Clear coat over old paint w/ patina

[jinsonphoto]

So Im working on my first build, a 78 cb750K. Anyways Im getting rid of the ugly 78K tank for Super Sport tank. The tank I have is in a bit of rough shape, but I actually like the color scheme & IMO the old paint & surface rust adds character. My thought is I could try clearing it & if it sux I can always repaint it. Here is my tank.

Its pretty rough, but If I can make it work I want to try it.

What Im trying to find out though is what is the process for doing this. I literally dont have much experience with painting other than rattle can. Im planning on buying a paint gun & using professional clear coat to do it the right way. But I need to find out what clear coat to use & how i should prep the tank before clearing it. Ive searched all over the web & have found others that have done this, but I have yet to find out how to prep for it & the steps.

My biggest inspiration for this is Eric Meglasson's CB450. Here is the link:http://www.bikeexif.com/honda-cafe-racer-2
Examples:

 

[VonYinzer]

Light sand to remove loose rust amd paint. Wet sand with 800 grit. Let dry. Coat with 2K rattle can clear, following directions to the letter. And wallah! You're done. Its really pretty simple, juat seems imposing if you've never done it.

 

[jinsonphoto]

Here is another example. For me this is a bit glossier that Id like. But apparently this guy cleaned the whole car with CLR first before he cleared it. However Im not sure if this would work on my tank since I still have quite a bit of paint.

 

[jinsonphoto]

Light sand to remove loose rust amd paint. Wet sand with 800 grit. Let dry. Coat with 2K rattle can clear, following directions to the letter. And wallah! You're done. Its really pretty simple, juat seems imposing if you've never done it.

Wow! that does sound simple! So do I light sand first then wet sand with 800 grit? Or wet sand only?

Thanks VonYinzer

 

[jinsonphoto]

Yeah I just checked out the sprayMax 2K clear. Looks like it might do the trick! Anybody else have good experience with this stuff? This sure would save me a lot of hassle.

 

[bradj]

to each there own but for the life of me i dont get this

 

[pawn]

I've been touting OSPHO on this site on every question I've posted in relating to this subject. Get OSPHO, clean the area you're going to clear coat with soap and water, let dry...wipe on ospho, let sit for 30 minutes...wipe clean, then clear coat. You can find OSPHO at good hardware stores. It's 100% worthwhile as you can use it on anything that rusts to either prep for paint, or just use as a deterrent.

Yeah I just checked out the sprayMax 2K clear. Looks like it might do the trick! Anybody else have good experience with this stuff? This sure would save me a lot of hassle.

most who've read the spraypainting thread could share their results. Clearing over rust will slow the process, but it will still rust. Eventually you'll get bubbles in clear. If you live anywhere humid it will also happen. If you're intent on going this route look into Por-15 brand Glisten PC. It's non porous I believe.

 

[Tim]

I'm all for original paint / wear and tear. Just avoid the artificial patina look. Kind of like faux marble painting on your walls at home.

I'd save time and just leave the tank as-is and run it. Don't bother clear coating it - it's the way it is because it's been used and abused. Continue to use and abuse it.

 

[AlphaDogChoppers]

to each there own but for the life of me i dont get this

Me neither, although I kinda appreciate the ratty paint look on someone else's vehicle, for me, it looks like I haven't finished the bike yet. <G>

 

[Jonny_C]

Spraymax 2k rocks!

 

[jinsonphoto]

Bradj & AlphDogChoppers its definitely not for everyone.

Pawn, thanks for the info about the OSPHO. Im going to have to look into this. Hopefully i can get it locally. Now would I still wet sand the tank before the OSPHO or after or not at all?

Tim, Im with you there. Im not into the fake patina either!

I really dig some of these original paint schemes on these old bike. Plus it just adds to the history & character of the bike. I'm all about the super sport tanks and i think the paint scheme on my tank works well for what Im going for. If for some reason I cant get this clearing over the old paint to look good I may repaint it with this same paint scheme.

Here is a mock up of the SS tank on my bike. - I still have a long way to go!

 

[pawn]

Now would I still wet sand the tank before the OSPHO or after or not at all?

no, just clean it before putting the OSPHO on. If there's any doubt the bottle of OSPHO has paint prep instructions on it.

 

[jinsonphoto]

no, just clean it before putting the OSPHO on. If there's any doubt the bottle of OSPHO has paint prep instructions on it.

Thanks Pawn!

 

[Frankenfe]

I used Plain old Krylon Satin Clear

 

[Maritime]

I think patina is great when it is real and earned. Fake looks, well fake. I really like the Icon VFR Adventure bike except one thing, the fake painted on dirt. It should have been built, Painted, then ridden until the real dirt was in all the nooks and crannies. So nothing wrong with cleaning up and re-clearing 30 year old paint to keep it going another 30 years, but taking a fresh re-painted tank and faux patina, that is kind of shitty, ride the fucking thing and let it age. Or take real world wear and clean it a bit re-protect it to stop rust etc and rock it to get more dents and dings and dirt etc. All the examples you picked in your Thread Frankenfe I would leave as is as well as the age is earned, not sanded, rubbed put on in a studio. Just my.02

Cheers,

 

[teazer]

Fake originality - what a concept. Next thing you know, people will be dressing up as mods and rockers and putting checker tape on their J bikes and pretending they are in a time warp from the sixties.

Nah. That will never catch on. ;-)

 

[Frankenfe]

Fake originality - what a concept. Next thing you know, people will be dressing up as mods and rockers and putting checker tape on their J bikes and pretending they are in a time warp from the sixties.

Nah. That will never catch on. ;-)

I'd like to think I'm a fairly "Real" guy and can't really think of many things that I like fake over real....maybe a "pair" of things depending their OEM condition.. ;-)

I will say I have seen some true Skill & Talent in some Faux Patina treatments, ck out the link in my sig for the 550, it has turned into a bit of the same "Discussion" on what is the attraction to Patina.

 

[AbbyRider]

Just do what YOU think looks good. The beauty of having a rustic finish is that you don't have to fret about getting a nick in the paint. And make sure you post the results!