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Tech Tips/ DIY

Metal Prep And Finishing

Published In The March 2013 Issue Of Cycle Source

Article By: Daniel Donley At Pandemonium Custom Choppers – www.pandemoniumc2.com

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Working on your winter project? Maybe a new build? Or just cleaning the ol’ gal up? This month I’m gonna give you some paint and powder coat preparation tips, as well as some tips on steel and alloy finishes that can be used on your project.CSM-MAR2013.pg28_Page_1_Image_0002

A great way to prep parts to paint is to sandblast them using fine black beauty sand.

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Sandblasting parts roughens up and cleans the metal surface, and also gives the primer something to bite to.

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For powdercoating prep, sandblast your part, then hand sand with 220 grit sandpaper. This will help save on your powder coating bill, and probably get your parts back faster too!

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Here I have 220, 400 grit sandpaper, 3M red and grey scuff pads, Mothers mag & wheel polish and W/D 40. Yes, that’s right folks, W/D 40.

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I use the W/D 40 to wet sand with and it works great. This piece got the treatment with sandblast, 220 and 400 grit wet sand, W/D 40 and then wiped off with a paper towel.

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Here I am using the red 3M scuff pad to achieve that brushed look. You can go in one direction or turn the part on the scuff pad for that spun look.

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This is a nose cone that looked like it got drug behind a car. I gave it a bath in the parts’ washer and then sandblasted it.

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Here is the brushed finish done on the old, beat up nose cone. This is a good finish for a part that has been ridden hard and put away wet too many times. This finish helps hide imperfections.

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See a chain of processes here? Working from the brushed finish, Mothers mag & wheel polish, and then a grey 3M scuff pad. Use the grey pad and Mothers to bring out a nice shine on this raw steel cover. You will need to do this process a couple times to get it to shine well.

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And here is the beat up nose cone we did a brushed finish on. With a lot of Mothers and red and grey scuff pads it looks pretty good.

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All the prior processes graduate to this.

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Hand polished steel gas tank and fender: How does this stuff hold up, you ask? Once you achieve your desired finish, just use the last step to maintain it. This is an overview of part preparation and finishes, and all of them will save you money, ‘cause you can do it your damn self.

Feel free to call if you have any questions: Daniel at Pandemonium – 419-576-6812

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