Black Fin Soup??....

[Condor]

This post is about a subject that started on the diamond cut thread, and rather than hi-jacking the thread I thought it would be better to start another.

I picked up a spare set of 2ndGen head fins with the idea that I might paint them black for a different look. After seeing the diamond cut examples I decided to go another direction. #1 because I'm not sold on the Diamond look, and #2 I'm broke... So this morning I stopped by my local auto paint supplier and picked up a roll of 1/8" Fine-Line masking tape, I then dropped by BriteTex, my favorite polisher, and discussed some options. We came up with some great ideas. Like grinding the fin edge flat, and buffing it to a mirror gloss.... and just buffing the edge out. Both options were over 100 bucks... too expensive

So I decided to just go ahead and try taping the existing edge finish and see what happens. I also decided to do only one fin and then do the rest if the first one worked out. Attached is a running pictorial of what I did. There were some mistakes made that can be corrected on later efforts, but at 65mph they shouldn't be noticable. The over all look on the bike will happen a little later on, and I'll post pics of the finished product then. Cost.... $37 bucks for the fins, $9 bucks for the tape, and 10 bucks for a couple of cans of paint. $56 dollars total. I kinda like the look so far.

[Snaggletooth]

You got a fan here Jack. I did that to my old CB750 long ago. Had the fins smoothed off and sprayed the entire engine case, heads and jugs in a flat wrinkle black. Toasted all the parts in the oven to cure the wrinkle and had the fins polished to a mirror finish.

 

Sweet!

 

The paint and polish were cheap. The R/C Engineering parts were what caused me pain. I miss that bike.

 

Mike

[Sling]

Looks real good, great job.

[Condor]

Oooops!! While looking at the pics I noticed 4 small edges that I'd missed masking off. They're silver now, but not perfect... Good thing 65mph cures blems....

[BuddyRich]

The silver 05s already have the black fins. I went ahead and sanded the edges with 220 the 400 then 800 and they came out pretty shinny.

[Freebird]

I think they look great Condor. Nice job. I do love the diamond cut though. I do understand the economics of it also.

[friesman]

It looks great jack but I am a sucker for a black and shiny combo.

 

brian

[LilBeaver]

Lookin' good!

[Trader]

Looks good!

 

Instead of all the masking, could you not just paint everything and then polish the paint off the tips of the fins with a dremel?

[Condor]

Looks good!

 

Instead of all the masking, could you not just paint everything and then polish the paint off the tips of the fins with a dremel?

 

Thought of that, but holding a clean line would have been impossible....

[Flyinfool]

I also prefer the polished fin over the diamond cut look.

 

I agree that you might be easier off to just paint and then polish the edges.

[Kregerdoodle]

Looks great!!!!

[kj5ix]

Lookin Good there Larry,,,