Topic: Clear coat a bare metal tank with artwork

[Spence_Ellis]

I’ve got a ‘79 CB650 that I’ve been working towards getting road worthy and I’m about to send some parts to the powder coater. I’ve sanded the tank down to bare metal, with patches of paint in some of the harder to reach places, and ideally I’d like to have a friend who is a tattoo artists paint it with something in his style. I’m going for the wabi-sabi look and the bike will be quite minimal beyond the tank. I’ve read that there are problems with adhesion when you go down to bare metal, so this is kind of an order of operations question. Should I have it clear powder coated now and have him paint over it, then hit it with a rattle can clear after? Or wait til he does his work then get it clear powder coated? If this isn’t really feasible, I’ll just have it done in a solid color and go from there.  Any advice would be appreciated!

[Can550]

I unfortunately do not have a photo to share but I had done my 75 cb550f tank bare metal, vapor blasted, sanded, clear coated then I placed postage stamps from all around the world on it. Then two coats of clear coat on top

If you like !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Spence_Ellis]

Ok so when you clear coated it at first did you spray it at home or get it clear powder coated? Sounds like a fun looking bike!

[Can550]

I sprayed at home. Final was done by a shop


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Robbo]

I unfortunately do not have a photo to share but I had done my 75 cb550f tank bare metal, vapor blasted, sanded, clear coated then I placed postage stamps from all around the world on it. Then two coats of clear coat on top

If you like !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Did the photos get lost in the mail  

Sorry, couldn’t resist .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[69cb750]

Should I have it clear powder coated now and have him paint over it, then hit it with a rattle can clear after? Or wait til he does his work then get it clear powder coated? If this isn’t really feasible, I’ll just have it done in a solid color and go from there.  Any advice would be appreciated!

Normal steps are primer, art work, clear coat.

[Can550]

Lost my phone which had photos


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Robbo]

Lost my phone which had photos


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That’s too bad.  I like the concept.  Did I see one of your bikes for sale on Kijiji the other day?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Can550]

Cb550k? Sun flake orange


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Robbo]

Cb550k? Sun flake orange


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ekpent]

 Having had a furniture refinishing biz and working with different topcoats my only advise would be to make sure all the different paints/clear coats etc. work together well. Be a shame to have some nice artwork and have it ruined with an incompatible clear or something.

[scottly]

I don't think I would powder coat a gas tank? A friend once showed me a pic of a Harley tank he'd done. He sprayed it with a flat white primer, then sketched a scene of Lord of the Rings using colored pencils, followed by clear lacquer so seal it. It looked pretty cool..

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Check with your coater. I would do the clear powder as the last step if possible. 

[toma]

Clear coats that are part of a base coat /clear coat system are porous to allow the base coat to fully dry. If you spray that type of clear on bare metal the metal will eventually rust. Get some expert advice on the clear coat  and do a separate test  of  any coating under the clear for compatibility. Nothing in painting is simple with so many different systems out there.

[Spence_Ellis]

Thanks for the replies. I’ll check with the powder coated today and see what they recommend, and if they have a brand of paint they recommend I use. Glad to hear it’s possible! It should be a few weeks but I’ll add some photos when it’s done.