Tank painting

[Geoff Leake]

Evening guys, you've recently helped me out enormously with fantastic detailed advice about paint colours and finishes etc. for my 1947 B33 rigid restoration project. I'm now hoping to receive your help with painting and pin-striping the petrol tank. I've been very lucky in sourcing an original tank in sound condition which I've had repaired and chrome plated which is now ready for painting and pin-striping. I've spent quite a "few bob" getting it to this stage, so I won't be happy cutting corners at this stage. I'd therefore like to have it finished in the correct original BSA colours, as per the details listed in Roy Bacon's excellent book "BSA Singles Restoration" - also recommended on this forum. I know there are quite a number of motorcycle painters/pin-stripers out there but I'd ideally like someone who really understands what's involved in painting these tanks, using the correct colours and importantly the correct profile of the paint where it meets the chrome. Can anybody recommend a painter/pin-striper who has proper experience applying the colours and stripes to these part-chromed, part-painted tanks? If so, I'd very much appreciate any recommendations you might have. Cheers.

[Bess]

Hi,
    I can recommend Karl, here's his advert from the Star awhile back...

[Geoff Leake]

Thanks for the response Bess, much appreciated. I am actually aware of Carl and I agree he is a very good pin-striper and as you probably know he worked at Triumph Hinckley until quite recently. My main concern is also the getting the painting correct (as opposed to just the pin striping), the pattern/profile of the painted area where it joins the chrome plated part. Cheers.

[Spaceman]

I think you will be very lucky to find someone with previous experience of painting chrome panel C15/B40 petrol tanks. Whoever you choose to do the painting, they will probably have to do what I did when I painted my C15 petrol tank last year and that is to work it out themselves what is the best way of masking the chrome panels to match whatever original photos or sales material is available.

I spent quite a bit of time getting the masking correct and used 3M pin-striping tape to mark out the shape of the chrome panels, adjusting the tape until the panel shape was correct when viewed from the side or from above. At the end of the day, it all depends on what you are happy with as there is probably no right or wrong way of doing it.

[Geoff Leake]

Morning Spaceman, Thanks for your very sound advice, it's good to hear from somebody who's actually done it themselves. However, I'm very inexperienced at this bike restoration game, this B33 is only my second attempt. Having said that I did learn quite a lot building the first one, (a pre-unit Triton) but one thing I do know, I'm certainly not capable of painting anything myself to a standard I'd be happy with, so I'll have to get it "professionally" done. The guys who re-chromed the tank recommended JBS Motorcycle Painting, East Coker, Somerset. I've looked at the gallery of their work and it certainly looks good, so that's probably where I'll end up. Thanks again.

[Spaceman]

I would definitely not recommend trying to spray the tank yourself - it takes years to develop the skills necessary to do that. What I would recommend, if you think the paint sprayer might struggle to define the masking for the chrome panels, is to have a go yourself with some 5 mm 3M tape to define the outline of the panels (you only need to do one side!) and to work out what you think looks good and roughly corresponds to what you can see in published pics. If you decide to have a go, I would be happy to provide some mask data from my C15 tank.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vinyl-Tape-471-PN6404-Pack/dp/B005EB72WY/ref=sr_1_19?adgrpid=71721590081&gclid=CjwKCAjwur-SBhB6EiwA5sKtjlIjIlsuZ5LHA_0e8kWpkuRrXcY72tSla055qhxuGbO3-VwJqE44khoCOtMQAvD_BwE&hvadid=338412667848&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1006457&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=12917565759521256046&hvtargid=kwd-321202212956&hydadcr=29382_1700898&keywords=3m+striping+tape&qid=1649412460&sr=8-19

[cdsdorset]

I have a guy who has painted tanks for me. He has done a 1946 chromed tank for me ,lovely job.
Where are you based?

[Geoff Leake]

Evening Spaceman thanks for the additional information and link but I'm not attempting the work myself. Also thanks to cdsdorset for suggesting your guy. I'm based in Leicestershire and I've chosen to use a guy who's not too far away on the Leicestershire, Northants boarder, called G D Design. He has many years experience and the gallery on his website displays some impressive images of his work. He's also done work for Hinckley Triumph, so I guess I should be in good hands. Thanks again guys for your advice.