New tank

New tank from commando Specialties any advice installation painting etc.? Also don't how to post photos help!

Make sure the cap seals before you paint it.

Pressure test at 3 psi before painting.

First, I've sprayed finishes most of my life professionally, but I'm not stricktly a "finisher". A Pro finisher gets the best result possible EVERY time, because he perfects his tools and technique, then he practices it every day. So, you won't get "pro-quality" unless you have a lot of luck.

I've painted my tanks many times over the years. I have cup guns, and pressure pot spray equipment too and I am competant using them correctly. My only problem was that I am an old school lacquer guy, which is easy to use, but doesn't hold up to solvents or fuel spillage. I don't have any experience with real automotive paint chemistry, so on the last tank I painted, I used automotive paint in rattle cans to put down the primer, striping, logo, and base color. Obviously I used a stencil for the logo and masking for the pinstripes. (I wanted to avoid putting unfamiliar chemicals in my equipment)

If you go the rattle can "do it youself" route, be wary of the directions on the rattle cans. If you don't recoat within the specified time, then you have to wait for a full cure of sprayed coats to add more coats of paint. If you don't, the paint will reactivate the bottom coat and it will shrink and lift. If you're patient, you can build a decent finish quality.

But,... cheap rattle can paint is not very fuel resistant, so I bought a can of eastwood's 2K clear gloss fuel resistant paint to top coat the tank who's base coats were inexpensive rustoleum automotive rattle can paint. The products were compatible. (I worried about that)

My result was that I got one small sag in the clear coat on one side from laying too much paint in one spot, and a some "orange peel" in some other spots from being too chicken to really lay down enough paint to have the coat lay out flatter, but the result is good enough for now. In the coming winter, I'm going to rub out the imperfections in that clear coat, touch up any nicks or dings, and spray another coat of 2K clear gloss.

The 2K has worked really well. It's unaffected by fuel, although I wipe it off if I spill any on the tank. It's also repelled brake fluid from a leak in my master cylinder. I washed that off as soon as I saw it on the tank. I don't think much paint resists continuous exposure to brake fluid so I was surprised it cleaned off. Anyway, I hope that helps you out.

Are you planning to paint the tank yourself? Do you have much experience with painting? As for help with photos, I am still figuring this out myself but look below your posting window there should be a link for adding an image.

There are lots of Youtube videos on painting motorcycle tanks. My experience with painting, is make it clean, and put all the effort into prep. You can't use a flatboard on a rounded tank for sanding. I used a length of foam pipe insulation with sandpaper wrapped around it as a flexible "flatboard" and was pleased with the results. The advice I got once was "Use lots of primer, very little paint". I think it is good advice regardless of the paint project. Although in this case you might say "Lots of primer, little paint, lots of clear coat".

The local paint shop here will put automotive paint into rattle cans for a fee. It isn't cheap but it doesn't take much paint to do a tank and side covers. The hardest part is picking the paint code. Well that and pin stripes. I take my hat off to the guys here who can get those right.

Russ

Two things:
I had a customer come in a while back looking to paint a brand new tank. Did not know it at the time but it was a new Norton steel tank, I presume it was Indian made but?? This guy was in the business for years and knows his stuff, he just does it as a way to keep busy now. Don't know what was on that tank, but NOTHING he did with it/to it would make paint stick to it properly. It would fish eye, blister, and wrinkle no matter how many solvent washes he tried. After painting and stripping it twice he gave it back and told the customer he didn't need to be that busy. He told me today the customer tried two other painters with the same results. I don't know if this tank was an exception, or if they put some nasty stuff on it to retard corrosion in shipping but wash the heck out of it with HOT soapy water several times before getting ANY solvent on it.

Second: I sell Dupont (Axalta) brand paints and can put any kind, including 2K paints in an aerosol can. You end up buying a lot of activator you don't use and the spray can has a shelf life but it does give professional results if you're careful. Any good automotive paint supplier should be able to do the same.

Good Luck!

All good advice. As a professional, I have experimented on my own stuff with rattle can color and Eastwood 2K clear. For the money, it's a very good clear and you can get very good results, or horrible ones. That depends on the person doing the spraying. If you are set on painting yourself, give me a call and I'd be happy to walk you though some steps. But keep in mind material costs can get expensive if you do not have all the prep, paper, undercoats, not to mention color and clear onhand.
If you are thinking of having someone do it for you, may i ask you consider my services as I'm currently offering an $800 Summer Painting Special for tank and covers.
Regards,
Brent Budgor
www.vintage-vendor.com
802 839-9439

MikeG said:

Two things:
I had a customer come in a while back looking to paint a brand new tank. Did not know it at the time but it was a new Norton steel tank, I presume it was Indian made but?? This guy was in the business for years and knows his stuff, he just does it as a way to keep busy now. Don't know what was on that tank, but NOTHING he did with it/to it would make paint stick to it properly. It would fish eye, blister, and wrinkle no matter how many solvent washes he tried. After painting and stripping it twice he gave it back and told the customer he didn't need to be that busy. He told me today the customer tried two other painters with the same results. I don't know if this tank was an exception, or if they put some nasty stuff on it to retard corrosion in shipping but wash the heck out of it with HOT soapy water several times before getting ANY solvent on it.

Second: I sell Dupont (Axalta) brand paints and can put any kind, including 2K paints in an aerosol can. You end up buying a lot of activator you don't use and the spray can has a shelf life but it does give professional results if you're careful. Any good automotive paint supplier should be able to do the same.

Good Luck!

Click to expand...

The easy answer is, they used a Teflon fortified lubricant while forming the tank. It adheres well (smeared by the sliding dies in the forming process) and is impervious to solvents. I went through this with a customer in Montreal 20 years ago.
I don't have the answer how to remove it, but I would assume mechanical means only.

Bare steel Tank needs to be sanded thoroughly and then painted with an etching primer. Then a good quality build primer with finish sanding before color is applied. Prep solvents can be used as well.

Simple green scrubbing, then an acid etch should remove anything that'll affect paint...

rvich said:

Are you planning to paint the tank yourself? Do you have much experience with painting? As for help with photos, I am still figuring this out myself but look below your posting window there should be a link for adding an image.

There are lots of Youtube videos on painting motorcycle tanks. My experience with painting, is make it clean, and put all the effort into prep. You can't use a flatboard on a rounded tank for sanding. I used a length of foam pipe insulation with sandpaper wrapped around it as a flexible "flatboard" and was pleased with the results. The advice I got once was "Use lots of primer, very little paint". I think it is good advice regardless of the paint project. Although in this case you might say "Lots of primer, little paint, lots of clear coat".

The local paint shop here will put automotive paint into rattle cans for a fee. It isn't cheap but it doesn't take much paint to do a tank and side covers. The hardest part is picking the paint code. Well that and pin stripes. I take my hat off to the guys here who can get those right.

Russ

Click to expand...

+1 with the prep - it's everything.
I have no previous experience with painting, but I took and old dented and previously badly filled tank and side panels, and made a pretty good job of it.
I do not have a compressor or a spray gun, so I did the whole job with aerosols.
I cheapened out on the main colour by buying a job lot of six obsolete Mercedes Benz paint cans.
When you think everything is perfect, spray on a light "reveal" coat of primer - you will see all the flaws.
You need the surface perfect, otherwise it'll be a waste of time.
I started with this:








Flatting down with wet-and-dry - use only the best (Klingspor, for example):





Get rid of all the imperfections:







Once you're happy with the finish, apply the primer:





Use more wet-and-dry until the finish is perfect:











I then painted the tank and side panels with silver wheel paint to give the top coat an undercoat:






Finally, I painted the tank and side panels with my cheapo Mercedes Benz metallic blue:





You have to paint the whole panel in one go - if you mess up, let it dry and have another go.

For the pin-striping, I used 3mm(1/8") vinyl tape.
Mark the panel with bits of masking tape to guide you as you apply the tape:






Apply the transfers/decals:







If you're cleat coating with acrylic, use vinyl transfers/decals, otherwise you may get an adverse reaction (follow instructions).

I had wanted to have the panels sprayed in 2K, but no shop would do the job.
Therefore, I clear coated it myself in acrylic - I just have to be careful with filling the tank.















Finished article, with which I'm very pleased:




It shows what can be achieved with aerosols and a little patience.