Apologies for the delay in my response. As usual, things have been hectic. I haven't painted the tank yet, and I'm still undecided on whether to seal it. Some folks say you should, others say it's just a pain in the ass because it may break down, and that as long as you have gas it shouldn't rust. I've also heard people say that if the tank isn't sealed it can cause the paint to bubble. ?? Mike said that shouldn't be the case - it wasn't sealed before and the paint was fine (that is until it sat out in the elements for 10 years).
I've started polishing the fork sliders... one of them is nearly done, and I'm going to work on the other one after posting this. Mike's going to clear coat them for me so they have some protection. Dropped the fork tubes off for hard chroming this afternoon. Here's hoping he doesn't want a fortune. What's the going rate? I can get new ones made for around $300 from Forks by Frank, but I'm not sure how much I should expect. I'm not expecting it to be cheap. I know you get what you pay for and I don't expect that the work is easy. I also don't want to get taken.
Mike got the frame and other black bits painted... tried to prime the front fender, but the old paint reacted with it and it bubbled up so I've had to sand it down again. Hoping to have all the silver bits painted this weekend. But I have family coming this weekend so I don't know that I'll get much else done besides drunken revelry.
Hope Squires is treating you lot (who could make it) well... although it sounds downright chilly.