ready.

Paul
 
If you use an epoxy paint (very durable) then you won't have to worry about it "drying" in the cold. It's catalyzed by a chemical reaction but I think 45 is just a little too low for it to work properly. In any case, 45 is too cold to get a good paint job no matter what paint you use. If you read the instructions on the can of paint you are using I bet it says something about don't use below 60F. By warming your parts you will minimize the issues but there could still be problems. What I used to do was warm up my entire garage with my furnace, then turn it off - pilot too - and paint. By the time the garage cools down the paint will be set. I can then turn the heat back on after thouroghly ventilating the area to assist in curing. Like said before though Powder coating is the best for durability. You can do it yourself for a modest investment and get great results even on frames. I have done some large parts in my garage and you don't have ANY fumes that could blow you up.
 
i painted my kids bicycle with rustoleum flat black. last year, tough paint. Perhaps using that roller method that was discussed here a few weeks back will extend the painting season, since its not airborne... I would think Satin would work with a roller...
 
Last edited:
nastyjones said:
Even at 45* as long as the day is sunny you should be ok. It is a good ideas to leave the parts in the sun till they are warm to the touch and keep the paint inside until you are ready.

Paul
Click to expand...

Tarbash 27 said:
I have a little space heater in my shed that I used to warm the can and piece I was priming tonight. It seemed to work out pretty good. Ill let it sit overnight and see what its like tomorrow.
Click to expand...

Both good ideas. If you raise the temp of the paint and the temp of the parts to 55 degrees, you won't have the other possible problems relevant to the dewpoint. Most paint adhesion problems I've heard about in cold weather revolve around the elimination of ALL moisture on the parts getting paint. Even if you use wax and grease remover as a final prep, moisture drawn from the air will still cause headaches. Almost all paint and prep chemicals are hygroscopic to a small extent, and the lower you go under 55, the worse it gets.
 
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