HOK Colors

[Marty Escarcega]

New to the board, not new to painting. Nothing custom. Factory repaints at the hobbiest level on cars and trucks.
I recently got a Harley DWG that has been fitted with Fatboy fenders front and rear and Fatboy wheels. I would like to repaint the tank and fenders. I have a few (ok, a BUNCH of questions):

1) I have a blasting cabinet. Should I strip the paint down to metal? I believe this is its second paint job or should I just sand and seal what is there.

2) Want a deep dark metallic blue paint. HOK Kobalt? How about Burple? Any sites with good paint chips to look at? Kandy Blue?

3) Could you describe the process? I'm going to put the Harley-Davidson decals back on the tank. I'm told to put them on before clear coating.

4) Could you explain how you would attack this project, start to finish? Which HOK materials you could use and the stages? Suggested materials?

Thanks in advance. Doing lots of reading on the web and a couple of books.

I was thinking of ghost flames too, but not sure they'd turn out too well over such a deep dark metallic blue.

If you guys need more info, let me know and I will try and add to it.

Thanks again, seems like a great site with lots of helpful info!

Marty

 

[rex]

DON'T stick that tank in the cabinet!I'd strip it if you have the cabinet for the fenders.I Don't use HOK's system so I'm not much help there.Before you put fuel back in the tank snug down the sending unit (don't remove it,just the cap) or you'll be dripping fuel out the wiring tube when full.Your local paint store should have paint chip books you can see to pick the color.If you put the decals on the basecoat just don't do it too early,let it dry some of the recoat time.You don't have a pic of that thing do you?I've only seen one with 16s on it.I feel the urge to put an inverted front end on mine but I can't bring myself to do it.

 

[Bornhard]

Ok Marty I'm going straight through the questions...

1. if the paint is in very good condition you can sand & seal, but I am a believer in stripping down to bare matel and spraying epoxy primer on...that way I know what's on the metal.

2. The blue I think you're talking about is Lapis blue (don't have the HoK code in front of me). There are shades of Kandy blues, but you have to know how to use Kandy's before do a full out paint job...it's not impossible, but pratice is advise.

3. I've sprayed a set of Harley parts back to it's stock look...I usually spray down a base coat and put a couple coats of clear on. Then I wait 24 hours plus, sand with 600 grit and pinstrip and place the decal down after measuring it into place. Finally I put on a ton of clear to sink the decal in....it takes a few coats....put 3 coats on and wait over night, then wet sand until you can barely feel a rise where the decal is. Then put on a couple more wet coats of clear on...final wetsand and buff then.

4. HoK explains how to use their product very well. I really enjoy using their paint, because they care enough to explain in detail how to spray their paint. Another thing, I've had moderate success using other brands of paint with HoK products, but you're best results is going straight HoK....I've shot Dupont clear on HoK before ahd had minor problems....later I bought HoK clear

and never had another issue.

Good luck...hope the above is some help!

 

[Marty Escarcega]

Thanks for the advice so far. Yes, I have a picture of the bike, email me directly for a URL. Seems I have read that URL's here are a no-no

I like the look of the bike, but one flaw in using the Fatboy fender on the Dyna Wide Glide that was overlooked, if the suspension bottoms, the fender will just kiss the rear brake caliper, enough to bend the fender. The paint was flawless on the bike until this happened and me being a newbie to the bike, the right turn signal on the handle bar was pushed in and hit the tank and chipped the paint. I actually like the Two-Tone Road King style paint on it now, but don't think I have what it takes to replicate it and pin stripe/outline it. I like the solid colors. I want a deep dark blue metallic paint. I want to give it a classy "stock look".

BTW, tips on removing that fuel gauge/sender from the tank would be appreciated!

Marty

 

[ezrider]

Marty, sorry i had to delete your email address, a no no also. check with Scott F. , if he thinks its alright he will hook you up. i think i remember a post a while back on fuel gauge removal, just do a search with in the site and it should put you in the right direction.

 

[Mendlik01]

Rex - If you don't recommend sandblasting the tank, how would you recommend stripping a tank down to bare metal for painting?

Thanks.

 

[rex]

Marty,forgot the welcome.You can post a pic or link to it as long as it isn't a site to be considered competition for Scott,and it can't contain an e-mail.On the gas guage,pull it straight up with a rocking motion to remove it but do not twist it like the gas cap,the first remove sucks but it's easy after it.Remove and note the position of the wiring and you're done.DON'T pull the sending unit just to paint,they're a pain in the arse.When you're ready to put fuel back in it just snug down the bolts to make up for the gasket shrinkage being dry so long.Oh,don't feel bad about the fender.I forgot to throw a twist on the preload for the OL and hit a cool bump that blew the snubber in a shock and the caliper munched mine.Now I need to replace the shocks(with better ones of course),straighten the damn thing and I need to redo the mural because if I'm gonna have to paint on it it's all getting changed and the mural needs redone.Ya know,I like doing other people's stuff,it doesn't cost me anything

Mendlik,welcome also.Sandblasting a tank to a point is different than a cabinet,in the cabinet that tank is sitting in a dust storm and it's near impossible to not get any in the tank.The same plug-the-holes job usind a blaster outside is 10X safer-those sand grains will get in the carb's float needle for sure.I only blast hard places like the crossover tubes and welds.I strip the rest with 80grit on a DA and a black scotchbrite wheel (like a cutoff wheel on a diegrinder) or if it's seen it's share of paintjobs I dump stripper on it first.I don't get carried away with places totally unseen though like way up in the tunnel or some of the backside of split tanks on stock bikes.Blasting fenders is the only way to go.Either way I 120 DA the metal before priming with epoxy.PPG's DP40 is the only thing I trust still but I'm waiting to hear about HOK's new epoxy after it's been out long enough to tell.Dungeon's idea of media blasting is excelent but I have nobody within an hour of me to do it,hell the nearest populated place to me is a good 30 minutes and it's full of retirees,the rest are about an hour and nothing I've seen.

 

[Dungeonworks Airbrush]

Mendlik01,
You may want to take your 3 parts to a local shop and have them "media-blast" the parts. This will leave a very nice surface to sand. Average price a three piece set is about $70.
This will save you quite a bit of aggrevation. Try to avoid touching the parts. I have my guys were rubber disposible gloves just to keep their paw prints off the parts and so they don't leave oily stains which will start turning to surface rust soon afterwards.

You should be able to find a local media blaster in your yellow pages.