JRK5892 said:
Beli... man i know i have asked before and hope i dont piss you off... but i am just BLOWN away by the paint... can you give us a step by step for how you got it so.... well so PERFECT!
hey JRK8892, not a problem. first of all, sorry for the late reply. been busy at work and did not spend much time in the garage lately since i've been trying to catch the last few days of good weather for riding.
i know it sounds like a cliche, but i guess prep mattered. i would first sand a part and make it smooth, then wash it with some degreaser. next i would wash it with simple green (had one of those sprayer bottles (old windex) and mix half simple green and half water). i would spray it and use a brush and then hose it. next came the same ritual with dish soap. again, spray it and use the brush. i would hose it again and let it dry. when it was dry, i wiped it with mineral spirits and let it dry. here i was using disposable latex gloves so i would not transfer any grease from my fingers to the part. when mineral spirits dried off, i would do a final wipe with acetone. i tried using clean rags for the last two steps and after all was said and done, the part would be really clean.
for the painting portion of the exercise, i used self-etching primer (duplicolor) for all the applications. i let the can sit in hot water for about 5 minutes and then i would shake it for a while and start spraying. i went with 3 coats for most of the applications, allowing about 5 minutes between coats. then i let the primer dry for at least an hour. sometimes i let it sit for days because i did not have time to paint the final coat, but an hour was actually long enough.
when it came to spraying paint, again, i put a can in hot water and let it warm up. i shot 2-3 coats, depending on how many coats i felt were enough. i allowed about 10 minutes between coats for this. for most pieces that i clear coated, i sprayed clear as if it was another layer of regular paint. i was reading somewhere that this method allows the clear to bond with paint better. now, don't quote me on this, but it turned out good. for some pieces i waited a week before spraying clear, but i cannot tell a difference.
in general, whenever i had to spray on top of paint, i waited at least a week as the can suggested that a week is a curing period for duplicolor engine enamel paint.
the shiniest pieces are the tank and the seat and that is thanks to the 2-part clear that i used. since duplicolor is not resistant to gas, i figured why not get some 2-part clear and shoot it on top. it came out really nice and shine is deep although i sprayed only two coats. one can was enough for the tank, the seat, fuel cap, and carb covers.
paint is holding good for now, although i have not tried whether it is really resistant to gas. i use paper towels at the gas station to avoid any drips on the tank.
btw, forgot to mention that for the tank and the seat i did a lot of wet-sanding. i went up from 1000 grit to 1500 and made sure everything is smooth before shooting a new lyer. whenever i did that, i did not use acetone as paint is not resistant to it. i washed parts and wiped them with mineral spirits.
hope this helps.
chrisf said:
Hi:
Now that you've ridden her a bit, how is the paint holding up--specifically on the rims? I'm getting ready to paint a set myself but want to make sure the paint will hold.
Also, what kind of paint did you use?
--Thanks, Chris
hey chris, i just went to check paint on the rims and i cannot see any chips or cracks in the paint. i will try to take some photos over the weekend and post so you can see.
Canuck Plumber said:
Any chance we could get some vid of it on the road?
let's hope it will be nice enough this weekend so i can take some videos.
the only real problem that i've had so far have been carbs. i had tried everything, but the bike kept dying on me whenever i would pull over. tried fiddling with cables, float heights, pilot screws, ... the way the bike ran suggested that the problem seemed to be with vacuum, but could not figure it out for the love of it. then, i finally noticed that there is a little crack in one of the carb boots. so, i have to get a new boot and take it from there. i guess a new set of points and some decent plugs would not hurt as well. will keep you updated on the progress.
cheers,
goran.
