07-16-2014, 08:10 PM
Thanks for the kind words.
Before starting the project, some friends asked if I'd document the restoration. Since I love to learn and share; there's a couple of forums where I tried to show the process. It was a great experience for me. Really enjoyed it.
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Skills, hmmm... I've always been mechanical, and enjoyed taking things apart to see what makes them tick. Picked up welding years ago when I wanted a blasting cabinet. Started machining steel, aluminum & composites after acquiring a small lathe/mill combo (trail & error are good friends). Service manuals are like a good book. Got one for every bike & car.
Engine cases, heads, cylinders, etc... Cleaning, Prep, Painting & Curing
After cleaning the parts in the solvent tank; I like to blast them with medium to hard grade baking soda (Harbor Freight). I've used glass beads, but the clean up afterwards takes much longer.
Once parts have been cleaned; I like to wash them down with paint thinner or paint prep, and let them dry for 2-3 days.
Duplicolor silver caliper paint with ceramic is the best match for the Honda Cloud Silver. Can be purchased at most of the automotive stores and is easy to apply. Start with a light first coat and apply two more for coverage.
Curing painted parts.
A while back a good friend in the VW club was remodeling their kitchen. I was fortunate to get his old stove. Works great!
After painting parts; I'll them dry for an hour or so, then they go in the oven for 30 minutes on warm (about 120degF). Then the oven gets bumped up to 225 for another 30 minutes. Some believe like I do that curing paint makes the finish more durable.
Top speed. Only have 297 miles on the bike, so it's still breaking in. Back in the day (I was a "few" pounds lighter...), in a crouched position, with a tail wind, the speedo showed 72mph. Those were the days!
Sorry to ramble on, be glad to answer any other questions or show other pics.
Thanks again for your kind words & interest.
Before starting the project, some friends asked if I'd document the restoration. Since I love to learn and share; there's a couple of forums where I tried to show the process. It was a great experience for me. Really enjoyed it.
-------------------------------
Skills, hmmm... I've always been mechanical, and enjoyed taking things apart to see what makes them tick. Picked up welding years ago when I wanted a blasting cabinet. Started machining steel, aluminum & composites after acquiring a small lathe/mill combo (trail & error are good friends). Service manuals are like a good book. Got one for every bike & car.
Engine cases, heads, cylinders, etc... Cleaning, Prep, Painting & Curing
After cleaning the parts in the solvent tank; I like to blast them with medium to hard grade baking soda (Harbor Freight). I've used glass beads, but the clean up afterwards takes much longer.
Once parts have been cleaned; I like to wash them down with paint thinner or paint prep, and let them dry for 2-3 days.
Duplicolor silver caliper paint with ceramic is the best match for the Honda Cloud Silver. Can be purchased at most of the automotive stores and is easy to apply. Start with a light first coat and apply two more for coverage.
Curing painted parts.
A while back a good friend in the VW club was remodeling their kitchen. I was fortunate to get his old stove. Works great!
After painting parts; I'll them dry for an hour or so, then they go in the oven for 30 minutes on warm (about 120degF). Then the oven gets bumped up to 225 for another 30 minutes. Some believe like I do that curing paint makes the finish more durable.
Top speed. Only have 297 miles on the bike, so it's still breaking in. Back in the day (I was a "few" pounds lighter...), in a crouched position, with a tail wind, the speedo showed 72mph. Those were the days!
Sorry to ramble on, be glad to answer any other questions or show other pics.
Thanks again for your kind words & interest.