Hi Chris,
$165 for a Reel grind is in another universe from where I'm standing. I don't pay anymore than $75 for a new bed knife and spin grind of both the reel and blade. Boy that original blade has seen much better days hasn't it ?
You're spot on regarding Perth and how everyone thinks everything is worth a million $$$$$. I have a daughter and son in law over there and the stories I hear simply blows me away.
As far as painting is concerned I've seen some really good outcomes from cans on this site. I do have all the painting gear at my disposal so I guess I'll lean towards that method, also I've painted cars at a top level years ago so I guess the Iwata W-77 is the tool of choice for me. No I don't have a gravity feed gun, just all my suction units, but I should get one at the price of paint nowadays.
Honestly regarding both paint and rust removal goes I'd be heading off down to your local blasting facility, but make sure they don't use the largest grit size as they'll mess it up that way.
Now as far as the ID plates are concerned it's rather involved and I really should write a full procedure for this to be done properly.
But basically you have to remove them first and tap them totally straight with a plastic assembly hammer to ensure they are totally flat. Using a plastic hammer is far safer than a steel hammer face on brass.
Use paint stripper to remove the old paint and then you'll have to paint the whole plate in bright red and allow it to cure out properly for a number of days.
Then, you'll have to tape a tab onto the rear of the plate using some strong cloth type tape so that you can grip it properly. Apply some 280 grit wet and dry paper to a piece of glass so that you have a perfectly flat sanding surface with no lumps or bumps to rub the front of the plate against until it just removes all the red paint from the raised sections to reveal bright brass. Change the paper to 400 grit and keep rubbing lightly, this will remove all the 280 grit marks and then get the surface closer to being a polished finished. After the 400 you can then go to 800 grit and repeat the process. Once you're happy with finish then it's time to stretch a piece of tea shirt material over the glass plate and apply some "Brasso" to the material and rub like hell until you've got a super glossy finish. Once happy you'll have to spray it with some protective clear to stop the brass from oxidising and undoing all your hard work.
I hope that this is rather self explanatory and if you have any queries don't hesitate to ask.
Cheers,
BB.
