Louis that looks fantastic ... and hey! You took my guitar stand idea. Great job!
Thank you my friend. If you're ever down in Florida, first round is on me. Yeah, I went with the guitar stand idea and after I took that picture, I added a styrofoam cylinder (painted black with an added felt pad), and now the shield stands upright. I went that route after my girlfriend caught me looking at the walls looking for a place to hang the shield. lol
Getting back to the paint job, I'm wondering how many people wet sanded their shield BEFORE applying the clearcoat. The Dupli-Color metalcast paints have some interesting qualities. The pictures really do not do the shield justice, as I think it looks better in person. I love how the color is even throughout but appears to change with the lighting. I also love how you can see the spun aluminum beneath the color.
Points to consider: After I painted the shield, I noticed that with just my finger, I could rub areas and remove some paint where I thought it was too dark or uneven. Because of this, I was afraid to wet sand it or apply anything else, out of fear I would remove too much color and have to start all over again. So I took it to the body shop with the paint even in color, but it was not a smooth glossy finish. The guys at the body shop did nothing to the surface either, but I was told that multiple clear coats were applied and that the sprayer did some smoothing out between coats. I am thrilled with the end results. The color pops, and the finish is super strong, shiny and smooth. However, if you look closely at the shield in person, there does appear to be, for lack of a better word, a "textured" look. Again, the finish is super smooth but the color does not give a perfectly detailed reflection. Make sense?
That's why I said, if I were to attempt it again, I might wet sand it before doing the clear coat. Just wanted to share that experience to get feedback from the pros and to help anyone currently working on their shields.