How-To do Custom Tank Paint w/ cans - pics

How much does it cost to have a nice professional custom paint job done on a bike these days?

Harley guys and show bike owners spend hundreds to thousands to have pro painters customize their ride.

Here's a how-to on painting your bike's fuel tank (and other metal pieces) to a pro level without going broke. This article presumes you'd like a bit of bling on your restificated cycle.

The Steps: We're using rattle cans here.

Clean out & Strip the old finish off the tank.
I use Kleen Strip, rinse well and cloth dry.

DO the REPAIRS:
Make any Bondo fill-in spot type repairs on the bare metal (for dings etc.). Bondo likes rough, bare metal. Finish these repairs off; color sand, add red paste in thin layers until they're perfectly flat / contoured. Spray 2 coats of primer and fine sand with 600 grit Wet OR Dry paper.

First I use self-etching primer in multi-layers. Use 600-800 grit wet paper for this step. Prep & wet sand the tank's now primed exterior. Get that tank surface to feel like satin.

BASE COLOR: hang 'em high!
Use a wire rig to hang the tank vertical or you can spray horizontal on a clean, flat surface.
Spray the base color with overlapping horizontal strokes. For a quick non-show job I'll use Rustoleum Appliance Black; it's tough and holds up well. For finer marble-style jobs I use Borden's "Krylon Gloss Black" - always do 2 coats minimum. Let it set up for at least 48 hrs before handling. Why? Simple - fingers leave prints in "OK -it's done, fresh paint". This is the base used for all marble type color themes and makes a fine final finish when covered with catalyzed clear (not the cheap stuff!).

And yes, you can spray Alsa colors over Krylon Gloss Black Enamel as long as you let the glossy black base-coat set up and cure first overnight at minimum (e.g. no rushed work, All done -in-a-day).

BEFORE you Clear Coat:
Wet sand the entire tank surface with 800 grit paper and mild soap spray.
If you're going for a show quality paint job use tack rags between coats and keep the work area spotless.
Using 800-1000 grit wet paper fine sand between coats to get any slubs or dust particles out. Work slowly and patiently to obtain a flat fine surface free of orange peel. By-the-way Harleys have tremendous orange peel. Its just covered with tons of clear.

If you run into more orange peel than you can handle re-spray the black and fine sand a 3rd coat. Its worth the extra effort if you want a really pro-looking paint job.

FINAL - FINE WORK:
Stand back and view the tank in a strong light. If everything looks good its time to do hand-rubbing. This takes real stamina & lots of patience.
I go over the now satiny black tank with 800 grit mixed over Turtle Wax Chrome Polish to get the surface really fine (no fine scratches left). Use only horizontal fore & aft strokes; no circles! Wipe the work off frequently with a soft towel or diaper.

HAND RUBBING:
Next; break out the Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound - heavy duty, to get out any remaining larger scratches (if any). I still go over the entire tank until it has a uniform semi-glow from a very fine finish. For this heavy work I use an old athletic sock turned inside out. Keep at it until your hands ache.

FINAL BUFF & CLEAR COAT:
I use Meguiar's Show Car 7 Glaze applied with a clean, soft diaper. Again, use only fore and aft strokes overlapping each section. Wipe it off and keep at it until that tank gleams like a diamond! You may have to do this step severals times until the surface obtains that mirrored look.
Meguiar's is "paintable" that is it can be sprayed over with a Pearl Crazer / color coat and then with Alsa Speed-Clear.

If you want the new paint to hold up under heavy use, road grime, fuel spills etc then use a good quality catalyzed clear - the kind you need a respirator for. I use Alsacorp's rattle cans 'cause I don't have to worry about any mixing or mess and they give a fantastic pro fan spray.

CLEAR COATING: Do this inside, in a well lit area, away from any breeze ... and wear a respirator / mask.

Final sand using 1000 grit over the final work VERY lightly. This step is optional but most pros will do it BEFORE they do any clear coat. I do 2-3 coats of clear over my final colored surfaces. Use 2 cans and let it tack up almost dry between coats (Alsa's Speed-clear is good for a short time before it turns unusable). Keep the 2nd can for Day Two if you want a really deep show quality shine.

If you're just doing a black tank using gloss paint then you omit the Alsa Crazer (pearl) work in-between.

USE compatible paints!
Duplicolor engine enamels are non-compatible with plastic!!! Don't use this paint type for spraying on any plastic or fiberglass parts - it will bubble up and get millions of pin-holes from gassing. I know, I've tried it.

Plan your work, prep your work area, prep the tank correctly, gather ALL your materials, work your project step-by-step and you'll have a winner for a lot less than that chrome barge sitting next to ya at the light!

Here's a show-quality paint job on The Gunfighter using this method with Alsa's Red Crazer over Gloss Black using rattle cans ... its an old XS850 S model and its badder than bad with those softails.

























The last photo shows what can be achieved with hand-rubbing "cheap" paint. This is a Honda VT11 Bobber Tank that has been filled; no edges,
and no seams. Haven't decided how it'll look on my xj550 Cruiser yet.

Go for it ...

 

that there is what I call a great paint job!!!

 

Really nice job...

 

Thanks guys ... it was a pleasure. While I'm not an Alsacorp paint dealer or an affiliate they do have some awesome colors in Crazer Pearls or Hawaiian Hues. The XS Gunfighter bike was done in Red Crazer over Gloss Black.

Check out their finishes and get some ideas.

http://www.alsacorp.com/

Click on KILLER Cans

 

very nice, unique, not a cookie cutter paint job. i like it.

 

Very good write up

 

good write up, but there is far better products to use than the turtle wax junk...their chrome polish is good but their rubbing compound is an insult to the automotive industry...try some meguiars or 3m stuff and you'll see what I mean. And BTW the 3m stuff can be found at Meijer and Wallyworld.

 

+1 TW rubbing compound just isn't. It can still be used in the polishing process but it's not what anyone would thing of as rubbing compound. Too thin/fine.

 

So do you put the polish on before the clear coat or did i read that wrong?

 

One can buff the 'semi-final' paint surface before doing a clear coat. If there's little or no orange peel you could just buff and spray (3 coats is best) clear over the pearl color.

Alsa's Killer Cans use a very fine, auto type tip with a fan spray pattern so this helps the base coat's finish quality a lot. Using their Gloss Black as a base might eliminate some hand work. Meguiar's is "paintable" e.g. it doesn't have to taken off or wiped before spraying the other layers; pearl and clear.

 

at 40 bucks a pop how many cans does it take to do a job like that ?

 

My custom project required 2 cans Sherwin Williams high solid content Automotive Primer, 1 can Krylon Gloss Black, 1 can Alsa Red Crazer (pearl), 2 cans Alsa Speed Clear.
I spent approx. $160 on the entire project and feel it was worth every nickel.

For a Blue Pearl / Marble job now $250 would be an acceptable figure for the supplies.

Adding all brass-plated fasteners on polished aluminum surfaces would be the crowning touch combined with the radiant Blue. Let's see powder-coated rims in a complimentary color hmmm ... Get that Cruiser or Chopper of yours to put those mass-produced chrome barges to shame.

Or restore a one-of-a-kind Midnight Maxim with real gold plating that will blow everyone's mind.