sanding cooling fins

[axeugene27]

Hey all simple question here. I have painted my engine black would like to sand the fin ends to get a little metal showing. I have tried this before and had issues with more black paint coming off then simply the edge i wished to expose. I think maybe i sanded before the paint heat cured. My bike is not to the point of running at this point some peices still needed. That said has anyone had great success with a given technique to keep the sanding strictly to the fins. Last time it just looked messy and i ended up spraying it black again. I used a firm sanding block.

thanks,
axe

 

[Sonreir]

Never done it myself, but I'm told that filing works better than sanding for this purpose.

When I did my engine, I sort of cheated a little bit.

Link

I think it turned out looking OK...

 

[DreadRock]

Very close to the way i did mine . Your on the right track the paint needs to be fully cured and need to go at it slow and level .

 

[FNG]

As Dreadrock sez fully cured paint is necessary and use fine grit sandpaper on a block to sand flat. That's how I did it.

 

[FNG]

I have also used a sanding block wrapped with a cloth with laquer thinner and wiped the fins about 10 minutes after paint spraying.

 

[3DogNate]

You can break a file short in a vise and dull the corners on a belt sander, then epoxy that to a wooden handle. Like these files, http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Leveling/Fret_Fingerboard_Leveling_Files.html

Would make an excellent file for this task.

 

[axeugene27]

You did cheat sonreir. looks good though I wouldn't have known.

 

[loganrm]

I used a file on mine and then a dremel tool, changing out the sanding sleeve on a more than needed basis. This worked really well but you need to have a steady hand with the dremel.

 

[MotoMadness]

What type of engine paint did you use? Did you prep it good and then primer?

If prep, primer and painted properly you should haven't any issues with the paint chipping off. I've always used a small sanding block with 400 or so grit sand paper or a very small super fine modelers file.

 

[axeugene27]

Yeah i degreased the crud off of it went over it pretty good with a wire wheel, primed then painted. Like i said though the bike hasn't had a chance to start yet so heat curing has not been acheived. I used duplicolor 500 with ceramic

 

[Gid101]

I don't want to hijack this thread but I have a question about this. I was also looking at painting my cylinder and head but a friend told me that by painting it, I would be clogging the pores in the aluminum and causing the motor temp to rise 30 to 50 degrees. I can understand that but is it realty that big of an issue? Will the extra heat cause that much of a component break down with an air cooled motor?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Sonreir]

There will be an increase in temperature as aluminum is an excellent conductor of heat whereas paint; not so much. It's not a drastic change though. Furthermore, most jugs and cases came painted from the factory anyway, they just used aluminum colored paint.