Decals and clear coat???

[peteuk]

Hi,  I don't know if this question has been asked before but I'm having my cb550f repainted professionally. It will come back to me with a nice glossy topcoat but minus any decals. My question is, if I apply the decals does the tank and side panels need clear coating again or are the decals fine without. Does anyone know how Honda did it originally. Thanks

[Johnwebley]

Personally I would seal the decals with aclear coat

Sent from my SM-G361F using Tapatalk

[peteuk]

Hmm... I may have to get the new decals first then and take them to the spray place at the same time as the tank etc

[wolfheze]

If you decide to clearcoat over the decals make sure that the lacquered  tank and side panels are flatted before the decals are applied. Flat with P1000 wet, scotchbite the awkward bits and then clean thoroughly with degreaser . Just take care not to flat through any edges.

[peteuk]

Hi wolfheze, I'm getting it all done by the professionals cos I've already been down the diy route. I've bought decals (wow they're expensive) then clearcoated over the top, after flattening everything of course. Then when it was all finished and looking pretty good, I splashed petrol on the tank and it just ruined it. It went all soft and looked awful so I've decided to let the pros do it

[wolfheze]

Wise decision .Presumably it was single pack clearcoat you used. 2k is impervious to petrol spillages once it's fully cured.

[wolfheze]

A bit hard to explain but whoever does the job needs to make sure that there is sufficient lacquer on the return edge of the fuel filler hole, if the clearcoat is thin or has a feather edge petrol or even petrol fumes can get under it causing it to pickle .

[MeilakJ]

As from my experience my sprayer does not apply any clear coat before i put on the decals and tank is sanded down as previously mentioned. The only decals that are appleid after on top of the clear coat are the warning decals.

Hope this helps

[Chris400F]

See this thread for comments on painting the tank filler neck.
I knew I'd read something about this before and luckily managed to find it!
http://www.sohc.co.uk/index.php/topic,2683.msg8315.html#msg8315

[peteuk]

OK thanks for the advice. I'll contact the sprayer then and delay the respray till I've got new decals to give to them

[wolfheze]

As from my experience my sprayer does not apply any clear coat before i put on the decals and tank is sanded down as previously mentioned. The only decals that are appleid after on top of the clear coat are the warning decals.

Hope this helps

I personally wouldn't attempt to put on decals over an un lacquered basecoat as it's extremely easy to mark. Not saying it's not possible just not the way I would do it.

[Menno]

Originaly Honda spraypainted clear over the decals as well.
But not always over the warning stickers.
They were put on later depending to which country the bike would go.

Decals nowadays are mostly very poor quality replica's
Plastic too thick, print poor resolution.
And quite often you have to cut them out yourself.

Most importent however is that stickers have an experation date.
If they are getting to old they might stick less and airbubbles remain under the sticker.
But more often they stick to much. When you try to put them on with a film of water (and a bit of soap) they tend to stick right through the water onto the paint.
Those stickers are impossible to get on right since you cannot correct them anymore with ease.

The way to go is to go to a stickershop who will make them new on demand for you.
Then, they will go on smoother and easier then you ever could imagine.
And often they are less than half the price of stickers on ebay or places like that.

Most stickers you buy on ebay or at a motordealer are produced in larger amounts.
No one knows exactly how old they are.

Fact is a sticker after 6 months becomes to old to use well.

If a sticker needs more than 2 thick layers of clear to cover means it's poor quality.
(but that is my humble opinion.)

[Nurse Julie]

We use forum member Piki for all our stickers and decals, freshly made and very good quality IMO but, I am no sticker expert !!!

[Piki]

Hello, some tips for application decals:

1.   Roughly cut out the stripes/decals from the sheet (if not already).
2.   Clean the surface that the decal will be applied to. The surface must be free of cleaners, solutions or solvents. If the surface has been freshly painted, allow at least a week for proper curing time. Paint that has not cured properly will attack the vinyl adhesive.
3.   The clean part is carefully marked up with low tack masking tape or similar as a guide to correctly position the stripe.
4.   Lightly mist with a mixture of water and a drop of dishwashing liquid, covering the whole area. Too much dishwashing liquid in the water will affect adhesion. This mist will enable the decal to be gently lifted off if the initial positioning is not accurate.
5.   If the decal is between a backing paper and a transparent application tape. Peel off the backing paper making sure the whole graphic sticks to the application tape.
6.   The “exposed” part of the stripe should be carefully aligned to the guides on tank/panel and gently placed in position. If the positioning is not right at this point the stripe/decal can be carefully pulled off the piece. If too much pressure has been has been used the vinyl can easily be stretched. When satisfied with its positioning the stripe can be smoothed down with a plastic squeegee or a piece of stiff card, expelling the water.
7.   Peel back the application tape carefully, should the graphic start to lift push it back down then continue peeling back the tape. While it is still wet, push out any air pockets while being careful not to move the decal out of position. Always work any water or air pockets to the outside edges of the decals to avoid trapping them.
8.   Decals should be allowed 24 hours to dry. If you have pushed out all air during the previous steps, the decal should not have air bubbles. Should any appear after drying, use a sewing needle to extract air with a very small hole. Small bubbles will disappear over time with exposure to sun.
9.   Allow at least 2 days before applying a clear coat over your new graphics.
10.   The decals should be carefully spirit wiped and allowed to dry, twice, before applying clearcoat to remove any traces silicone from the surface.
11.   Applying a clearcoat is best left to an experienced painter. The decals must not stay wet for long. The first coat of clear must be what is sometimes called a “dry coat”. This is a light coat to seal them, which is allowed to dry before the final coat(s) are applied. If they are sprayed heavily with clear without doing this, the solvents in the clearcoat may attack the decals causing the them to wrinkle or lift.


 "Warning decals"comes with a Top Clear Coat for UV rays protection and long life, the other decals as "tank and side covers decals" comes without protection because then goes with a Clear Coat but I can print other Top Clear Coat for more protection.

Nowadays decals are better than 40 years ago, because the vynyl quality is a lot better.

Best Regards.

[Menno]

So... Piki; do you have a website? How can I contact you outside the forum?