I painted my SE fightstick and the result was nothing like I expected. I use Moonchilde’s guide to do so…
For painting:
1. Brake fluid to remove the paint.
2. Sand with 220 just to slightly rough it up.
3. Clean the case and make sure it is free of dust and oils. Use vinyl gloves for this part.
4. Prepare to prime it with a high filler primer such as Duplicolor. It will fill any gaps left by the 220 and allow paint adhesion.
5. Spray a light coat. Wait 15 minutes or so until it is dry to the touch.
6. Spray another light coat. Repeat until the TE is covered. Don’t keep spraying over and over making a thick coat.
7. Once primed, let it dry for 24 hours. You are now ready for paint.
8. Spray a light coat of paint. You want to fully cover but do it lightly. Wait 15 mins or until it is dry to the touch.
9. Continue this until you have a beautiful and even paint job. You don’t need to wet sand between paint coats.
10. Allow the paint for 24 to 48 hours until fully cured. The full cure time should be on the can.
11. Make sure the paint surface is clean. Use a tact cloth, which can be purchased at wal-mart in the auto section or from an auto store, to wipe any debrit or oils from the paints. You should be using vinyl gloves anyway.
12. Purchase a clear can of hard enamel clear coat from an auto store. You can use Duplicolor, their enamels are pretty good and they’re relatively easy to find.
13. Just like the other spraying, spray a light coat over it. Make sure you get full coverage. Let the clear coat dry.
14. Use soapy water and wet sand with about 600 to 800 grit. Wipe clean and let dry.
15. Repeat 13 - 14 for about 5 to 7 coats for a strong, durable finish.
*16. On your final coat, use a 1000 grit sand paper and **lightly *wet sand. You should notice it looks and feels smooth, but has a matte look.
17. Dry the surfaces and clear it of dust.
18. Use the 2000 grit and lightly wet sand again. Don’t use a lot of force or you will mess up your coats. You should notice it’s a lot smoother and looks pretty clear.
19. With a microfiber cloth, dab a bit of McGuire’s Ultimate Compound and wipe the entire case in circular motions. This is going to finely smooth out all of the unseen scratches the 2000 grit paper made. Do this for about 5 minutes.
20. Wipe clean with a paper towel. Use a tact cloth to get any fuzzies off.
21. Use a clean part of the microfiber cloth and dab a bit of McGuire’s Ultimate Polish on it. Circular wipe the whole entire case. This removes any swirl marks left over by the compound, and gives you the mirror finish.
22. Wipe clean with a cotton cloth like an old t-shirt. Man, nothing beats an old t-shirt for the final wipe down.
23. Ooh and aah at the awesome finish you just made!
All done!
Here are the products I used:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41jYcD9qSsL.SL500_AA300.jpg
Even though both paints are glossy the final result looks matte and the clear coat is not resistant at all. The paint has not chipped to the point it looks white, but you can see lots of “scratches” and it is not very smooth as I would’ve like to. I thought of adding an extra layer of krylon paint and buying a different clear coat, which is what I think went wrong. Any suggestions?
