TOPIC:

RoyNor wrote:

... They also wrote some Norwegian in the epost to me, haha. Cheers:)

There're just trying to impress stein.

RoyNor
Are you using it on Steel or Aluminium?
On Aluminium, you can sand it with sand-paper. On steel, you can treat it with Muriatic (Diluted Sulfuric) Acid. Sandblasting is the absolute best though. The "Original Black" has the best adhesion of all of the coatings. Make sure that you spray it on very thin. The coatings are very hard, and if you put them on too thick they can chip like Ceramic. The most important thing to remember, is that the parts must be perfectly dry of any OILs, and if you are using on Aluminium, must have NO Aluminum-Oxide on them. All parts should be cleaned just before coating. GunKote is intended for smaller parts and parts that are cosmetic in nature. Do not use it on large frame components.

otakar. on the 2 points covers u showed us on pg 1(1 black and 1 clear). did u sand blast them or acid? the finnish looks too smooth for a blast? they look very good.

Mark
The polished Aluminum Parts are polished with a buffing wheel and than Dunk Washed in Butyl Alcohol, twice to remove all possible oils. The parts are than heated to 130*f for 1 hour. After heating and while still hot a very thin coat of clear is applied at 15-20psi with a gravity feed gun. The trick is to keep the pressure low and not cool the parts too quickly. I like to use GunKote anywhere I need to dissipate heat to prevent overheating.

THANKS. Is there any reason I shouldn’t use gunkote on the cases block and head? Is there a black that will match the factory black kawi motor paint? How many cans would I need for a motor? if I used my fuji hvlp (I only spray water base at home), how do u setup a system to clean your gun?

Thanks for answering.

I will use it on any smaller part on the bikes.

Is it any need to put the engine side covers in muriatic acid?
I know about not to put aluminium in muriatic acid, is it the same with the metal in the engine side covers?

What about the compressed air, is it best to use oil free air compressor?

No, Only Steel parts should be soaked in Muriatic acid. Aluminium should be only sanded or sand blasted.

Post edited by: otakar, at: 2008/01/20 10:05

I should clarify my paint preferences. For Cosmetic work on tanks and so forth, I use PPG Basecoat systems with DCU2002 clear coat and DCX61 hardener. For frame work I use POOR-15 Black system with Rust preventative first coat and “chassis black” or “gloss black” on top. Never use POR-15 Silvers, they are absolute garbage and NEVER harden completely. I have tried all the silvers they had and paid a small fortune for them and they are all the same garbage. The black however is EXCILENT. For engine cases and other large engine parts where heat dissipation is not too critical I use Sherwin-Williams “Polane”. Polane withstand very high temperatures and always stays hard without changing color, (do not use Polane on exhaust headers, but you may use it on mufflers”. I have tested Polane to 300*f and it stands up to it without a problem. Sidecovers on engines may be either GunKoted or Polaned. Polane will hide more flaws due to the fact that it is MUCH, MUCH, thicker in film. I like Polane over Powder Coat because I believe it is just as durable and can be applied by the average Joe without the use of special equipment. I believe that if it is good enough for the Aerospace industry, it is good enough for me. Polane is used by the US Military, Boeing and others. It is a two part true Poly Urethane at a 6:1 mixing ratio. If so desired it can be used on the entire bike with excellent results, Frame, Body and engine. Cylinder Heads I almost exclusively GunKote due to its thin film and excellent head dissipation. Cylinders I prefer to also GunKote but they may be Polaned if a very thin cote is applied. Valve covers can be GunKoted or polaned. I hope this helps to explain my processes in painting and paint preferences.

For paint equipment I use Exclusively Harbor Freight paint guns. For GunKote cleanup I use pure Acetone only and for all other paint I use Methyl Ethyl Ketene. I personally do not like HVLP guns because they do not atomize very well. I like to use standard pressure guns and about 30-40psi pressure on the average. I also do not use commercial solvents blended for the paints. I mix my own reducers depending on each individual painting situation and paint type. In my solvent supply I have Toluene, Methyl-Ethyl-Ketene, Acetone, Butyl Alcohol, Butyl-Acetate, Benzene, and Metylene Chloride. I mix my Reducers depended on temperature and humidity.

Post edited by: otakar, at: 2008/01/20 10:02

Yes! Thanks for sheering your knowledge!

First ,otakar. I want to say THANK YOU for writing such a great post on this topic. i'm sure many will benifit from this.
can u give me any tips on setting up a system to clean my gun with minimal mess and cemicals?

First of all, the best solvent to use for gun cleaning is MEK. I do nothing more than spray my guns threw with the solvent and wipe them down. My guns always hang upright and I always keep MEK in the cup. It dose not take much only about 2-3oz for each rinse threw, and I spray them threw about 3-4 times for each cleanup, while shaking it vigorously. I also have separate guns for each task. Harbor Freight guns are cheep, so this is not unreasonable. I have one gun for clear, one for pigmented paints one for Metallics and one for GunKote. This entire investment would be about $100 this is a small price to pay to keep paint incompatibility issues down to a minimum and quality results to a maximum. For GunKote I use a small gravity feed type touchup gun almost bordering on being a large airbrush. For applying K-Fos metal treatment I use the Harbor Freight $5.00 airbrush ($3.25 when on sale) It lasts me about 6 months. The trick is to keep MEK in the gun at all times so nothing has a chance to harden in it. I have had my guns for 5 years now and they have never been allowed to dry out. The most important thing to remember is to rinse the gun out just before you are ready to use it with a solvent compatible with what ever paint you are going to use next. For Urethanes and Enamels use MEK or Toluene, for Lacquers (GunKote) use acetone for two part clear coats use Toluene. I almost never take my guns apart to clean them at best I remove the air nozzle and soak it if it has paint on it.

Post edited by: otakar, at: 2008/01/20 10:50