Why?

[Ponderosa]

Why is it you can finish wet sanding on a piece for four hours, look at it over and over again with a high intensity light and not see any scratchs, or blemish's. But put your color down AND, voila! There is at least four or five stand out scratchs! It must have something to do with how you hold your mouth... Of course there is the nest of miller moths that want to take off as soon as you start to paint also... Just love old garages....

[Buster-boy]

I don't know but it must be the same theory when as soon as you're done painting it you don't like it anymore.

HOO-RAH!
AIRBORNE

[crazypaint]

use guide coat or dust black spray paint over the piece ur working on then sand when the black is gone ur piece is smooth the black will show all the low spots like dents and scratches

[Nessism]

What is your prep technique?

[crazypaint]

well after all the body work is done i put 4 coats of high build primer on it let it sit over night or longer. i like guide coat (basically a black powder) rub that on it but can use a dust coat of black spray paint. the easyest way for not wanting to spend alot of time on it sand with 400 wet till all the black is gone then its ready. just use a sealer before the base coat so nothing shrinks on ya. after u apply the sealer and the base and i use 3 coats of clear )4 if ya want it to come out nicer allows more sanding to the clear). let that sit till the next day then sand with 1000 grit till there is no shine to all the flat areas (around edges and other spaces like an edge dosent have to be hit with 1000 or 1500) then 1500 then 3000 then buff. you will be amazed how sweet it looks

[Ponderosa]

Much the same..

well after all the body work is done i put 4 coats of high build primer on it let it sit over night or longer. i like guide coat (basically a black powder) rub that on it but can use a dust coat of black spray paint. the easyest way for not wanting to spend alot of time on it sand with 400 wet till all the black is gone then its ready. just use a sealer before the base coat so nothing shrinks on ya. after u apply the sealer and the base and i use 3 coats of clear )4 if ya want it to come out nicer allows more sanding to the clear). let that sit till the next day then sand with 1000 grit till there is no shine to all the flat areas (around edges and other spaces like an edge dosent have to be hit with 1000 or 1500) then 1500 then 3000 then buff. you will be amazed how sweet it looks

I do the same only go with 10-12 coats of primer filler, then I let it sit at least a week, like to sit it the sun, bake and shrink. Then a black guide coat, then sometimes strip it down again if there are any high and lows I can't kill. On this tank (Beat all to hell) I repeated three times. I start my primer sand with a 220 wet, then go 400. I plan on wet sanding this base, haven't before, but have too many moth turds......Ugh...

[Nessism]

I do the same only go with 10-12 coats of primer filler, then I let it sit at least a week, like to sit it the sun, bake and shrink. Then a black guide coat, then sometimes strip it down again if there are any high and lows I can't kill. On this tank (Beat all to hell) I repeated three times. I start my primer sand with a 220 wet, then go 400. I plan on wet sanding this base, haven't before, but have too many moth turds......Ugh...

10-12 coats is a LOT of film build. I typically use two coats of epoxy primer, wet sand that, and then use the high build stuff (three coats max) only in localized areas where body work was performed. I try to keep the primer build to the minimum possible to avoid making the paint chip prone.

[posplayr]

Then a black guide coat, then sometimes strip it down again if there are any high and lows I can't kill.

I don’t know how perfect you are trying to be but after a guide coat, there should really be nothing left.

Wet sanding the clear coat will get rid of anything else.

What are you sanding with. DO NOT USE A SQUARE OF FOLDED PAPER IN YOUR FINGERS. On a car I would use a sanding block, a long one for large panels. On a Motorcycle there are no large panels so even one of those hard rubber sanding blocks (3"x5"??) is too flat.

I picked up some professional sanding blocks at the paint store. They are high density rubber. They conform nicely to the tank shapes/curves and avoid following the dents with your fingers. I have a harder density and a soft density foam block. I used the harder one when cutting primer. The soft one when color sanding the clear.

On the last two paint jobs I did in Jet Black, I got lazy and did not do the guide coats, but I paid a lot of attention cross hatch sanding the top of the tank in bright sun light. There were only a couple of things that showed through and only because I know where I had used filler.

Point of fact I was seeing what I could get away with
.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=151859&highlight=paint&page=3

[Ponderosa]

Most

10-12 coats is a LOT of film build. I typically use two coats of epoxy primer, wet sand that, and then use the high build stuff (three coats max) only in localized areas where body work was performed. I try to keep the primer build to the minimum possible to avoid making the paint chip prone.

Most of it gets sanded off... Like I say I like to let it sit for at least a week, more in cooler weather. I do use sanding blocks, it is just this tank was in poor shape, but still way better than the other one I had to choose from. For some reason I picture my job being perfect, and little flaws always are present, it is the nature of the beast without a spray booth, new guns, and painting in a hundred year old frame garage, I should know better and hire it out..... I just love to do it all myself.. Someday I will have a proper setup...... Thanks guys, it won't be too bad, I am clear coating tomorrow, I'll post some pics. Remember blemish's are character,,LOL...

[crazypaint]

just got back to this 10-12 coats holly molly lol. if u are using that many coats of primer i think u might wanna add some more bondo lol. u want some great blocks. there called dura-blocks they work the best imo. if u want near perfection on ur paint jobs do the bodywork nice. use 3 coats of high build primer, sand with 320 dry that way u can find all the lows. if u have lows still use icing (type of bodyfiller but it dosent leave pin holes)then prim again. if u used icing repeat the 320 dry sanding. if not wet sand with 600 wet until its a smooth as a babys bottom and all ur guide coat is sanded out. then she is ready to paint and will look sweet. not trying to beet ya up on ur method just stating the way thats easier and more cost friendly. when ur shooting ur base coat have a blow gun buy or use ur paint gun (i use my paint gun) after ur each coat of base use the air from the gun to flash dry ur base that way nothing has time to land in it(like ur moth friends) then tack between each base coats with a tack rag this will take out little things that land on the base while ur doing the other pieces. then tack before the clear. just a fyi like the other guy said the more build up u have the easier your paint job will chip/crack. cant wait to see pics

[tkent02]

I should know better and hire it out..... I just love to do it all myself.. Someday I will have a proper setup...... Thanks guys, it won't be too bad, I am clear coating tomorrow, I'll post some pics. Remember blemish's are character,,LOL...

For me, perfect professionally done paint jobs don't impress me much, the same way brand new bikes don't. I want to see a paint job done by the owner, by hand, as good as he can do. A few flaws don't matter to me. You can't see a dimple or a moth wing in the paint as the bike goes by at speed anyway.

Ponderosa, I want to see some pics!

[Ponderosa]

Lots a work..

just got back to this 10-12 coats holly molly lol. if u are using that many coats of primer i think u might wanna add some more bondo lol. u want some great blocks. there called dura-blocks they work the best imo. if u want near perfection on ur paint jobs do the bodywork nice. use 3 coats of high build primer, sand with 320 dry that way u can find all the lows. if u have lows still use icing (type of bodyfiller but it dosent leave pin holes)then prim again. if u used icing repeat the 320 dry sanding. if not wet sand with 600 wet until its a smooth as a babys bottom and all ur guide coat is sanded out. then she is ready to paint and will look sweet. not trying to beet ya up on ur method just stating the way thats easier and more cost friendly. when ur shooting ur base coat have a blow gun buy or use ur paint gun (i use my paint gun) after ur each coat of base use the air from the gun to flash dry ur base that way nothing has time to land in it(like ur moth friends) then tack between each base coats with a tack rag this will take out little things that land on the base while ur doing the other pieces. then tack before the clear. just a fyi like the other guy said the more build up u have the easier your paint job will chip/crack. cant wait to see pics

Crazypaint, you have got it down my friend, I have used glaze before and found it to be a pain. Painting is something that is very labor intensive for sure, the prep is always the most important part, I try, but on old bikes of this nature always end up with a blem or two.. Lucky on this one the scratches are going to be hidden by the seat, the other blems can be finish sanded and polished out (I hope).. I have to remind myself these old bikes had imperfections from the factory, and I am just an old wrench, not Rembrant...LOL I am going to check out those durablocks..

[crazypaint]

lol that a boy. ya the dura-blocks are sweet u can buy a kit of like 7 or buy them seperatly. i like using the flat rectagular one works good on everthing. by the way any pics of her yet

[Ponderosa]

Heres some...

Here are some pics of pre clearcoat, reupholstered seat, and bike..




Not bad for that rough look?



More pics tomorrow after clear is on...

[Ponderosa]

OH forgot...



Still sorting electrical out.. Bought a set of turn signals from E-rip and found the seller sold me three front signals and one rear........Now trying to figure out what he did with extra wires? Think he just shoved two wires into light housing! Have to tear it apart AGAIN...