out metallic and allow buffing. You may need to talk to a paint company representative to

       find out what "can't be done". Manufactures often only recommend warranted procedures,

       but their paint reps work with their products daily and can tell you what can be safely

       accomplished. Metallic colors are definitely a challenge, and will need more

       experimentation. Be sure and try your color on test panels or old parts to get the

       appearance correct. Metallic colors also require more care when color sanding and

       buffing, If you sand and buff to far you may penetrate the top coat and find a change in

       color (spotting) in the sand through areas.



       One other challenge is in the doorjambs or inaccessible areas. In a lacquer system these

       areas are difficult to buff, therefore left alone in production. These areas will normally

       have a semi gloss finish. Acrylic or urethane systems will dry with a shiny finish, which

       would not appear as "typical of factory production." This is not a difficult problem to

       overcome. Most systems have a flattening compound available which may be added to

       the finish in varying rates to produce a semi gloss finish with a gloss level from shiny to

       5-101/1o gloss level depending on the percentage of additives introduced into the product.

       It is usually easiest to spray these areas last using a "soft edge7' (some call it back taping)

       masking technique. Soft edge masking is just extending the tape (I 1/2to 2" tape) past the

       edge of the panel, then rolling it back and taping it down to allow the adhesive part of the

       tape to create the paint edge. This causes a tapered or soft edge, which is hardly

       noticeable or easily compounded so it doesn't show. If this doesn't make sense, ask any

       painter. It is a process easily demonstrated.