Help with clear coating over basecoats

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neil_1821

New member
I'm after some advice and guidance with a painting project currently underway.

I'm restoring a Kawasaki ZXR 750 L2 and this is including a full fairing/tank etc respray into the original colours, which are pearl alpine white, kawasaki lime green and blue which is a transfer.

I applied the white ground coat about a week ago as I'm painting the parts at a place I do voluntary work as they have a gun, compressor, spray booth etc so I can only go once a week.

I allowed the ground coat to dry out so I could mask everywhere for the kawasaki lime green, which I painted yesterday.

I've got to allow the green to dry thoroughly before I can mask that off so I can paint the pearl over the white groundcoat, then apply transfers and then apply clear coat (lacquer)

I've been told by a member on a different forum I use that the clear coat should of been applied within 24 hours of painting the basecoats, as a few months down the line it could peel and flake off.

Is this true? If so is there anything I can do to hopefully stop any lacquer peel or flaking off further down the line? As I don't want to be rectifying any errors in the summer, I'd rather by riding the bike.

Cheers

Neil
 
N

neil_1821

New member
Didn't get a tech sheet with the paint, which I suppose is a rookie error

however my painter who is advising me has used the same supplier for the paint for years, get a good discount on it
 
chopolds

chopolds

Member
As a general rule, you do need to get your clear on within a window of time, usually 15 min. to several hours, for best adhesion. In your case, with doing maskings and perhaps several colors, I'd use a basecoat type clear, for fast dry time, and quick tape off, without any interaction later when putting more base color over it. You will have to sand the clear, or lightly scuff it, before putting on any more paint, though.
Using a final coat clear for this may result in lifting or wrinkling when you put more base color over it, as it is a different chemistry paint. Not always, but why take chances!
 
N

neil_1821

New member
Well really I've only got the green base colour down, as the white is only a ground coat, that will have a pearl shot over it soon.

So would it be suitable to mask up the green. Shoot the pearl on the white, then maybe use a grey scotch pad on the green just to key it lightly, then give it a quick shot of clear? Thus trying to prevent any issues?

Then I can flat the clear in areas for the transfers, apply the transfers and then shoot another layer of clear?
 
chopolds

chopolds

Member
If the paint, either color or clear, has dried longer than it is recommended by the manufacturer, you have to sand it before adding more. BUT, basecoats colors should NOT be sanded before clearing. The sanding scratches will show. So you need to shoot color, then clear as soon as recommended, let dry, sand the clear, proceed with the next color, or colors, then final coats of clear. Transfers should be placed on clean smooth paint, whether primer, color or clear, I prefer sanded, as I do not like to put transfers over fresh paint, it may trap solvents. So I always clear, let dry, sand the clear, apply transfer, then final clear.
 
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