Painting Tins. No really...

[GLJ]

It ain't all sunshine and roses....


I started this thread so others may hopefully gain a little knowledge, to document my work... and maybe be a little entertaining in the process. The other edge to that sword is everything is out in public... the good, the bad and the ugly. Well, here's the ugly....

I know that the owner of the white tank is gettin' a little antsy to have his tins back. And fair play... I don't blame him at all. It's been about a month since I started 'em, so I guess a little 'splainin is in order.

So, about two weeks ago I finished up the minor touchups I wanted to do and started sanding the tank down in prep for the final polish. Well, sumbich if I didn't burn through one of the stripes. Kevin asked above about polishing on the edges... well, sometimes you just plain eff up and burn through. In this case it was a rather nasty dust nib right on the edge of the stripe. So, slow and steady... 2000grit paper... sand for 5 sec or so, dry it off and see where we are. Rinse and repeat as necessary. Sometimes 5 seconds is 2 seconds too much.... through the clear coat and into the candy... crap!

So anyway, touched that up and re-shot the clear over the stripes. This clear wants 3 to 4 days before you sand it out. Waited it out and started the cut-n-buff all over again.... and sumbich if I didn't burn through again on another candy stripe. Fuck me.
So you know the drill... touch up, clear and back to waiting on the cure.

Today's plan was cut-n-buff, box it up and have it on a UPS truck before the end of business today. Yeah right...
Guess what ol' dipshit here did? Yup.... jus' burned through the candy for the 3rd friggin time.
I can't explain it. Cuttin' into the stripes is sumpin I hardly ever do... as in almost never. Yet here we are.... 3 friggin times on ONE TANK... oy vey

Anyway, it's touched up and cleared.... AGAIN. Back to waitin' 3-4 days on the cure.



You know... 'case y'all was wonderin'....


View attachment 331874

View attachment 331875

That's what you get for working on that British stuff ahead of XS650 things.
I'm sure the owner will wait.

 

[GLJ]

Jim, all I know is, from what I've seen you do some really nice work. You are not however, immune to Murphy's Law. Hang in there. I'm sure when Keven gets his tins it will have been worth the wait.
Brad

@Jim if Keven decides he doesn't want that tank I might have a bike for it. Oh and the side covers also.

 

[gggGary]

Jim, all I know is, from what I've seen you do some really nice work. You are not however, immune to Murphy's Law. Hang in there. I'm sure when Keven gets his tins it will have been worth the wait.
Brad

Yeah Kevin's gonna love that tank...



Wait? What?
I'm hearing howling off in the distance to the south of me, huh wonder what that is?

 

[gggGary]

I'm sure the owner will wait.

You'll be glad to hear a second box with Smooth shiny brilliant BRG parts showed up today!

 

[Jim]

My homemade box didn't self destruct then?

 

[gggGary]

You must have seen the ggggGary creative box construction video series, I haven't unwrapped those parts yet.
My mailman stopped and demanded to see the green paint today! He was impressed.

 

[Kevin Werner]

I got my perfect tins before Jim went all senile. BUT, I will take a senile Jim over most of you punters. Ben and I visited Jim in May. Ben commented that he had never seen a cleaner lathe as the one in Jim's shop. Another story...
playing with these old m/C is great entertainment. All love and no "trash talking" to Jim.
aside, I routed my clutch cable like I remembered Jim showing me. Holly shit, I think I am riding a Honda 75 cc.

 

[Jim]

I routed my clutch cable like I remembered Jim showing me. Holly shit, I think I am riding a Honda 75 cc.

Yup. An XS clutch can be just as easy as any bike.... ya jus' gotta play with the routing 'till it does it's happy dance.
Hint: ain't nowhere close to what the book calls for.

 

[Kevin Werner]

Yup. An XS clutch can be just as easy as any bike.... ya jus' gotta play with the routing 'till it does it's happy dance.
Hint: ain't nowhere close to what the book calls for.

View attachment 331879

I wouldn't have been playing with a clutch cable except the 2500 mile cable was frayed at the lever. I guessing @Jim or @5twins suggested lubing that end and I forgot to.

 

[Jim]

The white tank has sat in the oven (VanGo) for a few days now. Temps here have been topping 100° for 3 or 4 days now.... well over 120° inside the van. I'ma jump out on a limb and say the tank's cured.
3rd time was the charm. They'll be on a truck in the morning.

 

[Jim]

Next up on the sanding bench... another set of early XS1-2 tins.
I get these done and I think I'll take a break for a spell.
The BSA Victor, the DT250... RD200, RD350 all are complaining they never get any love... and fair play, they don't. In the last 3 months I've done 2 Standard XS tanks, a full set of Norton tins and an XS2 tank and covers. In that mix I managed to sneak in all the tupperware for the Beamer.... and that doesn't include about a dozen XS and Honda 4 rotor rewinds in the mix. Um.... they have a valid complaint. Time to slow down and give my bikes a little love.

And don't get me started on the Speed Twin 750 wannabe... he throws shit at me if I get too close.


Time.... where the hell does it go?

 

[Mailman]

Time.... where the hell does it go?

Completely understandable, time is the one thing we’re not going to get any more of. Enjoy your projects!

 

[atom4488]

Next up on the sanding bench... another set of early XS1-2 tins.
I get these done and I think I'll take a break for a spell.
The BSA Victor, the DT250... RD200, RD350 all are complaining they never get any love... and fair play, they don't. In the last 3 months I've done 2 Standard XS tanks, a full set of Norton tins and an XS2 tank and covers. In that mix I managed to sneak in all the tupperware for the Beamer.... and that doesn't include about a dozen XS and Honda 4 rotor rewinds in the mix. Um.... they have a valid complaint. Time to slow down and give my bikes a little love.

And don't get me started on the Speed Twin 750 wannabe... he throws shit at me if I get too close.


Time.... where the hell does it go?

No pressure, but the audience (well, me, at least) wants to see those! Just sayin...

 

[willis]

And let us not forget about Van-go. You’ve done well keeping busy in retirement Jim. Thanks for sharing all your work!

 

[mrtwowheel]

Jim for president. He will get things done.

 

[Mikey]

Wait a minute I think we need to card him and check his age

 

[Vincenthdfan]

Next up on the sanding bench... another set of early XS1-2 tins.
I get these done and I think I'll take a break for a spell.
The BSA Victor, the DT250... RD200, RD350 all are complaining they never get any love... and fair play, they don't. In the last 3 months I've done 2 Standard XS tanks, a full set of Norton tins and an XS2 tank and covers. In that mix I managed to sneak in all the tupperware for the Beamer.... and that doesn't include about a dozen XS and Honda 4 rotor rewinds in the mix. Um.... they have a valid complaint. Time to slow down and give my bikes a little love.

And don't get me started on the Speed Twin 750 wannabe... he throws shit at me if I get too close.


Time.... where the hell does it go?


View attachment 332038

Hey...I know where that tank came from.

 

[DogBunny]

Hey...I know where that tank came from.

Me too. Was his, now mine. I'll start a build thread when I truly begin and explain all, but for now, let it be known that I bought an XS2 at a friendly price from Vincenthdfan. Pretty nice shape other than the tins, and won't take much.

 

[Adamc]

Jim for president. He will get things done.

I will second that, and I'm not even a Yank!

 

[drgonzo]

Jim strikes me as the kind of man we need more of in office, a reasonable man.