Brush Painting Advice

[Leeum]

About 5 years ago my dad had an accident with me on the back of his new Honda CBR 600FX involving an 18 year old and an apple core, long story but we were all fine :) A large cost to put the fairing right later he decided to sell up, he didn't like the way he was portrayed as a 'maniac' using the bike he had. Instead he decided to furfill one of his childhood wishes by buying a classic motorcycle, in this case a Norton Commando 850 MK2A Interstate 1975.
5 years later and he's still keeping up his hobbie of riding/ improving it :) At the minute he's getting it all ready to go on the road for this year. Last year he brush painted the cast-iron frame, getting a nice smooth finish when brush painting is quite hard as he found. The frame isn't really visible once everything is on but he feels he could get it better. I thought i'd give him a hand by asking the painting experts over here for their verdict, just remember, spray painting isn't an option unless he was re-building the bike and there was nothing attached to the frame. Any tips on paint, types/ thinkness of brushes etc. are greatly appreciated. Here are a few pics:

http://moddin.stupoo.co.uk/Leeum/images/Norton/norton.jpg

Here's the bike atm, in the process of being all polished up.

http://moddin.stupoo.co.uk/Leeum/images/Norton/frame2.jpg

Here's the black frame he wants improving.

http://moddin.stupoo.co.uk/Leeum/images/Norton/frame1.jpg

The centre peice of the frame, the flash makes the finish look alot worse than it really is.

http://moddin.stupoo.co.uk/Leeum/images/Norton/frame1close.jpg

My guess is he needs to sand down, perhaps 200 grit to remove the current paint and bumps. Any tips appreciated :D

Thanks in advance,

Leeum

[Starbuck3733T]

If you're feeling competent stripping the bike down to its frame, get it media blasted and then powdercoated. That'll do the trick :)

[Leeum]

As much as he'd love to get the frame powdercoated, stripping the bike down is the last thing on his mind... unless the engine seized in which case he'd have to splash out for a professional re-build :unsure:

[zer0]

your idea to sand it down would probly help the most. my father is A painter (of buildings) and uses bushes a lot one method to get a smother finish is to use a brush with out brissles (i know your thinking of those crappy fome brushes but they might just work in this case) my tip is to meaby buy a few (depending on how much they cost about $1 or less a pice around here.)
but with those brushes as they are plastic make shure you dont use anything that might cuase it to break down (such as oil based paint.)
good luck.

[mnpctech]

Jebus K! I want that bike! :h34r:

Before I make any suggestions, I'm gonna PM Pug. He used to restore bikes for a motorcycle museum.

[GodsUnicorn]

Try your local Norton owners club, most of those guys are only too willing to help out.

Nice bike BTW.

[dutchcedar]

[Jackie Gleason voice]Eeeeeh Nohton!!!

Yowzah, that's a nice bike. I haven't seen one of those in a long time. I'd make sure its painted well enough to prevent rust and do it right when the time is right... but dat's just me... and why the ole' 914 sits quietly in the garage waiting for "the right time"... which always seems to be "next year"... :blink: :wacko: :unsure: :lol:

[Knipex]

Never done this myself but have heard of it.

Use automotive paint but put no thinners in it. (they will put in thinners when mixing but add no more)

Prep as normal.

Apply multiple coats (I mean 10 coats)

Sand down carefully with 240 gritt untill smooth. Then wetsand with 800 gritt, 1000, 1500 and buff.

Its a hell of alot of work but it is supposed to give a result.

Otehr option is aerosol paint.

[Starbuck3733T]

[Jackie Gleason voice]Eeeeeh Nohton!!!

Yowzah, that's a nice bike. I haven't seen one of those in a long time. I'd make sure its painted well enough to prevent rust and do it right when the time is right... but dat's just me... and why the ole' 914 sits quietly in the garage waiting for "the right time"... which always seems to be "next year"... :blink: :wacko: :unsure: :lol:

Porsche 914? my father has a '73 and she runs fine. Not the pretiest, but its all good.

[fivecheebs]

Nice bike leeum.

I have allways prefered the Tritons (http://www.ajsmotorcycles.co.uk/docs/grimeca1/Docs/Images/blue%20triton.jpg) myself. There was a company who used to build hybrid bikes from nortin anf triumph and they were the pocket rockets of the time. Those bikes were nicknamed tritons B) iirc

[Pug]

If you're feeling competent stripping the bike down to its frame, get it media blasted and then powdercoated. That'll do the trick :)
Way to go IMO dude, sorry.

Strip & powdercoat.
If not now, then come Autumn.
Do it over Winter & be blessed in the Spring. B)



Cheebs - Tritons were never company produced, just backStreet guys like us lot, modding like nature intended. ^_^
Take the best motor turned out by the British bike industry (a none-too-shabby lot, at the time) - Ed Turner's (Classic name too! :D) Twin Carb T120R from the Triumph Bonneville and put it in the best frame - Norton's 'Featherbed' (with OMG... suspension!!11). Result? The Triton... the greatest bike we never made. :rolleyes:

You could get Triton decals in gold leaf from bike shows (though they'd be signwritten with Size and Leaf by the originals, I'm sure) as the two makers' marks were naturally blended in the Triumph style, so I can see why you'd think they might have been mass-produced at some time (but NOOO Goddammnit!!! :rant: ). ;)


Jeez, I appear to be radiating a rather large, heady cloud of nostalgia here, don't I? :wub: :lol:

[fillip]

Whoooahhh Pug!

he's back http://wizdforums.co.uk/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

Sorry for teh spam, but your PM's are being bounced due to full mailbox.

A US flag? that's interesting... Have you upped sticks permenantly or just temp?

[Leeum]

Pug!! Good to see you back mate B) Boy you've missed quite a bit including a small dilema (http://www.wizdforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1516), all sorted though ^_^

EDIT: Apologies for dead pics, server has fallen over :wacko:

[mnpctech]

Hes aware of it Leeum :)

[ỒĊBłůē]

W00t! It's Pug!

Welcome home dude ^_^

[Pug]

:D Hehe, cheers guys. ^_^

Leeum. Ta for the heads-up. :o)
Sorted though, as Bill said. Best community in the world and self-sufficient too. :cool:


Fill - huh? That musta happened when I changed scopE's title.
I went to change mine just after and I had the one I'd just given him. :wacko:
Didn't notice the flag - I'd better check the whole profile... :unsure:

Hehe, nothing gets past you, does it? :h34r: :D

[fillip]

Nah man, it was there when you first posted in here, and I replied not long after so I think it had happened before playing with Scope's a/c http://wizdforums.co.uk/images/smilies/unsure.gif

You do tend to notice things though when your eyes are this big --> http://wizdforums.co.uk/images/smilies/eek.gif

http://wizdforums.co.uk/images/smilies/laugh.gif


The goldfish mouth is however rather unfortunate...