Best way to paint the Laverda and 1000 lettering on the polished aluminum engine covers.

[Lavermax]

What's the best way to paint the Laverda and 1000 lettering on the polished aluminum engine covers?



What type of paint is best to use ? Is it better to abrade the surface to help the paint adhere?

I was thinking of using sandpaper to roughen the surface and then applying the paint with a brush, wiping away the excess with a rag.

 

[sfcpiet]

The base surface of te script is already quite rough from casting, no real need for extra roughing. I use pretty much what is to hand, universal matte black aerosol mainly. Clean out the script as best you can with a solvent, silcone remover, whatever and remove old flaky paint if necessary. Mask off the cover around the raised portion containing the script and give it a few shots for nice thick coating. With the paint drying, wrap a cloth, old T-shirt works great, around a sanding block or similar, soak in thinners but not dripping wet, and remove the overspray. This results in clean edges around the script, largely depending on how wet the rag is, how tight it is wrapped around the block and how soft it is. Might need several attempts for a clean result, just respray... the thicker the paint the better.

piet

 

[Schurminater]

Similar to what Piet says regarding the preparation,no need to rough up just make sure it is clean and non greasy.
I used gloss enamel paint applied with a brush,the lettering is quite big so it's certainly easier than switchgear,just a light rub over with a cloth moistened with solvent if needed to clean the edges up.....job done.

 

[wdietz186]

A body man showed me the way to wipe off the paint. Use a non-fluffy paper towel like the ones used in many public restrooms. You know, the brown kraft paper type. It's absorbent enough to hold the solvent, but unfluffy, so it doesn't bleed the solvent over the edges of the piece you are wiping. It does take a couple of wipes to remove the haze/traces of color, though.

 

[Perry]

Terrible stuff for its intended use though , just spreads the problem around.

 

[78jotadave]

Painting the lettering? I owned four triples over the years: a 1974 3C, a 1978 Jota, a 1980 Jota, and a 1978 1200. None of them had painted lettering on the alloy covers. Did the factory randomly paint the lettering? Is it rivet counter approved?

 

[Schurminater]

Yes but it hasn’t to be black!…..can’t be standing no RED

 

[chris78jota]

If it is any help, I painted the indented logos on my 75cc cases (different era I know) with black Hammerite ( a thick cellulose type paint that needs no base) very roughly and deep, then used cotton buds to accurately wipe away the paint from around the letters. Cotton buds are used for cleaning ear wax out of ear canals if the term does not readily translate

 

[78jotadave]

Surely, if you are going to paint lettering on the alloy covers on a Jota, it has to be Laverda Orange. Perish the thought!

 

[piranha-bro2]

I reckon my covers attract enough dirt in the lettering to look like paint ... so I'll stick with that

 

[chrisk]

Terrible stuff for its intended use though , just spreads the problem around.

A bear and a rabbit are both taking a dump in the woods a short distance from each other.

The bear looks over at the rabbit and asks, "Hey, does shit stick to your fur?"
"No, not at all," the rabbit replies.
"Great!" says the bear. He picks up the rabbit and wipes his arse with it.

 

[78jotadave]

Well, knock me down with a feather! Today, as I walked past my 78 Jota, there it was right in my face. The lettering 'Laverda' on the right-engine cover is, to my shock, painted black! To be fair, it's only been in place on the bike since 2006, a replacement via Wolfgang. Err, what day is it?

 

[wdietz186]

Surely, if you are going to paint lettering on the alloy covers on a Jota, it has to be Laverda Orange. Perish the thought!

With used cotton buds [Q tips] it'd come out sort of orange, but likely more brown.

 

[chrisk]

Well, knock me down with a feather! Today, as I walked past my 78 Jota, there it was right in my face. The lettering 'Laverda' on the right-engine cover is, to my shock, painted black! To be fair, it's only been in place on the bike since 2006, a replacement via Wolfgang. Err, what day is it?

I feel your pain Dave,

I had a flat battery in my locked Renault van.

Totally pissed off I rang our roadside assist, they came out and the guy took the key from me, went to the passenger side and opened the door within a couple of seconds.

I asked him how’d you do that!

“Put the key in the key hole and turned”

Totally embarrassing, because the drivers door has no key hole, and I presumed neither the passengers side. I must have washed the van hundreds of times and never noticed a keyhole.

A throwback from being originally based on a LH drive vehicle, they left the keyhole on the LH drivers side