Working for the (top triple) Clamp Down

I really struggled for a pun there.

Anyway, top triple clamp stuff is going well. A few days ago I purchased some VHT grey primer and some gloss enamel engine paint to have a shot. Figuring that if it went badly then I'll just strip it back again.

After two light coats of primer.



I masked off the inside of the forks and stuck two scews in so i'd be able to move it around the yard when painting it, and hopefully it'd block the threads too. Same goes for the ignition mount.



It actually looks pretty good for a first attempt. As per the instructions the can I'm going to wait seven days and give it a final coat. I'm not too sure if I should clear coat it or something like that. Some people are telling me I should be sanding between coats and stick it in the oven or something like that but it seems to be going okay so far*.

As an aside I've ordered some handlebar mounts for the clamp as well as I've managed to lose my immaculate ones that are... well, I don't know where they are. They're in pretty ratty condition so i've started sanding them back with some degreaser on 800 grit wet and dry and they're going well. I gave them a rub with some 1200 grit to finish with some autosol and they've got a bit of a sheen to them.

Turns out they're coated in some kind of lacquer...



One I refinished on top, the lower one I haven't had a shot at yet.



And the good one from above.



Looks okay! I wonder if I should clear coat these? I'm going to paint some more of the fittings, but other than that, progress seems to be going pretty well.

*That usually means I'll stuff it, when I don't listen to other people.

Top Triple Clamp

Long story short - I'm probably going to be changing my bike back to a more upright position. So, first up, a triple clamp to mount standard bars to! I'm going to strip it and paint the thing gloss black so it matches the bottom clamp.



After a bit of a scrub with some 800 grit sandpaper and a bit of degreaser it started looking a lot more like something ready for paint:



The underneath of the clamp is an absolute bastard to sand. There's lots of gummed up little nooks and crannys and I know prepping this end for paint isn't the biggest priority, but hey, if a job's worth doing...



I spent plenty of time stuffing about with tiny bits of sandpaper and trying to find a dremel bit somewhere between 'polish' and 'cut triple clamp like butter'. Then I remembered! The Dishwasher!



I've also got to decide whether or not I want to keep the ring for the ignition unit and stick a clock in there or something or just grind it off. Hmmm.