Intercoat time to final coat?

Dean Jenkins

Promoted Users
So, I'm working on this project. Pics and description below.
I am re-painting my Harley Street Glide, adding "Ghost flames."

Using all SPI products (except the powdered pearl)

Here is my Question:

SPI tech sheet says "Intercoat clear MUST be overcoated within 24 hours."

We are doing some involved ghost flames and graphics.
I have wet sanded the factory clear coat, sealed with SPI epoxy, then painted SPI basecoat black.

Going to spray SPI intercoat clear and then start taping and spraying flames and graphics (pearl in intercoat clear)
This will be a few days of work, we will not be able to get to apply Universal Clear within 24 hours.

Is this a big deal? Should we not worry about it? Or scuff with 1000/1200 grit before clear?

Welcome your thoughts! Will post pics when done.

Here is the project now:

Starting with a 2017 Harley Street Glide, perfect factory paint, not a scratch on it. Just want to make it better and add "Ghost Flames"
Perfectly Good Street Glide.jpg


Here is the "naked" bike after taking off the tank, fenders, etc. Only made me a little nervous. Carefully bagged and labeled all parts. (No way I was taking the inner fairing apart. Hey, same color and you have no idea how complex this disassembly would've been . . .)
Harley naked Street Glide.jpg


Wet sanding the factory clear coat off. What does it take to make the first sanding stroke on a perfectly good factory paint job on a $20K motorcycle? Take a deep breath, count to 10, grow a pair and just do it!

Harley wet sand.jpg


OK. SPI Epoxy and Black Base coat done (these are not the "done" pics, " they are "in process.") Took a few rounds of re-work and touch up, but we are ready for intercoat clear and then taping flames/graphics, shooting the pearl into the graphics and then universal clear.
I'll post updates.
FYI: Shooting motorcycles parts is fricking HARD, much harder than car panels! Have to figure out how to secure them, and all the curves and angles make it really hard to maintain gun distance and angle etc. Very challenging!

Harley paint 1.jpg


Harley Paint 2.jpg
 
Grey or Gold Scotch-brite pad. Grey is pn7448 and will be easier to find. Gold is pn7745. Grey is more aggressive than gold and easier to find. I think you can also buy grey in retail style package as opposed to an entire box. Gold is harder to find as it is not as popular. I would only use the 3M scotchrite that you get form your paint jobber. Personally I would just use grey. Just scuff it very lightly. Don't use hardly any pressure when doing it. Just a light scuff. All that is necessary. Barring that lightly scuffing with 800-1000 grit would work as well. Using the paper dry would be fine. All you want to do is put some very light scratches on it.

Make sure you activate your intercoat. 1 ounce per 32 ounces of RTS (ready to spray) intercoat. Refer to the Tech Manual for additional info.
 
Grey or Gold Scotch-brite pad. Grey is pn7448 and will be easier to find. Gold is pn7745. Grey is more aggressive than gold and easier to find. I think you can also buy grey in retail style package as opposed to an entire box. Gold is harder to find as it is not as popular. I would only use the 3M scotchrite that you get form your paint jobber. Personally I would just use grey. Just scuff it very lightly. Don't use hardly any pressure when doing it. Just a light scuff. All that is necessary. Barring that lightly scuffing with 800-1000 grit would work as well. Using the paper dry would be fine. All you want to do is put some very light scratches on it.

Make sure you activate your intercoat. 1 ounce per 32 ounces of RTS (ready to spray) intercoat. Refer to the Tech Manual for additional info.
Sounds good. Thanks!
 
naked harley is pretty funny and funny looking.

I would consider your 24 hour windows. Will you tape and spray your first coat of the ghost flames within the 24 hours, then do any more taping again and spray again within 24 hours. If you keep following that window I don't think you need to mess with scuffing, not til the very end when you pull your masking and scuff intercoat clear that has been sitting the longest under the tape on top of the black. Light coats should not build too much to keep spraying something within a day window to keep it as close to following the rules as possible. If you pass the 24 anywhere along the way, then the scuff should probably be done, but considering you are not going to want to scuff your ghosted artwork, it seems like continuing to spray intercoat is your best bet to keep the job clean and good adhesion.
 
i have been using the intercoat clear since it was released i guess prob 15 years or so ago. none of my work has ever been done in 24 hours. i have used spi interocat as a binder for flakes, pearls and everything else. never scuffed it or put a scotchbrite anywhere near it unless i was going to be airbrushing over it which can put the base on very dry. i have never had an adhesion issue. only thing i have seen happen is if it went on heavy it would crack like a dried lake bed if left to sit without clear on it for 4-5 days or more. this was an older version on the intercoat. barry changed the formula quite a few years ago and i have not seen that problem since.
 
i have been using the intercoat clear since it was released i guess prob 15 years or so ago. none of my work has ever been done in 24 hours. i have used spi interocat as a binder for flakes, pearls and everything else. never scuffed it or put a scotchbrite anywhere near it unless i was going to be airbrushing over it which can put the base on very dry. i have never had an adhesion issue. only thing i have seen happen is if it went on heavy it would crack like a dried lake bed if left to sit without clear on it for 4-5 days or more. this was an older version on the intercoat. barry changed the formula quite a few years ago and i have not seen that problem since.
Thanks Jim C. I appreciate the information from an experienced painter.
 
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