Mystery paint problem! Help needed!

[nicholascott]

Hello everyone,

I repainted my 80 GS450L a few days back. The paint turned out great. I put a few layers of clearcoat on it and let it sit for a few days. After it sat I did the final sanding using 1800 grit sandpaper. The paintjob turned out great. It was as smoothe as silk. No bumps at all. When I tried to shine it with the rubbing compund and wax I never got that high gloss look that everybody talks about. And when I filled the tank with gas some spilled on the tank. Causing an instant white streak following the fuel. I can however get the white streaks to go away by using rubbing compound. I don't know it it's the wax that I used or if I screwed up somewhere along the way. I have done a few paintjobs and never had this problem. Why am I not getting that showroom shine? And just what is that white streak left behind after the fuel. This forum has helped me many times in the past. So, I know someone out there has the answer. Sorry for the long read!

 

[tkent02]

What clear did you use???

What clear did you use???

Did you let it cure a while before rubbing it out?

I had the same thing happen a few months ago, just wet sanded a bit and sprayed some different clear coat.

Duplicolor Clear Engine Enamel Ceramic, #DE1636

I saw this paint on this GSR someone said it was supposed to be fuel resistant, it also says so on the can.

I am curing the paint over a heater tonight, may wet sand and polish it up tomorrow, or maybe I should wait a bit longer.



I'll post my results when it's done.
It seems very shiny tonight, the new clearcoat didn't eat the old Krylon from a few months ago.

 

[jonesti]

That stinks, sorry bout that nicholascott. It sounds like you may have put to many layers of clear on top of one another. When you colorsanded it broke through the cured toplayerbut the bottom coats were still gassing out. I bet if you would have waited a day or so after sanding it would have allowed some time "cure" and get hard enough to polish. Also you don't want to wax a fresh paint job. Some "waxes" contian silicone and can trap the solvents trying to gas out causing the haze you described. Only use polish. Were you using a spray can or an automotive uro using a gun?
Here's an awsome forum that many of the top painters in the country are on.
http://www.kustomkulturelounge.com/forum/index.php

 

[nicholascott]

I used all spray cans. Krylon brand. Is there anyway to get that shine back. And stop that white streaking. The paint looks great. Or am I just going to have to redo the clearcoat? Or, if there is another way? Could I just wet sand it again? It has now sat for about 2 weeks. What a mess. Oh well, It's a new year. Might as well start it right and make the bike look nice and shiny.

 

[t3rmin]

The white streaking is the gas eating your paint. Take tkent's advice and use something with gas resistance (I've also heard Rustoleum is fairly gas resistant -- we'll see, I'm painting with it right now). Bottom line, though, is that rattle-can paint will never have the gas resistance of pro two-part paint, so you've just gotta keep the gas off it. I plan to carry around a rag so when I fill up my drips will fall on the rag, not the paint.

 

[nicholascott]

Hey everyone,

Thanks for all the responses that I have received so far. I am taking this all to heart and will put on another clearcoat. A stronger clearcoat that is fuel resistant. If anyone has anything else to share. or, tips for me, then keep em comin'.

 

[tkent02]

When I used that duplicolor over old Krylon...

When I used that duplicolor over old Krylon...

I tested it on fresh Krylon on a test piece, the solvent in the new clear coat ate into the Krylon, that is it made it wet again. If you touched it the paint would come off, but if you didn't touch it then the Krylon stayed on just fine. So I was careful to start with a thin coat that would dry fast. It didn't damage the old dried Krylon at all. My paint had been drying since last spring, your paint may not hold up as well since it's fresher.

Good luck.

 

[KEITH KRAUSE]

I've heard typical "spray can" paints need about 45 days to fully cure. No waxing until cured either.
Not sure about the shine your paint/clearcoat choice gives, but I think the gas streak is because the cure time was too short.
My son just got his truck back from the painters and they told him not to wax it for 6 weeks.

 

[duaneage]

I got burned twice by gasoline getting on my honda's paint job. I painted it the last time in october and waited until last week to test it. Eventually it's gasoline resistant but it does take several weeks to get there. BTW I actually submerged parts painted with engine clear coat acrylic lacquer in gasoline overnight and there was no effect. No yellowing or anything. So it does resist gasoline for sure. But it needs to cure, that is the secret.

After you paint a tank you have to be patient. I have two tanks for my 650 and somedayt when I get the maroon one redone I will just use my black tank until the paint cures. You can test it on the mounting tabs to see if it is cured or not and then you'll know.

If you ever fill your tank and then park it the gas will expand and run out. Put a wet towel on the tank to keep it cool and prevent the gasoline from expanding. If you have an inch or so of room it should be OK. I try to avoid filling the tank and then parking the bike right away, I usually get gas on the way to work and then run it 15 miles or so to lower it down.

 

[nicholascott]

Hey everyone,

Thanks for all the great info. Well, I repainted the tank today. The paint looks great. I'm gonna put the clearcoat on tomorrow. I will let it sit for a looong time. I'll post some pics when it's done.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

[speedzter2000]

I LOVE your X-Mas tree!!:-D OH!! And nice paint job as well...
Great hints here as welll..thinking of doing rattle can myself...I'll definately have the 45 days for cure time...
NS, hope it works out great this time...patience :-D Do you have any pics??

 

[duaneage]

Hey everyone,

Thanks for all the great info. Well, I repainted the tank today. The paint looks great. I'm gonna put the clearcoat on tomorrow. I will let it sit for a looong time. I'll post some pics when it's done.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Let the color coat sit for a few days. keep it warm adn in a dry location and let it sit. Then clear coat it.
If thre is one thing I learned this past summer it is to be patient when painting something. The bodyshops use heat lamps and ovens to cure the paint and they know what they are doing so they don't mess it up.

 

[rustybronco]

Well in my opinion you must use a catalyzed (2 part paint) to be fuel resistant, or keep the fuel off the tank. Sorry
ask them here...
http://autobody101.com/forums/
this may help also...
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/bas...-can-paint-my-car-44212.html?highlight=basics

 

[rustybronco]

Hello everyone,

I When I tried to shine it with the rubbing compund and wax I never got that high gloss look that everybody talks about. And when I filled the tank with gas some spilled on the tank. Causing an instant white streak following the fuel.

clear coat was too soft, enamel clear coat?

 

[duaneage]

Well in my opinion you must use a catalyzed (2 part paint) to be fuel resistant, or keep the fuel off the tank. Sorry
ask them here...
http://autobody101.com/forums/
this may help also...
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/bas...-can-paint-my-car-44212.html?highlight=basics

I thought I needed 2 part also until i tested it. The two part probably is fuel resistant a lot quicker than rattle cans but eventually even the rattle can paint resists gas. Dipping the parts convinced me it would resist gas.

 

[prxbadger]

ive painted a few bikes with rattle cans and have always favoured the acrylic 2 part paints, i also buy paint that recommends applying the first coat of lacquer around half an hour after the colour.

not sure why maybe aids adhesion to the lower coats

 

[rustybronco]

I thought I needed 2 part also until i tested it. The two part probably is fuel resistant a lot quicker than rattle cans but eventually even the rattle can paint resists gas. Dipping the parts convinced me it would resist gas.

Duaneage you are correct! it will cure if you bake it or if you give it enough time to cure.

 

[rustybronco]

ive painted a few bikes with rattle cans and have always favoured the acrylic 2 part paints, i also buy paint that recommends applying the first coat of lacquer around half an hour after the colour.

not sure why maybe aids adhesion to the lower coats

There is usually a window that you top coat a base color (not to soon or late) after that you have to sand the base coat or sand and re-apply the base coat before top coating. yes it's for adhesion

 

[t3rmin]

Ok so here's my totally similar sob story which happened just yesterday.

I'm painting my tank and sidecovers with a dark red Rustoleum. I prepped the sidecovers, primed 'em, wetsanded the primer nice and smooth, then put on two quick coats of the red. I had a bit of orange peel and a fuzz or two stuck in there, but apparently I didn't wait long enough to sand it out because it gooed up and was tacky underneath instead of sanding smoothly.

So I figured I had to sand it all off and start over, but since it was still tacky in places, I put it under a heat lamp to cure for a while. Unfortunately, I put the heat lamp much too close and it started to *MELT* the freakin' sidecovers. Now they're all wavy in the middle instead of having a nice smooth contour. So in addition to having to sand off all my hard work in paint and start over, I have to put some bondo on there and try to re-shape them.

The worst thing is these sidecovers were absolutely pristine NOS that I got off eBay for a paltry $20. I was really proud of that find and that price. I had reinforced the posts with wire and epoxy and they were going to last forever in their pristine condition...

What a nightmare!

My new simplified plan is: bondo, sand, primer, wetsand, one good coat of base -- orange peel be darned! I'm not sure if I'll even do a clearcoat. Obviously I'm not meant to have perfection anyway...

 

[rustybronco]

Can you try heating them and reshaping rather than fill and sand? BE CAREFUL.