gas tank clear coat over rustoleum...

[Barnburner]

2k clear dries in about 12 hours at about 65 degrees F, though I've delicately handled it earlier than that. Note that you cannot wax the tank or put any solid barrier over the clear for at least a month so that it can properly offgas. You can wetsand and buff, though, in case you get orange peel. This stuff lays on amazingly so I doubt you will have a problem but in case there's orange peel you don't have to live with it for a month. Also, 2k has a short pot life, so it has to be used within 24 hours after combining the 2 parts or it will go bad. So either use it all on your tank or find some other things to clear at the same time to avoid waste.

 

[SONICJK]

For a standard rattle can (not epoxy) the dry time to recoat is short, usually 20 minutes to an hour.
I usually let my color dry overnight to a few days before wet sanding and then clear.
The clear I try to leave alone for a week or so to let it fully offgas and cure.
Most of this is subjective though as it all depends on how thick you are laying your color, what type of paint you are using, etc.

Best advice on that is read the can and when in doubt wait longer than recommended.
The rattle can bling thread is a goldmine for rattle can painting technique.

I followed it pretty closely when I did my 350 years ago

 

[RyanJ]

I'm with Sonic on this one. I followed the instructions on the cans pretty closely and the evidence is in the final product. No sitting in the sun for a month or any other voodoo. Like I said, I sanded and buffed mine the next day and it looks great and has stood up to a few fuel spills without any issue. It's pretty straightforward and, to me, was one of the more rewarding parts of the project.

Also, Sonic, that blue is a wicked colour.

 

[verboten1]

I know I'm late to the game, but I have successfully used spray polyurethane over rustoleum and it's fuel resistant!

 

[Ribo]

I'm with Sonic on this one. I followed the instructions on the cans pretty closely and the evidence is in the final product. No sitting in the sun for a month or any other voodoo. Like I said, I sanded and buffed mine the next day and it looks great and has stood up to a few fuel spills without any issue. It's pretty straightforward and, to me, was one of the more rewarding parts of the project.

Also, Sonic, that blue is a wicked colour.

What did you use for the wet sand before clear and after clear - 1500 grit?

 

[RyanJ]

I didn't sand the colour coat, I read conflicting advice on whether or not this was a necessary step so I just sprayed the clear over the unsanded colour. I then wet sanded with 1500 and buffed with some Meguire's (Mirror Glaze perhaps? can't recall the exact polish) with a foam 3M pad on an orbital buffer.

 

[Ribo]

I'm having a hard time avoiding the orange peel here. Could be just due to the weather as it's in the 80's but high humidity right now. I've tried real hard to lay it down as I keep reading about - read a ton, and it's looking better after another wet sand but what do you guys think? How many coats / wet sanding did you do and any tips on avoiding the orange peel.

I'm assuming the colour needs to be as good as possible as the clear will just highlight these things more right?

 

[focusinprogress]

the clear will hide the unavoidable light orange peel your getting.....a lot of that orange peel has to do with how terrible of a job a rattle can tip atomizes the paint particles.....they don't separate enough to lay flat. REAL catalyzed clear coat will end up being a very thick protective layer that is UV and fuel resistant, and will give you plenty of room to wetsand 1500+ grit and buff to a beautiful flat and shiny finish.

 

[Parkwood60]

I never meant to imply that regular spray can clear was as good as 2K stuff, but the OP said himself this was a practice tank. So why bother with the precautions and expense of spraying 2K? You can learn to spray out of a rattle can just as well with normal paints.

Something no one mentioned, I don't think, is the actual spraying. Get yourself the snap on trigger handle for the can and you'll have much better control of the can, and the spray.

I find I get the most orange peel when I'm not laying it on thick enough. You get the smoothest finish when you spray almost enough paint to make it run, but not quite.

 

[Ribo]

I never meant to imply that regular spray can clear was as good as 2K stuff, but the OP said himself this was a practice tank. So why bother with the precautions and expense of spraying 2K? You can learn to spray out of a rattle can just as well with normal paints.

Something no one mentioned, I don't think, is the actual spraying. Get yourself the snap on trigger handle for the can and you'll have much better control of the can, and the spray.

I find I get the most orange peel when I'm not laying it on thick enough. You get the smoothest finish when you spray almost enough paint to make it run, but not quite.

Well, what I said was it's not the final tank I was planning on for the build but I still want it to look as well as it can. I might change my mind if it turns out well. Thanks for all the help guys - I really appreaciate all your comments... I got the 2K today and I'm shooting for the weekend to do this --- weather permitting.

 

[Scratcher09]

When I repainted my Ninja 500, I used rustoleum oil based primer+paint+clear. It held up to gas and other liquids quite well. What really determined the final finish was how much elbow grease put into it. I spent hours and hours wet sanding and reapplying paint and clear to the final coat. It turned out pretty damn good for a home job.

99% of paint is the prep and elbow grease. Doesn't really matter the clear coat you use, just make sure to match the paint and clear paint types.

It DEFINITELY matters which clear coat you use. Rustoleum or any other non catalyzed clear will not be solvent proof. It also will not be even close to being as scratch or chip resistant as a 2K clear. If you put the proper amount of prep into this job it does not make sense to clear it with anything other than a 2K clear.

After base coat, wet sand lightly with 800 and degrease. Then make sure your first coat of 2K clear is a tack coat (light, even mist). Follow proper flash times between coats. Second coat is a medium coat, and final coatis a wet coat. The first mist coat will minimize the chances of the base coat reacting badly with the clear.

I want your paint job to look good today, tomorrow and 10 years from now. Shooting a 2K in a spray can is not much more work than a regular rattle can. The biggest difference is in the durability.

 

[Ribo]

Ok - so I'm probably a little way out from clear now. Decided to do some stripes and lettering so it's going to be another week before clear.

Now, here's a question. To me the green turned out fine, not perfect, and there are some underlying issues with the tank that still show through but these are on the under edge and as mentioned this is not the perfect tank for the bike to begin with.

Anyway, I would really like the color to be a little darker so I was thinking about spraying it with of all things Duplicolor wheel matte clear... now I might just be completely bonkers here but I'm thinking this should darken the green however I don't know if I can then spray 2K over this and still get a gloss without a bad chemical reaction or the creation of a gravitational singularity...

 

[Scratcher09]

The matte clear will not darken any color at all.

 

[Ribo]

ok - it was just a wild idea after 3 beers - usually this is a 5% hit on brilliance.. with the rest either dumb or dangerous.

So is there anything i can use?

 

[Scratcher09]

The easiest thing you can do to darken it is shoot a darker color. To ensure adhesion, you can wet sand with 600 or 800 just to scuff it up and then shoot a darker color.

 

[Ribo]

Decided I actually like the color... hopefully it will have more depth to it when done... now just trying to work out what I want to do with these decals... what do you think?

I'm thinking of a black stripe either end of the big yamaha on the top so basically from top to bottom with a pin stripe on either side sort of boxing it is:

--------------------------------------------
||||||||||||| O YAMAHA ||||||||||||||||||
--------------------------------------------

Sorry for the crappy cell-phone photo, my son dropped my other camera in the toilet.

 

[focusinprogress]

The only thing I'll add here, is since you're fidling with it before clearing it, you're going to have to wetsand it prior to clear for it to adhere properly as you're way out of the re-coat window now. So, I would decide what to do with the decals.....but don't stick them on yet....scuff the whole thing, lay your decals....THEN clear it.

 

[Scratcher09]

...and wipe down with wax and grease remover after scuffing .

 

[mathil]

The 2k should come with a schedule for you to follow. How heavy to put the first coat on, how long to wait for 2nd coat, when to recoat, etc. It will probably also list how soon you can handle a piece. FULL cure will take a week or so, depending on temp and humidity. Before full cure you can monkey around with the tank, but the clear will be softer and less chemical resistant.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Scratcher09]

The tech sheet (instructions) that come with 2k clears are assuming you used an automotive urethane base coat. When you are using a rattle can or have graphics it is safer to start off with a tack coat that will minimize the possibility of the base coat reacting with the solvent in the clear. Most 2k clears should be handled carefully within the first 24 hrs because they will still be soft. Full cure takes about a month and you should not wax the finish until fully cured.