[ST] Custom paint

["CAPT Howard S. Serlick USNR" <serlick@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

John:
	I do all of my own modifications and paint. The clear 
must be wet sanded, but not removed.
	Doing automotive paint for a motorcycle is not work 
for an amateur or "first timer".
	Automotive painting is a system of urethane paint(s), 
reducer(s), thinner, clearcoat, activator, etc. that 
requires a good working knowledge of basic chemistry 
along with specialised tools. These materials are not 
inexpensive. If they are not handled and stored 
properly they can present health and safety problems.
	That said, I suggest that you do a few things if you 
want to take a stab at painting your own parts:
1. Get yourself a "How to do it" type of automotive 
paint book. I'll bet you can find something by doing a 
Google or Amazon search online.
2. Go to a professional automotive paint store. Learn 
about the different types of automotive paint and the 
components of their system. Ask for and READ the 
technical bulletins for the paint you want to use. Many 
painters think all paint is the same. They get poor or 
average results because they don't understand their 
materials.
	Paint must be mixed and applied at a specific pressure 
at the gun. Make sure you have the correct equipment 
such as a water/moisture trap, pressure regulator, and 
the correctly sized compressor and tank. Make sure your 
gun can handle the paint and it's reducer & thinners. 
It should be capable of delivering the correct amount 
of paint in the required width/pattern. You can ruin a 
nice little spray rig by blowing out the seals with the 
wrong chemicals and/or too much pressure.
3. Learn how to wet and dry sand! Preparation is 
everything when it comes to painting. If the surface is 
not properly prepped, you will never paint well. You 
could use power tools, but I do my work by hand.
4. Have a space that lend itself to easy cleaning. Make 
sure you have a VERY CLEAN space where you can paint.
5. Learn how to remove "nits" and problems in the paint 
or clearcoat by wet sanding and polishing if you must 
do remedial work.
Good luck,

Howard Stephen Serlick
'03 Blue ST
Philadelphia

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