Paint / Polish 101

[chicagogsx]

Hello everyone,

I have a gs650 project I'm hoping to get working on in the near future...

It has seen much better days...

The photo above is from Isaacs posting, "Ideas on how to make a gl good looking"...I love the outcome of the transformation.

What I am looking to do cosmetically...is achieve a satin black finish on the painted parts...and a satin finish on anything else, whether it be the chrome or aluminum parts..from forks, to exhaust, to engine components, etc.

I have heard as far as painting goes, you can get away with just scraping any light surface rust off with a wire brush and using a spray can primer and then a spray can flat black. Then again, this was from someone who did this to their bike, but readily admitted they knew very little about painting or how long the results would last. After he painted it using a primer, there was no instance of rubbing off...but it's longivity is unknown. Without the use of a clear coat afterwards...what will happen to the paint, if anything? If it cant last without a clear coat..how would you achieve a satin look that will last and be protected?(from what I've heard, clear coats will add shine..not even sure if this is always the case or how accurate this information is)

As far as the other components on the bike..whether it be the chrome or aluminum parts..from forks, to exhaust, to engine components, etc...

I have just read a thread about polishing, first bit of info I have gathered on the matter...from what I took from it, you would essentially be stripping off the clear coat and be able to take off light surface rust as well? At this point I read this will leave you with a satin finish...could you stop at that point if that was the look you wished to achieve? or would you then need to do something to protect this finish?

Having a "show-bike" quality paint job is the least of my concerns...not my style anyway...but I do want results that will last...and not making waste of my time if they wont.

Hopefully these are all things I can accomplish myself...
I would appreciate any feedback on these issues.
Thanks everyone.

[CamaRod]

As far as the painting goes, You get a wirewheel and some sandpaper, or a sanding disc, and make sure to bust out as much rust as possible, Because you dont want rust under you paint. Then just get some flat colored rustoleum, or whatever brand you like. Make sure the color is flat, satin is slightly more shinny, and more expensive usually. With spray paint like that you dont really need primer, just make sure to sand, or wire wheel the rust, and scuff the rest of the bike with like 220 or higher grit sandpaper, so the paint has something to bite into. Then just spray, and you might want to go more then 1 coat. You can buy Flat Clearcoat spray paint as well, if you must clear coat it. I personally dont think its necessary, but you can do that. It's basiclly just a clear coat with a flatenning agent in it, you might want to give it try.

Also, i dont much care for polishing, so dont really do it, but aluminum and chrome doesnt have a clear coats

[chicagogsx]

Is there a way to remove light surface rust from the non-painted parts? (chrome, etc)

Is there a way to make them all have a polished aluminum look? (Making chrome duller, etc)

Thanks again

[mixongw]

Is there a way to remove light surface rust from the non-painted parts? (chrome, etc)

Is there a way to make them all have a polished aluminum look? (Making chrome duller, etc)

Thanks again

2000 grit wet paper will make chrome look a lot less mirror like. Go lightly or you'll sand through the chrome. If there is surface rust on the chrome, then the plating is already compromised and there will probably be pitting.

[chicagogsx]

so if theres pitting, any rust on the chrome...even if it's light...it's a lost cause?

if no, please tell me how i would go about tending to the problem...

if yes, it is a lost cause....is it possible to paint chrome...and for the paint to hold up over time?

[Mike_H]

If you use rustoleum, you do not need a clearcoat. That type of paint is designed to be used for exterior use, and will hold up over time. On you egine side covers and such, there is a clear coat from the factory, but if you sand with about a 600 grit wet/dry paper, you will get a pretty nice finish, but not "polished" to a mirror. It will also cut that clearcoat pretty quickly. Make sure to have a dish of water handy, and dip the paper often (keeps deep scratches away) If there are already scratches, start with a more coarse grit (lower number) and sand those out first. As for the chrome, if your not looking for a high shine, show finish you don't need to worry about the pitting that may be there. Get yourself an SOS pad, and clean the rust, and that will get you a pretty shiney chrome finish. If you want to knock the shine down, 2000 grit sandpaper would do it, or a scotchbright pad. the scotch bright is going to put noticable scratches in the surface of the chrome, so make sure you rub in one direction.