Paint Her Fire Extinguisher Pink! (or Any Other Color...)

What to give the brave culinary experimenter who has to have everything in pink?

Pink blender? yep.
Pink kitchenware? of course.
Pink bakeware? check.
Pink apron? two of them.
Pink fire suppression device?......

It started out as a joke, and just might be the perfect Valentine's Day gift... (we'll see)

Materials:
Fire Extinguisher
Blue Painter's Tape (or masking tape)
600 grit waterproof sandpaper
Rust-Oleum "Painter's Touch" - #1950 Berry Pink
Rust-Oleum "Painter's Touch" - #1901 Gloss Clear (optional)
Isopropyl alcohol
Rubbing compound
Plastic bags (use hardware store bag from above purchases)
Paper towels

Tools:
Eye protection
Nitrile gloves
Respirator, or Particulate air-filter
Razor, X-Acto, or really sharp knife
Scissors
Bucket

Step 1: Prep School

See that brand spanking new extinguisher?

Mask off the label with the blue tape, use the razor to cut around the corners of the label.

Tape around the safety ring to secure it to the handle. Mask off the nozzle, handle, and gauge assembly.

Cut the 600 grit sandpaper into 4-inch wide strips.

Fill the bucket halfway with water.

Start sanding the exposed areas of the tank. The goal is to level the surface we will be painting, and to give the paint a slight texture to adhere to. The sandpaper loses it's "bite" as the dust clogs it's abrasive surface. Rinse the sandpaper in the bucket to keep it free of paint build up.

Stop sanding when the entire tank feels smooth to the touch. It will have an evenly dull sheen. Make sure you don't leave any glossy spots, as the paint may not stick well to these areas.

Clean the tank using paper towels and alcohol, allow it to dry completely before the next step.

Step 2: Paint by Numbers

Take the plastic bags and cover your bucket or painting stand (I used a folding stool).

Shake the spray paint until it feels like your arm is going to fall off.

Put the gloves, eye protection, and respirator on.

Place the extinguisher on top of the pink spray-can's top.

Spray the tank long even strokes, make sure you get around the bottom edge and around the neck. The first coat should be fairly light, don't try to lay down a thick layer as it will run. Spray two more coats, make sure each coat covers all of the tank.

Let dry a couple hours, or overnight, the paint should be dry for the next step.

Step 3: Wet Work

Fill the Bucket halfway with water again.

Cut your Sandpaper into 4-inch wide strips the length of the paper, drop them in the bucket.

Take the wet sandpaper and sand the tank gently. Rinse the sandpaper frequently, the water will turn pink from the dust. The goal is to smooth out the imperfections in the paint, take care around the label and neck areas of the tank. Be careful not to sand through the paint layer.

Clean the tank again using paper towels and alcohol, use new paper towels until they dont pick up any more pink dust. Allow it to dry completely before the next step.

Step 4: Clearly Impressed

Set the tank back on the paint cap, and on the covered paint stand.

Lightly spray the gloss clear on evenly, make sure to cover the entire tank. Spray on 3 more coats, as the clear dries a lot faster than the color coats.

Allow the clear coat to dry completely. You can skip the next step if the clear dried glossy enough for you. (lucky you)

Step 5: Rub It Right

Gently wet-sand the clear coat, just as you did the pink.

Again, rinse the sandpaper frequently to keep the paper working smoothly.

The sandpaper should have light-gray/white dust, if you see any pink you've gone too far...

Remove the masking tape and clean the tank using paper towels and alcohol.

Polish the tank using rubbing compound and paper towels. Work in 3-4 sections, rub until you can see yourself in the reflection.

Se Fini