Tank restoration/finishing

[Nessism]

Electrolysis works great for rust inside the tank, it can make them look brand new again.

Doing one now, it will be perfect in a few days.

Tank coating is not needed unless you are in a very humid area and the bike sits a lot.

Redoing a tank does take time and effort, it's good work.

Hey Tom,

Post some feedback of what the tank looks like after the electrolysis. My understanding is that there will be darking of the metal where the rust was. I "think" the tank should then be coated or the rust will quickly return. I may be wrong on this though so please let us know how your tank turns out.

[reddirtrider]

What do you want, perfect paint cheap or pride in ownership?

Why would they be mutually exclusive?

[reddirtrider]

I think both points are valid. I hate paying people to do things I can do myself, but I also don't really like when you can tell a paint job was done at home. If I didn't have access to a good sprayer, paint room, and buffer I wouldn't even consider it.

Do any of you guys have experience with vinyl or decal pinstriping? Is it a challenge to make it look right, and also does it need to have a clear coat applied over it?

Thanks.

Yes, you should clear before the decals, then sand, apply decals, then clear again.

I'll add here that some manyfacturers recommend that you wait 1 day after applying the decals before you clear over them. ReproductionDecals also states you should wait 5 days (I believe that's correct) after painting before you apply the decals. Hence, the requirement for a clear coat before the decals (even though I'd do it anyway).

[tkent02]

Unless you are going for the absolutely stock original paint job look.
They did not clear over the decals.

[tkent02]

Hey Tom,

Post some feedback of what the tank looks like after the electrolysis. My understanding is that there will be darking of the metal where the rust was. I "think" the tank should then be coated or the rust will quickly return. I may be wrong on this though so please let us know how your tank turns out.

I think that dark stuff prevents rust, it's not like acid that makes it want to rust again instantly. It comes out easily enough.

[TheCafeKid]

Unless you are going for the absolutely stock original paint job look.
They did not clear over the decals.

On the OLDER bikes, they didnt clear over the decals, But, my 80 1000GT (stock paint) is cleared over, my 1100ES is cleared over, and my 82 1100G was cleared over as well. My 77 750B is not..

[gsgeezer]

somebody told me to bring it to a radiator shop and that they could help. For 85 dollars they boiled the tank, treated the rust, and put two layers of red kote.

I use a rad shop in Reading, PA. First thing I do with an old bike tank, whether I plan to keep the bike or not....

[4x4fab.com]

I chose to cut the bottom out of mine, clean the rust, and hammer the dents out from the inside. I am glad I did it this way, because my tank although very clean on the inside did have one bad rust area that was really thin. I cut the metal out and welded in some new.
I'm not trying to use this site for advertising, but I could do the work for you, if you don't have the capabilities. If you do, do it yourself, it's that much more "your" bike when your done. You can see how I did my tank here, http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...d.php?t=147423


I have also stripped tanks with HCL (hydrocloric acid). Of course I did this under a fume hood, and I had a way to properly dispose of the waste acid. "IF" you have a way to safely use HCL, you probably have access to HCL. IF not, you can use Muratic acid which is just a water and HCL concentrate. I am pretty sure you can get Muratic acid at any pool supply store. I believe it is used to treat swiming pools.
Once you acid wash a tank, it will be prone to rusting. Be sure to use some sort of rust inhibitor. Rust will begin to set up quickly...

[Joe Garfield]

Ok, I've decided I'm going to get one of those pop-a-dent kits or something similar to fix the dent, and use the chemical etching-cleaner-liner kit for the interior rust. There are good and bad reviews with the dent kit, however all of the ones by bike owners are positive, and I don't need 100% of the dent fixed since I'm filling and painting anyway. A trusted friend has used the chemmie tank treatment and says to go that route, and it's available locally.

I went to the local paint shop and there were more options than I knew what to do with. I was told there is a mediocre, one-step paint for $35/qt and it goes up from there. Of course he (and you) suggest a two-step paint with a clear coat.

Can you guys give me an idea of what I'm going to need and what the steps are? I've already got the sandable primer, just not sure about paint, base coat, hardener, clear coat and what gets mixed and how. Also I imagine there must be some kind of cleaner or technique to keeping things clean while painting...

This is going to be fun. I went back to school for mechanical engineering since I like to fix and build things, however what we do in class is pretty far from getting our hands dirty. I'm seriously dying for a good project to work on. I also figure what better place to learn to paint than on a $750, 27 year old first bike?!

[nvr2old]

Hey, Joe...I've read your thread and I can tell you, as a painter, that learning the techniques is a fun thing to know, but be warned, it can be very frustrating, too. Most people jump in with lots of enthusiasm, but soon learn that's there a lot more involved than first thought, especially if you've never done it before. Stripping the pieces, prepping them (which is the key) and then following through to the end is a long (and sometimes way more expensive) process. Where most people also have trouble is when things go wrong, and I assure you, things can go very wrong, quickly, even for veterans. Diagnosing what the problem is and then knowing how to fix it is critical. That's where the competence of pros come in. I'm really not trying to scare you away from doing it yourself, just trying to forewarn you. If you want to do your bike as a learning experience, then by all means go for it. But if you're looking to have a nice job, done correctly right off the bat, then you might consider the $300 offer. That's a great price.

[4x4fab.com]

As for the dents....If you know anyone with a stud welder, you can easily pull dents out that way with a slide hammer. Even if you just have a mig or tig welder, you can tack a couple small bolts or anything to the dent, pull the dent out, cut the bolts off, grind smooth, fill with bondo.

[Joe Garfield]

This is plan B. Pops-a-dent did nothing.

As for the dents....If you know anyone with a stud welder, you can easily pull dents out that way with a slide hammer. Even if you just have a mig or tig welder, you can tack a couple small bolts or anything to the dent, pull the dent out, cut the bolts off, grind smooth, fill with bondo.