SuzukiSavage.com - How do you like my new gas tank paint job?

gdrseeker

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How do you like my new gas tank paint job?
05/08/13 at 13:04:19

My friend is an amateur airbrush artist. He has done a few things here and there but has never done any painting on cars or motorcycles etc. I asked him to do this job for me and he did a fairly nice job.

I had it professionally painted black at an auto body shop then took it to get airbrushed, then back to the auto body shop for the clear coat.

Let me know what you think.....

Anyone else have any custom paint job pictures they want to share?

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sbrice54 YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 39 sheboygan, wi	Re: How do you like my new gas tank paint job? Reply #1 - 05/08/13 at 13:07:51 Fairly good????... That looks awsome!!!!
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Dane Allen

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Re: How do you like my new gas tank paint job?
Reply #2 - 05/08/13 at 13:09:35

Can't see the pics at the moment due to my work computer security settings but a few questions as I am wanting to do a paint job of my own. I have a tank and front and rear fenders.

What made you decide to have the shop do the base and clear coats?
What did this cost?
Did you do any prep work on the tank or did the shop do it all?
If you could do it over would you try anything different?

Thanks for the thread, very much look forward to the pics when I get home.

Update: Saw the pics on my phone - fantastic!!!

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Blinky-FSO Serious Thumper Offline Three Eyes Are Better Than Two Posts: 528 Kentucky Gender:	Re: How do you like my new gas tank paint job? Reply #3 - 05/08/13 at 13:10:58 I have never been a fan of skulls (just a bit commonplace in the wonderful world of motorcycling) but the layered flames are very well done. Nice work!
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paulmarshall Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 1268 Carterton,New Zealand Gender:	Re: How do you like my new gas tank paint job? Reply #4 - 05/08/13 at 13:18:23 That looks cool.
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Badass94Cad Senior Member Offline This space for rent Posts: 313 Mass-->Jerz-->PA! Gender:	Re: How do you like my new gas tank paint job? Reply #5 - 05/08/13 at 13:18:46 Looks like your friend has some solid airbrushing skills!
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Pine Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 1694 Mississippi, USA Gender:	Re: How do you like my new gas tank paint job? Reply #6 - 05/08/13 at 13:27:29 AWESOME!
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gdrseeker

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Re: How do you like my new gas tank paint job?
Reply #7 - 05/08/13 at 13:29:25

I originally did a rattle can job myself.

I did a great job except for the area around the gas fill neck. I didn’t get it sealed well with my clear coat so gas got under the paint and it started to peal up around the neck. The rest of the tank looked great but if I had to do it again I would have just gotten it done by the shop. I paid around $100 to do it myself. 3 can of spray paint, sanding paper, masking tape, and Spraymax 2k Clear with shipping it isn’t cheap. (I totally recommend Spraymax 2K for your clear coat....it is a 2 part clear).

The shop gave me a rate of $200.... that included sanding the old paint off down to the metal, prepping it, painting the base coat, spraying a 500 clear on it, then after I brought it back they prepped it for Clear, then buffed and polished it. For $200 I HAVE TO SAY IT WAS WORTH IT.

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ToesNose Serious Thumper Offline Pardon me, do you have Hot Sauce? Posts: 1993 Mooresville, NC Gender:	Re: How do you like my new gas tank paint job? Reply #8 - 05/08/13 at 15:00:31 Looks like a quality job to me The graphics aren't my cup of coffee, but it's not my bike Also I think you're red stipe job looked pretty clean too
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Dane Allen

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Re: How do you like my new gas tank paint job?
Reply #9 - 05/08/13 at 16:19:21

gdrseeker wrote on 05/08/13 at 13:29:25:

....The shop gave me a rate of $200.... that included sanding the old paint off down to the metal, prepping it, painting the base coat, spraying a 500 clear on it, then after I brought it back they prepped it for Clear, then buffed and polished it. For $200 I HAVE TO SAY IT WAS WORTH IT.

I think I'm sold. So, just to clarify, the shop did a primer, base black and a clear coat or is the black the primer, or was there primer at all?
The graphics are in between two coats of clear or is the first clear different from the second clear?

I like the graphics!! Not soley because they are skulls and flames, rather, because it is done soo well. Can I ask what the overall plan is for the tank? Is there a matching fender(s) in the future or do you roll without?

I find this fascinating!!

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v-pilot Senior Member Offline Loud bikes rule! Posts: 257 Rexford NY Gender:	Re: How do you like my new gas tank paint job? Reply #10 - 05/08/13 at 16:42:52 sbrice54 wrote on 05/08/13 at 13:07:51: Fairly good????... That looks awsome!!!! ++1 on that!
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shovelbum87

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Re: How do you like my new gas tank paint job?
Reply #11 - 05/08/13 at 16:52:07

I think it looks good, I would suggest that you tell your friend that they should try using different layers of slightly different colors to define the flames a bit more, using slightly darker colors on the bottom ones will create a more dramatic and deep look. But I have to say it is very good for someone that has not been doing it long. I say he (I assume "He") gets an A

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gdrseeker

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Re: How do you like my new gas tank paint job?
Reply #12 - 05/08/13 at 16:57:12

The shop sanded and prepped the tank down to the bare metal. They then painted the main coat of gloss black. Then laid down a thin coat of what he called 500 clear. He said this was so the guy doing the airbrushing could lightly sand off any mistakes etc. without breaking into the actual color coat.

After the art work was done I took it back to the shop where he applied the final clear coat. he said he would need to sand down any parts that were not painted with airbrush art, in order to get the clear to properly adhere to the gloss black (it was 3 days to do the art, so too long of drying time in between coats). He then buffed and shinned the clear to a high gloss.

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Trippah Serious Thumper Offline I ride, therefore I am. Posts: 2517 central Mass Gender:	Re: How do you like my new gas tank paint job? Reply #13 - 05/08/13 at 20:09:22 Looks great - nice to see some talented people's work.
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Borracho Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 132 Albuquerque, NM Gender:	Re: How do you like my new gas tank paint job? Reply #14 - 05/08/13 at 20:44:58 nice tank!
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