VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 "Please don't go...."

Fortunately, Gator, the majority of a '32 is black, so I've used off-the-shelf black lacquer spray cans for small parts and areas with perfectly fine results.

The final results really come down to the quality of the surface preparation, which I enjoy doing to a degree. All that chipping, scraping, and painting as a Bos'ns Mate finally paid off somewhere!

I hear you, I was on 'deck gang' until I made my rate/rating. Never have so few, painted so much for so little......again and again..... :rolleyes:

Thanks for the advice, I will do small pieces/parts first. What 'type' paint did you use? :confused:

It's Plasticote. I buy the spray cans right at the autoparts store.

As I mentioned, the real work is in the surface preparation. I bring it down to bare metal, and then use two coats of lacquer primer, with light sanding in between each coat. Then, about three coats of lacquer, again sanding in between each coat with successively lighter sandpaper up to 1000 grit on the last round.

It's kind of fun doing small pieces because you get a sense of accomplishment within a few days. Then, too, you can screw or bolt the thing back in, and your old girl just looks a little bit better!

Ed, have you tried the 'powder coating' system on any of your parts? I'm thinking about using it on my wheels, some people think it is more durable than paint. Don't know if it is worth the extra time and effort. :confused: :confused:

Unfortunately, I don't know anything about that. I'll defer that question over to the body and paint chat experts.

My strategy is more cost- and time-driven. I'm nowhere near judging status. You might be suggesting an even better idea.

I think we are in the same boat.....make that ship. Time and money, don't have enough of either. (P.S. MSO-495 was my ship).

I would get those wheels sand blasted! It's a hole lot easier than sitting there with a wire brush and sand paper. Then prime and paint them with enamel. It's harder paint and will stand up to your sandy roads. Try to thin the enamel out a little so it gets into all the nooks and crannys. Use tons of soap, like dish washing detergent (it's consentrated) to mount the tires.
Yeah, Junkyard, thanks for the heat treatment tip on the mats. I took off the mats and hung them up with a couple of c-clamps and 2x4's for about a month, but they still are too short. I'll try my wife's hair dryer!
Oh, Skip may not like this info, but Gator, I get my laquer paint from Bill Hersch, here in Jersey. :rolleyes:

Lay your running board mats on the concrete driveway in direct sun light instead. Do so for several hours before installing the mats. The concrete helps to reflect all of the heat directly into the mats and they will get warmer, and will have more of an even temperature than using a hair dryer. Besides, the hair dryer can melt the mats if left in one place too long. Also, if you let them cool off, they will tend to shrink again.

Bill Hirsch's automotive lacquer is quality stuff, so no problem there. It is not like his engine enamel which is totally incorrect for the Chevy six engine.

it's the color of the engine paint, I think, not the quality of the paint. Is that right JYD?

Correct! Bill Hirsch's engine enamel is of a very high quality, but it is the wrong color and it has been for about 30 years! :eek: :eek: :eek:

I'm with RGwiz on the wheels. Hand sanding wire rims is for masochists only. )...things of that nature.

A home bead blaster works great for cleaning small parts also. Talk about fast........wow! :eek: :eek: :eek:

Who would you get your blaster from? :confused: What size is the best? :confused: I've seen them in several different catologs. :eek: Which 'media' do you use (sand, glass beads, shells,etc)? :confused:

I use "AC" grit silicone glass beads. You can purchase bead blasters out of Hemmings or from Tip, from your local tool supply house, from Harbor Freight and so on. I have a heavy duty industrial bead blaster (it's so big that I can put you in it!), but for home hobby use the type from your local tool supply house will be just fine. You can get table models and free standing units as well. As with all bead blasters however, you will need a large air compressor with lots of CFM to run it! :eek: :eek: :eek:

I have a 5 hp compressor that I have used with a gravity feed for 20 years or so, hate all of the mess and clouds of dust and being inside a hood, etc. Think that its' time to go to a cabinet, a lot less hassel, yep, yep... :) :)

Think the 5 horse would work with a smaller cabinet? :confused:

It should. But, it all depends on the size of the jet used in the blast cabinet and the CFM that it requires. On the small home hobby blast cabinets a five horse is plenty because they come with a 3/32" or a 1/8" air jet.

Hi all;
We're back from Pennsy after being "stranded" in a condo for a few days. Wow! 27" of snow, Rt. 80 closed, and no plows in sight!
Hey Gator, watch out while using the sand blaster. I had a local guy do it for me. I ya chose the wrong tip or sand, ya can cut right thru the metal. I'd stay away from using it on body sheet metal.
I found using regular spray enamel in cans on small parts was just fine. It's cheap, and saves time so you don't have to have the big spray gun ready to use and clean afterwards.
Use it on brake handles, pedals, brackets, etc. Even the bottom of the running boards.
Yeah, Bill Hersch wasn't cheap, ($65 per gallon) but the laquer is top grade. Like JYD says, my engine is the wrong color. :rolleyes: Kinda pale gray. But even that is the easy kind of paint to work with.
Hey, I think you might have motivated me to get down to the garage and do something.
I think that's what this club is all about. All that talk about rule changes, and who can join and sell, and give advice...etc. I just want to get my hands dirty and restore something.

You go RG......

Media blasting in a cabinet works just fine on body sheet metal and other items as long as you use the correct media, like glass beads, and the correct pressure. I bead blasted all of the sheet metal on my '30 coupe and it all came out beautiful. Now, if you "sand blast" your body sheet metal, and use high pressure, it will definitely warp your body sheet metal.

Like RG says, spray cans are cheap, and you get what you pay for. The quality is just not there as compared to regular automotive paints. Spray cans work great on small brackets, braces, and other small components, but I defintely would not use it on any body sheet metal, like running boards and etc. because rattle can paint is inferior, both in durability and longevity, to regular automotive paint that is designed for such a purpose.

JYD is right. I never said to use rattle can paint on the body parts. Just the small stuff, like brackets and such. When it comes to anything exposed to engine temperatures or the road elements I would and did use automotive quality paint. Even if it comes in a rattle can. The enamels today are durable, cheap, and are a breeze when it comes to clean up. I think your paint gun is your best buddy when it comes to painting the body parts. Keeping it clean, and finding the correct pressures and paint mixture, for laquer, is most important. The less you have to change those settings the better off you are. So when something can be painted with a rattle can, go right ahead.
:)

I'm in agreement with you guys as well. I started using enamel on small parts, but the availability of lacquer spray paint is fine, so I've switched to using that type whenever I have some small doohickey to spray paint.

I have to paint my '31motor. Is there spray can paint that will work. I get confused going through these threds. Also, I went and saw a guy yesterday who said he could sandblast and powercoat my frame for around $300 or so. He has quite a large shop. I expected it to be a lot higher. Does it seem right? :confused: This does not include the wheels. Ya, right now mine is a basket case. :rolleyes:

$300 would not be too high , in my opinion, I would not powdercoat the wheels any way, the color choices of powdercoat are not that varried the price sounds reasonable if powdercoat is what you want, and the black should be close to original color.

I have painted a 235 engine back in 1987 with engine paint from a spray can (it took 2 or three coats and three cans of paint) I found the paint at a Auto Parts store and used it as as an experiment after I primed and finish sanded the valve cover, it went on smooth and is still bright and shiney, It has been hanging on the wall of my garage and never put onto an engine, as of yet, even if it is not the exact shade of blue the engine block and head etc. also still look good sitting in the garage, Your problem will probably be not being able to get the correct color for your engine at an Auto Supply Store.

Contact the Filling Station. They have the correct engine color available in spray cans as well.

Thanks guys, That would be FS-359 and H-11A on page 197 of The Filling Station catalog I presume. Maybe one can of each? :confused: Do you use a primier with this paint? :rolleyes: