Stock paint has crooked emblem, clear coating over it, what to do?

[oldGSfan]

Well, after my Norton tangent, I had to wait for good weather and also correct the base coat here and there, and fix one tank dent (2nd tank) that I missed. I'm still not 100% there on the 2nd, but I got the first set clear-coated with the decals on, plus one extra front fender. The other stuff is very close, but will have to wait. I laid down one thin adhesion coat and two wet coats, quite thick/heavy. Works for me, gotta give it dry time and wet sand, polish etc.

[chuck hahn]

Overcast is fine long as it doesnt throw any random sprinkles.. hire that girl in the cartoon..lol

[oldGSfan]

Yes on time and temps. I paint in the early morning or in the shade if possible. You dont want parts hot from direct sunlight. They flash super fast and its bad.

Yeah I was hustling doing prep and the top of the tank got too warm as the sun broke through. The clear on the top of the tank is the main area that got bumpy, the other stuff's pretty good.

The weather has been in a pattern of overcast till about 10:30 AM, providing shade. I started about an hour earlier on the set yesterday vs Thursday's.

[oldGSfan]

That second set looks better. It does take time to learn your gun and how it lays down what specific paint you are using. And speaking of paint, have you ever tried that Nason black you took home from my place? That stuff flows out so good, and doesn't like to run either.

No, I still have it - I do plan to use it. I should have used it on my Norton's frame but events and equipment conspired against me. Now I have a nice quiet compressor with filtration, a good gun and all the cups, filters, and reasonable know-how. Since I now will have an extra full set of nice GS1100E bodywork (actually 2 extras, as there's another in the attic off an 82, hmmm) I may be on the lookout for a third bike to throw them on and sell for fun and profit.

[chuck hahn]

Here ya go Tom........

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[Nessism]

That second set looks better. It does take time to learn your gun and how it lays down what specific paint you are using. And speaking of paint, have you ever tried that Nason black you took home from my place? That stuff flows out so good, and doesn't like to run either.

[chuck hahn]

Yes on time and temps. I paint in the early morning or in the shade if possible. You dont want parts hot from direct sunlight. They flash super fast and its bad.

[oldGSfan]

Looks like the clear went on too "dry". Too much orange peel. Finding the balance between low orange peel, and runs, can be a fine line.

What I do is spray the first layer of clear on fairly dry, and then follow up with two full "medium" heavy coats. Again, watch so you don't get (too many) runs, but a random run can be sanded out just as orange peel can.

When sanding, I use a gray scotchbrite. Be very careful that you don't sand through the clear, and hit the base. That will show during the next layers. You would be better off to leave a little orange peel, then cover it with the final clear layers. Where is Larry...?

Yes the first set not so great but fixable. I figured it out on 2nd set which came out much better. I used 'slow' hardener but the sun had come out. 2nd set the temp was right and it flowed well. Getting the hang of it.

[Nessism]

Looks like the clear went on too "dry". Too much orange peel. Finding the balance between low orange peel, and runs, can be a fine line.

What I do is spray the first layer of clear on fairly dry, and then follow up with two full "medium" heavy coats. Again, watch so you don't get (too many) runs, but a random run can be sanded out just as orange peel can.

When sanding, I use a gray scotchbrite. Be very careful that you don't sand through the clear, and hit the base. That will show during the next layers. You would be better off to leave a little orange peel, then cover it with the final clear layers. Where is Larry...?

[Rob S.]

Took a great ride on my Norton this evening, it's so much fun. The local biker hangout is lame but that's what we have. Not motorcycle people, mainly paint, tattoos, chrome and doo-dads to ogle. Nobody knows what a Norton is. 30K bikes that get taken out posing on the weekends. I guess I'm posing too so I shouldn't be so snarky, but jeez. I remember when people on motorcycles knew motorcycles!

Can you do me a favor? Ask the owners of those bikes near your Norton how they keep the sand out of their va j j's when they're riding. I'd be interested to know.

[oldGSfan]

Eh, the booth was a pain, at least it wasn't expensive. Too crowded and hard to see in there. Thankfully, the mornings have been cool, and at 10:30 the sun comes through a bit, just right with no wind. So I painted outside. Lesson learned.

I did the 2nd-best set, base, and clear this morning. It's all fine, the top of the tank is a bit bumpy, but as I have to wet-sand the clear for the decals on the sides, I'll do a bit of extra work on the top. Hard to spray downward. It's two good layers of clear, so there's plenty there to work with. Tomorrow I'll do the better set. The only issue with this first set is that there's a so-so line on the forward bottom (you can see it in the pic). I knew I couldn't get it perfect, but as it sits on the bike, it won't be an issue I'll worry about. I probably won't be able to do the decals and final two coats of clear, then wet sand and polish till mid-July, as I'll be out of town.

Took a great ride on my Norton this evening, it's so much fun. The local biker hangout is lame but that's what we have. Not motorcycle people, mainly paint, tattoos, chrome and doo-dads to ogle. Nobody knows what a Norton is. 30K bikes that get taken out posing on the weekends. I guess I'm posing too so I shouldn't be so snarky, but jeez. I remember when people on motorcycles knew motorcycles! Got my goofy mug in the mirror...

[oldGSfan]

So Calif is a great place to paint outdoors. Of course, there are bugs, but they are minimal. I painted my KZ outside on the patio. Wet down the concrete to avoid dust and paint staining the concrete. Didn't want the area closed off too much, so the fumes would dissipate easily. In the end, I had minimal debris in the paint. Same thing for painting bike frames, totally exposed in the back yard.

Mind you, I used paint with isocyanates in them. Not good to breathe, even with a charcoal mask. I made sure to stay out of fume clouds. Sort of hold my breath, spray, and back off. Easy to do with motorcycle or bicycle parts.

I have had mostly good luck w/o a booth, such as using an EZ-up frame or hanging parts from the outside rail of that big awning. But my place always seems windy, and I have had gnats or flies land on the paint. I can't take the risk this time. I stand upwind and hold breath etc. like you do.

[chuck hahn]

Never thought about wetting the floor. Thats an awesome tip Ed.

[Nessism]

So Calif is a great place to paint outdoors. Of course, there are bugs, but they are minimal. I painted my KZ outside on the patio. Wet down the concrete to avoid dust and paint staining the concrete. Didn't want the area closed off too much, so the fumes would dissipate easily. In the end, I had minimal debris in the paint. Same thing for painting bike frames, totally exposed in the back yard.

Mind you, I used paint with isocyanates in them. Not good to breathe, even with a charcoal mask. I made sure to stay out of fume clouds. Sort of hold my breath, spray, and back off. Easy to do with motorcycle or bicycle parts.

P1010808 by nessism, on Flickr

20190331_153412[1] by nessism, on Flickr

[chuck hahn]

Remember to mix the paint really well to get all the metal flake from the bottom of the can.