Jennifer's Makeover

[SVSooke]

I got an idea,we all send are parts that need chroming to SA

[cowboyup3371]

I got an idea,we all send are parts that need chroming to SA

I second that. What's the address Stan?

[Flyboy]

Hahaha, you okes are welcome to, but I think the shipping will kill the deal.
For that whole bag of bits, and it is pretty much every bolt, nut, washer and spring that came off the bike cost me just on $30, not sure how that compares??

[psyguy]

What sort of plating is it? Zinc? Looks very good and the price is next to nothing...

[GateKeeper]

My good friend works for the airlines, too bad he don't fly to SA....I'd get him to bring you a bag of nuts and bolts and springs and so on.....cash enough for a case of beer, and pick it all up in a week....

one can dream, right....

I have to what the cost is here locally.....

[Flyboy]

Hey Psy, yes I am sure it is zinc. Still gotta put them under the wire wheel, to remove the residue, then they come uot super shiny, but I couldn't be bothered now, so I do them as I use them, or when I got nothing else to keep me busy.

[Hoosier Daddy]

... cost me just on $30, not sure how that compares??

FYI... That equates to approxamatly two cases.

[Flyboy]

Damn HD, now you tell me, I will need to work on my negotiation skills then.
Oh well a quick update, not all good I am afraid.
Ok pulled the back wheel off again, to fit the spacer I forgot and the one washer, which is ok, since I had to have the axle, nut and spacers plated anyway, so that is all good now and she is on her wheels with everything tightened up.

Excuse the wee pics, Photobucket is not co-operating today so I had to upload to my Google+ album.


Decided these little quick release clips were a bit more stylish than the trusty old split pin, so did a retrofit




Also got busy with the headlight bucket which had a fair amount of scratches and chips in it, as they tend to get, worked it over with some polyester spot putty and sanded down with 320 grit wet till it was baby smooth, should look better than new when the paint goes on.


Right, now ever since Pete started his painting melarchy on his 450 and put a bee in my bonnet, I have been itching to put Jennifer into her new clothes, so as you know, these last couple of weekends have been spent toiling away over hot sandpaper and a bucket of water, patiently prepping bits for paint.

So being without a compressor and knowing the body corporate wuld have a **** fit if I even thought about it, I have been using custom packed cans that I have made up at the local auotmotive refinishing supplies.

Here are the basecoats, BMW Cosmic Black and a custom made up red and orange that we sorta just eyeballed off pics.


And here is the 2k clear coat, I am actually very impressed, the stuff really lays on very nicely and the spray pattern is pretty much perfect.
You can see the two pary can with the plunger that you push in to pierce the diaphram to mix the hardner with the clear when you are ready to spray.


Got the primer issues on the one side cover sorted out and got colour down on both side covers, then I had to work like stink to get them masked and the second colour shot, masked again and the third colour down before my 24hr window expired to get he clear on.
so last night I was up until after midnight measuring and masking, thanks a million for the measurements Dale, and at 04h30 this morning I was in the garage laying the second colour down.



Added the pin stripping and was ready to shoot the clear a few hours ahead of the deadline, so without further delay, on it went

[GateKeeper]

That is truly amazing......very nice work

I wonder who here in my neck of the woods would mix up paint in a can like that...

I was thinking of just doing all the prep work on my parts, and then take them to a body shop to have them sprayed. Kinda thinking if I did all the hard work, it wouldn't cost so much for them to just spray.

Thanks for the pics, they are an inspiration for me to work on my bike just as hard and with just as much dedication.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Man-o-man... that looks fantastic. Those colors together plus the clear coat looks like glass. Very well done!

[Flyboy]

Tried to get a shot of the metal flake in the black, but not easy with a 2$ camera, it looks better in real life than in the pics, but you get the idea


Hey Ma, look I can also paint trees and houses...




Not too shabby for for a first time try and straight out of the gun (can) considering that is only 3 coats clear and it still needs to be sanded and polished up. My plan is 9 coats clear for depth.

WRONG, it is a F#*&ing disaster, I am so bummed it is just not funny.

Not being a painter of any kind by any stretch of the imagination, and this being my first serious paint job, I was happy with the results as I progressed, yes there were a few small imperfections I was willing to live with, but when I put the third coat of clear down, disaster struck.
The pin stripping under the clear started to bubble and lift.
ARRRRRRHHHHHHHH..................



So I pulled it off, no idea how I am going to fix this, I guess it is back to taking it all the way down again









Any advice is welcome, any idea why the ip stripping lifted and bubbled?
Any advice on how to stop it appening again, I really don't need a repeat performance.

[GateKeeper]

Crap......the only thing I can think of is perhaps the first coat was not fully cured and allowed the subsequent coats to seep and start lifting the pin striping

just my thoughts, I sure as heck aint no paint expert

[Hoosier Daddy]

Ohhh Noooo! Here it was doing so well! I would think after the first couple of coats , if anything hadn't happened you were safe. But sometimes if you wait for subsiquent coats past the initial hour or so they need to completely de-gass before the next coat can be laid. Varies by paint and I am not familiar with the high tech clear you used.
Is it possible to wet sand the whole thing then put on slightly wider pinstripe to cover the screw-up then re-shoot the clear over that?

[Flyboy]

Thanks for the kind words, but yeah, I am at a pretty low point right now, I have no idea either so I will listen to any advise, I ain't no painter either, this is my first real try at a quality job.

Thanks HD, wish I knew where I went wrong though, I like the colour combination as well, but i am thinking maybe just do it one colour, black and call it done, but it is not what I want.
It may be, but I don't know what the implications of having clear on there is now.

[tatu]

I've just seen this thread and read it right through, My, you have been hard at it and it looks stunning, a tough break on the paint I can only think that the glue on the pin strip perhaps reacted with the paint or laquer.
What does your paint supplier say?
Did it happen on all the stripe or just that patch?
Stick with it, its a top drawer resto