Clear Coat not hard

[ny_winemaker]

I painted some motorcycle fairing parts with a tri coat (silver, red, clear). The hardener in the clear appears to be bad as it never hardens even in the mixing cup. Is it possible to just apply new clear over the top of this or will I have to strip and repaint? I tried to talk to the paint makers but they place all blame on the time between coats saying I waited to long before clearing. I have tried mixing the clear and hardener in a cup and leaving it and it still wont harden.

 

[hoss]

it's possible to clear over it, but if it were my work and i wanted to know for sure that it's good i'd strip it and do it over.

 

[flamepain]

some of the lower end clears do not harden in the cup for a long long time but are still ok.does this clear have both a hardener and activatore??.the better quality stuff usually does and hardens in the cup pretty fast.cyas

 

[TAZ]

What clear, hardener, reducers did you use?
What ratio?

 

[ny_winemaker]

I used Colorrite's Clear with a 3:1 catalist ratio. All the paint was from them as well. They recommened no reducer unless needed. This was applied about a month ago and still isn't hard. I can wetsand and by the next day it looks as shiny as when it was applied . I would have liked to go with another brand like ppg but nobody has the codes to match the Kawasaki OEM colors.

 

[flamepain]

that sounds bad. you will have to wash it off and start again. either you mixed it wrong or they sent you a bad batch. cyas

 

[Brian Dee]

I know it's a pita but think I'd be starting over. Especially so if it's a customers.

 

[TAZ]

I agree. You'll have to strip and start over.

Take some of the extra clear and hardener and remix it and leave it in the cup and see if it hardens. if it does, then it was the way you mixed it. If it does not harden within a few days, then I would say it would be the clear or hardener that was bad.

Be sure and leave it at least for a few days.

 

[ny_winemaker]

I agree. You'll have to strip and start over.

Take some of the extra clear and hardener and remix it and leave it in the cup and see if it hardens. if it does, then it was the way you mixed it. If it does not harden within a few days, then I would say it would be the clear or hardener that was bad.

Be sure and leave it at least for a few days.

I did try mixing a small amount in a cup about 3 weeks ago and it still isn't cured. I also did try putting dupont ChromaClear on over the weekend and it seems to have worked, at least for the time being. As far as the customer that is me as I am doing my own work. I like to be able to say the customazations on my bike are mine and mean it. The only trouble I have now is pockmarks in the clear. I think I might have gotten some water in my air. I got most of them sanded out and I will try again after getting a water filter. By the way I am not a pro painter like a lot of you just a guy that likes to do things himself. I did some enamal and lacquer painting on cars and pickups i've owned years ago but this is the first time i've used bc/cc as well as HVLP guns.

Thanks for your help guys.
Jim

 

[hoss]

just watch for chips. it might chip pretty easy b/c of the soft under coats.

good luck, and learning is a pain sometimes.

 

[ny_winemaker]

An Update to my previous posts.

I should have listened to the experts here. Last night I started stripping everything back to the bare plastic. I couldn't get the craters out without going into the soft clear and then that would pickup all kinds of waves ect... I want to try a different brand of paint starting with the primer all the way thru but I also want to keep the colors the same as the OEM. I have tried to e-mail different paint manufactures but nobody responds.
What or where is my best bet to get paint to match Kawasaki 816 Candy Fire Red
& Kawasaki 17K Metallic Diablo Black. The candy red uses a silver base.

Thanks for all your help and advice.
Jim

 

[TAZ]

Jim,

Instead of 'calling' the manufacturers . I would suggest just going to a local auto bodyshop supplier and ask them to make you the appropriate amount of all the paints you need. If they don't have the paint in the lines you want, choose a House of Kolors type candy.

Keep in mind, no matter which candy mfgr. you choose, it's also up to 'how' you paint this. The more candy you apply to the basecoat, the darker the color will end up being. I could spray two different panels using the same silver metallic and apply the candy to both panels so they look like two different colors. So if you can't find one in another paint line,
just choose the HOK line and choose the base metallic and candy color
Candies are not like spraying basecoat type paints. It's up to painter technique as well.

Hopefully you still have a piece of the bike that has the original candy shade and the black metallic on it. Take this in so you can compare and at least get it close

As far as the black metallic, they should be able to to make this.