Tom Booth

Noticed last night it's supposed to hammer it down Sunday, and a few sections of chase are closed

Nice one dude, looking forward to pictures! Glad your pleased with the slx brakes too, give them a month or so and they will be lethal.

Me and the missus have next Friday-Monday off work (us having a day off together is very, very rare) so we've booked a hotel. Under the missus's instruction I've booked a hotel 20 miles from coed y brenin in Wales! So stoked to take the bikes there and tear some trails up. Managed a 30 mile group night ride last night and surprised a few folks on the Five. I love that bike!

Thin the clear slightly(no more then 10%), drop pressure and that should achieve a nicer flow for you. As I said before I thin the clear coat in steps (unthinned first coat as a grip coat, 5% thinner in the 2nd and 10% thinner in the 3rd coat. It always gives me a finish that needs very little work, other then de-nibbing the bits of grit and dirt that've fallen in. No worries Alex, any other questions just fire away man.

I am by trade I used to paint classic jukeboxes and there parts, but at the same time I painted all sorts from machinery to wooden cabinets, at the minute I work in a paint supplier. If I was you Alex in this situation I would do the following - Flat all panels to be painted that have gone wrong with 600-800, keeping there shape and form without rubbing through your coatings of clear, this will 'open' the lacquer up allowing it to dry fully (imagine the skin on a porridge/gravy, thats what part cured lacquer does, the first few mil of paint skins over trapping the soft 'wet' lacquer underneath, although it's touch dry it's not fully cured). Leave them in a warm environment for a few days/a week (room temps fine), this will allow the solvent to dry in your lacquer and hopefully any gremlins that will give you a problem to dry. Check the panels for any defects, if there's no problem hit with a last run of 600grit and wipe with a degreaser. Warm your environment as best you can, anything room temps ideal, thin your basecoat between 2-1 and 1-1 ( I always find somewhere in the middle is a happy mid ground but I'm always working with mini guns with a 1mm needle, 1-1 seems to give you grief on any slightly unworked edges). Set gun pressure around the 1 -2 bar depending on the paint suppliers recommendation and your gun tip. Hit with a light coat of basecoat, allow to dry, check for reactions (the spiderwebbing in your picture is down to the basecoat thinner soaking through the previous layers and finding a problem for you, thinners 'searches' through soft finishes allowing mild adhesion) if the problem has gone rub the panel down with a scotch pad to key up again, a quick wipe with degreaser followed by 1 full coat of base, leave to dry for 20mins till a satin finish is even across the panel. Drop gun pressure 5-10% for your final base coat this helps the metallics settle better on the panel and sit up right (funnily enough this is called a drop coat). Leave 20mins then proceed with 2-3coats of lacquer. I always apply 1 unthinned coat of lacquer lightly, then a 2nd coat with 5% thinner and a final coat with 10% thinner. Treat the first coat as an adhesion coat, the 2nd coat starts to build your sheen then the 3rd coat fills your orange peel nicely and leaves you with a nice gloss. That's what works for me, I paint items most days too using that system with great results. I know a lot of people that just drop 2full coats of lacquer on, if I were to paint something like a bonnet/boot I would, but painting bumpers with the scoops etc applying 2/3 lighter thinned coats allows the build/shine and good finish without the risk of runs and sags, minimising work after. What paint manufacturer are you using Alex? There will be a technical data sheet online to give you thinning ratios and spray pressures to give you the best results.

I'll go with most of what Ed says, the only thing I'd dispute was flatting between coats. Flatting metallics before clear gives all sorts of nasty ghosting and 'cuts' the heads of the metallics meaning it looks awful really. The rest of your advice is pretty sound thou Ed. Painting really is just finding your balance to get a nice flow. What sorta conditions are you painting in Alex?

That said, that's assuming your using a hvlp gravity gun.

4bar, asin 56psi?! Drop it to around 25-30, a smidge more thinners and warm the environment and you should get a nicer flow.

If that hazing is in your basecoat I'd be looking at spray pressure, conditions and application then Alex, what are you painting at?

What products are you using Alex? Is your lacquer a single pack or 2 pack lacquer? If it's a single pack I'd give it 24-48h to fully cure in a warm environment before reworking. 2 pack is a different story thou and might give you issues until fully cured. When you mention about the boot lid, what problem are you referring too? The hazing? Pearls and metallics are slightly thinner in make up than solid colours, hence your issues. What thinning ratio are you using for your basecoat?

Ooooooh, I'll do my best to get on this Ed.

Shit goes downhill at 35 Ed. Flash cars and kit but everyone thinks your a goon

That's what I thought too, can see some 35 year old businessman buying it thou to go riding with his kids round lakes after taking it from the roof of his white Audi. That's all it strikes me as to be honest.

http://www.stif.co.uk/mtb/product/santa-cruz-limited-edition-minnaar-v10-bike/11984#description Spotted that when I was buying my five and almost shat myself, that's mental.

Loosen off the tensioning screws either side the arms till they only just tension, some wet lube in the outer and make sure each end of the outer is cut straight and cleanly. I noticed a massive difference when I started cutting outer cables with a grinder and 1mm cutting disc. Try to cut them as close to 90* too, just means there's no squash in the outer because you've got 2 flat faces contacting rather then /| <that set up.

That's insane, if that was me I'd just shit a brick.

Paint was already on the bike, I have sourced some glow in the dark lacquer thou Mike, I'm not sure to be honest, forks seem difficult to price and the frames abit of a strange one, what are you thinking? It's a 20" frame too, I'm 6ft3 and it's good on the inside leg, just slightly short on the reach being mega slack angles.

YESSS. f**k YOU, VETTEL! That's an awesome result.

Are you painting this in waterbased then Alex?

You could just blow that small section in then clear upto the trim like gently says, easier to loose the colour/less obvious repair

How are you painting it inur? Aerosols?

Would anybody be interested in my 456ss frame in glow in the dark(good condition, few chips but no cracks or dints), marzocchi all mountain3 (air, adjustable rebound 150mm in great condition) and some other bits? After riding my five it feels a touch to small, it's a great fun bike thou, great for trail center fun! At the minute it's just frame, forks, seat post/clamp and probably bars/stem available, I'll be keeping the cranks for upgrading my five and the wheels will be going on my next hardtail. Any interest let me know and I'll get getter pictures for you

Drat, thought this thread would make you devolve. The lapierres do look great bikes, I can't fault you.

What you going for Matt? I hope it's a five Paul, yeah corse you can, my bikes maaaasive thou so it might not give the best feel.

Do it Paul, the thing that amazed me was when perched pedalling along its as rigid as a fixed post, there's no bounce or flex at all.