OzVMX Forum
Clubroom => Tech Talk => Topic started by: caps 999 on July 17, 2010, 05:58:09 pm
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im wondering if anyone has found a way to paint plastic tanks properly yet reason i ask is that on my current build the mugen 460 the tank on some ive seen is white any ideas ??
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I saw a post of this bloke that painted his CCM plastic tank with fibreglass resin , smoothed it out and then painted over it, it seemed to work :-\
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There is a product that you can line the inside of the tank with to stop it breathing and bubbling the external paint. Don't know a lot about the product except well known American tank painter Joe Abbate uses it with success.
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Hey Johnny, what about your mate Mark that made the carbon fibre outer skin that went on his YZ250F, that looked shit hot and you could paint it any color.
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Hey Johnny, what about your mate Mark that made the carbon fibre outer skin that went on his YZ250F, that looked shit hot and you could paint it any color.
Yeah that tank is really cool.. it looks like a real carbon fibre tank.
You could do the same with fibreglass then paint it, just have leave the underneath of the tank plastic so it can breath otherwise it will lift off.
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Shit, should have keep my big mouth shut.....now Johnny's mate Ji will do a "how to make a carbon fibre tank cover" thread......no more sharing the pain Johnny....send it to GMC and Firko!!!....A Mugen would look cool with a cover though! :o
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Shit, should have keep my big mouth shut.....now Johnny's mate Ji will do a "how to make a carbon fibre tank cover" thread......no more sharing the pain Johnny....send it to GMC and Firko!!!....A Mugen would look cool with a cover though! :o
What's your email? I've got some awesome info to forward on to you! :D
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I'd like to see the how to carbon cover thread. :)
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Brad does it for ya, ya mongrel!!! :'(
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It ain't gonna happen Frosty...... >:(
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There is a website in the states that specializes in painting/restoring VMX plastic tanks. The thing is i dont know what its called. Ive posted the link on here somewhere, but dont know where so you just have to search. All i know is that the front page was red and they had a spray room full or plastic KX 450 tanks in bright green. The thing is, your likely to pay to $600 for a highly specialised job like this and its most likey doomed to fail even if you treat it with the most amount of care possible eg have a liner in it and drain the fuel after each ride and dont leave it in over night. And then what, most people will jump on these forums and winge and complain their $600 tank paint job failed. The plastic is oily polyethelene which was never intended to be painted. You might have a bit of success painting a brand new tank, but once its had 2stroke pre-mix soak through the pores in the plastic for 25 years your fighting an uphill battle trying to get permanant adhesian, even if you rough up the plastic first, use plastic primers and fuel resistant 2pack paint etc. In my opinion, your better off sanding and polishing (for people not requiring a change of colour), looking for another tank or buying a replica Clarke? tank or a NOS tank, or fitting a vinyl or plastic/fiberglass/carbon cover. DC plastics are now making plastic tank skins.
Another thought, for a few hundred you could get Clarke Tanks to custom make you a tank in any colour and it would probably be cheaper than getting a specialised paint job thats not going to last.
Ive seen you source some incredibly rare parts lately and i dont think sourcing a white Mugen tank is beyond your capability :)
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http://www.plasticrenovations.com/index.html - however this is all restoration and advocates non-painting.
There was a KTM US website where the guy had used something called Blue Lighting to line the tank which then allowed it to be successfuly painted using plastic paint.
Hope that helps.
Rossco
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I just bought a new Clarke tank from flea bay for $280.00 AU deliverd I dont hink thats over priced.
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http://www.plasticrenovations.com/index.html - however this is all restoration and advocates non-painting.
I think the trick is to rub the tank back using acetone.
There's probably a few stages. I think the main ingredients are patience and elbow grease.
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i think i may hunt around and see if i can get a alloy copy of the tank made so i can make it any colour really i can get a 1980 rc500 tank but its more like the 82 cr tank but that would look good on the 480
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he liner I was talking about - haven't used it myself but have heard.......................
http://www.blulightning.com/category/paints/
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CAPS - I will need to do a dig around but one of the VMX websites in the States is starting to make Replica works tanks - saw an RH one I think it was that look the goods - they weren't cheap at about $1200USD a tank but if I can find it again I will let you know.
cheers
Rossco
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CAPS - not the one I was thinking of - still looking - but this guys stuff looks awesome and here is an RC500 tank - lot cheaper than I saw also ;D
http://klpracing.com/id3.html
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thanks mate
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Im not 100% sure but i think this may be the site i was thinking of.
http://www.mxrestoration.com/plasticgastanks.html
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he liner I was talking about - haven't used it myself but have heard.......................
http://www.blulightning.com/category/paints/
I used Blue Lightning liner on the inside of my PE175N tank with success. The endless headaches with sticker bubbling have virtually disappeared. (ie a tiny lift after 2 years). It may allow you to paint the tank - but don't bet the house on that paint staying on forever. Worth getting it and trying though.
Luke
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Talked to a fellow a little while ago who reckons he knows the secret. Before painting and after all the prepping and cleaning he says to sear it with a flame. Closes and seals all the open pores apparenlty. Sort of makes a little sense. If I was to try this I would fill the tank with water first though. I hold little confidence that this would work. The fellow who told me this seems pretty cluey but a lot of his tales start with "Once upon a time"
Retro
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His name wouldnt be Obamma would it? ;D
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Capps,
Not sure what tank you are trying to colour or it's application (garage queen or racer), but have you considered a perferated sticker kit for it, just get an extra couple of perferated sheets in the colour you want and fill in the gaps on the tank with that. I'd say i'd be far more durable on a race bike and any further than a meter away you wouldn't know the difference.
I've done it in the past and on a race bike looks fine.
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I spoke to the rep from MCS and the product they sell sticks to plastic. He knows this first hand as he has a Maico 490 that he applied it to so his stickers would not bubble off. It was done a few years ago and still good.
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Interesting. I spoke to the MCS rep too some time ago and the stuff they sell now is basically POR 15. I cant exactly remember what happed but something happened when another wholesaler took over over POR 15 when MCS had the rights or something like that which upset MCS. Then another Australian company basically started up and copied the POR 15 and its pretty much the same stuff just in different packaging and this is what MCS sells now. Also some time ago I asked POR 15 or the company that makes the stuff MSC sells and they said its not designed for plastic tanks and most likey not work. Its was also that same time that they said if you want to remove it from a tank that its almost impossible. They even sold me therir 'special' stripper thats kinda ment to disolve it. Well after several weeks, it had barely softened it. A few months ago i had to fix another POR 15 disaster. The guy couldnt work out why his bike kept stalling and thought it was 'fuel related' I took the fuel taps out and the tap filters were 95% blocked with POR 15 tank liner. I said you have to be very thorough with the cleaning process and fitting of the POR 15 as its an air dry product. He said he did all that and said tank was spotles before fitting it. I could see rust and gunk like stale fuel clumps under the liner lifting it up. I dont know why he fitted it any way as there was no need. the tank had no pin holes. Anyway, the only way i could even half get this liner out was to fill tank with water and an ice cream pot full of stones, seal it all up, wrap the tank up to protect it and then place it in a cement mixer to get the stones to make the liner come loose. Probably had it in the mixer for 6 hours over a couple days. Also had to scratch around inside with a stick to try and get the silvery stuff out and blast out with water. After that it had a good soak in acid. It certainly doesnt take an hour to remove. So i would say be very careful with POR 15 or the MCS liner and ask your self if you really want go tackle the hard job of trying to remove it it fails and lifts/bubbles. Most of the other liners like Kreem and Red, White, Blue come out real easy. It would be interesting to know if the maico guy fitted it to a brand new tank or a used tank and if he leaves fuel in there or drains it after each ride.
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This is the link I was thinking about
http://www.capturetheaction.co.uk/CCM/CCM3.htm
I love those Rotax engines ;D
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I know this aint got anything to do with paint but that link made me sit up ...The angle of that shock interests me, i recon that would be a shit hot rear end, really soft initialy and then getting harder as the angle decreased, mmmm I was also looking at the yz twin shock conversion and the guy who makes swing arms and thinking if i can get the 81 yz rear end modified to something amazing...