Question about painting bike plastics/fairings??

[Xemu]

Hey,
Rookie on the floor!! First post.And yep it's gonna be a question.I just purchased a 2002 ZX7R and it's a salvage title bike (all plastic damage)anyhow my question is: Is there a write up for stripping,sanding and painting your plastics?? I'm farely mechanically inclined and with plastics so freaking expensive I was thinking of taking on the project myself.I'm hoping theres a step by step process here on the site or someone can direct me.Not sure what paint to use,can I just use primer out of a spray can,lotta questions but any help would be appreciated to help me with my winter project!!! Thanks guys!!!

[Alizard]

I believe you can use the typical "can" primer that you get at Kragen's for plastic. And most enamels or acrylics can be sprayed over the top of that.

gas tanks are trickier because they have to be clear cotaed with something that is fuel proof, like a catlyzed epoxy or similar.

As for repairs to plastic: I assume any standard fillers and glazing compounds for automotive use can be applied.

If it is fiberglass, it is dangerous to work: use gloves and a tight breathing mask to prevent inhalation of sanding dust.

[daemon]

if you are just talking plastic.
krylon makes a plastic paint called fusion.
i have used it on several occassions.
now if you are thinking fiberglass you should consider going to a paint shop and asking them about their plastic primers.
a much better product for what you will want to do.

i have used the fusion paint as a primer and then gone over it with a metal color of my choice.
seems to work for me.
i guess it breaks down to if you want a color match or if you expect it to look professional.

[ervins]

No can help with the plastics but welcome aboard.

[JasonFMHS]

Use fiberglass to repair cracks and such on the inside... don't be shy with the fiberglass either.... do it on the inside and no one will see it, even after you sand the ugly off.... "The more glue on the back, the better"

[Xemu]

It's plastic.I guess a better question would be when sanding do I need to take all the paint off or just rough it up all over and then use some primer?? Thanks for all the replies,I may try the Krylon Fusion paint,is it a paint I can paint all my plastics with?? I'm not just repairing I'm also repainting "all" my plastics and I'm wondering if the paint is cool to use one a big area like my side fairings.Does it stand up well to weather??? Do they make a clear coat,if not what do you recommend??? Thanks a bunch guys Happy New Year!!

[metalesp]

I've used Krylon Fusion on some plastic patio furniture and it's held up very well.

Being that you're painting plastic just roughing up the surface should be ok, but don't quote me on that. I've never painted any type of vehicles.

The Fusion paint should work fine for you, you might not need to prime first as a couple of coats Fusion should be ok.

Again don't quote me on that...

[Xemu]

Anyone want to help me out with what to do.Heres what I think.Sand and rough the paint all up.Fill in all the imperfections with a filler,sand some more then wash and prime with a good primer,sand some more then wash again and paint,then apply a good clear coat.Any wrong with that,if so please add what you think.Thanks

[ellalenell]

I know they sell a clear coat in a can (aerosol) at color-rite.com. It can be used on everything but your gas tank. There is another type of clear coat for that.

If you find anywhere else that sells the aerosol clear coat, please post. I am looking for some also, just don't need much and the shipping would cost about the same as the can I need

[techy]

If it's oem paint, I'd wipe with a degreaser/dewaxer, rough with 400, degrease again, shoot with primer/surfacer, paint, sand w/600, clear w/a polyurethane.

If it's not oem, you'll need a sealer after roughing.
Have fun!

[Xemu]

If it's oem paint, I'd wipe with a degreaser/dewaxer, rough with 400, degrease again, shoot with primer/surfacer, paint, sand w/600, clear w/a polyurethane.

If it's not oem, you'll need a sealer after roughing.
Have fun!

Thanks brother,thats exactly what I wanted.What do you suggest for a polyurethane???? Are you saying put a brush on polyurethane or do they have a spray on???

[Alizard]

Anyone want to help me out with what to do.Heres what I think.Sand and rough the paint all up.Fill in all the imperfections with a filler,sand some more then wash and prime with a good primer,sand some more then wash again and paint,then apply a good clear coat.Any wrong with that,if so please add what you think.Thanks

From when I did body work:

The bare material gets sanded and primed (use about 400# wet/dry and water).

Apply the filler material and reduce it with sanding blocks (usually about 180# paper). Apply more filler/sand until desired shape is restored. Sand with finer papaers.

Clean surface of dust and prime again. use glazing material (we used to call it glazing putty) to fill any remaing fine scratches.

Water sand putty and primer until dead smooth (400#)

Prime again (final prime coat). Final prime coat is water sanded with 600 paper if snding is needed. If not, spray color coat over it and finish coats.

[Alizard]

Thanks brother,thats exactly what I wanted.What do you suggest for a polyurethane???? Are you saying put a brush on polyurethane or do they have a spray on???

It is sprayed. All cars now are painted with urethane because lacquer and enamels are illegal because their solvents destroy the ozone layer. The transition to urethane was back around 1985.

I think the small cans of paint can still use the old materials (I haven't bought any in a while) but OEM's must use urethane. A urethane job is a dull color coat overtopped with many coats of heavy clearcoat. FYI, if you ever rub on a urethane paint job and get down to color..... it's toast.

[sublimobile]

1) Take a scotchbrite pad (the green one your mom uses to clean the dishes). A used one is best. Use this with some dishsoap and water to rough up the paint. Ive found that sandpaper can leave small lines that you will see when you get the final paint on. Just takes care of sanding issues later on. Go over the entire painted surface a couple times with the scotchbrite pad. Wash and dry. When part dries, make sure there are no shiny spots left. If there are, repeat over this area. Clean the body part and make sure you let it dry good before moving on. I use a hairdryer to make it happen quick.

2)Prime. Use a urethane based felxible plastic primer. Most of the paints sold in aerosol cans at Autozone or any auto store will be urethane. You want a color that is close to the color of the paint, but not exactly the same. So if you want your bike orange or yellow, I'd use a red primer. If you want your bike black or blue, I'd use a gray primer. Make sure to cover the entire piece. You can be a little more generous with primer, as it dries quicker. You always want to err on the side of less than more at one time. You can always put more coats on, but fixing a paint-run takes time.

3)Depending on how good you did the prime, and how good you want the paint to look, you can sand the primer. I always do and you should too. You'll think it looks fine, but when you get the clear on, thats when you'll really notice all the little mistakes you made. Take some really light sand paper (600 or 800). Wet sand the primer. Just use a small tupperware bowl of water and dishsoap again. Dip the sandpaper in the water/soap mix, and sand the piece. this will help keep the sandpaper from gumming up. If you dont understand, try it without the water/soap mix and you'll see. Again, wash and dry. You dont want to remove the primer from the part, just smoothing it out. You will be able to see the little dots that you want to remove on the paint once you sand one part and compare the paint next to it. If you remove primer on a small part, dont worry about it. Not incredibly important.

4) Paint. You will have to be more careful to avoid runs with the paint. Just observe the paint while you are laying it down. Make sure its not looking too wet. You'll just have to do it and learn from some mistakes. (If you do get a run, let the paint DRY VERY GOOD. Wet sand with 400, wet sand with 800, and start again.) Make sure to cover the entire piece. Let the paint flash dry for about 10 min. Go get the clear ready. You dont want to wait too long, because dirt and dust will get in the color paint and it wont look as good. Ive waited overnight though and it worked fine.

5) Clear. Clearing is not hard, but you need to lay down a good wet coat. Start from one side and paint to the other. Make sure you can paint the entire piece without needing to wait for it to dry and move the piece. You must paint it all at once. If you dont put down enough paint, it will be foggy. Just pay attention while your doing it. You want it to look wet as you move down the line. This stuff dries pretty quickly, so you can be a little more generous with it. If it dries and looks foggy, just go over it again, but you have to go over the entire part.

6) Let it dry for atleast an hour. Preferably over night. Be careful, those dirty hands will come off on your nice clear coat. I didnt use an epoxy primer on my gas tank and it has held up fine, but its only been about 6 months. It sounds like it makes sense though, so if you can find it, I'd use it. Also, I noticed its your winter project. Just make sure that the temperature is over or near 70 degrees. And read the paint cans. They'll give you directions that you should follow. Every paint is different. If the paint says something that is different than what you heard on here, trust the can.

Any questions let me know.

[Alizard]

Only thing I would add:

When you wet-sand the primer before applying the finish coats, do NOT use any soap in the water. You need the surface to be squeaky clean. Any oils from soap (or even your fingers) will cause what we used to call "fish eyes" in the urethane. You don't want to know what those look like....

After wet sanding, dry the piece with paper towels, as shop rags always have oil on them. Keep clean and free of oil and lint and you will be ready to spray the finish coats.

[sublimobile]

You DO want to use dishsoap. It removes grease from the piece and it helps remove small pieces of dirt and debris that can scratch as you are sanding. Just dont leave the soap on there. Rinse it off with water and then let it dry. I run mine under the garden hose.

[Alizard]

You DO want to use dishsoap. It removes grease from the piece and it helps remove small pieces of dirt and debris that can scratch as you are sanding. Just dont leave the soap on there. Rinse it off with water and then let it dry. I run mine under the garden hose.

Well, dishsoap does contain some oils because that is what "treats" the skin on your hands when you use it.

Before we sprayed, all surfaces were wiped down with lacquer thinner or acetone which leaves no residue. It's much better for removing oil and grease.

[Kamitsuna]

I have two links for you to answer ALL Your questions

One is my own, just after i was in your position! Painted with spraypaint and the thing came out pretty darn well.
ZZRBikes.com - THE web resource for Kawasaki ZZR Motorcycles! Forums-viewtopic-Full plastic Repair and Paint

The second is a very PROFESSIONAL write up on repair and painting.
Want To Paint Your Damaged Bike ?here Is How (major chip repair restoration ) : Honda CBR 600RR Sportbike Forum : 600RR.Net

Dont bother doing plastic repair with fiberglass. Buy yourself a cheap high wattage soldering iron and do some plastic welding. Its cheap and its the strongest repair you can do. Easy to sand and make smooth. Its glorious.

[sublimobile]

this is an old thread first of all.

#2, using the hot iron method has been talked about on here and I know it works, but I like the method I use more.

I use an epoxy setup called plastic welder. I buy it at the auto store. It is made by versachem. It is the ONLY thing I have ever used that will hold plastics together forever. (Although I have not ever done the melting method). This just seems easier than melting your plastic to me.

Trust me, I used it on a part that is under high stress, and it has held up for over 2 years now.

[Kamitsuna]

well, not to get into a debate about it but there really isn't any "high stress" parts on the fairings. Anything structural should be some sort of metal anyway.

If you use an epoxy called plastic welder then you aren't going with the fiberglass repair that i was referring to. You are chemically welding the plastic back together instead of just ironing it back together, which ultimately...is the same difference.

I did a google search on a particular subject and this thread came up, regardless of this threads age, it still provides useful information for those of us who do searches first and ask questions after.