filling in badge area...how?

[chicagogsx]

hey everyone..

newbie here...

took off the badges on my tank...i plan on painting the tank a satin black and would rather not have the badges on there...was curious as to how i would go about filling in the area that the badges were under...for those who have seen a tank without badges, you'll know what I'm talking about.

not sure if i'd use bondo or what to do this, I want to fill in the area and rattlecan the tank with some new product from rustoleum made for auto applications.

thanks everyone.

[bobo]

personally i would go with the 'bondo' idea. there may be another kind of filler you could use but my experience of 'bondo' is very good. good luck...b.b.

[ddaum]

I agree. I don't know what else you would want to use. Strip it, fill it, sand it, paint it. Bondo is great for this application.

[tracy borchert]

I agree. I don't know what else you would want to use. Strip it, fill it, sand it, paint it. Bondo is great for this application.

I agree too! Thats how mine has been done and it has turned out just fine. The same with the side covers.

[chicagogsx]

I agree. I don't know what else you would want to use. Strip it, fill it, sand it, paint it. Bondo is great for this application.

do i have to strip it first? is that really necessary?

i was planning on just putting on bondo as it is now on top of the existing paint, then sanding that area with the bondo to make it flush, lightly sand everything else, and then paint the whole tank...i also heard the product im using for paint works very well on top of existing paint, once the existing paint is lightly sanded...so id rather do without the stripping, unless it is completely necessary.

[Planecrazy]

As long as the product specifically states it works well with existing paint I'd go ahead and follow the directions and go that route.

Generally though, stripping the work area down to bare metal is the best way to get good adhesion, because old paint tends to flake off, especially when you create an additional load by covering it with body filler.

One last piece of advice ... it is MUCH better to use thin, successive layers of body filler than to slop it on thick. This gives it a chance to cure more thoroughly, and allows you to sand it more precisely to conform to the shape of the tank. If you are too impatient and do the job with one thick layer, it will likely shrink over time and you'll have to start over (because the paint covering it will crack and peel as it shrinks).

Good luck! Don't forget to post pics as you go!!

[mixongw]

You could go "really old school" and use lead.

[CamaRod]

i used lead to fill mine, as well as smooth off the top

Lead is good to use if you remove all the paint, then seal it

also, dont use lead if you have never done it before, if you do it wrong, the tank will rust under the lead

-Dave

[chicagogsx]

As long as the product specifically states it works well with existing paint I'd go ahead and follow the directions and go that route.

Generally though, stripping the work area down to bare metal is the best way to get good adhesion, because old paint tends to flake off, especially when you create an additional load by covering it with body filler.

One last piece of advice ... it is MUCH better to use thin, successive layers of body filler than to slop it on thick. This gives it a chance to cure more thoroughly, and allows you to sand it more precisely to conform to the shape of the tank. If you are too impatient and do the job with one thick layer, it will likely shrink over time and you'll have to start over (because the paint covering it will crack and peel as it shrinks).

Good luck! Don't forget to post pics as you go!!

well the rustoleum product for paint says its good for using on top of existing paint thats lightly sanded...

as far as the bondo goes...i have no idea.

anyone know?

[Planecrazy]

Keep in mind that the Rustoleum instructions probably assume that the paint is at least somewhat new ... I doubt they'd advise using it over twenty+ year old paint. About the only advantage you have (and it's not much) is that the paint in question has presumably been protected from UV breakdown by the badge shading it from the sun.

Still, I'd strip the area to be sure ... it's really not that big of a job, so why take a chance on having to redo all that work?

Regards,

[covelle]

i believe bondo says you should strip the paint first......how ever so long as you sand the area in question with an 80 or even 60 grit first you should get good adhesion for the bondo. bondo needs a rough surface to stick to. I know this from doing my tank. gs 700 has the stripes on the tank that don't like to come off and when they do, you can still see where they were. Bondo to the rescue. oh and I woud also say that you should try to cover an area larger than the actual badge so that when you sand away the Bondo you get a very smooth edge. Even if that means you put extra bondo on and sand it all off, the edge of the bondo when sanded should look like a cloud.

[hungryman]

If you use bondo, don't buy the cheap cr@p at the local parts store. Go to an automotive paint store and get the good stuff. If you want I can give you the name of the stuff I used. It dries very fast so you can't play with it after you lay it down, but it's great stuff. It's hard as nails (the local bond junk can be scraped with your fingernail - not this), no air bubbles, and it's smooth so you can primer over it directly.

[HiSPL]

Chances are when you pull the badges off your gonna find some rust. Water gets trapped under there and makes trouble.

If your just using rattle cans then I think bondo would be just fine. That's what I used on mine when it was flat black. BTW, flat black is the best paint job in the world!



You would've been able to see a badge in this pic if it were there....

[chicagogsx]

If you use bondo, don't buy the cheap cr@p at the local parts store. Go to an automotive paint store and get the good stuff. If you want I can give you the name of the stuff I used. It dries very fast so you can't play with it after you lay it down, but it's great stuff. It's hard as nails (the local bond junk can be scraped with your fingernail - not this), no air bubbles, and it's smooth so you can primer over it directly.

yeah, i think im going to end up taking off the existing paint first afterall...there isnt any rust really, but a few chips..so id be better off anyway.

could you please give me the name of that bondo you used?

also-
is there a specific brand name, etc i should go with for paint stripper?

and when i apply the paint stripper, should i do the underside of the tank as well? i havent taken a look at the underside of the tank yet, its been mounted on the bike since i recently bought it...but i was curious as to if it would be a good idea to do the whole tank, top and bottom, while im at it.

thanks again everyone.

[HiSPL]

could you please give me the name of that bondo you used?

Cheap stuff from wally world

also-
is there a specific brand name, etc i should go with for paint stripper?

I used sandpaper to strip it and a wire brush to get into the badge area.

and when i apply the paint stripper, should i do the underside of the tank as well? i havent taken a look at the underside of the tank yet, its been mounted on the bike since i recently bought it...but i was curious as to if it would be a good idea to do the whole tank, top and bottom, while im at it.

I did because it was leaking under there and I patched it up with JBWeld. This was obviously a low budget effort on my part, but with the flat black paint the end result looked great. It really hides alot and if you scratch it or whatever, you can just squirt some more on it and your good to go...