Z1 Control Restoration

I was planning to take the shells to a friend of mine to sand blast them but he has a bad wrist and hasn't had his shop open for a while.  So I decided to do them myself.  I used paint stripper and a brass wire brush to clean them to bare metal.  Then polished them with a wire wheel in my drill.  Then thoroughly cleaned them of any grease or dirt.  Then two coats of flat black primer...one day apart.  Two coats of high temp enamel gloss black.  Paint stick for the lettering.  Then two coats of POR15 clear.  Same wires but in a new sheath.

The lettering could have been a bit better but I'll take it for my first try.

Nice work HRM. I use tooth picks for the letters. They work good. I glass beaded a set and did all letters in black on a set. I don't know what these pics were for? But they are in my pic file?

Look nice. I used enamel hobby paint dabbed in and carefully wiped of using wedge shaped makeup sponges. 

Credit to KidKawi for the process. 

 

I have the paints as well but my hands shake a lot (always have) so if I use them the letters would look like chicken feet.I'm not liking the POR15 much.  The controls look too shiny.Anyway, that's been set aside for now.  I have a Z1B on the stand to do some work on the front end.  The left ear on the fork is a bit loose and rattles when I go over a bump.  Not sure why.  I finally took the tank for my KZ1000 LTD in for repairs.  I damaged it last year when the bike fell over.  This is my favourite bike to ride so good to have it back on the road. 

 

Nice deep look… 

Lookin' good hardrock.  Switchgear restoration is tedious to say the least.

Tank looks great too!

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE