[ARC5] Wrinkle Paint alternative (was Antenna Current Meter Needed)

[Mike Everette via ARC5]

Here is an alternative to wrinkle paint.  It's much more durable, and far less trouble:

Rust-Oleum 248914 Truck Bed Coating.

Enjoy.

73

Mike
WA4DLF
--------------------------------------------
On Mon, 5/5/14, Robert Eleazer <releazer at earthlink.net> wrote:

 Subject: [ARC5] Antenna Current Meter Needed
 To: arc5 at mailman.qth.net
 Date: Monday, May 5, 2014, 9:10 PM
 
 I have done extensive work on wrinkle
 paint.  My efforts to repaint one particular BC-348-J
 (3 repaints, with paint remover and sanding in between)
 ultimately yielded satisfactory results - and I think my
 description of that saga nearly brought the esteemed David
 Stinson to tears.
 
 To summarize:
 
 VHT wrinkle paint produces the deepest and most noticeable
 wrinkle finish - which makes it unsuitable for BC-348
 faceplates, where you have to have a very thin wrinkle to
 prevent covering the letters, which I later pick out with a
 sliver fine point Sharpie marker.
 
 Plasticoat wrinkle paint appears to be most suitable for
 attaining a thin wrinkle.
 
 DO NOT PREHEAT THE CAN!  This is an old trick from
 model airplane days, of sitting the spray can in a tub of
 hot water before painting.  This approach likely will
 prevent the wrinkle finish from ever appearing.  Don't
 ask me how I know....
 
 Primer coats appear to be unnecessary and probably
 counterproductive.  They did not primer the originals
 and this probably is not a coincidence.
 
 Baking the freshly painted subject in an oven is not
 required - but application of hot air via a handheld
 hairdryer is a definite plus and may be essential in some
 cases. 
 
 Age of the paint is a factor.  I had an old can of
 Krylon wrinkle paint and figured I would try it out on the
 case of a Heathkit SG-6, since I had to paint it
 something.  The spray can leaked horribly and created a
 huge mess - and embarrassingly enough left a very nice
 wrinkle finish where none was really needed.  So maybe
 age of the paint is not a real factor if you can work
 outside, in the grass, and have a spare 5 year old child
 around you can blame the mess on.  My claim that the
 dog did it was not found to be credible.  
 
 Good Luck!
 
 Wayne   
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