inner fairing plastic AP

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PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 11:21 pm
I assumed the inner fairing was ABS but ran across some literature which described the painting proccedures for Harley plastic components of which there are 3 different kinds, see: http://www.pfonline.com/articles/painting-plastics-at-harley-davidson Just wondering if you know if Buldog AP will work for that part. Unfortunately the article didn't say which parts are which.
Harley,
"Takin' what their givin' cuz I'm workin' for a livin'"

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 9:07 am
We paint a number of Harley plastic parts, in fact, we are finishing up a Ultra and there are 19 parts total of which only 3 parts are metal, the rest of plastic. I have never used Bulldog.
We use PPG One Choice Plastic Prep System for raw plastic. which consists of a plastic scuff pad with a prep solution on it, then a wipe with more plastic prep on it, then a AP is sprayed on the part, and its ready for paint.
In fact, over the years I have always used an AP made for plastic before I spray any kind of raw plastic.
Painted plastic is another matter.
I looked over the Bulldog AP tech sheet and it says its designed for exactly what you are doing. But make sure you thoroughly prep scuff that surface, especially the sharp inner corners where the gauges sit. Make that surface is completely dulled and scuffed. No shininess. Those are the areas that will give you problems long after the paint is done, cos those are the areas that the paint will want to pull away from as it dried and shrinks over time.
Crazy Horse Custom Paint
And Author of How to Custom Paint Your Car
http://www.crazyhorsepainting.com/



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PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 9:53 am
Thanks JoAnn, so after the AP it's ready for base? Something I read yesterday said you could/should shoot an epoxy, would you think that would make any difference in the long run? And incidently, it is correct that the inner fairing is raw plastic right?
Harley,
"Takin' what their givin' cuz I'm workin' for a livin'"

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 8:59 am
harley-16 wrote:Thanks JoAnn, so after the AP it's ready for base? Something I read yesterday said you could/should shoot an epoxy, would you think that would make any difference in the long run? And incidently, it is correct that the inner fairing is raw plastic right?


Is the inner fairing brand new?
If so does it have a coat of factory primer on it?
Is it brand new from harley or is it aftermarket?

if it is raw plastic with NO paint or primer or ecoat on it, then you will need AP. If it has primer on it, then depending on the thickness, you might not need AP on it.

if its used, then it probably has paint on it?
if its used and its painted with basecoat and clearcoat (is it shiny?), then you won't need an AP on it. But when you sand it, there are so many edges that you will probably sand through them, so make sure to use a good quality brand of sealer on it and use the sealer made by and for the brand of paint you are using.

One thing I do want to say, for many years I mixed brands of paint, like one brand for primer, another for basecoat, another for clear. No more. When things go wrong, its one factor you can take out of the equation. So when I use a AP for plastic, its the same brand as the paint I am using. I know this subject can generate much discussion, but take this as a lesson learned the hard way over 33 years of painting hell.
Crazy Horse Custom Paint
And Author of How to Custom Paint Your Car
http://www.crazyhorsepainting.com/



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PostPosted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 10:01 am
I bought this bike new and that is the way it came, it is a dull look as if it is raw. I have enough epoxy to cover it, will that work for a sealer?
Harley,
"Takin' what their givin' cuz I'm workin' for a livin'"

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 2:44 pm
harley-16 wrote:I bought this bike new and that is the way it came, it is a dull look as if it is raw. I have enough epoxy to cover it, will that work for a sealer?


is that the only piece that is dull or is it one of HD's flat finish paint jobs. You need to find out if there is paint on there. Take a wipe and in a hard to see spot rub a little thinner on there, does any paint come off, does it soften the surface?
if its raw plastic with no paint on it, then I would use some plastic AP on it. Heck, a spray can of the stuff is pretty cheap at NAPA. Or order a spray can of Bulldog or PPG online.
Crazy Horse Custom Paint
And Author of How to Custom Paint Your Car
http://www.crazyhorsepainting.com/



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PostPosted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 7:50 pm
I'll do a spot check on it to see if it's paint, I doubt it though, the rest of the bike is vivid black bc/cc. This was a base model with no special paint, denim I think is the flat finish they are doing now. I used Armourall on it a few times because that was the only thing that cleaned and left a luster, sorta. I thought maybe you'd seen a few of these over the years. This is the only part of the bike that has this type of finish or look. I already have Bulldog just for this. So if it is raw, would you AP it then seal or go straight to base? If you were to seal it would epoxy work?
Harley,
"Takin' what their givin' cuz I'm workin' for a livin'"

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 8:32 am
harley-16 wrote:I'll do a spot check on it to see if it's paint, I doubt it though, the rest of the bike is vivid black bc/cc. This was a base model with no special paint, denim I think is the flat finish they are doing now. I used Armourall on it a few times because that was the only thing that cleaned and left a luster, sorta. I thought maybe you'd seen a few of these over the years. This is the only part of the bike that has this type of finish or look. I already have Bulldog just for this. So if it is raw, would you AP it then seal or go straight to base? If you were to seal it would epoxy work?


if its raw and you have it scuffed, then hit with the AP, then epoxy, but make sure to hit it with the Bulldog first, spray one coat, take a look at it, do you see any of the sand scratches or is the epoxy covering them good, if you need to, spray another coat of epoxy on it, then spray your basecoat.
Crazy Horse Custom Paint
And Author of How to Custom Paint Your Car
http://www.crazyhorsepainting.com/



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PostPosted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 10:29 am
Thanks JoAnn, another piece of the puzzle in place. I'm determined to do this right the first time!
Harley,
"Takin' what their givin' cuz I'm workin' for a livin'"

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