painting plastic to look like chrome, or aluminum

[reckon]

I get alot of questions about this bike, and the fiberglass gas tank:







you can't see them in the pic, but I used pastry chefs piping bag and some thickened epoxy to make "weld beads" along the bottom, and then painted over them with the chrome look paint.  you have to actually knock on the tank and listen to the dull thud of the fiberglass to realize it's NOT an aluminum tank.   :D

I used this paint system to achieve the metal look:
http://www.innate.com/Paint/Chrome/chromepaints.htm

follow Nate's instructions to the letter, and you can call him and ask questions about the paint, it IS VERY different than anything I have ever used, and there is a small learning curve when you first use it.

it's sort of pricey, but that 8oz container goes along way (it'll cover 4 or 5 tanks that size), and be SURE to get the kit, that comes with the motoclear (clearcoat for that chrome look paint) and I would also clearcoat it with a good polyurethane clearcoat system in addition to the motoclear that comes with the kit for the best longevity. (I used house of kolor UFC-35 on the guzzi)

you need a compressor and a DETAIL GUN (very small paint gun with a tiny 4oz cup) or air brush to shoot the chrome look paint.

TIPS: you need to start with a VERY glossy black, dark grey, or light grey surface, and then the chrome look paint is just misted on in a VERY thin coat, less for chrome, and keep shooting it thicker to get the aluminum look I got.
then wait a few hours and shoot their motoclear (two good coats is plenty), then wait till the next day, and shoot your polyurethane clearcoat.


I was going to make the covers for the YICS boxes this way, but anyone with some sandpaper and some black or grey paint could also restore their YICS cover to look like chrome or polished aluminum (which is how I'm doing mine, to match the motor)

[Lucky]

Rcon, can you "regold" tank badges? (with the black background) i know those & the tail badge are faded on most of our bikes...

--Lucky

[h2olawyer]

I've been considering trying to gold or silver leaf an old set I have.  Since they're tattered anyway, I figured it might be worth the try.

H₂O

[YellowJacket!]

I've been considering trying to gold or silver leaf an old set I have.  Since they're tattered anyway, I figured it might be worth the try.

H₂O

I tried the gold leaf and it ended up looking like crap.  I was told by a body shop that there are some guys that go around to shops and just do the badge elecrtroplating.  Never looked into it though.

H20.  If you are looking for a silver set, I have one.  Its for a maxim and has a slightly different bend to fit the tank but they can be warmed and bent with a heat gun.  My gold set on my bike now is from a maxim.
The silver ones are in great shape.
PM me if you are interested.

David

David

[Brian Moffet]

I was going to try the gold leaf, my fairing badges look terrible.

Brian

[h2olawyer]

Meant to say, reckon, that tank looks great!  Thanks for the tips.

The badges I currently have on my bike look like new.  Was just going to use an old set I have for trials.  Thanks for the offer, David.

There are several types of metal leaf available.  You can do gold, silver, copper, aluminum, fake gold & palladium (smoky look).

The look I am thinking of for the repaint on V1 is to use gold leaf instead of the original badging.  Want to try out the procedure on the old badges anyway.

"Badges?  We ain't got no badges.  We don't need to show you any stinking badges!"

H₂O

[GT @ oh.]

I went over my yamaha emblems with a 24ct. gold leafing marker.The marker made it lots easier to apply without getting it on the background. The color was slightly darker than original but not much.I didnt bother to smooth the cracking on some emblems which I will need to redo but the ones that where in decent shape turned out just fine.You had to get/keep the marker flowing good and apply in one direction from one end of letter to other.....no scribbling in.Let me know if you need more info on brand and price not sure off hand.  Greg

[reckon]

leafing with real or even fake leaf sheets can be tricky,...I have been leafing for many, many years, and I still sometimes have trouble.

they make all kinds of leaf products, liquids, mylar, paints, pens, and the real deal stuck on with sizing.

if it was me trying to restore that rear badge, or the tank badges, what I would do is use the paints or the pen on the sides of the lettering, and then use the fake or mylar leaf on the flat top surface.   the two rules you can't mess up on when using real leaf, or fake aluminum leaf sheets, is:
1) wherever the sizing glue goes, the leaf will stick, and I mean everywhere, so ONLY get the sizing glue where you WANT the leaf, and no where else (seems like a simple deal, but when you try it, you'll understand)
2) ONLY apply the leaf by the paper sheets it comes packed with, for the cleanest mirror like surface, you touch the paper to the area you applied the sizing, pull the paper away, and the leaf will stick.  if you apply it with your finger, or hand, the texture of your skin will impart a dull wrinkly look to the leaf.

to get a mirror shine you wait till the size is COMPLETELY set (24 hours), then you burnish the leaf with a cotton ball (rub it lightly, but fast, like buffing) and it will get very, very reflective

for masking in tricky spots, use melted wax and a small paint brush, or they make several liquid masking products available at art supply stores.  also they make a special stretchy clear masking material, that I stretch tightly over the raised letters and then CAREFULLY use a #11 Xacto knife and trim the stretch mask away

anything leafed should be clearcoated, and that U-POL spray clearcoat is a good choice if you don't have access to a compressor   http://www.u-pol.com/  (click language, then products, then aerosols)