Anyone ever successfully removed paint from a cherry bomb airbox

[sinikl]

here's some pix... gonna try to hit it with some 1000 and then polish.

 

[sinikl]

any idea what the metal bits (almost look like watch batteries) on the inside are? looks like several others have fallen off...

 

[Silverrider]

Looks like they are using them as spacers to firm it up on the air cleaner cover.???

Plugging holes ???? Once you get the paint on the top side, might tell more.

Maybe smuggling in watch batteries . LOL

 

[yellowcarbon]

Perhaps metal to attach a magnetic tank bag to?

 

[sinikl]

Oh, that's gotta be it, the tank bag idea

 

[Cooter]

Don't start with 1000 grit, unless you like sanding for a few decades. With a layer of cheap paint to remove, I'd wet sand with 320 first really well and then it will be a quick job to go finer and finer until you can compound then polish. Trying to cheat will only cost you a ton of time and sandpaper.

Use the link I posted for you (post #4) for the easiest way to restore the finish.

 

[sinikl]

I have some 220 and 400, but with the bit of the seat i stripped with brushing on lacquer thinner, i tested with fine paper. i was just cutting the haze the thinner made and i got away with 1000 and then rubbing compound (by hand) and it seemed to come out pretty good...

I have read that thread and went out and bought a buffer Not gonna burn my house down i promise.

 

[Cooter]

Well, take pics if you do!




Jk Let us know how it turns out:eagerness: They are super pretty when they're nice.

 

[Phelan]

Gasoline also works well at pulling off spray paint.

As for the "984" actuator cover, that piece is stock on 06-up XB9, just a beauty cover for the unused actuator mount. Really a nice foresight piece in the event an XB9 owner had or installed a translucent airbox cover.

 

[sinikl]

You want pictures and I want advice on how to get this thing perfect, but wow what a difference a few hrs makes.

Threw on the Swansea Everton game on the DVR and got crackin with 600, then fell back to 220. Ideally i'd have used 400, but i didn't have any, nor any 800, so went 220-600-1000-1500-2000 and rubbing compound. (an aside, is there an easier way to attach pics from mobile, because i don't see one at all.... so i have to start a draft email on my phone, then use a laptop to download the draft attachments and upload... and half the time it doesn't want to upload the pix anyway?)

Starting state was this (i let the thinner sit too long; will stop when it just starts to crackle the paint next time, since there was a thumbprint and some brush marks in the plastic from it getting overly softened)

 

[sinikl]

here's after 600 and 1000 (i think... i can't remember when i stopped to take pix)

 

[sinikl]

here's after 1500 and 2000, half rubbed by hand with a microfiber and rubbing compound

 

[sinikl]

here's buffed all over (maybe not long enough?) with compound on a microfiber bonnet.

here's where I need advice. I can still see scratches and haze in some areas, maybe because i need to go back over the whole thing more methodically to get rid of scratches and maybe step up grits better from 220.... but if i get it wet they disappear.... wondering if some polishing compound or wax would sort it? the longer it sits around the hazier it looks.

yes, as you may have guessed from earlier posts *i'm lazy* but not cos i'm a millennial, just lazy :topsy_turvy:

 

[sinikl]

anyway this is giving me hopes for my "tank". hit me with feedback, folx

 

[Phelan]

Anything that you can use to fill the scratches to make them disappear will be temporary and have to be reapplied later. Best bet is to start over at 400 (220 to 600 is a huge jump) and do it again. You're doing great and it's worth the wait. Go stock up on sand paper and start again. And if you can find a 2500 or 3000 for a final sand before buffing, even better. I missed it, but what compounds are you using for buffing? Novus makes a great 3 stage setup (3 compounds, final by hand) that would work great after sanding.

 

[sinikl]

i used dang ol' turtle wax brand as my rubbing compound. still tho, i think the main problem areas are where i hit it with 220 to deal with me messing up the plastic with the lacquer thinner, so I hear you on "sand it again".

what's funny is that i've done auto paint stuff (albeit in a backyard) before and i'd typically spray a guide coat of black overspray to tell if i'm sanding it well enough... not an option here

i'm still stoked because this is way better than i had any right to expect, and between a new airbox top and flyscreen (which does have a star crack at one of the bolt holes, and the airbox top probably also has cracks) it's saving me about 310 or so. and i think it's less likely i'll murder the plastic with lacquer thinner on the tank as i did here...

i'd like to get these "good enough" and then maybe stockpile some perfect bits for someday later because it's not like anyone is remaking these parts, you know?

 

[BuellyBagger]

more sanding before buffing, the surface still looks pretty rough. Like Phelan said, no big jumps. 220,320/400,600,800,1000,1500,2000,2500. The finer each paper gets, the longer it will take to remove the previous paper's scratches too.
Did you buy an orbital buffer? Or rotary? Orbital's just don't cut very fast. Good for newbs because you can burn anything with it, but slow going so its even more important that you're final sanding is super fine. Like Phelan said 2500 or 3k would be awesome! Go buy some "pro grade" compound. 3m, novus(semi pro). They just cut better than auto parts store off the shelf stuff.

 

[Silverrider]

Follow this thread and you will have it looking like this ..not prefect but nice.



http://www.buellxb.com/forum/showth...tic-scratch-removal&highlight=scratch+remover

 

[sinikl]

that link gives me a 404, sorry.

so if i start over, should i start at 400 or go all the way back to 220?

my auto body friend had some cool graphite-powder looking stuff that would find scratches; wish i could find some of that because it's clear (get it) that i thought it was smoother than it was

thanks everyone for the tips! i'm gonna save these parts!

 

[sinikl]

Did you buy an orbital buffer? Or rotary? Orbital's just don't cut very fast. Good for newbs because you can burn anything with it, but slow going so its even more important that you're final sanding is super fine. Like Phelan said 2500 or 3k would be awesome! Go buy some "pro grade" compound. 3m, novus(semi pro). They just cut better than auto parts store off the shelf stuff.

I will try to get better compound. It's an orbital buffer. it's also pretty big and unwieldy for the flyscreen but will work better for the tank i'm sure.