Paddle Finishing


Sandpaper

Sand with 4 grades of sandpaper – 100 grit, 150 grit, 220 grit, and 400 grit. These can be found at building supply houses and hardware stores. A single 8.5inch by 11inch sheet of each grit will be plenty.

Sanding

Sand on a flat surface such as the kitchen table (you might want to do this while your wife is out shopping). Place the sandpaper down and tape it around the edges. Start with the 100 grit paper. Put the paddle base on the paper with the edges of the base parallel to the paper as shown in the picture above. Sand the base in a straight line using short back and forth strokes. Continue sanding the base on all 6 sides until the part is clean, smooth and there are no dings or saw marks showing. Note: the bottom of the base only needs to be sanded once (you don't want to remove the S/N!). In a similar manner, sand the remaining brass parts. Then remove the 100 grit paper and tape down the 150 grit paper. Sand all parts. Continue with the 220 grit and 400 grit paper. If you like a smooth satin finish, you can stop here. If you want a more glossy finish, you can polish the parts.

Polishing

Use a modern day metal polish like FLITZ or MAAS. Flitz is available from most gun dealers and MAAS is available from Home Depot. Both polishes should be used sparingly. If you want a mirror like shine, use your Dremel or similar tool with a polishing bonnet to do the polishing. At 25,000 RPM, it doesn’t take long to get a mirror like shine. After polishing, clean the parts with dish soap and warm water. Make sure you get the polish out of the holes. Dry the parts with paper towels and DO NOT touch them with your bare skin until after you have lacquered them. I use white cotton gloves (AKA inspection gloves) to handle the parts prior to spraying them with lacquer.

Lacquering

Lacquering is just like painting except the lacquer is clear. You can buy a spray can of lacquer from your local building supply or paint store. Since lacquer is an insulator, you will need to mask off the holes for the silver contacts. Old 4-40 screws can be used for the masking. The bottom of the base should not be sprayed. The bottom needs to stay conductive to insure proper grounding of the arms. Spray light coats and build up the finish rather than using a single heavy coat. This method will help avoid runs (my car painting buddy calls them "flow indicators"). :-) You will need to allow 8-10 hours of drying time before handling.


Copyright © 11/2003 Jerry W. Haigwood