1984 Katana 7/11

[nvr2old]

That looks so much better, Pete. It really gives it a finished look with the undersides in satin black. Depending on how long you're going to wait to cut and buff your parts, it would be a good thing to open that fresh clear up and let it breathe for a day or two. It sorta gets a "crust" on it after spraying and if you just simply scuffed everything up with some 600 that would break through and let it gas out and harden more consistently. Not critical, but it really helps the drying/curing process.

[pete]

Yep sure does Larry, much neater! And I'm so glad my masking off was good to protect the paint work

I was planning on getting stuck into it today, I will remember not to wax it though, just a rub back then cut and polish. I broke out all my polishing cloths last night and gave them a wash so they're good to go.

[pete]

Nowhere near where I wanted to get today unfortunately, but I at least got the big bits rubbed back ready for a cut and polish.

They currently look like crap as expected... sanded as much as my testicular fortitude would allow, meaning there is still traces of orange peel here and there but I'm not game to go further.

I have to do the side covers yet.

Untitled by starpoint73, on Flickr

Unfortunately I have to do some touch up tomorrow. Not sure how I didn't see it earlier but there was a mark down one side of the front mudguard, looks like I might have brushed up against it when it was wet maybe. I thought it was in the clear but it was in the silver.

I've masked the black off tonight so tomorrow I'll dig out the touch up gun and re-spray some silver and clear, then sand it all back again once it's had a chance to cure.

Untitled by starpoint73, on Flickr

One thing I did discover today is the Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Fine Cut Cleaner is really not cutting it (haha) and really isn't doing much to get the 2000 grit sanding marks out. I've been over a part of the tank about five times with it and it still looks awful, with plenty of sanding marks still there.

It looks like Meguiar's Ultimate Compound could be the go although it's $35 a bottle

http://www.meguiars.com.au/surface-prep/ultimate-compound/

[nvr2old]

Yeah, just like sandpaper, you need to start course and move to fine. Rubbing compound with a wool pad, into a medium compound with a yellow pad (the rubbing compound you first started with would also work, but with a yellow pad), and then a swirl remover (the Meguiars you already have, possibly) with a black pad. 3M makes a 3-pad kit with a drill attachment included, also 8oz. bottles of both compounds for about the same price as the one larger bottle.

[pete]

Cool Larry, makes good sense. I do have a drill attachment and pad here but it's old and looks like it might start falling apart so I was trying to avoid using it. I've got some good microfibre pads I was going to use by hand, although I know that's the long haul compared to using a polisher of some sort.

The cheapest polisher I can find that's manageable for something less than a car is $50, which I just can't justify for something I'm going to use just for this. There are cheaper ones but they're too big for motorcycle parts.

I could give the drill a shot again, I'll just have to mount the parts on the Kat so I can use both hands on the drill to steady it.

I shall see what I can sort out today after I get that touch up done.

[Sam 78 GS750]

This thread is going to be my play by play instruction manual when it's time for me to paint my tank...

[nvr2old]

[QUOTE=pete;2467972] I've got some good microfibre pads I was going to use by hand, although I know that's the long haul compared to using a polisher of some sort.
I could give the drill a shot again, I'll just have to mount the parts on the Kat so I can use both hands on the drill to steady it.


I can honestly say you'll never get the depth of shine by hand, Pete. You can scrub on it all day and it just won't do it. The power of the drill and/or buffer and especially with the wool pad..literally melts the clear to give you that mile deep finish. Mounting your parts to do the polishing is exactly the thing to do. Especially the tank, side covers and fairing. You might be able to hold the fender between your legs to do half, then flip it around to do the other half. You might even consider putting them aside for awhile if you need to save up to buy the materials to finish your paint. I totally get that, I've had to do the same. It sucks 'cause you just want to get it done. They can sit. You got lots of stuff to keep all of us tuned in.. Hate to sound preachy, man..but the work you've so painstakingly done to this point deserves to have that beautiful finish you know you want.

[nvr2old]

This thread is going to be my play by play instruction manual when it's time for me to paint my tank...

Thanks, Sam. I hope it helps you when you get to that stage. I remember when I first posted my paint process with my S model, years ago now, Pete was one of the first to speak up and say, "..aren't you giving away all your secrets by revealing your techniques..?" Yes. But it's easy to tell people how to do it, it's another thing to do it and do it correctly, so I never minded sharing the process that has literally taken me 40 years to do pretty well by now. I enjoy sharing it. Pete has been a sponge, and I'm so proud of how he's progressed, and the finished product on this bike will be evidence of that, I'm sure.

[pete]

Well Larry, I can only agree! Don't worry about being preachy, you have the experience to back it up

After about 5 minutes with the microfibre pad and Meguiar's Ultimate Compound yesterday I gave the hand polishing up as a bad joke. Sure, the bits between the sanding marks were looking shiny... pity about the rest!

Fortunately I found I still have a serviceable wool pad for the drill.

And yes you're right, I've read so much advice you and others have given me during the 450 job and now the Kat job, and there are still things that I need to learn, but you can only learn properly by doing it and two paint jobs in 7 years is not helping the learning curve all that much

I got the touch up on the front guard done yesterday and managed to get it out into the sun for about an hour, so that should be good to rub back and polish today.

Then I grabbed the wool pad and the bottle of the Meguiar's Ultimate Compound.

Here's the results of the tank after a reasonably brief once over with it, pretty happy with that! I haven't touched the silver obviously, just the black, and it needs more work yet.

Untitled by starpoint73, on Flickr

I'll keep going with that today and get everything polished up nicely and followed up with the Meguiar's Glaze I have, but no wax yet. I believe I need to let it be for a month or so to breathe and harden before it gets some wax.

Then I paid a visit to a mate last night where we set to measuring my crank, and it definitely needs some professional attention. I'll take it to an engine shop I've been recommended to visit while I'm still on leave this week and see what they say.

He also very kindly stuck second gear in his lathe and cut a chamfer ready for it to be welded, so I can get to assembling the gearbox now.

Untitled by starpoint73, on Flickr

[nvr2old]

Way to go, Pete. The tank is looking great. Power tools, baby..can't beat em. You'll be amazed at how much farther the yellow pad and then a finishing black (or blue) pad will bring it.

[Fjbj40]

That looks fantastic Pete! Great job!

[pete]

Yes indeed Larry, a huge difference! Although that wool pad seems to be at the end of its life, it's quite old and is starting to lose bits of itself which was making things really tricky today. I can't seem to find that 3M kit anywhere around here or online, but my local auto store has this:

http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/Product/ToolPro-Polishing-Kit-5-in-1-75mm/385465

You reckon that's worth a shot? I know you won't know the brand or anything but it's basically the only thing I can find except for some really cheap and dodgy looking ones on eBay that I won't trust my new paint with.

Cheers Daryl! Hopefully it will only get a little better with some more time and better pads

I managed to get an initial cut and polish done on everything today except the front mudguard... I'll go into that after the photos.

There was actually some sun out to get some photos too!

Untitled by starpoint73, on Flickr

Untitled by starpoint73, on Flickr

Untitled by starpoint73, on Flickr

Untitled by starpoint73, on Flickr

Untitled by starpoint73, on Flickr

Untitled by starpoint73, on Flickr

I must say I'm absolutely stoked with how well that colour scheme is working, just need that red pinstripe and a black motor to set it all off.

I'm absolutely keen to get all the decals and pinstripes on, but I'll finish the polishing first. My sneak peak of the Suzuki decals I got look like they'll work really well, really can't wait to see how they work out! Anyone got any tips on locating them correctly on the tank?

So, the absence of the front mudguard... well basically I made the mistake of masking off the touch up area so I had a hard outline around it. I started sanding that back and managed to go through the clear again... frustrating!

However, there is an upside. I have noticed a few spots in the silver on it that I'm just not happy with, and it seems being the lowest item in the shed that it was most affected by the clogged filter and overspray issues I had.

Untitled by starpoint73, on Flickr

I'm redoing the silver tomorrow and will do more clear over the entire guard as well.

The side cover switches and filler panels need some attention, I've applied some "Polyglaze" tonight which is supposed to restore things like plastic dashboards and bumpers so hopefully it will give these a new lease of life. I'll need about three coats going by the instructions.

Untitled by starpoint73, on Flickr

I also started on repairing the missing part of the stator cover where the dodgy repair was. Used a couple of pieces of curved aluminium coated with anti seize as a bit of a mould. I'll let that set up overnight and build it up a bit higher tomorrow.

Untitled by starpoint73, on Flickr

[nvr2old]

You've been a busy boy these past few days, Pete. The parts look very nice. That polishing pad kit you showed should be just what you need. It's almost a duplicate of the 3M kit I was suggesting. You need all of them and that's a fair price I think.

Before you re-spray the silver, it wouldn't hurt to spritz a bit of primer over the repair. Whatever you do, spray it dry, (both, the primer and the silver) or it will eat into and pinch up where you broke through the clear..ask me how I know.. Let it dry for awhile before you re-clear, and start a bit dry on the first couple of coats there, too..or you'll have problems with it.

When it comes time to place your decals, decide where you want them and mark the spot by laying a strip of 1/4" masking tape that the bottom of the decal can set on to and a vertical piece that the "S" or the "I" can bump into. Having the exact location determined by the 1/4" masking tape will take all the guess work out of positioning the decals for you.

[pete]

Ok cool Larry, will pick up a set on the weekend hopefully, should be a bit of fun on Sunday for me then I reckon.

Will do with the primer, I've got a bunch of stuff to do this morning and my plan was to do the silver early, do what I need to do, then the clear later on, so that should work well to wait a while in between. I'll do my best to start dry... really tricky with my crappy guns as the fluid control seems to have a very limited effect.

Cheers on the decal tip too, makes good sense. I'll see if the Katana guys have some info on where exactly they should sit in regards to tank lines etc. Google images should help there too of course!

Also, my plan with the red pinstripe was to run the fine lines masking tape along the edge of the black on the tank and cowl and use that as both a guide and an even spacer so there'll be about 3mm between the black and the pinstripe. Make good sense?

[nvr2old]

[QUOTE=pete;2468398]Ok

Also, my plan with the red pinstripe was to run the fine lines masking tape along the edge of the black on the tank and cowl and use that as both a guide and an even spacer so there'll be about 3mm between the black and the pinstripe. Make good sense?

Perfect, if you're not bumping the red stripe right up to the edge of the black. Personally, I think it would look better if the red was a break between the silver and black w/o any space between them, but that's just me.