[Schiavelo]

So this is the first of probably many noob questions this week guys so please forgive me in advance! In the middle of doing some (major for my level of knowledge) work on my Gladius (gsxr front end, sssa rear and Duc 1098 tail) but I'll get to those questions later!

So I'm painting my gas tank after fixing the dents and it's looking great and I'm up to the clear coat stage. I don't want to make my tank too much glossier than it already is. Can I avoid this by not buffing the clear? Or is the buffing an important part of the process?


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[GSX750_SF]

If you didn't want a high gloss, I'm assuming you bought semi gloss clear coat, right?

But to answer your question, buffing WILL make her shine...but after you wet sand your final product, you will WANT to buff it...

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[TrevTastic]

Yep, wetsanding & buffing will make it shine.

IF you want to keep it a Semi-Gloss, there are Semi-Gloss clears available, but it's a one shot deal. You can NOT wetsand or buff the clear or it will become full gloss (shiny).

 

[jed.only]

I say wetsand smooth before shooting a semigloss, makes a difference!

If there aren't fish eyes or orange peel, and you like it, don't mess with it.

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[Schiavelo]

Sweet. I looked in the paint places here but didnt see any semi gloss but ill definitely go back and check now that i know what im looking for!

 

[jed.only]

sometimes autopart stores can mix paint for you, using auto grade paints, and load them into a can for you. you may also need to look for or ask to have "flattener" added.

personally, id leave it be.

 

[RaZed1]

The thing with painting gas tanks is you definitely want to use a hardened two-part clear, even if you used a single stage color. Hardened finishes are far more durable, and most importantly, resistant to gasoline. A buddy did his tank with rattle can clear. Looked good initially, until inevitably a few drops of gas spills every so often when you fill it. Over time this quickly yellowed the area around the cap and now it looks permanently dirty. UV exposure does the same thing, especially if your bike is parked outside a lot.

You can get this stuff called SprayMax 2K. It's a two-part rattle can that you activate by hitting a plunger in the bottom and shaking it. This pops a vial of hardener inside the can and it's good for about 8 hours. It comes in both semi gloss and "glamour gloss" (high gloss) finishes. It's expensive, like $20 a can and can be tough to find locally, try autobody supply shops. If no luck I ordered it from Eastwood.

 

[Schiavelo]

The thing with painting gas tanks is you definitely want to use a hardened two-part clear, even if you used a single stage color. Hardened finishes are far more durable, and most importantly, resistant to gasoline. A buddy did his tank with rattle can clear. Looked good initially, until inevitably a few drops of gas spills every so often when you fill it. Over time this quickly yellowed the area around the cap and now it looks permanently dirty. UV exposure does the same thing, especially if your bike is parked outside a lot.

Well I didny know the difference between the single stage and 2 pack clear was so big but i already had a can of clear to use here so ive had a go anyways. I guess if (read "when") it fucks up ill know what to do next time.

like $20 a can and can be tough to find locally

You sweet summer child. I live in a place called Tasmania, Australia..everythings hard to find locally and your $20 is probably $40-60 here :100SPIN:

Ill post up pics tomorrow of what Ive done and how nice it looks now before petrol ruins the fucker.

 

[RaZed1]

The difference is best illustrated just with your fingernail. Poke it in to the rattle can clear finish and try to slide it- you'll feel a little resistance since your nail "digs in" slightly. Try this again on your car's finish- it'll be smooth as glass. 2 stage clear tends to have a shinier finish and gives more "depth" to colors, though if you wanted a matte look then it probably doesn't matter as much in this regard.

If you regularly wax (a good liquid or paste cleaner wax, not the spray-n-wipe "quik wax" stuff), you can get as much time as possible from your finish.