| Author | Message | ||
     Oxygen151 |
I cut my cheese grater off a while back and repainted to the stock color which was the magnesium. I am pretty sick of that color and don't really like how it looks. I'd like to paint the tail piece and the headlight brackets in the front of my XB12s lightning black using a rattle can. I have seen a few people on here that have done so. When you guys paint these parts are you clearing them too, or should I be able to just paint them since they are smaller parts? | ||
| Firebolt32 |
Depends on what you want it to look like. Painting with a gloss black with no clear will still look a bit dull. I've been there done that. The clear coat will also offer a bit more protection as well. | ||
| Oxygen151 |
I have black plastics so I think I want it to match. I think I will clear it. I guess I will see what it looks like after just painting it. | ||
| Bcool83 |
I used DupliColor spray-on bedliner. Did about three coats on the tail side rails, and maybe one or two more coats on the taillight housing. It's chipped in a couple places, but when rocks are thrown at something at 100mph you're bound to get chips  All in all, I like the look, and it's held up well over the 8 months since I did it. | ||
| Jeffroj |
Powder coat the parts, and never have to worry about them. | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
When painting small parts with rattle can paint I do the following. 1. Sand with increasingly smooth sand paper up to 220. 2. Prime/sand with 220. 3. bake in home oven for an hour at 200º. 4. sand with 220, paint with color. 5. Bake 6. Do a couple more coats, baking each time. This process hardens the paint, and produces a very high gloss. 7. Finally, dull paint with #0000 steel wool, bake again. Incredibly enough, this produces a very high gloss finish. Clear coating won't hurt, if it is compatible, but you may find it unnecessary. | ||
| Bo_sox |
Hey Matt - I've also painted both pieces you're talking about. I've color matched them to the graphite gray of the frame using Buell factory spray paint. To keep it simple I just rough them up a little to knock off any grease, road grime, and clearcoat using scotch brite pads. Them I suspend them on wire and spray them down with brake wash, let them dry, and then 2-3 light coats until I get the sheen I'm looking for. Cheap & Easy and still looks like new after 2 years. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
 Rattle can paint job.... the only way to go! | ||
| Andymnelson |
powdercoating is surprisingly cheap to have done- probably less than $50 for those parts, especially if you can wait until the powdercoater has a run of the same color. that's how i would do it- you'll have nearly that much in rattle cans, sand paper etc anyway. | ||
| Oxygen151 |
Thanks everyone. The baking idea is a good one. I would like to powder coat but I think I will just stick with rattle cans for now. I really like your color matched side rails Wolfridgerider. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
Its hard to see, but I did the fairing bracket as well. | ||
| Stevenc150 |
Wolfridgerider, that is a real nice color scheme, well done. Curious as to whether that is an S with an R fairing OR an R with an S tail. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
Its a R with the S tail on it... | ||
| Oxygen151 |
I'm just going to get them powder coated like Andy said. I found a guy who said he would do them for a few bucks. Thanks again everyone. | ||
| Oxygen151 |
Here is a question though. My bike is an 05 XB12s, black and amber. Should I get the pieces powder coated in gloss black, or a satin black????? | ||
| Lonexb |
i would do satin black. it will match the flat finish of the frame. brian | ||
| Oxygen151 |
That is what I was leaning towards. | ||
| Andymnelson |
I have a friend that owns a very large powder coating shop. My dad and I just took his TCI front clip for his 64 Nova over to be coated- we did a black with a 70% gloss. It looks sweet, and super tough. I plan to have my side rails, tail piece, headlight brackets and a few other bits coated sometime before spring- and I'll use the 70% gloss. If you look at the side rails as they come from the factory, they are not a real high gloss- I would guess that they are about 70% as well. Powders are rated/labeled in a % of gloss- see if your guy knows the % of the powder he's calling satin. I don't think that I would want to go much less than 70%. That's my $.02. | ||
| Oxygen151 |
Thats interesting, I didnt know it was rated by percentage but now I do, so I will definitely keep that in mind when I make a final color decision on monday. | ||
| Andymnelson |
I was at my parents' house this morning and snapped a couple of pics to try to show you what a 70% gloss looks like- VERY difficult to capture on camera! You can see the frame and front suspension here, and the panels leaned against the cabinet are his inner fenders (that's a crappy pic, I would say that in person they appear more glossy than that pic captured) Hope it helps your decision!    | ||
| Oxygen151 |
Thanks Andy, I dropped my parts off this morning and the guy had a few things done in semi-gloss black. He didnt know the percentage but it looked good. Hard to tell from the pictures but seems to be similar. | ||
| Andymnelson |
be sure to post some pics! | ||
| Oxygen151 |
Parts just got back today, they look great. Only cost $30 to have them sandblasted and coated. Its negative 3 right now in michigan so it might be a couple days until I make it out to the garage. Picture will come. | ||
| Andymnelson |
Sweet- sounds like a good deal (especially with the sandblasting), and definitely worth it over spray canning it! Negative 3? Sounds tropical! (it's negative 21 with a negative 47 windchill here!) | ||
| Brazenbuck |
Oxygen151, Who in MI did you use? | ||
| Oxygen151 |
I am up at school in Midland, so the nearest place was in Saginaw. Place called Component Coatings. So far their work has been great. I can give you the number if you want. |
