Never give up. Billet chain adjuster.

[toglhot]

I finally had a win. Initially I made the adjuster with a 15mm slot to fit over the swingarm axle mounts. That didn't work too well, scratched the hell out of the paintwork. Next I tried putting a step in the slot, 15mm where the axle slips through and 16mm for the rest, but couldn't get a decent finish inside the slot. I know you can't see inside the slot when it's fitted, but, I know the finish isn't up to scratch. So today I milled the slot out to 16mm for the whole length, papered it reasonably smooth, then put it in the vice and stepped it by bending the ends in to around 15.5mm. Seems to work pretty well, so I'll try making another tomorrow the same way. I think I'm going to have to powder coat the frame though, the acrylic lacquer just scratches and chips too easily.

 

[Max Midnight]

I think I'm going to have to powder coat the frame though, the acrylic lacquer just scratches and chips too easily.

Is that acrylic from a rattle can? If it is chipping then either the substrate hasn't been keyed correctly or the topcoat is too thick.
Whilst powder coating will probably be more durable my experience is that it has limited resistance against scuffing.

If you are going to the expense of powder coating then I would see how much a two pack oven cured auto paint would cost.
These tend to be very durable (i.e. scuff resistance) and IMO look better that powder coating.

 

[toglhot]

Rattle can? You gotta be joking!

 

[Max Midnight]

Rattle can? You gotta be joking!

No, it is/ has been done.
I asked because you say 'the acrylic lacquer just scratches and chips too easily'. I was curious how this was applied and why acrylic was chosen.

 

[gggGary]

I like the high build rattle can enamels. If I was getting all fancy the local fleet store sells enamal tractor paint by the quart and also sells the complementing hardener.... Guess I would never use lacquer on anything that needs mechanical resistance, it's a brittle paint. My only use for lacquer these days is as a thin "reveal coat" while sanding repaired sheet metal.

 

[Max Midnight]

I would only use high build if it was a primer that was to be sanded down to help get a flat surface.
The thicker the paint the more likely the paint will chip.

Ideally you are aiming for a total film thickness of around 0.008" (made up of a primer coat of approximately .002", a colour coating of about .001" to .002" and a final clear coat that is up to .003" to .004" thick. To put it another way, about seven or eight sheets of clingfilm.

I would normally use a guide coat to check for high and low spots but I would use a solid colour rather than a lacquer (depending on how you are defining lacquer which I think of as a transparent medium)*.

I haven't had much success with a clear top coat from rattle cans but the use of professional re-finishing products that promote a cross bonding between the colour and clear coat is extremely durable.

* There may be an issue that our personal definition and understanding of what a particular paint is may differ from some one else's. It may be that we are singing off the same hymn sheet or it could be a different song altogether...who knows?

 

[gggGary]

Black lacquer in rattle can, fast dry, thin, doesn't plug up sandpaper.