$50 mod thread

SO i have seen people trying to find ways to paint their frames, seats, tank, etc I know some people dont have a air compressor thus not able to use a paint gun or have the means to powder coat or even bake something as alarge as a frame. I have a Under $35 solution and you will learn somehting in the process instead of just doing one arm extensions...


supplies:

320grit sand paper (oreilys $2.36)
400grit sand paper (oreilys $2.36)
* 600grit sand paper (oreilys $2.36) optional*
1 can - Rustoleum Flat Black ( note: NOT PRIMER BLACK!) (walmart $4 something)
1 can - VHT or Rustoleum Crystal clear gloss coat ( i think they make a flat clear coat also so if you want gloss black get gloss clear coat, if you want flat get flat clear) ( $4 somehting at walmart) VHT is probably better since their paint is chemically resistant so no wories about oil spilt gas and pressure washers
1 can of paint stripper - (5 something walmart) DO NOT get the ORANGE paint stripper it takes for ever and doesnt really get this shit off with out some elbow grease or a wire brush
1 can - High build primer ($6 something at walmart) i prefer high build as it gives you some room to sand
1 pack of disposable gloves (not that you will get dirty but to keep your grimmy paws of your stuff $1 dollar store)
1 pack of rubber chemical resistant gloves ( $1 dolalr store)
1 bottle of degreaser soap ($1 dolalr store)

a hose, bathtub, kiddy pool (something to provide water)


strip your frame, tank , use wire brush wahtever to remove paint ( i would wear some eye protection)
washe frame with the degreaser soap

sand your frame with 320grit sand paper(i didnt do this but you should)

apply the high build prime. I would coat it, let it dry for a min or so then coat it again. dont be affriand to waste the can on the frame any drips line will be sanded out later.
i would let it dry for at least an hr

I set up a hose and let it pour on the frame
wet sand with 400 ( you can go farther and got to 600 but not really needed for these bumpy old frames) by wet sand for those who dont know you soak the paper and your the water to reduce friction heat and it lightly sand the primer
the frame will begin to feel like wet glass. i close my eyes and run my hand over the surface feeling for any rough patches and thne sand them

once your down ith you sanding let the frame dry you can use a blow dryer and it will dry quite quickly, besure to use a soft towel and wipe of the surface to remove any dust

mist 1 or 2 coats of rustoleum flat back , make sure that you waste a bit of the paint at first to get rid of any cloggy chunky shit in the can. If you hapen to be painitng and it spits some junk out dont work, let it dry , scuff the spot with some 400grit and then recoat it


allow paint to dry i usueally wait about an hr, since you misted it on and its flat it should dry quickly

apply clear coat 2-3 coats

there you have a nice glossy protected frame all for under $35

I used this technique on my tank, fiberglass seat( not the paint stripper), frame, wheels,etc .they look great when i get some time ill post some pics.

i would say you have enough to paint your tank and frame without spending any more money. Also alot of these things you should prbly already have.

As a side note i go this route as i get all of my aeresol paint products for 94 cents so it makes a little more since to me, but i know most dont but its still a solid way to paint your ride


remember ZEN not frustration and empty wallets

You might want to be very careful with that hairdryer around the baby pool.

came across this while surfing... LED headlight conversion... take a stock headlight and make it LED. great trick for those of us on these old scoots with lame charging systems... THIS IS AWESOME!!!!

http://www.instructables.com/id/LED_Motorcycle_Headlight/

dixiedevil said:

supplies:

320grit sand paper (oreilys $2.36)
400grit sand paper (oreilys $2.36)
* 600grit sand paper (oreilys $2.36) optional*
1 can - Rustoleum Flat Black ( note: NOT PRIMER BLACK!) (walmart $4 something)
1 can - VHT or Rustoleum Crystal clear gloss coat ( i think they make a flat clear coat also so if you want gloss black get gloss clear coat, if you want flat get flat clear) ( $4 somehting at walmart) VHT is probably better since their paint is chemically resistant so no wories about oil spilt gas and pressure washers
1 can of paint stripper - (5 something walmart) DO NOT get the ORANGE paint stripper it takes for ever and doesnt really get this shit off with out some elbow grease or a wire brush
1 can - High build primer ($6 something at walmart) i prefer high build as it gives you some room to sand
1 pack of disposable gloves (not that you will get dirty but to keep your grimmy paws of your stuff $1 dollar store)
1 pack of rubber chemical resistant gloves ( $1 dolalr store)
1 bottle of degreaser soap ($1 dolalr store)

a hose, bathtub, kiddy pool (something to provide water)



remember ZEN not frustration and empty wallets

Click to expand...

UPDATE:

I HIGHLY suggest using VHT paint over the rustoleum paints. The prices are about the same maybe $1 more but 1 it is self primeing an secondly but most importantly it is Chemical Resistant ! pour gas on it, oil, degreaser, it wont remove the finish. THeir clear coat is absolutley awesome. Another great clearcoat in a can is Montana Clear Coat and its not to pricey but you have to order it off the net.

I painted my engine with the super high temp flat blach header paint and it looks awesome and i painted the frame witht eh gloss black roll bar paint. THey also have a black epoxy style- looks like the wet black that some one else posted but one again it is chemical resistant.


Remember on not use a gloss coat under a clear coat unless otherwise specified on the directions. It wont stick and you will have to start over!

JRK5892 said:

came across this while surfing... LED headlight conversion... take a stock headlight and make it LED. great trick for those of us on these old scoots with lame charging systems... THIS IS AWESOME!!!!

http://www.instructables.com/id/LED_Motorcycle_Headlight/

Click to expand...

I thought LED didn't have a high enough light output? They'd be bright, but I don't think it'd go to far.

not really a mod, but more a product endorsement. for the longest time I have been in search of a great metal polish. I've tried just about everything with ok results. I finally discovered AUTOSOL and I'm blown away by how good this stuff works. I've been doing all my aluminum and chrome bits over the past couple of days. the pic below is from items on the front wheel assembly. (axle, washer, speedo drive and spacer.) these bits are 35yrs old and looked like total crap. oxidized, greasy, dirt, etc. about 10 mins later I had a nice polished finish with nothing more than a terry cloth and the polish. (damn I sound like an damn tv ad) anyway this is great stuff. I had to order it online. it's about 8$ a tube. the pic is crappy and DOESN'T do this product justice.



i'll get some better pics up later on other things that I cleaned up.

+1 on the autosol - i've used it extensively on chrome plated bumpers in the past.
has anyone tried using it on a part + buffing wheel? might try it out on my rims tomorrow...

hmm, dunno. I have a brand new buffing wheel in need to "break" in. 8)

I've used the autsol, good stuff but i prefer colonel brassy, stuff is amazing and it's a 2 step process which gives you a deeper shine, if I think of it I'll post some before and after pics tomarrow.

i never turn chrome on a buffing wheel with any compounds like that, it can "burn" chrome or even yellow it down and start to strip it... actually stuff i need poished that is chrome, i use a compound and the buffing wheel to go through it to get to the raw metal. chrome is hand polish for me. or a micro bonnet on the wheels with ultra shine compound.

crazypj said:

Not sure if this qualifies as a $50 mod, but more of an $8 fix. This was posted in my build thread.

Since I've grown concerned over a clogged crossover tube on my fuel tank, I decided it was time to fix it. Herm suggested that I heat the tube, bend it straight up/down, clear the clog with a drill and bend it back. Herm is a serious genius and I'm sure many of you would agree with me on that. However, this didn't really work for me. I used a micro butane torch, which didn't really heat up the tube, but instead, it ruined a bit of my paint job near the petcock (I'm an idiot). So I went with my original plan: I cut the tube out, cleared the clog, and JB welded a brass barbed nipple fitting over it. The whole fix cost no more than $8, all bought from HD! Some may think it looks silly but me likey!

Ghetto sleezy.

A far better way to fix this is use a piece of old clutch or brake cable inner and 'drill' out any rust.
You're making a flexible wire brush that will fit inside crossover tube.
If its too big to go around curved part, use throttle cable inner.
No damage to paint

PJ

Click to expand...

this worked quite well. I always heard that por15 is quite a bit thinner than kreme, so I was surprised when I coated my tank and saw the crossovers were clogged. I tried it first with a clutch cable, this wouldnt go around the bend in my cb350 tank, so I tried the throttle cable after reading this post and it worked pretty well. It didnt open up the hole to the original size, but it should be plenty sufficient to balance the two sides. Thanks for the tip pj!

goodfornothing said:

I thought LED didn't have a high enough light output? They'd be bright, but I don't think it'd go to far.

Click to expand...

When it comes down to it, photons are photons....are photons. Doesn't matter the source as long as the amount (or volume/mass depending on which side of the debate you're on) is correct. There are some phenomenally strong LED clusters available now, I've got a 35w piece sitting on my desk here that put out more 'light' than the H4 on highbeam in my 850. Wanna fry some pavement, place one in a projector lens unit. Once it's at the proper focal point within the housing you'll be amazed.

I was skeptical too until my buddy showed me his D-cell maglite with one. It's amazing.

Swagger said:

When it comes down to it, photons are photons....are photons. Doesn't matter the source as long as the amount (or volume/mass depending on which side of the debate you're on) is correct. There are some pheniminally stong LED clusters available now, I've got a 35w piece sitting on my desk here that put out more 'light' than the H4 on highbeam in my 850. Wanna fry some pavement, place one in a projector lens unit. Once it's at the proper focal point within the housing you'll be amazed.

I was skeptical too until my buddy showed me his D-cell maglite with one. It's amazing.

Click to expand...

Then I guess it all just comes down to the legality of having a LED headlight.

hmm that led light thing gives me an interesting idea.. It started as an aftermarket thing for bimmers (cars), but eventually bmw actually adopted the styling putting "angel eyes" on cars from the factory. They look like halos around the circumference of the light housing. Im pretty sure when I get around to cafe'ing a bmw Im going to give this a go as I think it would be a cool update.

some pics





(note, these are not cheap (probably a few hundred just for the angel eyes) so this is not a $50 mod!, just an idea that popped into my head after checking out jrk's led head light post.)


edit: actually after looking around it seems that you can get kits for pretty cheap, but I dont know the quality. I might end up giving this a shot on my current build though.. Ill update if I do.

i'd really torn bout the angel eyes. it's very modern, very uncafe, and yet... i think it could really work well on a clean (wrenchmonkees or chicara clean) bike in a light tone, maybe an off white bike with a blue pearl...

yeah i've thought about it a bit
but i'm the guy who insists on using no bulbs and as little plastic on a motorcycle. i think using the best materials and components shouldn't rely upon budget, size, or style of motorbike.

sebatron said:

i'd really torn bout the angel eyes. it's very modern, very uncafe, and yet... i think it could really work well on a clean (wrenchmonkees or chicara clean) bike in a light tone, maybe an off white bike with a blue pearl...

yeah i've thought about it a bit
but i'm the guy who insists on using no bulbs and as little plastic on a motorcycle. i think using the best materials and components shouldn't rely upon budget, size, or style of motorbike.

Click to expand...

I think youre spot on about the light color, which is actually what I was planning on. However I was also planning on painting my rims red and hubs black... so that might clash.. hmm..

i have installed them in MANY rockets! they look killer when sitting there.... in my other bikes that glow i have tapped LEDS in the headlights as well to make them pop... around here at night anything you can do to be seen.... I DO IT

hey guys and gals,

i've seen on this thread how the spokes and hubs were painted but what's the best way to prep our chrome rims to have the paint hold? is that possible and safe to do prior to replacing the tires and balancing? primer, base and clear, etc? i'm gonna leave the hubs alone and i don't wanna spend $$$ for a powdercoat job if i can help it

right on. which rotary wheel product or scruffing material would be close to 120 grit? i don't wanna sit there with a 120 grit paper that rips every minute with blistered fingers! would a wire wheel prep the chrome for etching primer?

I have updated that main page so that it is current. I also added twisted spokes how to rattle can custom paint post. I have to say CrazyPJ this is an AWESOME how to... i am doing a flush mount tail light on my harley with deca-pour, and this is a perfect solution to what i need to light it! thank you!!!!

LED brake light "how-to" -crazypj -
http://dotheton.com/index.php?topic=6496.345