Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

After an exhaustive search for flex agent spray paint products and color decisions, I just spent 100 bucks on adhesion/primer/color/clear.

I've been researching around and a lot of websites say don't paint below 70┬░ or above 50% humidity.

I'm in Oregon, and I won't have those conditions for another 2 months. After spending so much on paint, I don't mind waiting, but I was hoping to hear from anyone who had Honda plastics painting experience on what ideal conditions would be.

Most paint cans say above 50┬░ and below 85% humidity, but I'm guessing that's just the minimal standards, not the ideal.


I already stripped all the paint off and if you haven't seen it, the base plastic is a tea-stain beige kind of color and it's also got black ABS cement spots all over it from my repairs, so it is going to be a pretty ugly sight if I put all the plastics back on and ride it till June.


The only possibility I could think of is heating up my basement with a space heater and hopefully finding a dirt cheap de-humidifier on craigslist. There's been a few days where the humidity drops below 50 though, so maybe a nice hot basement would be enough.

thoughts?

I suggest spraying many light I mean very very light coats and using a heat gun between coats. The problem with the cold and humidity is that you will have runs in your paint.

Also just a suggestion, if you were willing to spend $100 on just the materials you are using, why not just fork out a little extra and get the panels painted professionally. If you have your prep work down and can remove the panels from the scooter to just bring them to the painter, you would be surprised how much that will cut the costs.

Everyone's hurting right now so try to deal with them. It doesnt hurt to ask...

I'm pretty set on doing it myself. From what I've heard from other people it would cost at least $50 just to have a flex agent mixed into the paint for my moped, let alone mixing it into the primer and clear coat as well. Just mixing the paint would surpass the costs of doing it myself. Then there would be the cost of actually painting it. I would be forking out a lot more to have it done professionally, even with the parts off the moped. And with the materials I got it's going to be a killer quality paint job that presumably will last till the apocalypse. Knock on wood.

Yea, I will be doing super light coats. After all the prep work I've put in I'm going to take the actual painting process nice and slow. Is it better to let each light coat fully dry before doing the next one or is the 15 min flash method best for keeping it all sticky together till it dries?

I'd rather wait till summer than have to buy a heat gun. I'd probably never use the thing again afterwards. I think if I wait till a low humidity day and heat the basement up nice and hot I think it will be ok.

with the promoter still wet spray your first color coat. then let dry completely in between coats. stay steady and keep them lite. may have to 300-500 grit sand paper and wet sand between coats to keep it smooth.

I stopped by a Macco body Shop and proposed this. Paint it while you are already painting a car. (no rush) They agreed to paint it for $30 Waiting for them to call me when they get someone who wants yellow orange or blue (can't be too picky at that price!

LocoParaHonda wrote:I'd rather wait till summer

Have you looked in to how much it would cost you to fly yourself, your paint, and your moped body parts to Phoenix, get a crappy hotel room there, and paint them in the bathroom?

Since you're in Portland, head over the cascades and to Central Oregon on a forecasted sunny day (they occur much more frequently than in the valley), and bring your plastics along with you. Make a trip out of it and go skiing/snowboarding at Mt. Bachelor or to some type of event over in Bend.

Get the largest plastic drop cloth the local hardware store sells, take it to your baesment/garage area, pin/staple/tape it to the ceiling creating a big enough paint "booth" for you to work in. Add a small heater if the temps are to low (doesn't take much to heat that small area), the heater will also help dry the air out in the paint booth (don't run the heater while painting). Make sure you wear a mask and gogles because the overspray can be rough in the little space.

Fishman43 wrote:Get the largest plastic drop cloth the local hardware store sells, take it to your baesment/garage area, pin/staple/tape it to the ceiling creating a big enough paint "booth" for you to work in. Add a small heater if the temps are to low (doesn't take much to heat that small area), the heater will also help dry the air out in the paint booth (don't run the heater while painting). Make sure you wear a mask and gogles because the overspray can be rough in the little space.

All great suggestions. Having that drop cloth on the ceiling would keep all the little dusties from floating down onto the paint. I have a little portable radiator heater that puts out great heat and doesn't blow air, I could probably leave that going while painting. I think I might do this method. My basement is going to look like a murder scene from Dexter, all covered in plastic.

This weekend isn't looking too bad...67-70┬░ and between 63-67% humidity, so I won't be fighting the weather too much. I think this is going to be my best chance. I'm really excited! My scooters been unrideable for over a month now while I've been doing all the prep work and deciding on paint. Can't wait to have it all back together and moving again...and beautiful. Pictures coming.

LocoParaHonda wrote:I have a little portable radiator heater that puts out great heat and doesn't blow air, I could probably leave that going while painting.

I would still turn the heater off after heating the area while you are painting to minimize convection currents and possible burning paint fumes.

LocoParaHonda wrote:My basement is going to look like a murder scene from Dexter, all covered in plastic.

I love that show!