With the first engine start behind me, I have been concentrating on paint work. I’ve got the fenders stripped and the tank ready for bead blasting. Here is a write-up on that work.
I have paint and primer coming in from Kent Holt at Holt BMW, Monza Blue. I have some new paint guns from Eastwood due to arrive and a new compressor in the shop with what I expect is adequate flow to run the guns.
I’m going to strip the “Silver Ghost”, 1975 R75/6 “S” bike that was my first paint project back in 2010. I made several mistakes that lead to paint flaking, so now is the time to redo that bike, again in the R90-S Smoke Silver scheme. I figure when you get setup for painting, do some painting. 🙂
I’m also going to restore the Windjammer II fairing and paint it to match in Monza Blue. I figure the cost of the paint should double the value of the faring ;-). This restoration tries to represent the “state of the art” circa 1973, and a Jammer was that at that time.
Here are a couple pictures from the write-up.
Front Fender Gouge and Scratches
Rear Fender Cracks
Rear Fender Pinstripe Measurement
Tank Pinstripe Near Kneepad Measurement
Paint Removal Tools
Progress After Two Hours of Work
Using Block on Front Fender Trim Ridge
Carefully Sanding Edge of Raised Hole
Use Flexible Block to Sand Rounded Section
Stripped Front and Rear Fenders
Use Drift to Remove Gas Cap Hinge Pin
Knee Pad, Enamel Badge, Gasket and Screws
Gas Tank Ready for Bead Blasting
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Brook, it looks like your gas cap has a bit of the typical pitting, as does the one on my /5. I’m curious if you know of a way to get the cap looking new again — or is the only option to fully disassemble it, sand, and send it out for chroming?
Hi Ben,
Thanks for stopping by and reading my write-ups.
You are right about the small pits in the chrome on the gas cap. I used semichrome polish on it to remove the oxidation, and the cap looks pretty good.
I looked into chrome and plating but the last one in Denver is no longer willing to meet EPA standards and has closed. It seems chrome plating shops are a disappearing breed.
I have stumbled upon “kits” that create a “chrome like” surface but don’t use chorme. For a list of what’s available, see Caswell Plating:
http://www.caswellplating.com/electroplating-anodizing/chrome-plating-kits.html
The Copy Chrome kits start at about $200 for the small size, so if you wanted to plate a number of parts, this might be economical and feasible.
Also, Eastwood provides a product, “Liquid Chrome”, that may also be an option for you.
http://search.eastwood.com/search?w=liquid+chrome
I haven’t tried Caswell’s kits or Eastwood Liquid Chrome, but I am considering them for future projects.
I hope this helps.
Best.
Brook.
Looks good Brook!
I am thinking about changing the colour of my /5 tank. What did you use to remove the knee pads? Are they reusable?
Thanks,
Matt
Hi Matt,
Thanks for the compliment.
You may not have clicked the link to the write-up this blog points to:
51 BMW R75/5 Preparing Fenders & Tank for Painting
In the write-up, I provide all the details about this work including how I removed the knee pads. This section covers the removal:
Preparing the Tank for Bead Blasting
It was easy to remove them nd I plan to resue them.
Best of success with the new color.
Hi guys
Re chroming: I live in the Philippines where the EPA does not reign. Consequently, and due to somewhat lesser labor costs, chrome plating and powder coating is a lot less here. It might make sense to ship items. If there’s any interest, we can discuss the details.
I have recently had the engine covers (sump and DOHC cover) of my K100 and also, the chain case cover of my Royal Enfield. I’ve had lots of things chromed for my R50/2 and also, powder coated the R50 frame. I am not suggesting to ship frames back and forth but smaller items should work.
Cheers, Klaus
Thank you for your extremely detailed and informative write-ups. Did you consider sand, bead, or other media blasting to remove paint from the fiberglass fenders? My thought is that it would be less time consuming and work well for curved surfaces.
Hi Max,
My concern with abrasive media blasting was damage to the fiberglass. Glass and sand would likely destroy it. So I used sand paper to carefully remove the paint, particularly around the sharp edges of body lines and such.
Best.
Brook.