Paint!

This was a 3 stage process, but I counted 4. (10 if you count the prep, lol)

First up, 2 coats of silver:






Then 2 coats of mixed up red base coat, followed by 2 coats of the Lexus red basecoat:

That looks like your comin along nicely.

Finally, 2 coats of the metallic pearl coat, followed by 2 coats of clear, and you get this! The first pic shows the sparkle, but looks pinkish. The 2nd really shows the color. This is before sanding and buffing; that comes Friday.

I can't wait to get this out in the sun and get some good pics!

Next up sanding and buffing, which isn't going to take long with the paint job she laid down on these. Then we paint the fairing, whenever it gets here. Then I put it all together and ride! Can't wait can't wait can't wait!!!

Wow, that's impressive.... that you got a girl like that! Paint looks great too! Definitely keep the photos coming. ...Oh yah, picts of the bike too.

Quicl question. My dad was telling me about sanding and buffing the paint after you get do e. Anyone have a guide for doing this by chance??? He does painting. But has never done the buffing and sanding. Im doing the metalic silver with a blue candy.

That is awesome. Thanks for the pictures.

When you do the sanding and buffing, can you take more pictures? Truly, what is involved in buffing new paint?

Beatiful work!

This is what I got from another site. Some of the links are broken, but the idea is there.
Now, ready for the real way to do it?

First off, BURY the base color with about 4-6 coats of clear-minimum. Be sure to follow your flash times per the manufacturer so you do not get solvent pop. You want under 10 mil of finished product and the more you start with as far as clear, the more you can cut and buff to get to a perfectly flat finish.
(And have left to re-buff later.)

Let it cure for a week minimum. Get a bucket (Clean) and do the dish soap water mix. THEN, depending on how much peel you have, start with 1200 or 1500 grit and sand in one direction only, using a pad under the the paper, like a durablock on flat surfaces and a sanding pad like 3M makes and sells for woodworking use at Wal-Mart for curved surfaces. Paint stir sticks work great also as they bend. Check it every 20 strokes or so with a California blade or other pure silicone squeegee. THEN go to 1500 or 2000 and repeat, only sanding in a 90 degree pattern to the first paper used. This way, you can tell how much sanding scratch remains from the previous grit. After 1500 or 2000 you can use a wool pad like a Schlegel 175C Twisted wool pad. Do NOT use a non-twisted wool pad. They suck. The Schlegel is only about $17 and worth every penny. Then read this carefully:


DO NOT GET IN HURRY WITH A BUFFER! GETTING GREEDY AND TRYING TO BUFF ALL IN ONE SHOT BURNS MORE PAINT THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

I use this to cut with but I know how much to lean on the buffer without getting in trouble so I advise you to take it easy. Only do a 2 foot square section at a time. STAY AWAY FROM EDGES!

Apply a ribbon of cutting compund to your pad and place it on the panel and work it around a little before turning the buffer on. Then work back and forth KEEPING THE BUFFER MOVING and work one section 2 X 2 FEET AT A TIME.

After you are done with cutting, go to this pad as it works great and is way cheaper.

And this works as good as anything to finish on the foam pad. You can go to a waffle pad after that, but for now, what I have posted here will work fine for you.

Repeat in 30 days. By now you are pretty much cured. (Your paint that is, not you. You will now see the reuslts of your work and have the painting bug!) RESIST IT!!! You will want to paint everything from your mailbox to other peoples' cars!! Then you will open a shop and quit your day job!! Then you will be posting on internet message boards about the "Right Way" to cut and buff paint!
And then......ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Looks great! Who made your soft bags you had before? I really like those too.

Warden wrote:
That is awesome. Thanks for the pictures.

When you do the sanding and buffing, can you take more pictures? Truly, what is involved in buffing new paint?

Beatiful work!

Thanks!

There won't be much involved at all in this job. We don't have a booth, so there's a little dust here and there but nothing major. Plus it's not a show bike. It looks as if there's the tiniest bit of peel in the pics I took, but I can't see it with my eyes. It looks like glass in person.

Your post with the right way to do it is the RIGHT WAY (skimmed it though, didn't look for details.) It won't always take that kind of work. The key thing I saw was the poster said "depending on how much peel you have." If you don't have any to begin with, you just saved yourself a ton of work.