THE POWER OF SPARKLESCENTS

by Curtis Patchin

A friend of mine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada called me and asked if I would be interested in custom painting a motorcycle helmet for a large scale fundraiser for the Kidney Foundation. The Helmet would either be part of a silent auction or auctioned off by an auctioneer. They left the theme completely up to my imagina- tion. So how could I say “no” and besides it would make for a good “how to”.

#1) I received the helmet by courier and looked it over, it was brand new, a model # vg 975 made by CKX still in the box. So I started scuffing and prepping the surface with 600 grit sand paper and red scotch brite pad. I work on the prep until all the shine was completely gone, even in the hard to get places, these need extra effort. I then used green painter’s masking tape and taped off the edges, the inside and the front vent hole.

#2) Using the Auto Air Base Coat Sealer White thinned down with 4011 reducer. I sprayed a few light coats and heat set between each coat. The Base Coat Sealers have great adhesion qualities. I thin this mixture down as to reduce the grainy effect that occurs with AA not thinned. #3) Here’s a neat little trick, using foam construction ear plugs. I roll them in my fingers to get the diameter small and put them in the threaded outlets and let them expand. Using an X xacto knife and trimming them down allows me to keep a nice clean and smooth working area and after clear coat I can remove with out any problem to the threads. Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36