You have to remember they guy is trying to make a living and has to do other things while working on your parts. Those other people are also expecting their stuff back. You are getting a heck of a deal price wise so be nice and pray for a quality job.

 

The more you go over there and the more you bug the guy about it i think from experience with customer service, hell throw it togather then youll be very dissapointed in the final product because he was trying to get a nagging customer out of his hair

 

i had just went tru this, on my brother"s boy's bike.

he would shoot his mouth off,well this time i said get your azz in the paint booth and paint the damed thing (some small parts) well well now (smart azz did suck)
then made him resand all this stuff and in the end he learned it's not easy.

and in the end all his buddys checking the bike out, man thats cool looking DUDE
lesson learned....

 

For the record..even the matte finish is supposed to be clear coated, its just a different kind of clear....and if it ain't done DON'T spill gas on it cause your paint will run off the tank like water off fresh wax!

 

I'm not in the US, but I paid the equivalent of about $950 for my paint. The difference is that my guy is a real pro and had all my tins (covers, tank, both fenders and a few small parts) for about 10 days and they were all flawless when I got them back. I'm sure it would have been slightly longer if I was getting something more complicated, but I would never have waited months for it.

My buddy dropped his fatbob a while ago, so we took the tank to my guy. He pulled out the dent and resprayed it in a week. He matched the factory satin black finish perfectly. My buddy paid about $160 dollars for the job. By the way, you still have to get a matte clear coat on a matte finish.

 

As a former H-D painter, I can tell you this: the guy gave you a price estimate and he gave you an ETA - and he should stick to it. He (probably) knew exactly what was entailed in producing that paint job and how long it would take him. Truth is, that paint scheme would take no longer than two days to prime, paint and (clear) coat. ****, graphic flames takes longer to mask off than jagged teeth. It would also need at least one day (in warm weather) after painting to "breathe" before packing and shipping (if necessary).

OP, it's not that you're getting hosed it's that the painter simply isn't living up to his end of the deal you made, no matter what he's charging you. So either he spent your money on things besides gloss and matte clearcoat, or painting isn't his real line of work and the family pet needed some kind of veterinary surgery.

No, you should not have given him one dime before finishing the work. Otherwise, what's gonna motivate him to finish it? The paint/supplies for that would amount to no more than $75.00. So even if you advanced him that amount, you'd owe him for the labor (which doesn't "cost" him anything). And if he wanted the balance of that money from you, he'd have finished it on time. You'll probably still get what you paid for, but... lesson learned.

 

Sounds like i need to find a new painter, I want to have it clear coated. Anyone know of a good painter in Los Angeles area who would do a simple clear coats to finish the job this clown cant finish?

 

Am I missing something here?? A "matte finish" that is a near "mirror finish"??
I mean, matte finish is a dull, no-gloss finish right? So it would be a dull, no-gloss mirror finish???? I don't get it??

Maybe that is what is taking so long....producing a matte finish that is also a mirror finish.

 

you arent missing anything...thats why im looking for a diff painter to finish it the way i want it.

 

Exactly....If it is to be a matte finish, the painter still needs to put a satin clear coat over it, and if it's to be a gloss finish, it needs the clear, sanded, and buffed. I'm a little lost on which way the paint is suppose to be going. Previously, I was just pointing out that the painter wasn't sticking to the agreement for what seems to be a rather simple paint design.