[Shorty Steve]

I have decided to lay some paint on my bike. So I will be stripping it to the bare frame and thought that as long as I have it down I should do something to clean up the welds.

Sickandtwisted inc this ones for you as you have repainted yours, how much can you clean up the welds without risking them cracking? I just want to take the high spots down and lead in the low spots. Any advice?

 

[Rtrombone68]

Just letting you know: The welds are an aesthetic choice created by honda when making the bike to give it a real chopper look. I personally dont undertsand it but que sera sera. Good luck broseph im sure it will be a PITA.

 

[Shorty Steve]

the whole thing is going to be a PITA, but I just think that repainting the frame without cleaning up the welds is going to look funny under the candy blue. I still dont know why they have those two ovals cut into the inside of the down tubes and then welded them shut, but they have got to go.

 

[Rtrombone68]

Do it up Bro Chamberlain - You have more skill apparently than Mongo here..

 

[captainfester]

i like the welds... i know not what you are asking about but hey theres my two cents

 

[Shorty Steve]

I agree that the welds give the fury a hand built look but I am afraid that they are not going to look as good under candy paint as they do under the solid paint. Every scratch in the metal shows through in the base coat and you get a dark spot where the candy is thicker.

 

[captainfester]

interesting point about the paint... i dont know much about it... except that mine cost alot. maybe painter can chime in here. i also am going to see my guy this week i can ask if you want another opinion. not sure where u are in the decision

 

[Shorty Steve]

I plan to do this as a early spring project so I have lots of time to decide about the welds.
I have painted about 25 or 30 bikes in candy colors and you have to be careful about the thickness or you get tiger stripes and dark spots. The light reflect of the base coat and back up through the color coat so it needs to be as close to the same thickness as possible.

 

[Painter]

interesting point about the paint... i dont know much about it... except that mine cost alot. maybe painter can chime in here. i also am going to see my guy this week i can ask if you want another opinion. not sure where u are in the decision

90 % of Candy paint jobs are over a metallic silver base....so there is a base coat under that beautiful transparent color! Shoot the Candy with 75% overlap and go one direction the full length of the work. Then you eliminate the 'pockets' that give you that awful 'motting' of color.

If you use HOK Kandy (This is the way House of Kolor spells Candy), you will have a hardener to use also. With HOK you will spray the Top Coat Clear in the succession of your coats of Kandy....right after the Kandy the top clear coat is sprayed. BE SURE TO USE THE RIGHT HARDENER WITH EACH PRODUCT!!!

HOK makes GREAT Candies!!!! (Kandies) and when I do a candy color, it is with HOK. Beats the heck out of anything else I've ever tried.

As for the welds....on my Fury I don't mind them too much. It does give a 'hand built' look to it. They will look no different under base coat/candy than other paint jobs. But my general rule is "I don't grind down some one elses welds...PERIOD!

Now that that's all said, there is Kandy Base Coats..... a whole different story....

 

[Clintster442]

I like the welds personally but can definitely see what you mean about the paint. Candy paint 'highlights' everything and they would go from aesthetic to irritating.

Are the ovals are wiring holes?

 

[Shorty Steve]

Painter
Excellent explanation of the candy process for the non-painters. Yes, I only use HOK paint as well I have never had a bad experience with them. As a general rule I never grind on someone else’s welds either but it looks like I am going to be left with the welds unless someone can tell me that they have done it and had no problems for at least 500 miles after. I am assuming that there is not much extra metal in the joints so I am concerned about going at it with a die grinder, even though I only wanted to knock down the high spots. Oh well, I may have to live with them as they are.

 

[Deanohh]

Yeah, handmade by a crappy welder. It soulds like an excuse that someone made up afterwards. If they were actually going for a hand made look why not paint them with a rattle can to get a bunch of sags and runs.

Most of the guys I've seen build bikes wouldn't even do it if they couldn't weld better than that.

 

[Snuffdog76]

those of us with the burgundy bikes have the color closest to a candy and the welds look fine. Have yet to have a person say " nice bike but wtf is up with those welds"

 

[Painter]

I have to say I'm with Snuffdog on this one. Never had anyone say bad things about the welds....just too busy looking at the lines and mods of the bike.
Also, from an experienced welder here, grinding on a weld (not knowing who welded it or how good a job was done, is asking for possible trouble! Most of the 'terrible' welds are in critical stress locations as well. Be wary, my friends!

 

[sickandtwizted inc]

ok for some reason im just now getting in this thread..lol.. im with painter h.o.k is the best...i also use matrix they carry the same urathane candy but at a little cheaper price i have used both and for small jobs i use matrix, big jobs h.o.k...every painter does it a little different, as for the welds ....MY OPINION is use a light grit sanding wheel on a die grinder to put a little bit on them then smooth them out with bondo...not so that u gring them smooth just so that you have something good for filler to stick to.. its time consuming but it will help with a smoother look ...or you can find someone who can work hot lead and do it the old school way and smooth it out, i dont see the harm in the welds , my bike to me isnt that bad,yes they could be tons better but its very livable considering there is so much to look at on my bike, its not always how well something can look as to how well you can hide it with greater things, you can do killer paint or oone off mods a seat that just screams bad ass or so much chrome you get blinded enough to not see the welds good enough ....lol... but its your bike and you have to live with what you do, i have so much that i want to see on mine i am never happy with the paint , and i dont know i ever will be..........JMHO......

 

[BarFury]

Also, from an experienced welder here, grinding on a weld (not knowing who welded it or how good a job was done, is asking for possible trouble! Most of the 'terrible' welds are in critical stress locations as well. Be wary, my friends!

As a high-tech welder for many years, I couldn't agree more. The above part of your post should have been presented in flashing, 1/2" high letters. Grinding-down these welds would leave the integrity of the joints in question, and nothing can ruin your day like a cracked frame, especially if the break occurs at a critical joint. FWIW..................

Cheers

 

[skappiris]

As for the welds.... But my general rule is "I don't grind down some one elses welds...PERIOD!:

As a high-tech welder for many years, I couldn't agree more. The above part of your post should have been presented in flashing, 1/2" high letters. Grinding-down these welds would leave the integrity of the joints in question, and nothing can ruin your day like a cracked frame, especially if the break occurs at a critical joint. FWIW..................

Cheers

to continue Painter and Bar's thoughts--
I've learned over the years to trust what the original intent was--when it comes to welds--whether they're done by robot or hand-done--
you leave them as they were intended.

However, the Bondo idea would be SAFER if you were able to LIGHTLY prep the area to be smoothed over. there has to be another way to do Bondo-prep without grinding.

 

[Hapty1]

Welds - Grind or Not?

Gents, has anyone tried to modify the kneck cover from a Stateliner, I think thats what you call it in the USA. Its a vt1300cr here in aus. If you can get it to fit then paint it, it may actually look nice? just a thought. And as a panel beater the golden rule with chassis welds is grind down is OK as long as you do not touch original pipe at either end of weld and weld is still in a straight line from top outer tube to lower inner tube. The only way I can draw it here is like this :\. DO NOT TOUCH TUBE OR TRY TO MAKE THE WELD DISH IN. We use this principle with all Hot Rod chassis and a number of drag bikes and cars I have built or helped build over the last 30yrs. Never had a weld break but I always check penetration due to the high horsepower and twisting/bending loads of racing, I"m sure you can get any Boiler/Welding shop to do a penetration x-ray test for you.

 

[Shorty Steve]

The whole reason I started this thread was because I was nervous about touching the welds (don’t know the penetration). First off I was only talking about knocking down the high spots, not grinding the whole thing smooth. BUT I have seen the work done by sick and painter and I have to respect their opinion, if not from their years of experience then from their shear talent. Most of the people here have just re-enforced my fear that messing with the welds is a huge mistake (don’t need the neck coming loose at 60 mph). As for the bondo, I never learned how to use it. I have been a lead man for over 26 years (lead poisoning may explain why I look like my avitar).

Every one has posted some very good reasons to “JUST LEAVE IT ALONE!”
I am going to bow to the pros and leave the welds as they are and just scuff the surface and lead over them.

I guess with any painter it’s the same, you know the job you did and your eyes will always be drawn to the little things that are not perfect.

Thanks

 

[BarFury]

........However, the Bondo idea would be SAFER if you were able to LIGHTLY prep the area to be smoothed over. there has to be another way to do Bondo-prep without grinding.

There is; it's called "Bead-Blasting" and/or "Sand-Blasting". Just FWIW...........

Cheers