"Expiramenting" (sp?)

[Irish]

The Florida climate has been tearing up my chrome & polished aluminium I took off my crash bar , sanded the chrome & painted it a flat black primer (had the paint from NH ) Today I bought some flat black header paint & I am going to try it on my pipes! Anyone tried it & any pitfalls? ThanksIrish
P.S.I have a 2006 Sportster 1200 w/ a trike kit!

[wheelbender6]

I haven't tried it and I live very close to Gulf. I just know that chrome polish isn't the solution to coastal rust.

[Irish]

I don't know how it will last but so far it sure looks good! Sanding that chrome off sure is a lot of work tho. I assume that if you want the paint to stick correctly the chrome should be sanded off. I'll let you guys know how it works. Irish

[sc00ter]

I used whatever brand Pep-Boys sells for the header spray paint. forgot the brand. Expensive if I remember compared to mortal paint. Worked great on my Yasuni exhaust, but here's the tip: take the time and prep the surface exactly as the instructions say! Any shortcuts and the paint will do a shortcut! My wife's ex-husband owns a auto body shop, so she knows how to paint. She helped with the prep work.

[Irish]

Have it mostly back together. Due to other pressing concerns , I haven't ridden much but so far it seems to be holding up well but I would wait until I get a few more miles on before attempting the same thing. The sanding is a lot of work & also very time consuming if it doesn't hold up! Irish

[Irish]

" So far , So good!" Irish

[Irish]

Originally Posted by sc00ter

I used whatever brand Pep-Boys sells for the header spray paint. forgot the brand. Expensive if I remember compared to mortal paint. Worked great on my Yasuni exhaust, but here's the tip: take the time and prep the surface exactly as the instructions say! Any shortcuts and the paint will do a shortcut! My wife's ex-husband owns a auto body shop, so she knows how to paint. She helped with the prep work.

If you're in a rush (me-in the "old" days & just want to get done-forget it! The paint is holding up very well but sanding was a very tedious job but the results show it! Irish
P.S. The header paint cost $10 & change a can.

[Irish]

I was riding yesterday & when I got home my wife said "What's that on your pipes?" My shoe sole had melted on my pipes! Next on the agenda , Repair pipe & make a guard between my foot peg & the pipes. This is turning into a job. Maybe I should open a shop in Fla. Irish

[wheelbender6]

I got my wood working tools out today from my garage and couldn't believe the amount of corrosion on them. All the blades had to be wiped with wd40. Anything with moving parts had to be soaked in it. Steel rulers were unreadable.

[Irish]

Due to previous jobs , I have many good hand tools (6yrs as a flight mechanic for Sikorsky Aircraft , Head mechanic & Foreman on workboats , two motorcycle shops (in NH) & I noticed that all of my wrenches (SAE & Metric) have corrosion on the plating! I have two sawsalls & I had to soak the chucks in WD-40 in order to change the blades. It's a never ending battle! Irish

[wheelbender6]

I think the hardest thing is unlocking the drill chucks. Takes forever.
-What kind of Sikorskys did you work on Irish?
They have complicated rotor heads. A lot different from a Huey!

[Irish]

Originally Posted by wheelbender6

I think the hardest thing is unlocking the drill chucks. Takes forever.
-What kind of Sikorskys did you work on Irish?
They have complicated rotor heads. A lot different from a Huey!

I mainly worked on 61s & 53s. I may have these designations wrong because it was a long time ago & my mind is slipping. I quit in (around )' 71. & moved to N.H. Different services have different designations for the helicopters. By 53s I mean what the Navy calls the Sea Stallion. Irish

P.S.I also did a lot of work (engines etc.) on the Skycrane!

[wheelbender6]

Sounds like you were working on the 53A, Irish.
Sikorsky later added external tanks to the stub wings for the 53D or delta.
In the 1980s, the 53E entered the fleet. It had 3 engines.
53E pilots called the previous versions of the 53, "Light Twins".
We shared a hangar with a 53E squadron when I was in the USMC. It was a real beast.
You could drive a HUMV right up the ramp and into the cargo bay.

[Irish]

I also had to get a special security clearance because I worked on Presidentials. The high security clearances are a farce. At the time , I was an active Alcoholic @ I was always racing on the street (motorcycles & cars) not to mention the Pot consumption. If they would give me a Top Security clearance (at the time) they would give anybody one! It was the 3rd top security clearance that I had.Irish
P.S. I quit drinking(25yrs) & I don't race anymore!

[wheelbender6]

I never got a Top Secret clearance, Irish. They promised me one if I would do a tour in Yuma. I turned it down. I love Yuma, but my wife hates it.
Since you were working on HMX-1 choppers, did you see some senators and congressman? They told me that they made congressmen/women fly on the h-46 phrogs.