This part will be a synopsis of what has been done so far, and what is left to do. Will fill in the particulars.
GL1200 Paint Project - Part 2
- Thread starter Rednaxs60
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Part 2 Synopsis. This synopsis is based on my experiences with the painting of my 1500 and 1200 GWs.
A paint project for us DIY people can be a daunting experience. It is not a quick trip to the paint store, pick up a few spray cans and go. I read a number of forum threads to get a gist of what to expect and the best way forward. A lot of people do the spray "rattle" can paint jobs and these have turned out quite well. Others use spray gun(s) and achieve similar and often the results that can rival the OEM finish. Whichever way you choose, patience is the key.
I chose to use spray gun(s) for my two paint projects, mainly because I had never used a paint spray gun, and this was a good opportunity. Not a lot of information available for a DIY spray gun paint job for us who do not have access to a paint booth. Most of the information relates to using a paint booth.
Using a garage, or your basement, requires a different mindset and spray gun selection. I bought several spray guns, full size to min, and have found that for a DIY bike paint job, a mini paint gun with a 0.8 mm spray nozzle more than adequate for the job. The price for one of these can range from $20.00 to north of $400.00. I mentioned that patience is necessary, and with this, an inexpensive spray gun from Harbor Freight (HF), or the Canadian equivalent Princess Auto (PA) can do a very good job. I sprayed my 1500, a white Glacier Pearl - 3 part system with $20.00 (sale price) 0.8 mm nozzle spray guns and have had very good compliments.
Tried a full size gun, HVLP and an LVLP, full fan and lots of product delivery and made a mess of the garage - lots of cleaning and redoing of the painting. Dropped to the mini spray guns and was better for it, but still had cleaning to do. I have since learned and tried various spray patterns and product flow rates. Getting better as I do more.
I have ventured into using an airbrush 0.3 mm nozzle for smaller pieces such as switch housings. Lots of control, very little overspray, and the paint goes a long way. Better to do several light coats, then fewer heavy coats.
I have settled on an airbrush for small detailed work. Intend to have three, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm and a 0.5 mm nozzle airbrush. These are inexpensive. Many different models on the market, single/dual action, syphon, gravity feed and such. Do your research and get what you need. I have viewed videos of automotive paint repairs with an airbrush on panel size(s) similar to the side panels on a GW.
I have several spray guns at this time, from inexpensive to expensive. I have settled on the Meiji F55 0.8 mm nozzle spray guns as my go to - have two. These are similar to the Iwata LPH80, but at half the price. To complement these are my Princess Auto mini spray guns with a 0.8 mm nozzle. I have tried the Princess Auto detail spray gun (bought on sale at $17.00 CDN) with a 0.5 mm nozzle, but not impressed with the function. Thinking a 0.5 mm nozzle needle set for one of the Meiji spray gun is the way to go. My brothers and friends will be the beneficiaries of the other guns I have acquired - good birthday and Xmas gifts.
The nozzle cap size is different between the different models. The cap size on the Princess Auto mini spray guns is almost twice the size of the cap size on the Meiji spray gun. The Meiji mini gun can be used for finer detail work, more so than the Princess Auto mini gun. In this regard if you are spraying a larger body panel one colour, the PA spray gun can do a very good job. You can regulate the fan size and product delivery to minimize overspray and such, while still getting the job done in a timely manner. I used the Meiji mini gun for the complete 1200 paint project including doing pinstripes. Just have to remember that the fan size at certain settings is larger with a larger spray cap with the same nozzle size.
A mini spray gun with a 0.8 mm nozzle can do the complete paint job from base coat to clear coat. A two part paint system is easier and takes less time than a three part paint system. In this regard, a spray gun for the colour and clear coat is advantageous. For a three part paint system, one that has a pearl component say, 3 spray guns is good. Get these from HF or PA on sale. Taking your time and practicing a bit will give good results. I advocate less expensive spray guns for another simpler reason, we generally only do this once or with quite a bit of time between the two usages. Keep these spray guns clean, clean after every use, and these will perform well.
I have taken to cleaning the spray guns with acetone after each colour and before putting away for the night. I take apart and clean every two to three days when using daily. If the spray gun is a little off in performance, I'll stop, take apart, clean and assemble ready for the next go around. Only takes a 1/2 hour to do, if this. Same for the airbrush. Using mostly water based paint. Clean up is water, 60% solution of rubbing alcohol, and some airbrush cleaning solution.
Air compressor for spray gun painting. Too large a spray gun and you will be painting to accommodate the compressor, start/stop letting the compressor catch up. Can be done but takes more time. The smaller paint spray guns such as the Meiji F55 use maybe 2 CFM max, the PA paint spray guns up to 4 CFM. These are acceptable numbers for the DIY paint project and air compressors that most of us have. If you are fortunate to have a larger, more adequate compressor, your paint spray gun options are more varied; however, larger is not always better.
Paint selection is quite easy providing the colour ingredients and mixing code is available. for my 1500, white Glacier Pearl, the code was not available so my paint guy found me a good alternative, bit more white and you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. the colour code for the '85 Limited edition that has a gold and brown metal flake component was readily available. When the gold metal flake code was entered into the computer, the two colour codes for the gold and brown metal flake came up. Only issue was the reddish component for the brown metal flake - good alternative was found.
The cost for the paint to spray is, in my opinion, less costly than using spray cans, not better just less costly. Painting performance and finished product is directly related to the person doing the work.
I did use spray cans for priming. Epoxy primer in the spray can is almost as nasty as that from a spray gun. I used spray can clear coat for smaller parts/pieces; however, the cost for spray cans can add up rather quickly, but sometimes this cannot be avoided.
The other nicety of using spray guns and having the paint made for the project at hand is that duplicating the colour when you need more is sometimes easier, and you do not have to wait for shipping or a different colour lot to come in. You can get custom colour spray cans, but these are not that easy to use and do have a usage shelf life, and these may not be available in your area.
Pinstripes is another aspect of the job. Honda GWs generally have some pinstriping. My '85 Limited Edition has a lot, on every body panel that is two tone. Honda installed these pinstripes as decals then clear coat over top to seal and keep in place. My '85 had three pinstripe schemes - two different colour decals, and the front fender was pinstripe tape. needless to say, the pinstripe decals are not available - what to do. Took me some time and thinking to come up with a very good solution. Paint the individual body panels and fender with the gold and brown metal flake colours, apply pinstripe tape to get the outline of the pinstripe, then paint with a gloss black. This is very simplified explanation, but is the process I went through. When I taped and prepped the front fairing to do the pinstripes, the time expended was four hours. Painting of the pinstripes was half hour - had to let the paint flash between coats, 3 in number. 20 minutes max to remove the taping and protective papering.
The last component of my paint jobs is the most important - PREP work. I understand why a person would not have their bike professionally painted, the cost to prep the parts is prohibitive in my mind unless you are doing a show bike that will be in competitions. The paint job for my 1500 and 1200 is about $500.00 CDN each, not considering my foray into paint guns. have not kept track of the time to do, but estimate at least 75% of the time has been prep work. If it was a four week project, continuous for this time, say 8 hours a day, 3 weeks prep, one week paint. This does not include taking all the parts/pieces apart - add another week.
The main reason prep work is so important is that the finished product will reflect what you have done. If there is a small hairline crack visible in the old finish and you do not correct this defect, it will show up in the new finish. Most of the body panels that I had to work with are made of ABS. This is a good product and easy to fix, but time consuming.
Be prepared for the occasional oops. Paint runs are going to happen, you are going to miss defects that you should have corrected. Not the end of the world, and if someone is that close outside of a competition, they're too close. Minor setback(s), but rectifiable.
A long synopsis of what I have done and learned, and not everything. Not a lot out there, so I hope this helps.
Remember it's only paint. Good luck and thanks for reading.
A paint project for us DIY people can be a daunting experience. It is not a quick trip to the paint store, pick up a few spray cans and go. I read a number of forum threads to get a gist of what to expect and the best way forward. A lot of people do the spray "rattle" can paint jobs and these have turned out quite well. Others use spray gun(s) and achieve similar and often the results that can rival the OEM finish. Whichever way you choose, patience is the key.
I chose to use spray gun(s) for my two paint projects, mainly because I had never used a paint spray gun, and this was a good opportunity. Not a lot of information available for a DIY spray gun paint job for us who do not have access to a paint booth. Most of the information relates to using a paint booth.
Using a garage, or your basement, requires a different mindset and spray gun selection. I bought several spray guns, full size to min, and have found that for a DIY bike paint job, a mini paint gun with a 0.8 mm spray nozzle more than adequate for the job. The price for one of these can range from $20.00 to north of $400.00. I mentioned that patience is necessary, and with this, an inexpensive spray gun from Harbor Freight (HF), or the Canadian equivalent Princess Auto (PA) can do a very good job. I sprayed my 1500, a white Glacier Pearl - 3 part system with $20.00 (sale price) 0.8 mm nozzle spray guns and have had very good compliments.
Tried a full size gun, HVLP and an LVLP, full fan and lots of product delivery and made a mess of the garage - lots of cleaning and redoing of the painting. Dropped to the mini spray guns and was better for it, but still had cleaning to do. I have since learned and tried various spray patterns and product flow rates. Getting better as I do more.
I have ventured into using an airbrush 0.3 mm nozzle for smaller pieces such as switch housings. Lots of control, very little overspray, and the paint goes a long way. Better to do several light coats, then fewer heavy coats.
I have settled on an airbrush for small detailed work. Intend to have three, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm and a 0.5 mm nozzle airbrush. These are inexpensive. Many different models on the market, single/dual action, syphon, gravity feed and such. Do your research and get what you need. I have viewed videos of automotive paint repairs with an airbrush on panel size(s) similar to the side panels on a GW.
I have several spray guns at this time, from inexpensive to expensive. I have settled on the Meiji F55 0.8 mm nozzle spray guns as my go to - have two. These are similar to the Iwata LPH80, but at half the price. To complement these are my Princess Auto mini spray guns with a 0.8 mm nozzle. I have tried the Princess Auto detail spray gun (bought on sale at $17.00 CDN) with a 0.5 mm nozzle, but not impressed with the function. Thinking a 0.5 mm nozzle needle set for one of the Meiji spray gun is the way to go. My brothers and friends will be the beneficiaries of the other guns I have acquired - good birthday and Xmas gifts.
The nozzle cap size is different between the different models. The cap size on the Princess Auto mini spray guns is almost twice the size of the cap size on the Meiji spray gun. The Meiji mini gun can be used for finer detail work, more so than the Princess Auto mini gun. In this regard if you are spraying a larger body panel one colour, the PA spray gun can do a very good job. You can regulate the fan size and product delivery to minimize overspray and such, while still getting the job done in a timely manner. I used the Meiji mini gun for the complete 1200 paint project including doing pinstripes. Just have to remember that the fan size at certain settings is larger with a larger spray cap with the same nozzle size.
A mini spray gun with a 0.8 mm nozzle can do the complete paint job from base coat to clear coat. A two part paint system is easier and takes less time than a three part paint system. In this regard, a spray gun for the colour and clear coat is advantageous. For a three part paint system, one that has a pearl component say, 3 spray guns is good. Get these from HF or PA on sale. Taking your time and practicing a bit will give good results. I advocate less expensive spray guns for another simpler reason, we generally only do this once or with quite a bit of time between the two usages. Keep these spray guns clean, clean after every use, and these will perform well.
I have taken to cleaning the spray guns with acetone after each colour and before putting away for the night. I take apart and clean every two to three days when using daily. If the spray gun is a little off in performance, I'll stop, take apart, clean and assemble ready for the next go around. Only takes a 1/2 hour to do, if this. Same for the airbrush. Using mostly water based paint. Clean up is water, 60% solution of rubbing alcohol, and some airbrush cleaning solution.
Air compressor for spray gun painting. Too large a spray gun and you will be painting to accommodate the compressor, start/stop letting the compressor catch up. Can be done but takes more time. The smaller paint spray guns such as the Meiji F55 use maybe 2 CFM max, the PA paint spray guns up to 4 CFM. These are acceptable numbers for the DIY paint project and air compressors that most of us have. If you are fortunate to have a larger, more adequate compressor, your paint spray gun options are more varied; however, larger is not always better.
Paint selection is quite easy providing the colour ingredients and mixing code is available. for my 1500, white Glacier Pearl, the code was not available so my paint guy found me a good alternative, bit more white and you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. the colour code for the '85 Limited edition that has a gold and brown metal flake component was readily available. When the gold metal flake code was entered into the computer, the two colour codes for the gold and brown metal flake came up. Only issue was the reddish component for the brown metal flake - good alternative was found.
The cost for the paint to spray is, in my opinion, less costly than using spray cans, not better just less costly. Painting performance and finished product is directly related to the person doing the work.
I did use spray cans for priming. Epoxy primer in the spray can is almost as nasty as that from a spray gun. I used spray can clear coat for smaller parts/pieces; however, the cost for spray cans can add up rather quickly, but sometimes this cannot be avoided.
The other nicety of using spray guns and having the paint made for the project at hand is that duplicating the colour when you need more is sometimes easier, and you do not have to wait for shipping or a different colour lot to come in. You can get custom colour spray cans, but these are not that easy to use and do have a usage shelf life, and these may not be available in your area.
Pinstripes is another aspect of the job. Honda GWs generally have some pinstriping. My '85 Limited Edition has a lot, on every body panel that is two tone. Honda installed these pinstripes as decals then clear coat over top to seal and keep in place. My '85 had three pinstripe schemes - two different colour decals, and the front fender was pinstripe tape. needless to say, the pinstripe decals are not available - what to do. Took me some time and thinking to come up with a very good solution. Paint the individual body panels and fender with the gold and brown metal flake colours, apply pinstripe tape to get the outline of the pinstripe, then paint with a gloss black. This is very simplified explanation, but is the process I went through. When I taped and prepped the front fairing to do the pinstripes, the time expended was four hours. Painting of the pinstripes was half hour - had to let the paint flash between coats, 3 in number. 20 minutes max to remove the taping and protective papering.
The last component of my paint jobs is the most important - PREP work. I understand why a person would not have their bike professionally painted, the cost to prep the parts is prohibitive in my mind unless you are doing a show bike that will be in competitions. The paint job for my 1500 and 1200 is about $500.00 CDN each, not considering my foray into paint guns. have not kept track of the time to do, but estimate at least 75% of the time has been prep work. If it was a four week project, continuous for this time, say 8 hours a day, 3 weeks prep, one week paint. This does not include taking all the parts/pieces apart - add another week.
The main reason prep work is so important is that the finished product will reflect what you have done. If there is a small hairline crack visible in the old finish and you do not correct this defect, it will show up in the new finish. Most of the body panels that I had to work with are made of ABS. This is a good product and easy to fix, but time consuming.
Be prepared for the occasional oops. Paint runs are going to happen, you are going to miss defects that you should have corrected. Not the end of the world, and if someone is that close outside of a competition, they're too close. Minor setback(s), but rectifiable.
A long synopsis of what I have done and learned, and not everything. Not a lot out there, so I hope this helps.
Remember it's only paint. Good luck and thanks for reading.
