Painting the brick

[The Mighty Gryphon]

1:1 is good if that's what the supplier specs.

120 gallon tank is great!  that should have more than enough capacity.

Leave the compressor regulator set for 95psi.  Set the pressure on the regulator at the input to the gun to 2.6bar.  I don't understand the pressure regulator on the gun itself.  None of the guns I've used in the past had one.

"I think I need to leave more time between coats as well, I did the three today as almost one constant coat starting on one side covering the part giving it a quick look then doing it again.  I will leave more 10 minutes between tomorrow."

That is you problem.  The tech sheet says 15-20 minutes between coats to flash off.  10 minutes is too soon.  Because of the humidity, you need to go closer to 20 minutes.

If you're worried about paint drying in the gun, I would do this:  Get a gallon jug of lacquer thinner and an empty gallon jug.  As soon as you finish painting, dump the cup back into the paint can.  Pour about 125ml of the lacquer thinner in the paint cup and slosh it around a bit. 

With the air disconnected, pull the trigger and let the thinner run out the nozzle into the empty jug.  When it all runs through, connect the air and put a 125ml in the cup and spray it through.  Catch some of it on a rag, and use the rag to wipe off the surface of the gun.  When the cup is empty wipe the inside of the cup and set the gun aside for the next coat.

When you fill the gun for the next coat, a couple seconds of spray will flush out any of the remaining thinner before you go for the part.

I can't overemphasize how important flash time is to getting a good paint job.

[Filmcamera]

After a couple more failed attempts I am beginning to get the hang of it














Tomorrow I am going to have a go at painting the tank - wish me luck!

[volador]

Looks bad arse

paint scheme is black fairing and chrome bellypan?

[Filmcamera]

Thanks, belly pan is black as well just shiny!

[The Mighty Gryphon]

If it was rocket surgery, for sure I couldn't do it.  Looks like you have it figured out.

Interesting to hear what you're doing.

[Filmcamera]

Pretty much what you suggested I do. 


Less paint per coat, worrying less about getting too much coverage with the colour and putting the clear coat on after 10 minutes drying time for the colour. 


I was always a bit tentative before so I tried to be more decisive and positive with the painting motion etc. 


I have a few its of garbage dropped on the clearcoat and a couple of minor runs but nothing I cannot fix.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Nice job!  That sucker is gonna look GOOD!

[herseyb]

Looking great, let me know when to send you my upper fairing!

[Filmcamera]

I did a couple more parts yesterday and one tragkorp cover and one mirror housing reacted badly to the paint.  I assume there was some rattle can in their previous lives or something.  Anyway that meant I had to sand back the paint I had put on, get some primer, spray that and then repaint.  I decided if I was going to prime something I might as well go ahead and do the tank as well. So that is what I did today.  Tomorrow I will sand back the primer and hopefully paint the last pieces of body work.  Then it is just a matter of waiting a couple of days for the clear coat to harden then I can sand and buff everything to what will hopefully be a mirror finish!

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Did you prime the mirror?  It almost looks like you put a heavy coat of base on Rustoleum enamel without allowing enough time to flash off.  Mirrors take a lot of abuse, and I wouldn't be surprised if a previous owner fixed it with some rattle can paint from the hardware store.

Wet sand it down with 220, prime and try again.  Other than that, your work is looking pretty good.

[Filmcamera]

Well after much sanding and polishing and a few more false starts it is finished





It looks great from five feet, not so much from 12 inches but overall for my first attempt at painting I am pleased.

[Laitch]

. . . overall for my first attempt at painting I am pleased.

This is what it looked like 1376 posts earlier. You should be pleased.

[Filmcamera]

Thank you Laitch, one of the most rewarding things is that prior to getting the brick my wrenching experience consisted entirely of being able to change a car tyre and check the oil...


I have really enjoyed the process of learning to work on the bike and the ability to do so has given me the confidence to work on my own cars and my other bike as well.

A huge thanks to Motobrick and all the people on it for that!

Now to get some miles on my amazing 30 year old machine...

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Nice job!  Just remember that a paint job is the process of protecting a surface from the elements while exposing it to criticism.

[Filmcamera]

I plan to ride as fast as possible and stop as little as possible to avoid people so I do not have to deal with too much close inspection.


I call it social distancing - I doubt it will catch on though  - oh wait...

[The Mighty Gryphon]

 

More fun that agonizing over a paint job!

[jjefferies]

Couple of questions that I might have missed in the previous posts:
1. You are using a clear coat as the final? You mentioned it but as though it were an option.
2. Are you using a hardner in addition to the reducer? Specifically in the clear coat assuming you did use a clear coat.

[Filmcamera]

Yes I did use a clear coat on top of the basecoat. I use standard hardener and some thinnner in a ratio of 4:1:1 ie 4 parts clear and one each of thinner and hardener.


I was pretty worried about spraying the clear but actually it was not too bad.  I also discovered that if a grinder make you look like the welder you are not then wet sanding and polishing makes you look like the painter you are not!  I was able to completely remove most traces of runs or orange peel.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

wet sanding and polishing makes you look like the painter you are not!  I was able to completely remove most traces of runs or orange peel.

Hey, don't let the cat out of the bag.

[jjefferies]

Yes I did use a clear coat on top of the basecoat. I use standard hardener and some thinnner in a ratio of 4:1:1 ie 4 parts clear and one each of thinner and hardener.

Just checking, In my locale, California, the use of hardner's is apparently no longer allowed. And I was wondering how others are dealing with this. I usually shoot outside and have a homemade but fairly effective positive air feed system to keep me away from the fumes. From your post I'm assuming the hardner is used only in the final, i.e. clear coat. Do others have this issue with not being able to use a hardner and how do they compensate/handle it?

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Just checking, In my locale, California, the use of hardner's is apparently no longer allowed. And I was wondering how others are dealing with this. I usually shoot outside and have a homemade but fairly effective positive air feed system to keep me away from the fumes. From your post I'm assuming the hardner is used only in the final, i.e. clear coat. Do others have this issue with not being able to use a hardner and how do they compensate/handle it?

I've been using this clear on my bikes.  Works well and saves having to clean the gun after small jobs like bike parts.  Even though it's 2K it looks like they ship to California.  Not being a polyurethane clear, the hardener doesn't appear to create serious levels of cyanide.

So glad I don't live there, according to Prop 65 everything causes cancer in California.  Seems like a dangerous place to live.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SprayMax-3680061-2K-Glamour-High-Gloss-Clear-Coat-11-8-oz-1-Case-6-Cans/362071612205