Hi just spray painting my wm20 and was thinking if they were brush painted originally? thanks keith.

email (option): keith@qualitychrome.co.uk

Keith, BSA had full spray shop facilities and they were most definitely not hand painted!
What happened in the theaters of operation and REME workshops is a different matter though. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

I've got to say... being a painter & decorator, that a nice carefully hand painted bike looks really nice. It seems to give a bike a wonderful aged look to it. Spray painting seems to look too perfect. (just my opinion)

Kieth. In all my nine years experience in the army I can honestly say that I have never seen a bike that was spray painted, even when it came from command workshops. Incidently, up until the M20s were disposed of in the late sixties early seventies they were always gloss paint with the div signs on the tank, we never had contract numbers painted on them either, I think that must have gone out in the late forties early fifties. Early sixties they had the union flag on the tank if they were in Ace force, which was the NATO thing.

TTJohn

email (option): Jomichael@aol.com

Pass me that spray gun...I'll go for the factory finish every time. As Ron says they were spray painted at the factory. I would say the post war, bronze green gloss ones I have come across also appear to have been sprayed.
I had an interesting conversation with an ex Army signwriter who told me they covered the headlamp glasses, tyres and any other bits that didn't require painting with grease, then sprayed the bikes. The grease was then removed after the paint had dried.
He also said he had sign written 'hundreds of the bloody things' but that if a signwriter wasn't available they were stencilled..No doubt if a spray gun wasn't available they were brush painted!..Ian

Ian. That must have been an ex royal signals or some other bullshiting mob, In the proper army the RASC we have never heard of signwriters, we all did our own. Even my last four years driving DUKWs they were also hand painted & we had our own compressors on them. (battleship grey)BTW.
You got pictures.
TTJ

So it seems either finish could have been used..Thanks for the pics...I have sent you a reply...Ian

Hi thanks for all the info hand painting would be easy no sure about brush marks? as anyone got photo of there bike spray or brush? thanks keith.

email (option): keith@qualitychrome.co.uk

one of my bike was sprayed i think because everything was covered in paint including cable and carb the only thing that wasnt painted were the tyres as i think they were replaced afterwards

email (option): roger.beck@node6.com

It depends if you want your bike to look like it's just been delivered to the army, or just left the army..!
My 16H was hand painted and although the bike was in good condition, it made it look rough! I've stripped it and now sprayed it. It looks much better, but not assembled yet so can't show you a picture.

I said before on another thread that a friend of mine bought a "New" in the crate M20 from Ashchurch Army Camp in the early 90's for £800. The pannier bags were brand new dated 1940. It came with a pot of mat green paint and a brass stencil for the number. I asked him last week if he still had the stencil, but it went with the bike when he sold it. He sold it for £2500 in the late 90's with 1500 miles on the clock.

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

From previous postings on this subject I think the majority still prefer an 'in service' look for their WD bikes, irrespective of whether the interpretation of that is a sprayed or brush painted finish.
However, times have changed a lot since I first built an M20 with an 'ex factory' type finish.
At that time I was generally considered to be a bit crazy investing that much time, money and effort into a military bike and I rarely saw another in a similar spec.
Nowadays an increasing number are being built this way and at least rising values make the exercise more financially viable.
I suspect when 200 bikes arrive in Normandy for the 70th.Anniversary there will be a good proportion of both types to look at and argue over!
...Ian

I've got a pretty good brush finish on mine, seems to suit my bike. At the time, it was a time and money thing, it wasnt easy to get a good finish but I like the result and use the bike a fair bit in good weather, I even get a few complements. However, I used that god awful enamel eggshell stuff that chips like a wotsit in my attempt to be true, I really wouldn't recommend you buy that..now the bike is starting to look more used than I actually use it, a spray of WD40 or light oil and a rub, keeps her looking shiny and protects the metal where the paint has chipped off, I heard the Army used diesel on parade to shine things up?

If/when I have the time again I'd spray it, it does seem to suit old Idris being hand painted and I'm not the most careful of owners either, so those chip marks are there, the funny thing is I know each and every mark on her and how they got there, with a spray I guess you can touch up easier. Plenty of posts on paint finishes, I also got a local sign writter chap to do the tank, looks great and worth it, so a spray and a sign writter finish..you'll end up with something really nice, but each to their own, just don't use that b*stard paint I used ;-)

email (option): kit247@hotmail.com

my one is sand coloured it was painted this when i brought it but have painted some bit my self i use cellulose paint which i told the paint mixer that i was going to brush on comes out well i am a war weary fan

email (option): roger.beck@node6.com

My 'Desert' bike certainly looks 'war weary' now, though it started out in pristine 'ex factory' finish. It doesn't matter what you start off with you will end up with the same thing eventually if you use them!!
I like the bike in its 'Desert' spec. but it's been a total nightmare to look after...every speck of rust or oily fingerprint etc. shows and it is impossible to clean off without affecting the finish. Removing oil and grease leaves grey smudges and discolours the paint as well if left too long.
Not to worry..in the Autumn it will be returning to the 'Factory' for a total overhaul and a change back to KGP No3(ish) and will emerge next spring in lovely 'ex factory' condition once again, in time for its 70th. birthday!!...Ian (The Parade Ground Poseur)

I am planning to use Eastwood olive drab powder coat: http://www.eastwood.com/hotcoat-powder-olive-drab-green.html

And not just to be contrary. Powder is cheap, safe, extremely durable and does not throw the Missus into orbit with paint fumes in the house. And, it looks like factory stove enamel, not the shiny wet look of newly over-restored "concourse classics".

I use the Eastwood powder gun for all parts small enough to fit in my old basement oven and bead blast cabinet, and send big stuff like mudguards and frames to a professional, who will sand blast and coat them reasonably. Heat lamp curing is tedious and difficult. There are problems with polyester fillers, even those advertised as powder-compatible. And I learned the hard way that autobody lead will melt and sag at the 400 deg F cure temperature. Sadly wiser, I cure lead-filled bits at 350 deg for 40 minutes.

Jeff

email (option): jjbandoo@aol.com

Hi Jeff...I am a fan of powder coating as well..you can't beat its durability. However, I haven't used it as a finish coat to date because of the filler problem you mention...and I am obsessed with removing all surface irregularities, rust pitting etc. from the finished job. Being a 'factory finish' sort I know they didn't leave BSA with dents and rust pits.
I have everything powder coated as a durable base coat and then apply the other layers and finish coat over that with a spray gun.
My wife doesn't complain about the fumes...my workshop (escape portal) is at the end of the garden and she isn't allowed in there without an appointment
...Ian