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Now to Paint.

The black swingarm will look really good on the S, Alluminum swings look good but they look dull after you restore everything else. Unless you polish but the black will look absolutely killer on a Cooley. Can't wait to see it.
 
jwhelan65 said:
The black swingarm will look really good on the S, Alluminum swings look good but they look dull after you restore everything else. Unless you polish but the black will look absolutely killer on a Cooley. Can't wait to see it.
Click to expand...


That swingarm is the stocker. I don't ride hard enough to overload the stock swingarm so no need to switch it out.:oops:
 
oshanac said:
That IS great use of a bicycle stand. That looks awesome! I'm leaning toward PC because of the chip resitance, but the paint look so sharp!
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+2 on the bicycle stand. I did 2 frames in mine, it allows the frame to be rotated as well. Use weights or sandbags on the legs for more stability. I also tied mine to a support from above.
 
duaneage said:
+2 on the bicycle stand. I did 2 frames in mine, it allows the frame to be rotated as well. Use weights or sandbags on the legs for more stability. I also tied mine to a support from above.
Click to expand...

I've painted about a dozen bicycle frames in that stand. It's getting a beautiful patina from all the different colors.:D

The photo below is a frame I built and painted...using that stand.

Picture136.jpg

DSC01479.jpg

Black9.jpg
 
Ed, that is some fine work, I had a Klein rascal from the early 90's that was pink faded to magenta, yeah sounds kinda fruity but I should have never sold it. Had a one piece stem on it that is now almost impossible to find,always wanted to redo it. You do quality stuff ;)

kleinRascal.jpg
 
Nessisim-You built the bike? Wow!-is there a frame kit avail. somewhere, or did you build every tube from scratch? That is awesome:clap:
 
Nessism said:
Honestly Jim, that Hardnose paint has amazing gloss...almost too much for a chassis. I don't see any reason to add any clear. Excess film build just makes it more prone to chipping anyway.

The bike is my 1000S. To prep the chassis I sandblasted using Play Sand from Lowe's; my compressor can't keep up so I focused the blast on the rusted area (there were very few) but mostly just used the blasting to rough up the existing paint. Sealed it all over with a coat of PPG DP Epoxy Primer. After that it was the Hardnose paint.

I also painted some other pieces using POR Chassis Black; a single component paint that is semi gloss. Painted things like the battery box and various brackets and such. It's less hassle to paint with the single pack paint. They make a gloss version called Blackcote which would be a good choice for a frame and swingarm.

At any rate, glad most of this paint work is done. I bought a bunch of different paints but didn't use that much of any of it. My guess is that I sprayed about $60 in materials for everything. Took a LOT of time though. I wouldn't blame anyone for going with powder coat.:)
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Nessism, How much POR 15 did you use to paint your frame/swingarm? I was goign to buy it soon and was wondering how many quarts to get vs. getting a full gallon etc.
 
midnightcafe said:
Nessism, How much POR 15 did you use to paint your frame/swingarm? I was goign to buy it soon and was wondering how many quarts to get vs. getting a full gallon etc.
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I used less than a quart. You could paint a fleet of bikes with a gallon.:-k

Which type of paint are you going to use? BlackCote would be a good choice for the frame and swingarm since it's high gloss, and Chassis Black for the various brackets and such since it's semi gloss. The Hardnose paint like I used is also a good choice, although a little more work. You can't go wrong with Por-15 products.:D
 
going to get a quart of the Blackcote, thanks for the suggestion Nessism. I saw a couple threads about it in the Yamaha Triples forum a few years ago, always wanted to try it. STILL looking for a spray gun to buy, the buying process can get really confusing... might just ask a friend to do it instead of myself:(

I think I'm going to stick with acrylic enamel for the smaller tidbits, spend time on them to make them look nice. Anyone know if cooking a part sprayed with acrylic enamel would speed up the curing time? and at what temp/how long?
 
midnightcafe said:
going to get a quart of the Blackcote, thanks for the suggestion Nessism. I saw a couple threads about it in the Yamaha Triples forum a few years ago, always wanted to try it. STILL looking for a spray gun to buy, the buying process can get really confusing... might just ask a friend to do it instead of myself:(

I think I'm going to stick with acrylic enamel for the smaller tidbits, spend time on them to make them look nice. Anyone know if cooking a part sprayed with acrylic enamel would speed up the curing time? and at what temp/how long?
Click to expand...

The tech documents for the particular paint you are going to use typically lists the baking time and temp to speed up the cure. PPG Deltron clear is something like 150F for one hour or so. Paint can be buffed after it cools although I usually wait a little longer.
 
Hard to start scratching paint off my bike.

Hard to start scratching paint off my bike.

I've been putting off beginning the sanding process, I think because scratching paint seems wrong. I've been enjoying riding these 550's so much too, it's hard to put them away. I'm working on a Suzuki and a Yamaha.
I just started Friday, and I'm going slowly, making sure to find all the imperfections, rust and fixing breaks in the plastic, it's boring too.
I think the pin striping will be the most challenging to get neat and symmetrical.
Bill
 
Results! Not so bad.

Results! Not so bad.

These are the results boys! I like 'em! I got some orange peal, but will try sanding it flat. Some mistakes here and there but overall, I'm happy. (See my album for more pics.)
GS550T, "Paris Blues"
picture.php

XJ550R
picture.php
 
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Agree, more photos please. Love the middleweights.:)
 
stop it bill, just stop it. you are making me want a midweight even more ><

when you gonna paint that seca? :D
 
Final buff and polish tips?

Final buff and polish tips?

OK, I did get dust and orange peal texture in some places, so I sanded up to 2000 grit, and buffed with HiTemp Smooth Cut, using a lambs wool bonnet over 6" disc mounted to a drill. I started at very low rpm, and working up to about 1000 rpm. I buffed off the scratches, then moved to Turtle Wax polish using a fresh wool bonnet. I haven't been able to quite get a super wet look final polish.
I Haven't been able to find good instruction on buffing/polishing procedures, just a little info here and there.
Anybody have some tips?
Thanks! Bill
 
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The 750 SECA?

The 750 SECA?

seuadr said:
when you gonna paint that seca? :D
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I've been so busy with these 550's, the 750 SECA has been waiting for attention. One of the carbs seem to have a problem flooding in the choke circuit. No biggie, but 3 projects at once is 1 too many. Because they all need to get on eBay, the 750 will only get retouching.
Bill
 
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