[ARC5] [Milsurplus] Cleaning fine crackle paint

[Bill Carns]

Well, not to be defensive about the process with the 409/Ammonia (but having
years of industrial experience in the semiconductor industry with chemical
cleaning), that is what the deep rinsing and the surfactant clean following
the 409 clean is all about. It is also always a good plan to take apart
anything you clean, and I would never use that clean on things that have
assembled parts or electronic components.

The fact is that equipment that was cleaned with that clean has gone on to
age beautifully and no signs of corrosion after now 30 years now that I add
it up accurately.

The very important aspect of that clean is that is a "bubbling " clean and
it does not involve mechanical scrubbing or other soaps that are of unknown
content and have their own unknown after effects.  Covering up "any dirt
left in the cracks" by making it darker with oil is not something I would
recommend. And, you would be shocked at what a strong tooth brush does to
the surface of wrinkle paint under a Scanning Electron Microscope.  The less
scrubbing the better.

Also, the bottom line is that. In spite of its rather lengthy description,
it is very easy and very very effective.

The WD-40 is a much better (and thinner) "oil"  (not an oil really) to
condition the paint.  I am always suspicious of lubricant oils as they are
very difficult to remove entirely and they then attract dirt.  The WD-40
completely absorbs into the paint actually rejuvenating it and leaves it dry
and as good as new for the next 20 years.

If you do need to ever do a paint retouch on something, going over an oily
surface will not work too well.

Regarding the use of 'Unknown soaps"...and my caution about Silicone, I
quote from a description of work done by Dow Corning with Silicones:

"Innovative silicone solutions from Dow Corning, a global leader in silicone
chemistry, are allowing soap manufacturers to cater to this demand by better
differentiation  in their products - thus enabling the move from the
traditional mass market position to more niche and specialized positions,
and capturing their share of the fast-growing, ...........bla bla bla."

As was quoted before, YMMV, but this technique has served many for 25 years
and is going strong.

Bill

Bill Carns, N7OTQ (Trustee K0CXX)
Past President, Collins Collectors Association
Founding Board, Collins Radio Heritage Group
Editor, Signal Magazine
Wimberley, TX
512 618 2762  (Cell)
512 847 7010  (Home)



-----Original Message-----
From: Milsurplus [mailto:milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of
David Stinson
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2015 9:22 PM
To: milsurplus at mailman.qth.net; arc5 at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Cleaning fine crackle paint

 
Re:  Cleaning Wrinkle Paint
IMHO, YMMV etc.  I don't think I'm smarter than anyone and I don't know
everything.  Just my perspective after working on these things for many
years.

A word of caution, from personal experience:
If any of the 409/Ammonia/Scrubbing Bubbles etc.
 solution gets under screw heads or rivits, etc., in a few years they will
have a bright green ring of corrosion around them.
I stopped using harsh chemicals long ago.

The old wrinkle paint surface micro-cracks down some fraction of the depth
of the paint.  Microscopic dust collects in these cracks over the years,
making a dirty, dull look to the paint.  No amount of cleaning will get it
all out.

Assuming your paint is in good condition- clean all the dirt you can get at
with a dry paint brush, followed by a medium tooth brush.  
For heavy dirt, plain distilled water and scrubbing.  
For oily or greasy stuff, a toothbrush soaked in  Ronson Lighter Fluid
followed by blotting with paper towels.

Once you have removed as much dirt as possible, you'll be left with a dingy,
dull wrinkle paint.
Believe it or not, WWII Radio Maint. Shop manuals
call for a coat of oil on wrinkle paint.   Drop a few 
drops of light machine oil like 3-n-1 on the surface.
It doesn't take much- a drop every 3-4 inches.
Using a medium bristle dry brush, scrub the oil around the surface until you
get an even sheen.  It takes some elbow grease and good lighting.  Wipe away
the 
excess with a clean towel.   The oil will flow into the 
micro-cracks, darkening the impacted dirt and melding it with the black
wrinkle finish and sealing the cracks.
You'll be rewarded with a wrinkle finish that looks almost new and, if you
cover it when not playing radio, it will stay that way.  
Works excellent on old, dull black knobs, too.
And when the radio warms up, the soothing smell of machine oil warms a
tinkerer's heart.

73 DE Dave AB5S

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