decal application?

[wyly]

I searched the data base and after having watched a number of you tube videos on decal installation I still have questions/doubts on the best method, does anyone have any experience doing this?

One method requires fixing the decal in place with masking tape and the other uses a water soap mixture. The masking tape method looks okay for large and compact decals but the long skinny tank stripes don't seem to be suited to the masking tape method, one error with those wiggly stripes and I'll have a problem.

If I were to use the water/soap method are all decals water resistant? This would seem to give me the most forgiving for placement errors.

The supplier said I should lay them over the last clear coat, I'd prefer them under a clear coat like the oem decals but I've read that some decals will shrivel up when sprayed with a clear. And if I want to clear them I'd also need to do it within a 24 hr window from earlier coat which is problematic as then the color coat under the decals is still curing?

If anyone has any suggestions or practical experience to share I'd appreciate it.

[daves79x]

What are you putting decals on? Any modern reproductions are stick-on that I know of. Only some of the original Honda ones were water or alcohol transfer. With the stick-ons, you just have to know EXACTLY where they go and have at it. And all modern ones are made to be clear coated - that's the way Honda did it too. If your supplier is balking at you clear coating over them, then I'd get a new supplier.

Dave

[wyly]

What are you putting decals on? Any modern reproductions are stick-on that I know of. Only some of the original Honda ones were water or alcohol transfer. With the stick-ons, you just have to know EXACTLY where they go and have at it. And all modern ones are made to be clear coated - that's the way Honda did it too. If your supplier is balking at you clear coating over them, then I'd get a new supplier.

Dave

the pin stripes on my 2nd cbx tank. I had issues with applying decals years ago, it didn't go well and I've been hesitant to do it again. They weren't straight and my attempt to lift and replace them removed the paint.

The supplier (Bert at SCM ) says there's no need to clear coat them. I checked painting websites that say clear coat can destroy the decals if the proper technique isn't followed.

I've done water transfer with decals that were made for that purpose but gather from the websites I've visited that technique can be used with adhesive type decals as well. I've never done it.

Another paint website advised to wait a week after painting to let the paint cure but if I do that I lose my window for clear coat chemical adhesion.

There's lot's of conflicting advise that makes me hesitate. An error could destroy my paint the decals or both, costly and frustrating.

[NobleHops]

Even with adhesive backing, my painter uses a spray solution, distilled water and some wetting agent, sprays the clean tank first, peels the decal, then applies it. Can reposition it like this, then it is squeegeed down and left to set-up. Search Youtube and I have no doubt you'll find a half dozen tutorials.

[wyly]

I've watched a number of youtube demos and dozens of paint websites and I was always left with contradictory advice and many many unanswered questions...

Steve connected me with a paint expert on the GS forums and who has painted a few CBXs . Even with his experience he said the long thin tank decals on the bottom of the tank are tricky to apply correctly (use the wet method).

He's answered a number of questions generally connecting the info I've picked up from youtube and elsewhere and he's given me a procedure to follow and some valuable tips. I still have a few more questions for him and when I'm confident I have learned everything I need to know I'll proceed with my paint and decal application.

If I'm successful I can post the complete process on the forum and if I remember to do it take pictures as I proceed.

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Robert, glad you got in contact with Larry.
His skills are first class and he is a good guy as well.

[NobleHops]

I've watched a number of youtube demos and dozens of paint websites and I was always left with contradictory advice and many many unanswered questions...

Steve connected me with a paint expert on the GS forums and who has painted a few CBXs . Even with his experience he said the long thin tank decals on the bottom of the tank are tricky to apply correctly (use the wet method).

He's answered a number of questions generally connecting the info I've picked up from youtube and elsewhere and he's given me a procedure to follow and some valuable tips. I still have a few more questions for him and when I'm confident I have learned everything I need to know I'll proceed with my paint and decal application.

If I'm successful I can post the complete process on the forum and if I remember to do it take pictures as I proceed.

Well, that would be some great content, thanks in advance.

[gnryfan]

My '79's stripes appeared to be factory clearcoated...however, the gold decal on top of the tank was not.(Maybe someone forgot to apply it before the clearcoating, and applied it later...mine was an original purchase from a dealer, so I know nobody messed with it after the factory - I watched the dealer uncrate it.!) But...just a wacky thought: Could you apply masking tape BELOW where the decal's lower edge should go, and use the upper edge of the masking tape as a FENCE, and then put the decal on wet and push it to the fence line? That would let you play with the masking tape to get your line JUST the way you wanted it, and reposition it if needed, until you were happy with the alignment, then use the wet method and have a true-aligned 'edge' to assure the decal lineup. Then you could use a paper towel edge or something to soak up the wet from the masking edge, until you were certain the decal wouldn't move any more, and gently peel back the masking. Just thinking out loud here...havent actually tried it.
Joe Berger

[daves79x]

That decal was never clear coated, and any replacement should just be a sticker. Many of us removed them years ago anyway.

Dave

[NobleHops]

Hey wyly, what did you end up doing? Feel like you learned enough from the experience to write it up?

[ericfreeman]

On my bikes when I paint them, I spray several coats of clear before fitting the decals. I lightly scuff the dried clear and use little bits of masking tape to pre-position the decals so I can get the alignment correct. I set tape markers around the decal so when I begin installation I have a reference guide. I use a decal application spray to allow moving the decal around and then do the install. When I'm happy with the placement, I squeegee out the solution and let everything dry for a few days. I add several more clear coats on top of everything but only mist the first coat to avoid saturating the new decal. Once the mist coat has dried, I lay on full coats until I'm happy with the results. This has worked on all my bikes that I've painted.

Eric

[wyly]

On my bikes when I paint them, I spray several coats of clear before fitting the decals. I lightly scuff the dried clear and use little bits of masking tape to pre-position the decals so I can get the alignment correct. I set tape markers around the decal so when I begin installation I have a reference guide. I use a decal application spray to allow moving the decal around and then do the install. When I'm happy with the placement, I squeegee out the solution and let everything dry for a few days. I add several more clear coats on top of everything but only mist the first coat to avoid saturating the new decal. Once the mist coat has dried, I lay on full coats until I'm happy with the results. This has worked on all my bikes that I've painted.

Eric

wow I'm late getting back to this thread...using tape to guide placement is good idea but I used tape earlier on in the painting process and it either left a residue or it began to eat into the paint and the tape was sourced from an auto paint supply company...I did some repairs because of the tape so rather than trust the tape again I just misted lots of water on the tank, first stripes went okay applying the 2nd stripe was much more difficult because I needed to match the original, it took awhile and frequent repositioning measuring back and forth with a plastic caliper before I was satisfied the two sides were the same...

when it came time for clear coat I did like you, let the decal dry for a couple days then apply a light mist coat, let that dry and then proceed with many clear coats until I ran out of clear, waited until that cured and then polished it up...it all turned surprisingly well for a rattle can paint job, I've had a lot of compliments on it...is it a 100% no, I can see flaws that I'm not happy with but I'm the only one who has spotted them... I know I'll do better with the next paint job.