[ARC5] Black Wrinkle Touchup... again

[J. Forster]

I am not trying to please anyone but myself. It's something that's annoyed
me for years and now I'd like to figure it out.

Best,

-John

===================



>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Richard Brunner" <brunneraa1p at comcast.net>
> Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Black Wrinkle Touchup... again
>
>> If you're not too fussy, satin-black may be good enough for small areas.
>> It won't pass a close examination, but for a casual view it won't be
>> noticeable.
>
> Good advice.  Anyone who is going to give you thunder over
> a few 1/4 inch imperfections you should ignore.  Believe me-
> in a display, 99 out of a hundred won't even see it.
> On the other hand, if it's for your personal satisfaction,
> then any effort would, of course, be worth it.
>
> The following is my personal experiance,
> and I won't wag my finger at anyone else's.
> We all find what works for us:
>
> I've tried several methods.
> Years ago, as Mike said, I let a thick daub of paint
> get real "tacky", then made a "stamp" by pressing Silly Putty
> on a good spot.
> It worked the first couple of times and
> I ran and told everyone- silly me.
>  I haven't had as good luck with it since,
> but Mike is better skilled then I in such things.
> Maybe they changed the oils in Silly Putty now that it's
> made in China or maybe I was just lucky the first time,
> or maybe I'm just a klutz ;-)
> I've tried daubing-on three coats and heating them with
> a heat gun.  It came out "right" about 30% of the time.
> The rest of the time, it made a wrinkle that didn't match
> and a sheen that didn't match and thus,
> a bigger flaw than the original one.
>
> Unless you have a time machine, we're never going to
> see any "real" wrinkle paint that acts like the original.
> I'm tired of trying to make this Chinese imitaiton stuff work.
> I have sworn-off wrinkle paint.
> Period.  I mean it.
> I'm done with it.
>
> My "fix" for finishes is still evolving, and I keep trying
> new approaches.   I've even made a ratty finish on an ATB case
> look good enough for display with a big Sharpie marker
> and a follow-up of clear satin spray.  By the way-
> small dings can be touched-up with black Sharpie during a display.
> It will rub off, but that's only a concern during the display.
> I keep one in my pocket at those times.
>
> Today, when I have a lot of small flaws in wrinkle paint,
> I lightly thin Rustoleum Flat Black enamel and use a dry-brush
> technique.  If the flaws are few and small, I brush only the
> flaws and the immediate area around them.  This will leave
> an area that does not match the rest, but we'll address
> that shortly.  If there are many small dings, or if the finish is
> faded and has that "dingy" look from super-fine grain dirt
> that you can't remove without damage or oxidized paint,
> I dry-brush the entire surface, being careful to brush-around
> any markings, until it's all a nice,  even flat black.
> The sheen around markings won't match at this point,
> but again, we'll address that later.
> You must either thin your paint or be very skilled
> with dry-brushing, else you'll fill-in the original wrinkle.
> Try your "thinned" paint on a scrap panel first.
> A caution on paint thinning-  a little paint thinner
> goes a long way.  Consult the local paint monger.
>
> Once it's completely dry and set, I use a 2-inch
> paint brush and a few drops of light machine oil- like 3-n-1 oil-
> and dry-brush that over the entire surface, brushing and brushing
> until the sheen is even all over.  Use indirect lighting so you can see
> where the coat needs to be brushed more.  When done right,
> The result is a very even, high-satin finish that looks excellent to me.
> The places you touched-up and those that were dingy, oxidized
> or had markings will all magically meld into an even finish.
> I daub-away (not wipe) any excess and let it sit overnight.
> The shine tones-down over time.   After they've cured a
> few days, I'll give them a gentle buffing with clean,
> old denim which will further "flatten" the sheen toward
> a real satin.
> When not in use, I cover my rigs with cloth to keep dust away.
>
> Here are photos of two dynamotors I refinished just yesterday.
> They haven't been buffed yet, so are still a little "bright."
> The dynos on the right are representative
> of how they looked at the start.
> The dynos on the left were re-finished as above:
>
> http://home.netcom.com/~arc5/ARC5/DY8A.JPG
> http://home.netcom.com/~arc5/ARC5/DY8B.JPG
> http://home.netcom.com/~arc5/ARC5/DY2.JPG
>
> Still need to clean-off the screw holders.
> I have pieces that were treated this way three
> years ago and they still look and work fine.
>
> No, it's not perfect.  But as I said awhile back:
> I'm done with making "Perfect" the enemy of "Good."
> I know, I know... there's a dozen of you lining-up
> to tell me how awful this is and how it will cause my
> rigs to suddenly collapse into corroded heaps
> or explode into glittering shards, etc. etc.
> My friends- respectfully, and kindly-
> I ain't gonna move on this.
> Nope.  Sorry.  I'm too blasted old to spend one more
> of my few, precious remaining minutes of  life
> fighting with the cursed gloop they call "wrinkle paint" today.
> This works for me.
> People at my displays think it looks great.
> And that light coat of warm machine oil
> smells sooooo good when I'm running the gear.
>
> So there's my answer.
> Best wishes on finding one that works for you.
>
> GL OM ES 73 DE Dave AB5S
>
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