[speedaire]

Hi, In about two weeks I am going to paint a motorcycle tank and fenders for a guy I work with. All he wants is gloss black with no flake or pearl or anything out of the ordinary. My only big dilemma is this. I can lay down a s/s black as well as anybody but I think he might be happier with a b/c for the durability but I don't have access to a buffer or polisher and have little experience with either. The reason this is a concern is because this is a kit bike that he has been building for about two years and I want it to look good. If it matters we will most likely be using Nason for this project simply because this is the most readily available paint in this area. I guess mostly I am paranoid about orange peel in the clear. Initially he was talking about using implement paint for some crazy reason but I got him talked out of that. I appreciate any opinions you might have, speedaire

[DavidABQ]

Base coat/ clear coat!

Clear is easier to fix if you make a mistake.

I also believe that a BC/CC paint job should last longer than a single stage.

[jcclark]

If it were me I'd use ss urethane and then clearcoat it.
Urethane is just as strong as clearcoat, they're both urethane.
Single stage urethane, especially black, has a deeper richer color.
Spray it black and clearcoat it, wait a day or two and sand it all smooth
with 600 grit then spray a couple more wet clear coats (a flowcoat)
That will give you a finish that looks buffed out without the buffing.
I've done it that way and it's amazing how much better the flowcoat
always lays down. If done right, it'll be slick as glass.

[speedaire]

Couldn't I use a b/c and wet sand the clear and reshoot and get the same effect? I like the idea of clearing a s/s but doing things like that makes me nervous. Sometime when I have lots of time I'll tell you about the time I painted some equipment gloss black and I used the wrong catalyst with the resin. Three days later it still wasn't dry This was while I was active duty in the airframe repair shop in my bluesuiter days. That was a huge pain to strip down and fix. At least it had that wet look

[jcclark]

Originally Posted by speedaire

Couldn't I use a b/c and wet sand the clear and reshoot and get the same effect?

Sure can, it's done all the time.
I've gotten some very good finishes that way.
Basecoat is definetly easier to spray

[lets cut it up]

I say Use SS urethane. It gives as said already a deeper richer black. It is IMHO easier to spray and repair if it gets chipped or damaged. I find base clear black is not as rich compared to ss urethane black. JMO Tim

[speedaire]

How long should I wait to clear a s/s black? It's all going to be urethane. I can do the job but I just want to have some options to throw at the guy so he can decide what he really wants. As it stands now he's pretty much leaving it all up to me and I'd much rather he make a somewhat informed decision and then I'll run with it. Thanks for your replies, speedaire

[lets cut it up]

Originally Posted by speedaire

How long should I wait to clear a s/s black? It's all going to be urethane. I can do the job but I just want to have some options to throw at the guy so he can decide what he really wants. As it stands now he's pretty much leaving it all up to me and I'd much rather he make a somewhat informed decision and then I'll run with it. Thanks for your replies, speedaire

Why does everybody want to clear single stage non-metallics colors.?? Put 3 to four coats of single stage waiting the flash time and then cut and buff it and you will get the deepest black you will ever see. THIS ONLY WORKS FOR NON METALLICS. IMHO Clear is for base/coat systems. I use S/S for only non-metallic colors and I never clear it. JMO Tim

[cyclopsblown34]

I'm a big fan of Ss for solid colors just like Lets Cut It Up. I have had my best results with black when as a SS and colro sand and buff.