Trick #1 - Restoring Handlebar Switches

Does the price of new handlebar switches have you down? Are yours working fine, but ugly as sin? Then try this little trick:

1. Completely disassemble the switches so that you are down to just the cast metal casings. (Remember where all the little parts go... you will need to put it back together later!)
2. Use degreaser, paint stripper, sandpaper, or any other means you wish to remove funk, gunk, grime and paint. Use an exacto knife to clean all the red paint out of the letter grooves. Be sure to give them one last bath in degreaser before the next step, or you will get some nasty fisheyes in your paint.
3. Get some gloss black spray lacquer from your favorite local home improvement shop. One can should be enough for this project. Lightly coat the parts, just enough to get everything covered once. Wait 5 minutes and then put a good topcoat on. Put it in a safe, dust-free place to dry AND CURE for 24-48 hours.
4. Carefully carve out the letter grooves with a sharp exacto knife. Clean up any rough edges.
5. Get some red acrylic enamel from a hobby store. It comes in tiny bottles. Be sure it is ENAMEL, and not lacquer or this won't work.
6. Use a small brush to fill and cover the letter grooves. Put back in a safe place and let dry for another 24 hours.
7. Once dried, use mineral spirits on a lint-free cloth to gently wipe the excess enamel from the top of the letters. Be careful not to wipe too hard or too much, lest all the enamel come out of the grooves.
8. Set aside to dry for another few hours, and reassemble.

How does this work? Lacquer is only thinned with lacquer thinner, while acrylic enamel is only thinned with mineral spirits. Lacquer cannot be painted on top of acrylic enamel, but acrylic enamel can be painted on top of lacquer.

It took me a few tries to get this right, and I even had to strip off everything and start over a few times. But the finished product looks better than the original!

Enjoy!