Paint help

[Rickrod3]

Deceided to paint he tank.
Using rattle can duplicor Auto spray which is a lacquer system.
I got a few runs on the top clear coat.
whats the best way to handle this?


Tia
Rick

[T99Ford]

No big deal

Get some razor blades like the kind used for razor scrapers. Tape both ends of the blade with masking tape, which will keep the end corners of the blade from cutting into the surface around the run. Leave about 1/4 to 3/8 gap of exposed blade in the center of the blade. After the paint has fully cured (a couple days) scrape the run down with the blade. Check the masking tape and make sure that it does not wear through. Replace the tape as necessary. Go slow and careful, and you will cut the whole run down.
Once you have scraped the run flat with the surrounding surfaces, wet sand the repair area starting with 1000 or 1500 grit paper, and working to 2K paper. Then buff with gradually coarser rubbing compunds. Finish with swirl remover, and wax. You should probably be doing the last wet sand and buff anyway, so you are really not all that far behind.

[Rickrod3]

Thanks Ford

I was afraid to wetsand the clear coat.
feel much better know.

[Rickrod3]

Nothing to lose

It was my first time painting a tank but I felt like I had nothing to lose as this is what the tank looked like.
http://s910.photobucket.com/albums/a...DSCF2644-1.jpg

This is the paint job now.
http://s910.photobucket.com/albums/a...t=DSCF2834.jpg

The Rust was on both sides as well as the front where the seat comes in contact and the tank had a few deep scratches on the top.

Rick

[T99Ford]

Clear is actually pretty forgiving. You just have to make sure it is cured, so that you don't embed dirt in it, and finish the buffing with pretty fine stuff so that you don't see the scratches.
As a side note, all the show finishes are buffed anyway, to get rid of the real light "orange peel" texture that paint will take as it dries. (Not to be confused with the normal orange peel that most people associate with shooting too dry). Buffing is normal

[T99Ford]

From 800 miles away, it looks pretty good! J/K, it didn't turn out too bad at all. Give it a buff and it will be just fine.

Just curious, why did you use spray bombs?

[Rickrod3]

From 800 miles away, it looks pretty good! J/K, it didn't turn out too bad at all. Give it a buff and it will be just fine.

Just curious, why did you use spray bombs?

By spray bombs I assume you mean spray cans. Its the only thing I had available as I do not have a compressor.

I only started out trying to remove the rust and ended up painting the whole tank.
I wasn't really planning to paint the tank yet but I'm kinda glad I did.
I had a little orange peel from going too dry.
The clear coat kinda fixed it.
I got mesmerized by the gloss and it started to run.
Always interested to try something new hopefully I'll develop a skill that will add to the enjoyment of working on these bikes.

Rick

[Larrym]

Running Like the Devil and Liking It.

Rickrod3,

I consider Runs, Drips, and Sags as a good thing. It's a sign that you actually applied enough finish to do some good/lasting protection. That's a departure from the standard approach people take.

Applying the spray in light coats to avoid runs is a good concept/practice. But if one follows up in between applications with mechanical abrasion (sanding) to get a good "tooth" for the next coat then IMO it's sorta self-defeating. Each time you "sand lightly" it removes material. The finish may be dry to the touch at the surface but underneath it's still soft/uncured so more material than one would expect is removed. ( Also has a tendency to gum up the sandpaper and further add to difficulty...) The goal of the process is to apply a finish so removing half of an already thin coat seems counter-productive. IMO this practice adds a lot of unnecessary time/labor to the project, results in a thinner finish than required, and makes the sandpaper/paint manufacturers RICH.

My standard practice doesn't play into these flaws. I start out like everyone else by doing a good prep. Then I place the object to be painted under a heat source: Sun or heat lamp. I paint it while it's still hot with the usual thin coats then place it back under the heat source. This expedites the evaporation of the finish solvents. Then I keep repeating this application process. No sanding required because each subsequent coat establishes a chemical bond to the underlying coat. (The chemical bond is superior to the mechanical bond gained by sanding/abrasion.)

In the end I achieve a thick finish with the solvents evaporated, the surface dry to the touch, and the curing process proceeds normally. It's at this time I address any runs exactly as Ford describes: with a blade or sharp scraper. I do wait for the paint to cure completely and harden before I go about the task of washing/sanding/buffing or especially waxing.

My school of thought is that one should get a good build-up of finish before doing any knock-downs at all. I also see the paint-sand-paint-sand-paint cycle as one of the major reasons people bail altogether on solvent based finishes and choose the two-part "activated" (expensive) types. I mean they follow all the directions yet still end up with less than acceptable results. There's a time to comply with the rules and a time to throw them out the window. Of course this attitude may be too "old-school" for some folks.

This info may be too late to help on your tank but if you do any more items then I'd suggest giving it a try.

[Rev.Rick]

Two things I'd like to add to what you've already been told. First when I wet sand I like to add a little dish soap to the water for added lubrication. Second it's always a good idea to use a sanding block when wet sanding. if you use just your hand with out a block it has tendencies to sand unevenly. Most any place that sells any kind of paint and body stuff will have blocks or you can make one. I've done lots of paint and body work and what i like to use on any contoured surface is a foam block.
Also I know you didn't ask, but be very careful when fueling up that you don't spill any gas on your paint. If you do remove it as quick as possible. Paint that doesn't have hardeners in it doesn't stand up well to chemicals. Since you don't have a compressor. You might want to try a two part clearcoat called SprayMax 2X. It has a separate canister with hardener built into the spray can. You don't activate the hardener until your ready to spray. It stands up much better to gas and chemicals than paints without hardeners. It's a little pricey but is worth it.

[1st bike]

hey rev....does that 2 part deal come in a matte finish? i have been looking for a good, hard, clear coat for my tank and side covers, but i don't want shiny. any suggestions out there? where can i find such a beast. i too, do not have a compressor, so i am going with the can...but my friend does have a compressor and a sprayer, so if my only choice is that, i can make it happen.

[DGXSER]

For agas tank I will second the use of a gas resistant top coat. I spent hours sanding and painting on my project bike gas tank, had it looking very good. Then found I needed to clean the tank. Between gas and acetone, I am back to sanding and repainting the tank!!

[rpgoerlich]

I painted an XJ650 Turbo's fairings a year and a half ago. Used Duplicolor Metal Specks Ocean Blue and the SprayMax 2k clear coat. Came out real nice. I ordered the Spraymax 2k through a PPG paint supplier at a cost of $18/can. 2 coats on all the panels, I used 2 cans.

[crazy steve]

hey rev....does that 2 part deal come in a matte finish? i have been looking for a good, hard, clear coat for my tank and side covers, but i don't want shiny. any suggestions out there? where can i find such a beast. i too, do not have a compressor, so i am going with the can...but my friend does have a compressor and a sprayer, so if my only choice is that, i can make it happen.

I've never seen a 'matte' clear, but if you go with a base/clear system and skip the clear you'll have a matte finish.

'78E original owner

[fredintoon]

Deceided to paint he tank.
Using rattle can duplicor Auto spray which is a lacquer system.
I got a few runs on the top clear coat.
whats the best way to handle this? - - - -

Hi Rick,
me? I'd step back a yard or so, squint, then say "it's perfect"
There is a way to use a hopefully more gas-proof 2-part paint without having an air compressor.
(How can you survive without an air compressor anyway?)
That's to get one of these:-
http://www.preval.com/
I have never used one but I've seen them in local paint stores at less than $30.

[Rev.Rick]

Ist bike, I don't know of a mat finish clearcoat. I know that SprayMax doesn't offer it. You might try using an apperatus like Fred suggested and just use a base coat and add hardener to it. One thing to keep in mind with any rattle can paint or set up like what Fred suggested is that they don't deliver uniform air pressure. They start out good, but the more you spray the less pressure is available. The thing with these is that once you add the hardener you don't have a long pot life, so try to do it right the first time (as if you wouldn't). I don't know what others that have used SprayMax found out, but the pot life advertised one the can is actually somewhat longer than what I experienced. so make sure all that you want to spray is ready before you mix the componants.