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K75S DIY painting (& polished tank) thread
- Thread starter Zagando
- Start date
Brief update on recent progress + I NOW HAVE THE PAINT!
Heading off to my job in a few minutes so I'll just briefly outline what I've been up to this last week:
Hooked-up and installed the dimmer switch in a plastic box and put the works outside of the booth. Sealed with Gorilla Tape and hot glue.
Finished sealing up all the cracks and joints with another can of Great Stuff and some hot glue. Photo was taken just prior to my third "foam session."
Ordered and received a second Fuji GT-X Pressurized Gravity Feed gun for use as a dedicated primer gun---I've heard way too many horror stories about tiny flakes of primer coming off the inside of guns and onto the clear coat---so I decided to be proactive on this before I possibly ruin the job.
While I still haven't finished sanding and prepping every last bit (i.e., the side covers, mainly), I did manage to cut my work bench down to a smaller size so it fits my paint booth better now. Sorry, no photo of this yet but it's a manageable 27" wide and about 18" deep. Perfect height for mixing paint and so on inside my booth, too.
I installed a duct/built a baffle from the dehumidifier inside our house going into the booth and ran some tests. It works! Very well, I might add. Dropped the humidity about 25-30 per cent in half an hour!
Lastly, I decided (at long last) on a color for Alumina and went to town to buy all the primer, base and clear to do the job---so NOW I HAVE PAINT!
Heading off to my job in a few minutes so I'll just briefly outline what I've been up to this last week:
Hooked-up and installed the dimmer switch in a plastic box and put the works outside of the booth. Sealed with Gorilla Tape and hot glue.
Finished sealing up all the cracks and joints with another can of Great Stuff and some hot glue. Photo was taken just prior to my third "foam session."
Ordered and received a second Fuji GT-X Pressurized Gravity Feed gun for use as a dedicated primer gun---I've heard way too many horror stories about tiny flakes of primer coming off the inside of guns and onto the clear coat---so I decided to be proactive on this before I possibly ruin the job.
While I still haven't finished sanding and prepping every last bit (i.e., the side covers, mainly), I did manage to cut my work bench down to a smaller size so it fits my paint booth better now. Sorry, no photo of this yet but it's a manageable 27" wide and about 18" deep. Perfect height for mixing paint and so on inside my booth, too.
I installed a duct/built a baffle from the dehumidifier inside our house going into the booth and ran some tests. It works! Very well, I might add. Dropped the humidity about 25-30 per cent in half an hour!
Lastly, I decided (at long last) on a color for Alumina and went to town to buy all the primer, base and clear to do the job---so NOW I HAVE PAINT!
Color choice announcement
Warning to 98Lee: Caution, no trace of yellow is in this paint! Proceed reading at your own dismay...
For those of you who are still hangin' around this thread and not already bored to death...
Here is my long-awaited (by some)color choice(s) for the bike:
Mercedes 755 Tenoritgrau (Steel Gray Metallic). It's a deep, almost charcoal gray fine metallic that I've been drooling over everytime I see my coworker's 2008 C300 parked out in front. If I had a picture I'd post it now, maybe I'll get one soon to post later on.
I think it will look teriffic, especially with all of my polished or chromed bits and Gloss Black 3-spoke wheels.
I was leaning heavily towards the gun-metal gray metallic of the recent Chrysler PT Cruisers but after taking a long look at one one sunny afternoon I decided to go for the darker gray.
FWIW, other color choices that were also in the running (up until about a month ago):
A light/medium very grayish-green metallic found on the 2009 Chevy Traverse (think they call it Moss Green Metallic but it's a lot more sage and gray in reality). Nice 2nd runner up!
Gloss black (as the main color for the entire bike---I'm doing only the wheels and maybe the back half of the front fenders). I agree it looks very elegant but in the long run too cold and somehow not quite right. Hard to explain but I decided against black for the same reason as the royal blue. I think I would have gotten tired of it later on. Maybe if I ever get another airhead, though...
A deep metallic royal blue that I've seen on a 2009 Ford-Shelby Mustangs.
Titanium Metallic (as seen on recent Nissan 370Z).
Slate Blue (a very greyish blue-green found on late model Hummer H2s)
In the early days I also considered an almost neon solid orange---but not with all the fairing and saddlebags---would look great if the bike was a minimal, cafe-style naked bike and had lots of black around it.
I spent countless hours debating different colors and variations and I now feel confident in my choice. Hope to actually mix paint as early as next week, fingers crossed!
Warning to 98Lee: Caution, no trace of yellow is in this paint! Proceed reading at your own dismay...
For those of you who are still hangin' around this thread and not already bored to death...
Here is my long-awaited (by some)color choice(s) for the bike:
Mercedes 755 Tenoritgrau (Steel Gray Metallic). It's a deep, almost charcoal gray fine metallic that I've been drooling over everytime I see my coworker's 2008 C300 parked out in front. If I had a picture I'd post it now, maybe I'll get one soon to post later on.
I think it will look teriffic, especially with all of my polished or chromed bits and Gloss Black 3-spoke wheels.
I was leaning heavily towards the gun-metal gray metallic of the recent Chrysler PT Cruisers but after taking a long look at one one sunny afternoon I decided to go for the darker gray.
FWIW, other color choices that were also in the running (up until about a month ago):
A light/medium very grayish-green metallic found on the 2009 Chevy Traverse (think they call it Moss Green Metallic but it's a lot more sage and gray in reality). Nice 2nd runner up!
Gloss black (as the main color for the entire bike---I'm doing only the wheels and maybe the back half of the front fenders). I agree it looks very elegant but in the long run too cold and somehow not quite right. Hard to explain but I decided against black for the same reason as the royal blue. I think I would have gotten tired of it later on. Maybe if I ever get another airhead, though...
A deep metallic royal blue that I've seen on a 2009 Ford-Shelby Mustangs.
Titanium Metallic (as seen on recent Nissan 370Z).
Slate Blue (a very greyish blue-green found on late model Hummer H2s)
In the early days I also considered an almost neon solid orange---but not with all the fairing and saddlebags---would look great if the bike was a minimal, cafe-style naked bike and had lots of black around it.
I spent countless hours debating different colors and variations and I now feel confident in my choice. Hope to actually mix paint as early as next week, fingers crossed!
Oct. 25th update:
Been absent for a couple weeks but have either been busy with other projects, work, runs to town or countless other distractions.
Also have been busy continuing my work on my backyard spray booth;
I put in a temporary floor of tarps, carpeting remnants and another tarp on top, installed numerous hooks, hooked up 30-40 feet of ducting to the exhaust fan which will go way out into the yard when I'm working, sealed up more cracks, disassembled two big "Chinese racks" I was using indoors and installed them inside the booth, fabricated some adjustable painting jigs/parts holders, installed the air hose that will be hooked up to my HVLP turbine ensconced underneath the house and probably a few other things that don't immediately come to mind.
I really patted myself on the back after coming up with those gooseneck parts holders I put together one afternoon. I can swivel the entire jig around easily so as to get all surfaces covered without having to turn the entire rack around.
The other rack will probably get covered with plastic sheeting so I can put freshly painted pieces there after they tack dry (keeping them inside the booth until they're all done). I also built a small "light bank" composed of four 250-watt heat lamps mounted in porcelein holders on a 6 foot-long board that I'll lay on the ground at night to keep the booth warmer and drier during the damp nights.
I'm really scrambling to get this all ready so I can start spraying primer this coming week.
We've been having lots of nice, dry and sunny weather in between periods of rain but these breaks are not going to last much longer. My goal is to get this all wrapped up by the first few days of November---which is fast upon us! Then it can start pouring...
Here's today's photos:
Been absent for a couple weeks but have either been busy with other projects, work, runs to town or countless other distractions.
Also have been busy continuing my work on my backyard spray booth;
I put in a temporary floor of tarps, carpeting remnants and another tarp on top, installed numerous hooks, hooked up 30-40 feet of ducting to the exhaust fan which will go way out into the yard when I'm working, sealed up more cracks, disassembled two big "Chinese racks" I was using indoors and installed them inside the booth, fabricated some adjustable painting jigs/parts holders, installed the air hose that will be hooked up to my HVLP turbine ensconced underneath the house and probably a few other things that don't immediately come to mind.
I really patted myself on the back after coming up with those gooseneck parts holders I put together one afternoon. I can swivel the entire jig around easily so as to get all surfaces covered without having to turn the entire rack around.
The other rack will probably get covered with plastic sheeting so I can put freshly painted pieces there after they tack dry (keeping them inside the booth until they're all done). I also built a small "light bank" composed of four 250-watt heat lamps mounted in porcelein holders on a 6 foot-long board that I'll lay on the ground at night to keep the booth warmer and drier during the damp nights.
I'm really scrambling to get this all ready so I can start spraying primer this coming week.
We've been having lots of nice, dry and sunny weather in between periods of rain but these breaks are not going to last much longer. My goal is to get this all wrapped up by the first few days of November---which is fast upon us! Then it can start pouring...
Here's today's photos:
Last edited:
Getting a little closer to P-Day...
Been plugging away at what seems like a million little loose ends with my painting project. Some days have been quite productive, other days too damp and dismal to contemplate doing much of anything outside---but I'm making a decent bit of progress overall. Almost beginning to see light at the end of a very long tunnel.
Shouldn't be much longer until I mix up a batch of primer and fire up the turbine...
Spent a couple of hours today finally getting around to fully masking both wheels which have been sitting in our living room all summer long:
I also carefully masked the OEM label on the cowl that has emission specs and tire pressure info:
Then I started fooling around with my gooseneck mounting arrangement for spraying the tupperware---rounding up the right screws, nuts and bolts to attach the pieces with. This took longer than expected and I'll need to make a trip to the hardware store tomorrow to get a few missing pieces replaced and all sorted but it seems like my system will suffice for most of the pieces:
The big heavy cowl piece will have to be sprayed on a big piece of wood on the rack because of it's weight. I will set it on some bolts that are already mounted on it's underside (I'll just extend them a bit to raise it off the shelf a bit) to spray the topside.
That's all for now, folks...more details and pics soon
Been plugging away at what seems like a million little loose ends with my painting project. Some days have been quite productive, other days too damp and dismal to contemplate doing much of anything outside---but I'm making a decent bit of progress overall. Almost beginning to see light at the end of a very long tunnel.
Shouldn't be much longer until I mix up a batch of primer and fire up the turbine...
Spent a couple of hours today finally getting around to fully masking both wheels which have been sitting in our living room all summer long:
I also carefully masked the OEM label on the cowl that has emission specs and tire pressure info:
Then I started fooling around with my gooseneck mounting arrangement for spraying the tupperware---rounding up the right screws, nuts and bolts to attach the pieces with. This took longer than expected and I'll need to make a trip to the hardware store tomorrow to get a few missing pieces replaced and all sorted but it seems like my system will suffice for most of the pieces:
The big heavy cowl piece will have to be sprayed on a big piece of wood on the rack because of it's weight. I will set it on some bolts that are already mounted on it's underside (I'll just extend them a bit to raise it off the shelf a bit) to spray the topside.
That's all for now, folks...more details and pics soon
Last-minute details and prep
I had too much airflow restriction with all that 6" ducting on the exhaust fan so I removed it yesterday:
It works better now!
Also been devising different mounting systems for different parts (hooks and cable-ties, wire on hooks, the board with plastic pyramids, etc.):
Ran a test of my Fuji HVLP turbine yesterday with distilled water. It puts out quite a lot of material in a very fine mist and I think it''ll work like a charm. Learned how to adjust the fluid output, fan patterns and airflow with the controls on the gun, too. Installed some extra hooks here and there so I can hang it upright if I need to take a break during painting.
Today I'm masking some parts where necessary (saddlebag latches, etc.) and doing some final cleaning and degreasing. May mix primer late today or tomorrow if all goes well...
I had too much airflow restriction with all that 6" ducting on the exhaust fan so I removed it yesterday:
Also been devising different mounting systems for different parts (hooks and cable-ties, wire on hooks, the board with plastic pyramids, etc.):
Ran a test of my Fuji HVLP turbine yesterday with distilled water. It puts out quite a lot of material in a very fine mist and I think it''ll work like a charm. Learned how to adjust the fluid output, fan patterns and airflow with the controls on the gun, too. Installed some extra hooks here and there so I can hang it upright if I need to take a break during painting.
Today I'm masking some parts where necessary (saddlebag latches, etc.) and doing some final cleaning and degreasing. May mix primer late today or tomorrow if all goes well...
Another update
Finished all the masking this afternoon and also the dish soap and hot water final cleaning. Used a red scuff pad on everything that still had some shiny patches and all parts are ready at last for the primer coats.
The original Dakar Yellow paint is all nice and dull---and totally squeaky-clean---now
I put the rinsed tupperware on the second of two racks I installed in the paint booth, closed the door and turned on the exhaust fan. Then I went inside the house and hooked up the dehumidifier and turned it on for one last test of that system. The humidity only dropped a few percentage points in twenty or thirty minutes---according to my remote monitor here on my desk---but it's got to be a little better than having a totally external air source in our humid environment.
Debating whether to go for it tomorrow morning since I also have to work my afternoon-evening shift tomorrow, Sat/Sun/and Monday. I may ask for an extra day off from work next week so I will then have four days in a row in which to primer, paint and clear. This is my most likely scenario and shouldn't be a problem for the extra day off (my part-time schedule is usually flexible).
The downside to waiting until next week to start spraying is the inevitable damp weather factor. At this point, however, I would feel more comfortable finishing my project with plenty of free time available so that's probably the way I'll proceed.
Hasta pronto, amigos...
Finished all the masking this afternoon and also the dish soap and hot water final cleaning. Used a red scuff pad on everything that still had some shiny patches and all parts are ready at last for the primer coats.
The original Dakar Yellow paint is all nice and dull---and totally squeaky-clean---now
I put the rinsed tupperware on the second of two racks I installed in the paint booth, closed the door and turned on the exhaust fan. Then I went inside the house and hooked up the dehumidifier and turned it on for one last test of that system. The humidity only dropped a few percentage points in twenty or thirty minutes---according to my remote monitor here on my desk---but it's got to be a little better than having a totally external air source in our humid environment.
Debating whether to go for it tomorrow morning since I also have to work my afternoon-evening shift tomorrow, Sat/Sun/and Monday. I may ask for an extra day off from work next week so I will then have four days in a row in which to primer, paint and clear. This is my most likely scenario and shouldn't be a problem for the extra day off (my part-time schedule is usually flexible).
The downside to waiting until next week to start spraying is the inevitable damp weather factor. At this point, however, I would feel more comfortable finishing my project with plenty of free time available so that's probably the way I'll proceed.
Hasta pronto, amigos...
Last edited:
Further delayed by the threat of heavy rain on the way
Woke up this morning hoping to mix up the primer and get to spraying. After breakfast I turned on the NOAA weather radio and listened to our forecast which turned out to be pretty grim: T-storms, heavy rain from tonight through Thursday night, flash flood advisories in effect for the Big Island, etc. etc. Last thing I wanted to hear, especially since I have several days off my job and am finally all ready to paint after months of preparation.
Heck, they even mentioned high-wind warnings for the higher elevations and indicated a strong potential for "significant amounts of snow" falling atop Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, our two 14,000-foot peaks nearby.
Down but not out, I decided to put some finishing touches on my painting setup and sit tight until the big storm passes. There's a chance that the weather will be suitable by this weekend so I'll keep my fingers crossed. Last year we had a stretch of dry days far into December; maybe we'll see a repeat scenario.
If not, I'll just have to wait until a dry day shows up whether I like it or not.
Meanwhile I trimmed more of the exhaust fan cover that was partially restricting the airflow, tested my heat-lamps inside the booth, revised and tested my dehumidifer (hooked into the booth) and threw together a makeshift barrier around the exhaust side of the booth fan (to help keep our cats away from the toxic fumes).
The remounting the dehumidifier up against the window was a good move. It shortened as well as straightened some of the ducting out leading into the booth---so now a much stronger stream of warm, dry air comes out at the other end. Dropped the humidity from 76% to 48% in 45 minutes! The heat lamps will also provide benefits when I turn them on at night or when the paint is curing; it really gets cold and damp at night (even inside my almost sealed paint booth).
Ah....the first drops of rain started hitting our metal roof just now.
Well, I better go outside and batten down the hatches everywhere. When we get storms over here Mother Nature doesn't mess around!
Here's some recent pics to tide everyone over until the real results come about....Sorry I'm not able to post better news today as originally hoped!
Trying out/rearranging the jigs:
Just about to hit the "submit reply" tab and the thunder is rolling now... rain is really starting to pour---the weatherman was right today!
Woke up this morning hoping to mix up the primer and get to spraying. After breakfast I turned on the NOAA weather radio and listened to our forecast which turned out to be pretty grim: T-storms, heavy rain from tonight through Thursday night, flash flood advisories in effect for the Big Island, etc. etc. Last thing I wanted to hear, especially since I have several days off my job and am finally all ready to paint after months of preparation.
Heck, they even mentioned high-wind warnings for the higher elevations and indicated a strong potential for "significant amounts of snow" falling atop Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, our two 14,000-foot peaks nearby.
Down but not out, I decided to put some finishing touches on my painting setup and sit tight until the big storm passes. There's a chance that the weather will be suitable by this weekend so I'll keep my fingers crossed. Last year we had a stretch of dry days far into December; maybe we'll see a repeat scenario.
If not, I'll just have to wait until a dry day shows up whether I like it or not.Meanwhile I trimmed more of the exhaust fan cover that was partially restricting the airflow, tested my heat-lamps inside the booth, revised and tested my dehumidifer (hooked into the booth) and threw together a makeshift barrier around the exhaust side of the booth fan (to help keep our cats away from the toxic fumes).
The remounting the dehumidifier up against the window was a good move. It shortened as well as straightened some of the ducting out leading into the booth---so now a much stronger stream of warm, dry air comes out at the other end. Dropped the humidity from 76% to 48% in 45 minutes! The heat lamps will also provide benefits when I turn them on at night or when the paint is curing; it really gets cold and damp at night (even inside my almost sealed paint booth).
Ah....the first drops of rain started hitting our metal roof just now.
Well, I better go outside and batten down the hatches everywhere. When we get storms over here Mother Nature doesn't mess around!
Here's some recent pics to tide everyone over until the real results come about....Sorry I'm not able to post better news today as originally hoped!
Trying out/rearranging the jigs:
Just about to hit the "submit reply" tab and the thunder is rolling now... rain is really starting to pour---the weatherman was right today!
rbertalotto
New member
Great post!
But after this is all said and done, wouldn't it have been easier to have a body shop spray the parts.........
But then again, I understand projects like this where the preparation and figuring out the details is sometimes as much fun as the result..........
Good luck!
But after this is all said and done, wouldn't it have been easier to have a body shop spray the parts.........
But then again, I understand projects like this where the preparation and figuring out the details is sometimes as much fun as the result..........
Good luck!
Glad to be sharing this here
Thanks, Roy; Glad you're enjoying my thread.
Yes, it would have been a lot easier, quicker and less costly to have a body shop do the work. I wouldn't have had to give up my riding season this year, either (OK, let me make that dry riding season; it's usually not so bad weatherwise around the rest of the island---we're in the coldest and wettest part so the winter's more like Seattle's).
But this is something I've always wanted to do and it is a great learning experience thus far. I hope that I'll end up being proud of my results but as long as I don't seriously muck it up I'll be one happy camper come conclusion.
DIY is certainly not for everyone and this whole project is taking longer than expected. I found out that I don't move as fast on things as I used to but that's life, getting older, of course. I'm still having a blast despite my slow working pace and weather setbacks and I look forward to wrapping this up very soon.
It has been my pleasure to share this with everyone here (as well as over on the ADVRider Garage Forum where many of my painting questions have been well answered along the way) and I'm glad I have documented the project extensively (it'll probably help me put the bike back together when I'm done, too )
Thanks, Roy; Glad you're enjoying my thread.
Yes, it would have been a lot easier, quicker and less costly to have a body shop do the work. I wouldn't have had to give up my riding season this year, either (OK, let me make that dry riding season; it's usually not so bad weatherwise around the rest of the island---we're in the coldest and wettest part so the winter's more like Seattle's).
But this is something I've always wanted to do and it is a great learning experience thus far. I hope that I'll end up being proud of my results but as long as I don't seriously muck it up I'll be one happy camper come conclusion.
DIY is certainly not for everyone and this whole project is taking longer than expected. I found out that I don't move as fast on things as I used to but that's life, getting older, of course. I'm still having a blast despite my slow working pace and weather setbacks and I look forward to wrapping this up very soon.
It has been my pleasure to share this with everyone here (as well as over on the ADVRider Garage Forum where many of my painting questions have been well answered along the way) and I'm glad I have documented the project extensively (it'll probably help me put the bike back together when I'm done, too
)Rainy season is now in full swing; aborting painting; Plan B in effect!
The huge storm that blew in earlier this week is sticking around, dumping buckets of rain, causing floods and wreaking havoc around our state.
Here is a photo I snapped from our kitchen door Thursday afternoon during the first hour of thunder, lightning and torrential downpours (our little lake has grown a bit bigger since this was taken):
So, after thoroughly considering the current and long-term weather forecasts for our area I have reluctantly decided to abort my back-yard painting project.
It pains me to throw in the towel after such of an investment in time, energy and resources but spraying multiple coats of epoxy primer, base and clear in such soggy conditions is not wise or feasible. (Imagine the power going out right in the middle of spraying
) I'm afraid that the rain is here to stay for the rest of it's usual six or seven-month season. (It's still coming down hard even as I type this post)
I lost all of my good chances to paint by taking too long to get ready, so now I must swallow my pride and move on to Plan B without further delay:
Locating a shop or individual set up on a drier part of the Big Island that is skilled enough and willing to finish the job. I will take all the parts (carefully protected in huge Zip-Loc bags) and unopened cans of paint, etc., wherever necessary to get the job done---professionally (coincidentaly, as another member pointed out this approach recently).
The good (or better) news to come out of my decision is that the bike may end up back together and running again sooner this way.
My bike has been sitting idle in our leaky and almost continually damp carport since mid-June. This is something that pains me even more than not being able to finish the job myself---I'm well-aware of what happens to bikes sitting idle under tarps...so the completion will be a big relief for me (as well as most of the followers of this thread, I imagine)
The huge storm that blew in earlier this week is sticking around, dumping buckets of rain, causing floods and wreaking havoc around our state.
Here is a photo I snapped from our kitchen door Thursday afternoon during the first hour of thunder, lightning and torrential downpours (our little lake has grown a bit bigger since this was taken):
So, after thoroughly considering the current and long-term weather forecasts for our area I have reluctantly decided to abort my back-yard painting project.
It pains me to throw in the towel after such of an investment in time, energy and resources but spraying multiple coats of epoxy primer, base and clear in such soggy conditions is not wise or feasible. (Imagine the power going out right in the middle of spraying
) I'm afraid that the rain is here to stay for the rest of it's usual six or seven-month season. (It's still coming down hard even as I type this post)I lost all of my good chances to paint by taking too long to get ready, so now I must swallow my pride and move on to Plan B without further delay:
Locating a shop or individual set up on a drier part of the Big Island that is skilled enough and willing to finish the job. I will take all the parts (carefully protected in huge Zip-Loc bags) and unopened cans of paint, etc., wherever necessary to get the job done---professionally (coincidentaly, as another member pointed out this approach recently).
The good (or better) news to come out of my decision is that the bike may end up back together and running again sooner this way.
My bike has been sitting idle in our leaky and almost continually damp carport since mid-June. This is something that pains me even more than not being able to finish the job myself---I'm well-aware of what happens to bikes sitting idle under tarps...so the completion will be a big relief for me (as well as most of the followers of this thread, I imagine
)5-month update:
Realized it's been 5 months today since I took all the yellow tupperware off my bike and began this project; herewith is an update:
Packed up everything in big bins and drove to Hilo yesterday, leaving them to be sprayed by the owner of a custom paint shop there. (I had stopped by his shop last week inquiring about good local painters). We soon struck up a rapport, talking a good while about different paints, sprayguns, clearcoats and such and I could tell he knew paintwork inside and out..
Although he's a bit on the young side, Chad has 16 years of hands-on body shop experience. I asked him if he'd want to tackle the job and he agreed---if I could wait a week or so to begin---no problem. I feel confident that he'll do a good job (he uses top of the line Iwata guns and had done the two vehicles parked outside his shop in almost the same metallic gray. They both looked "factory" or better, IMO).
He's going to proceed soon, starting with the wheels first. This way I can get the bike "back on the ground" and finish reassembly as parts are done a few at a time.
He's spraying all the black pieces (4 or 5 including both wheels) and once that's out of the way, will move onto all the pieces to be painted metallic gray after that.
As soon as I get the wheels back I will take and post pictures pronto. Stay tuned.
Btw, today's the first day since my last post where it hasn't been raining non-stop. The sun is peeking out as some cold air moves in from the north... It's so nice to have a break, even though it'll probably be short-lived.
Realized it's been 5 months today since I took all the yellow tupperware off my bike and began this project; herewith is an update:
Packed up everything in big bins and drove to Hilo yesterday, leaving them to be sprayed by the owner of a custom paint shop there. (I had stopped by his shop last week inquiring about good local painters). We soon struck up a rapport, talking a good while about different paints, sprayguns, clearcoats and such and I could tell he knew paintwork inside and out..
Although he's a bit on the young side, Chad has 16 years of hands-on body shop experience. I asked him if he'd want to tackle the job and he agreed---if I could wait a week or so to begin---no problem. I feel confident that he'll do a good job (he uses top of the line Iwata guns and had done the two vehicles parked outside his shop in almost the same metallic gray. They both looked "factory" or better, IMO).
He's going to proceed soon, starting with the wheels first. This way I can get the bike "back on the ground" and finish reassembly as parts are done a few at a time.
He's spraying all the black pieces (4 or 5 including both wheels) and once that's out of the way, will move onto all the pieces to be painted metallic gray after that.
As soon as I get the wheels back I will take and post pictures pronto. Stay tuned.
Btw, today's the first day since my last post where it hasn't been raining non-stop. The sun is peeking out as some cold air moves in from the north... It's so nice to have a break, even though it'll probably be short-lived.
B
bigalsmith101
Guest
I have read your posts from beginning to end, and check on them every once in a while. Keep it up. I know that I am not the only one waiting to see the end result. I too spend my time working on my bikes, with the current project being the continued maintenance of a 1972 Suzuki TS 90, and 185.
I rattle canned my bikes, and am happy. College expenses get in the way
Enjoy yourself!
--Alex
I rattle canned my bikes, and am happy. College expenses get in the way
Enjoy yourself!
--Alex
Beginning of the completion process at last!
Thanks for the encouragement, Al. I must tell you that I also have a cousin by the same name (Al Smith; small world of sorts, isn't it?).
I was just about to post an update when I saw your post of earlier this evening; it's nice to know there's a few souls out there that are still following my soon to be 6-month saga.
So the good news is that I just got both wheels back from my paint guy in Hilo yesterday. They turned out very well and I think they're gorgeous.
I mounted the rear wheel this afternoon:
BEFORE:
AFTER:
I also remounted the brake rotors after cleaning them with acetone and carefully torqueing the 4 big bolts to spec. I was about to mount the front wheel then but decided to call it a day as it was getting dark early. The sky was getting gray and damp-looking after being mostly dry and sunny all day long. No problem, I'm happy to have the wheels back so I can get the bike back on the ground a bit more securely soon.
We had a break in the rainy season just like last December's respite (really a surprise for us here; we thought we wouldn't see any sun for many months) . So I've also been keeping busy doing some work on my little Honda Ruckus scooter in the meantime which has been rewarding as well. (Getting new tires, sandblasting both rims, de-rusting them further using electrolysis (nifty story I'll tell another time in the proper forum) spraying the rims with some leftover epoxy primer from my aborted painting attempt and finally rattle-can painting them this morning while my paint booth was full of warm dry air (just like a greenhouse on a sunny day). Here's a pic after coats of primer went on fairly well via my HVLP turbine and Fuji gun:
I'm taking them back to the cycle shop in town to have them install the new bearings I got for the front wheel and the set of tires tomorrow morning. I use the scooter for all of my work commuting (1.2 mile roundtrip
) and errands around the village even in the rain. It's almost as much fun as the big Beemer.
Then I'll start on remounting the front wheel on my bike when I get back home. Need to clean the axle and spacers well and without much, if any grease so I can soon determine if my front bearings were leaking or not (see my posts earlier this summer in this same thread).
So far so good, and Chad (my paint guy in town) seems to think he should be done reasonably soon with the rest of my many parts I left with him for spraying. He had some problems with the paint blushing due to a cold and damp spell that extended all the way down to sea level (where he is) so he had to resand and is ready to try again. The weather has improved lately so we've got our fingers crossed for a warm weekend in which he can finish the rest of the job.
Stay tuned, I think I'll be making substantial progress on reassembly before much longer (it's almost 6 months since I started this!)
Hitting the hay now as it's late here and I will try to get an early start tomorrow....zzzzzzzzzzzzzz (imagine sleeping emoticon here)
Thanks for the encouragement, Al. I must tell you that I also have a cousin by the same name (Al Smith; small world of sorts, isn't it?).
I was just about to post an update when I saw your post of earlier this evening; it's nice to know there's a few souls out there that are still following my soon to be 6-month saga.
So the good news is that I just got both wheels back from my paint guy in Hilo yesterday. They turned out very well and I think they're gorgeous.
I mounted the rear wheel this afternoon: BEFORE:
AFTER:
I also remounted the brake rotors after cleaning them with acetone and carefully torqueing the 4 big bolts to spec. I was about to mount the front wheel then but decided to call it a day as it was getting dark early. The sky was getting gray and damp-looking after being mostly dry and sunny all day long. No problem, I'm happy to have the wheels back so I can get the bike back on the ground a bit more securely soon.
We had a break in the rainy season just like last December's respite (really a surprise for us here; we thought we wouldn't see any sun for many months) . So I've also been keeping busy doing some work on my little Honda Ruckus scooter in the meantime which has been rewarding as well. (Getting new tires, sandblasting both rims, de-rusting them further using electrolysis (nifty story I'll tell another time in the proper forum) spraying the rims with some leftover epoxy primer from my aborted painting attempt and finally rattle-can painting them this morning while my paint booth was full of warm dry air (just like a greenhouse on a sunny day). Here's a pic after coats of primer went on fairly well via my HVLP turbine and Fuji gun:
I'm taking them back to the cycle shop in town to have them install the new bearings I got for the front wheel and the set of tires tomorrow morning. I use the scooter for all of my work commuting (1.2 mile roundtrip
) and errands around the village even in the rain. It's almost as much fun as the big Beemer.Then I'll start on remounting the front wheel on my bike when I get back home. Need to clean the axle and spacers well and without much, if any grease so I can soon determine if my front bearings were leaking or not (see my posts earlier this summer in this same thread).
So far so good, and Chad (my paint guy in town) seems to think he should be done reasonably soon with the rest of my many parts I left with him for spraying. He had some problems with the paint blushing due to a cold and damp spell that extended all the way down to sea level (where he is) so he had to resand and is ready to try again. The weather has improved lately so we've got our fingers crossed for a warm weekend in which he can finish the rest of the job.
Stay tuned, I think I'll be making substantial progress on reassembly before much longer (it's almost 6 months since I started this!)
Hitting the hay now as it's late here and I will try to get an early start tomorrow....zzzzzzzzzzzzzz (imagine sleeping emoticon here)13 December; a little more progress to report.
Installed the front wheel today,
remounted the calipers after removing the now-moldy popsicle sticks in between the pads,
installed the fog/conspicuity lights via the top caliper bolts (actually replaced one that broke in a parked tip-over),
installed the chromed fork brace
and almost installed the rear half of the front fender.
After reading Clymer I realized I will need to wait until I get the front piece back to install that first, then the rear pc. can go on. So no fender for now.
Then I removed the blocks and jack from the underside of the engine for the first time in 6 months!
Pumped the front forks while holding the front brake to seat the axle before tightening the axle clamps. Almost blew that, though---my torque wrench wasn't working properly (or at least I didn't feel it clicking at the right time)---so I nearly stripped the threads. But I lucked out. I removed all the bolts, started over and it was fine the second time around. Whew!
Also placed my two 70-watt "air dryers" (we use inside the house to help keep the insidious tropical mold at bay) underneath the crankcase and let them warm up the old oil for a couple of hours.
While that was taking place, I removed the two blown bulbs in my Hella FF50s and replaced them with the new Sylvania Silverstar bulbs I bought months ago. I will also redo the wiring some so hopefully I won't blow this pair so soon, either (this is the 3rd pair of bulbs I've put in after little use! I may have a low-voltage situation which is causing this so I will install some heavier guage wire to my Centech fuse block)
Then I got out my oil pan, drained the oil, removed the oil filter and put in fresh Mobil 1 and a new filter. The oil is right between the center dot and the top of the sight glass; probably about right. I filled the oil filter with oil before installing it, too.
No photos today or nothing terribly exciting but wanted to have this record of my gradual reassembly here anyway. Now it's back to work for me all this week so my next update will probably be at least a week or more away. Hope to have some more painted bits to install by then if all goes well (now I'm hearing talk of a drought for us this winter (El Nino), so things are looking up!).
Oh yeah, got my scooter back yesterday with new Bridgestones front and rear---so I can commute on two wheels again, too.
Hasta luego!
Installed the front wheel today,
remounted the calipers after removing the now-moldy popsicle sticks in between the pads,
installed the fog/conspicuity lights via the top caliper bolts (actually replaced one that broke in a parked tip-over),
installed the chromed fork brace
and almost installed the rear half of the front fender.
After reading Clymer I realized I will need to wait until I get the front piece back to install that first, then the rear pc. can go on. So no fender for now.
Then I removed the blocks and jack from the underside of the engine for the first time in 6 months!
Pumped the front forks while holding the front brake to seat the axle before tightening the axle clamps. Almost blew that, though---my torque wrench wasn't working properly (or at least I didn't feel it clicking at the right time)---so I nearly stripped the threads. But I lucked out. I removed all the bolts, started over and it was fine the second time around. Whew!
Also placed my two 70-watt "air dryers" (we use inside the house to help keep the insidious tropical mold at bay) underneath the crankcase and let them warm up the old oil for a couple of hours.
While that was taking place, I removed the two blown bulbs in my Hella FF50s and replaced them with the new Sylvania Silverstar bulbs I bought months ago. I will also redo the wiring some so hopefully I won't blow this pair so soon, either (this is the 3rd pair of bulbs I've put in after little use! I may have a low-voltage situation which is causing this so I will install some heavier guage wire to my Centech fuse block)
Then I got out my oil pan, drained the oil, removed the oil filter and put in fresh Mobil 1 and a new filter. The oil is right between the center dot and the top of the sight glass; probably about right. I filled the oil filter with oil before installing it, too.
No photos today or nothing terribly exciting but wanted to have this record of my gradual reassembly here anyway. Now it's back to work for me all this week so my next update will probably be at least a week or more away. Hope to have some more painted bits to install by then if all goes well (now I'm hearing talk of a drought for us this winter (El Nino), so things are looking up!).
Oh yeah, got my scooter back yesterday with new Bridgestones front and rear---so I can commute on two wheels again, too.
Hasta luego!
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