XS750AU
Coast to Coast
OK, my mate (TIG welder) has confirmed that I fucked up my headers. :-[ I had everything that I needed but my execution was crap. :'( There was a much easier way to get a better result. So to share with everyone else on how it should be done he came up with the attached explanation. Not too much damage just $60 of mandrel bends .
Since I put on the old XS750E tank, silver with the red patch, it has grown on me. When I studied how the tank was detailed, it is actually made up from a "Crystal Silver" base coat and then the patches are vinyl transfers and some 2 tone vinyl pin striping. So I guess that is probably a good option.
The "Crystal Silver" base coat is easy enough. To get the shape of the vinyl is a different matter. The process we settled on was to put a very light coat of spray adhesive on the tank and then use a light weight none woven fabric (we call it scrim) and lightly spray it with adhesive. We then draped it over the side of the tank, being careful not to trap wrinkle. The scrim is translucent, so it is a simple matter of tracing around the vinyl patch. The scrim is carefully pealed off, ensuring the scrim is not stretched. the scrim then glued to a cardboard backer. The vinyl profile can then be digitised and the CAD system smooths out any wobbles from the hand tracing. In the end I have a dxf file that I can take to get the vinyl patch. Very handy to have all the tools available at work to use out of work hours. I am guessing that I will not get the red colour spot on but hopefully close. Vinyl pin striping is readily available, and I need white and a deeper red.
From my lesson learnt above does anyone have a more simple method to get the same result?
Since I put on the old XS750E tank, silver with the red patch, it has grown on me. When I studied how the tank was detailed, it is actually made up from a "Crystal Silver" base coat and then the patches are vinyl transfers and some 2 tone vinyl pin striping. So I guess that is probably a good option.
The "Crystal Silver" base coat is easy enough. To get the shape of the vinyl is a different matter. The process we settled on was to put a very light coat of spray adhesive on the tank and then use a light weight none woven fabric (we call it scrim) and lightly spray it with adhesive. We then draped it over the side of the tank, being careful not to trap wrinkle. The scrim is translucent, so it is a simple matter of tracing around the vinyl patch. The scrim is carefully pealed off, ensuring the scrim is not stretched. the scrim then glued to a cardboard backer. The vinyl profile can then be digitised and the CAD system smooths out any wobbles from the hand tracing. In the end I have a dxf file that I can take to get the vinyl patch. Very handy to have all the tools available at work to use out of work hours. I am guessing that I will not get the red colour spot on but hopefully close. Vinyl pin striping is readily available, and I need white and a deeper red.
From my lesson learnt above does anyone have a more simple method to get the same result?