Topic: How do you re-black the engine logos? And pretty the aluminum

[Jayelwin]

I wanted to make a quick thread to ask two simple questions.



So if I decided to keep the engine on the frame, how would you go about getting all the oxide off the engine? I thought about focally soda blasting with a narrow nozzle. Then what? I can't see painting a mounted engine. Car wax? Aluminum polish?

Also the "HONDA" engraving on the stator cover and the 1-n-2-3-4-5 near the shifter has lost its black. Anyone have a re-blacking technique for this.

If I can make the engine shine, polish the chrome, and get the painted parts repainted I won't be that unhappy about the cosmetically troubled frame.

[Mo]

Paint and Polish.

[flybox1]

pulling for paint and polish would make it look best.

i loaded a 4" wool buffer on my drill with mag polish and went at it.  came out fine for the time being.
leave the cases and head.  just scrub them good.
black sharpee or testors model paint and a steady hand for the indentions

[grepper]

There's lots of threads on polishing here and elsewhere.    You can polish them while they are on the bike, it's kind of a pain though.  Of course if you take them off, you'll have to drain the oil first and probably buy new gaskets.  They will come off w/o taking the motor out.

As for re- blackening the logo.  I little art brush and black paint.  The nice part is that the raised parts are polished, so if you mess up, you can just rub the paint off w/o it coming off the part where you wan the paint.

[Bankerdanny]

Get yourself several grades of wet/dry sandpaper, some 0000 steel wool, a buffer attachment for your drill, and some simichrome polish. Then breal out a large can of elbo grease and get to work.

For the paint, carefull sanding and some black enamel and a fine brush.

[phil71]

Mask most of it, shoot black, but just enough to cover, not multiple coats. Let it dry well. Lacquer thinner on a rag stretched over a block will get the paint off the high spots leaving the depths alone. Don't drench the rag with the thinner, and don't be impatient.

[70CB750]

Somebody was using Sharpie touch up or somethng like that for the letters.

[KC_Northstar]

I used Sharpies w/oil base paint.    I used 2 for the stator cover emblem.  (they don't last long)   You might want
to get 1 med point and 1 fine point.    Results are as nice as original.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sharpie-Paint-Marker-Pen-Oil-Based-Med-Point-Black-/400598326519?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d45855cf7#ht_2847wt_1160


KC

[MoMo]

I used Shapies w/oil base paint.    I used 2 for the stator cover emblem.  (they don't last long)   You might want
to get 1 med point and 1 fine point.    Results are as nice as original.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sharpie-Paint-Marker-Pen-Oil-Based-Med-Point-Black-/400598326519?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d45855cf7#ht_2847wt_1160


KC

Sharpies work well, and AC Moore has them in stock....Larry

[Jayelwin]

So I got this:



and this:



Hopefully this will allow me to make the aluminum really nice without removing the engine.

Also bought the sharpie pen. I didn't realize they had special ones, I've got loads of regular ones and they wouldn't be good. Hopefully a Sharpie "Paint" will work.

[MoMo]

Yep, Sharpie oil paint fine tip will work well...Larry

[TwoTired]

I will warn AGAINST using steel wool on aluminum.  Small bits of steel will embed into the soft aluminum, setting the stage for poor chemistry.  Two metals with any impure moisture between them forms a battery and creates dissimilar metal corrosion.

3M makes "synthetic steel wool", is made in fine "grits" even 0000. No metal in that to instigate corrosion later.

[Cougars750F0]

I bought that same polishing kit from harbor freight and the polishing compounds are marginal at best. I finely ran out of the white and replaced it with a better compound and it made a huge difference. I wasn't  able to get a good shine with the compounds provided in the kit no mater what I did. I changed to a better compound and got a mirror finish with little effort. Be careful with the small hard wheels they cut real fast. 

[Cougars750F0]

Mask most of it, shoot black, but just enough to cover, not multiple coats. Let it dry well. Lacquer thinner on a rag stretched over a block will get the paint off the high spots leaving the depths alone. Don't drench the rag with the thinner, and don't be impatient.

+1 I repainted my tank emblems the same way and they came out perfect and it was easy. SEM makes a spray paint that will hold up on aluminum really well and is resistant to road grin, oil etc. and will handle the heat from the engine and they have a number of different shades of black. You can find it for sale at auto paint shop suppliers.

[Stev-o]

It should go without saying that you polish before painting.

[RSchaefer]

I PC'ed the side covers in clear and laid down a black PC prior to the clear.

[Stev-o]

That head cover is gorgeous!

[Jayelwin]

I didn't know they make clear powder coating.

After polishing aluminum what simpler technique would keep it nice? I'm not going to be able to powder coat any engine parts.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Kickstart]

I PC'ed the side covers in clear and laid down a black PC prior to the clear.

RSchaefer, that looks amazing!

Who did you use for the powder coating?  Did they use a special high-heat paint?

I always thought you couldn't paint over highly polished metal - have you had these on the bike and running for a while.  I'd be very interested to know how it's holding up.

I wanted to do the same thing, but closer to the original luster (slightly brushed?) - I think I heard someone say on another thread there is a certain grit to achieve this (something between 600 and 1000).  Although after seeing yours, I'm temped to go with highly polished. 

[RSchaefer]

I basically PC'ed everything on the bike myself.  Got the basic kit with 4 colors from Eastwood ($100) and purchased a used oven from a local used building material supply house for $30.  I eventually order more semi-black and the clear from Eastwood, the PC is relatively cheap.  The only thing I sent out was my frame, would not fit in the oven, but the swingarm did!

The process is relatively easy to learn, I have never done anything like it before.  You don't need a clean room or anything like that, I just sprayed it on in the garage.  You need an air compressor but the pressure is like 10 to 12 PSI.  Your basically just kinda dusting the part and because the parts are electrically charged and the piece you are spraying is grounded the dust is attracted to the part, really easy to do.  Bake it for 20 mins. and your done, let it cool and its beautiful.

I looked for various solutions to protect the polished aluminum side covers and originally did not even think about PC'ing them.  After consideration I decided on the clear PC and I could fill the HONDA logo, gear selector cover, etc, with black PC and set it 1st, and then cover with the clear PC.  The bake on the clear is 350 degrees and I was concerned about the side covers getting hot but many others have said they will never get to 350 degrees and many others have PC'ed the side covers clear so I went for it and it looks real good.  Will see how it holds up in real life, I do not have her running as of yet.

[RSchaefer]

Checkout my fork legs, trying to get the stock look - and I PC'ed them

Stock





After a few hours of using finer and finer grit wet/dry and rotating the sandpaper





And then PC

[RSchaefer]

Here is the oven

[Jayelwin]

Wow. Looks like you'll be baking cookies next.

[RSchaefer]

Once you use the oven for PC you can never use it again for food products!!

[Jayelwin]

Once you use the oven for PC you can never use it again for food products!!

Good to know... Good to know...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD