Painting 101

see alot of questions from time to time about painting your marker so i thought i would post a how to of the technical stuff, there are some other threads about patterns but this one is just how to prep and paint.

First, completly dissasemble your marker, this means EVERYTHING you can't do a good job if you leave parts on it. and you don't get a fine line taping things off so don't do it. dissasemble it all, you won't be dissapointed you did.

Second, do any milling you may want to, here are some pics of my 98C during the milling stages

the second step is completly optional but if you ever intend on milling it now is the time before paint

Third, sand everything you intend to paint with 220 grit sand paper. it's up to you how crazy you want to get here, the more time spent on prep the better job you will have when done. if you take the time to scrub off all the paint you will have a more uniform looking paint job. if you choose to remove all the original paint it should have a dull brushed type look. if you decide to just rough up the original paint just sand it until it's dull looking. sanding all the paint off is alot of work but the end result is worth it in my opinion. you can get a sandpaper assortment at the local hardware store for a few bucks.

this is a pic of my SL 68-II roughly sanded, i still sanded it to a dull luster to get rid of deep scratches but it gives you the idea of how far you have to go to get all the paint off

Fourth, wipe everything down with rubbing alcohol. this will remove all the sanding dust and more importantly it will remove all the oils left behind from your hands. you can get isopropyl rubbing alcohol from your local drug store or a wal-mart.

Fifth, prime it, this is a VERY important step for aluminum, i recomend a self etching primer. aluminum does not hold paint at all so if you skip this your paint job will peel. the self etching primer actually uses a mild acid to etch the aluminum to help hold the paint on it. i recommend the Dupli Color brand self etching primer, it can be picked up at your local NAPA or Advanced Auto for $4-$5 a can.

Sixth, PAINT, yes finally you can paint it, i like to apply at leats 3 coats of color lightly sanding between coats and wiping down with rubbing alcohol. you can get as creative here as you want, digi cammo, cammo, fades, or any custom creation you can come up with. again i recomend using Dupli Color brand paint it has an awesome spray tip that never clogs and provided a very uniform spray pattern. also available for $4-$5 at local parts store.

this is what the can looks like

finished products

the first and second is my 98C and the third is my SL 68-II as i said earlier just use your imagination to come up with a paint scheme of your own.

sweeet.
now if only I can find the time...