can l get a decent looking paint job on my frame and forks using spray paint ? l do not wanna spend a lot of money, but l do want it to look good. any tips or suggestions ?my dream was to strip down my frame and fork to just raw metal then polish it out nice and shiny, i'm not having much luck with that idea, it is a trek 930 steelo.x. 2. any suggestions ?

yes you can if you take your time and put on many light coats. Then come back with a polyurethane clear coat. That is also available in a spray can. Oh yeh, dont polish the steel, if anything sand it with 120 grit sandpaper. This will stop your paint from peeling off. The smooth finish you are looking for comes from the paint job.

just make sure and strip it down then tape up the openings so paint wont get in, then u can use high gloss.. or the urethane stuff the other guy said. but u have to make sure and do light even coats so that way your paint wont start to collect at the bottom(i tried to paint the front suspension off my dads car to fast and now you can see where the paint collected,but its only the suspension so you cant tell. l also did that to his mud guard lol)

Steel frames must be protected. They will rust without a finish. If u try to buff it up & just apply clear coat it will turn grey within a couple of weeks anyway.

Painting a bike well takes a bit more than a whim, a 6 pack, & a weekend. Do it right & it will look great, do it wrong & u will wish u never did it.

This answer is long but will give u an idea of what to do. Want a quick answer? Take the bike to an auto body shop & have them do it. It will cost about $100 if YOU take the bike apart.

Use DUPLICOLOR brand LACQUER available at most auto parts stores. In the UK, l do not know if the brand exists so if u r in the UK u will need to locate a brand of acrylic lacquer. DO NOT BUY ENAMEL OR URETHANE! Urethane out od a spray can is waaaay too soft & wo not do much to keep the paint on, & enamel tends to cure erratically.

You will need 1 BIG can of grey sandable primer , 1 can of base coat (if the color requires it. many do. read the can), 1 BIG can or 2 SMALL cans of the color u want, & 2 or 3 BIG cans of clear LACQUER.

Here is a quick explanation of what to do.

1) After completely disassembling the bike have it sandblasted to remove ALL the finish. If the frame is aluminum, it should be walnut shell blasted, or u can chemically strip the paint. Just make sure all the paint is OFF the bike.

2) READ THE CAN INSTRUCTIONS, then spray it as soon as possible with grey SANDABLE lacquer primer. DUPLICOLOR brand paint is all lacquer, l think, & u can get it from ur local autoparts store. Buy the BIG cans, not the small ones. Apply at least 1 full can, in coats, 15 minutes apart. Do not worry about light runs for now.

3) Wait at least 48 hours. There is a difference between dry paint & cured paint. it needs to be cured. Sand the primer using 220 grit aluminum oxide paper (white in color) or wet/dry paper (black in color) until the surface is smooth. It should not take much unless u have a lot of runs.

4) Using a tack rag, lightly go over the entire frame (do not rub!) to remove the sanding dust.

5) Apply several coats of the base color (if necessary), then color of ur choice. Make sure the frame is completely covered, it is not necessary for the color to be on thick. Follow the directions on the can. Again, use LACQUER, the same brand that u used for primer. Apply coats 1/2 hour apart. Be sure u cover every part & do NOT get runs. If u get runs u r applying it too heavily.

5a) IF u wish to add decals, wait at least 8 hours, apply the decals, then continue. Make sure that u avoid touching the new paint as much as possible & to make sure there r no marks from water or ''sticky stuff'' on the frame. If u do not want to add decals, continue immediately to the next step WITHIN 24 HOURS.

6) Do NOT sand the color coats. Apply the LACQUER clear coats, perhaps 2 full cans worth, coats 15 minutes apart. If u put decals on u should spray at least 4 cans of clear.

7) Let the frame alone until u can not smell the paint anymore when u get up close & take a big whiff. If u can smell it, it ai not dry! This will take 2 to 3 days at least.

8) Wet sand the entire frame CAREFULLY with 800 grit silicon carbide wet-or-dry paper (black in color), then 1000 grit silicon carbide wet-or-dry. Make sure to keep the paper wet & to wipe away the white slurry that forms. If u start to see the color in the slurry, STOP! You have sanded too hard & reached the color coats. Repeat steps 5, 6, & 7, then try again. Do not try to ''touch up'' the area, it will look terrible.

9) Using white paste polishing compound, follow the directions & polish out the whole frame.

10) Do NOT wax or wash for at least 10 days.

If u rush this u will end up with a sloppy mess & u will kick yourself for ever trying. However, if u take ur time & do it right it will be a very cool feeling.

KRYLON makes the best spray paint that will hide mistakes & still look good.

Clean it then primer it first.

You can make a really slick looking ''Candy'' paint job by painting silver or gold underneath a coat of ''transparent red'' or ''transparent blue'' (or whatever color). Like this
http://alsacorp.com/products/candyconcentrates/images/order/candy09_L.jpg

Satin finishes work well too, l spray painted this scooter with Krylon satin black.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/mdcbert/PICT0082.jpg