Post by husqy445 on Mar 31, 2014 12:32:37 GMT -5
I've got a few questions before I invest in water slide decals or adhesive backed stickers: I'm restoring a blue '60s C-51. After I completely dis-assembled it, I soaked the painted parts in a mixture of about 10 parts water to 1 part lye. Paint has been completely removed. Next, I took the bare magnesium parts and further cleaned them with a wire wheel on my grinder. After the wire brush treatment, I took some #500 sand paper and "scuffed" off all the parts (I feel the paint would adhere better if it wasn't applied to a smooth surface. Finally, I washed the now "scuffed" parts in a grease removing detergent and rinsed thoroughly. My final preparation before applying paint is to clean all parts with lacquor thinner to remove any trace amount of oils. OK, now I've got a couple of observations I'd like to present and request any feedback you care to submit. First observation is: it appears these saws were not originally primed before paint was applied. From what I could tell, the paint was applied directly to the bare metal. This is why I've done such a meticulous prep job before painting. Second observation is: it also appears that there was no clear coat used on these saws (i.e. to cover and protect decals). So, what I want to know is, do the restoration stickers have the writing on the back side of the clear film (where it would be offered some protection) or is the writing placed directly onto the top of the clear film, (meaning that after it gets rubbed enough with gas and oil, it's gonna gome off and I'd be left with just a clear sheet of plastic film stuck to the saw). Now, if the orignal saws used a waterslide decal, how were those decals protected? Like I said, I've noticed no protective clear coat. I'm trying to decide on which type to use. If the stickers have the writing under the film, then I think that would be the most durable. If not, then the water slide should be opted for. BTW, I went to one of those "girly" automotive stores and purchased a "Honda" blue, which seems to match very closely to the original paint(and it is labled as "Automotive Paint"). Do you guys think that type of paint will be OK? Any suggestions and opinions would be greatly appreciated.