[CW] A question on Vibroplexes

[Richard Knoppow]

    I think I have missed something. You seem to be quoting from 
a book, is it available on line anywhere?  This is the most 
complete instructions I've ever seen on Japaning and I've 
researched it quite a bit. I may never do it but like to know how 
its done.
    In any case thank you for posting this.

On 5/22/2022 6:29 PM, D.J.J. Ring, Jr. wrote:
> JAPANNING A KEY BASE
> 
> To Refinish Or Not To Refinish — Again I feel the need to remind 
> the reader that it is not the intent of this book to encourage 
> anyone to do any of the operations described. Rather, the purpose 
> is to offer successful ways to accomplish those tasks if the 
> reader how to refinish the badly damaged japanning of a speed key 
> base such as shown in Fig-1. Speed Key Base Finishes — Before the 
> advent of modern paints, japanning was used very often as a 
> treatment for the protection of metal surfaces. Ford used it on 
> the Model T and Singer used it on the foot-pedaled sewing 
> machines. Many speed key bases also were japanned. The slightly 
> more expensive key bases were nickel-plated. The japanning 
> varnish formed a very hard, jet-back coating that was durable and 
> had a most attractive high gloss surface. The fact that keys can 
> be found today that are 100 years old and still have a good 
> finish is a testament to its durability. The history of japanning 
> and its major component, asphaltum, is a rather interesting 
> story. Asphaltum — This material is said to have formed in 
> vertical veins about one million years ago when a viscous 
> hydrocarbon lost its volatile constituents and solidified into a 
> glossy, black, solid hydrocarbon. Its appearance is similar to 
> coal. It is brittle, lightweight, can be crushed and, depending 
> on the grade, melts at between 300 and 400 degrees F. A vein of 
> it was discovered in Utah by Samuel Gilson in 1885 and he named 
> it Gilsonite. Its first uses were for painting buggies, lining 
> beer vats and waterproofing lumber for docks. Since then, its 
> uses have grown amazingly. However, other more modern materials 
> have replaced its use as a metal coating. The Varnish — Some of 
> the earlier formulas for japanning varnish required the melting 
> of asphaltum at 350 to 400 degrees F during the mixing with 
> turpentine—a rather dangerous exercise. It is likely that this 
> was needed because, at that time, the asphaltum came in lumps 
> like coal. However, it can now be purchased in powder form that 
> has been processed to remove rock and other contaminants. This 
> allows cold mixing in the home workshop. I know of no reliable 
> source for true japanning varnish. The literature offers a 
> confusing number of formulas for japanning varnish. The one that 
> has proven to be the easiest to mix and use is a cold mix, 
> consisting of 2 parts of boiled linseed oil, 5 parts of 
> turpentine, 3 parts of asphaltum powder and 3 parts of rosin. 
> Lamp black or carbon black is sometimes added but they are not 
> needed for key base use and usually cause more problems than they 
> solve. It is wise to mix the varnish outdoors 1 3 wishes to 
> perform them. The object of this chapter is to illustrate Fig. 1. 
> The Base To Be Japanned because the smell is a lingering one. 
> Containers of asphaltum and rosin are shown in Fig. 2. At the 
> time of writing, one of the firms from which the asphaltum and 
> rosin can be purchased is Rembrandt Graphic Arts Company (Ref. 
> 1). Some users of home- mixed varnish have reported that a 
> smoother finish results if no rosin is ROSIN Fig. 2. Containers 
> Of Asphaltum & Rosin added to the mixture. Numerous tests in my 
> own shop have shown this to be quite true. To avoid clumps while 
> mixing the varnish, add very small amounts of asphaltum to the 
> turpentine while stirring. Add rosin in small amounts after all 
> asphaltum has been dissolved. It has been suggested that warming 
> the mixing bowl over boiling water shortens the mixing time 
> considerably. However, it will be found that to obtain a smooth 
> consistency, a considerable amount of mixing time is required. 
> After mixing, it is wise to strain the varnish through a couple 
> of layers of reasonably close-knit, lint free, cotton cloth to 
> remove grit and any undissolved components. Be extremely cautious 
> handling items wet with linseed oil. This material is 
> spontaneously combustible and could easily start a fire. Never 
> put waste saturated with it in a wastebasket. Straighten the 
> pieces of cloth or paper and lay them outside to Fig. 3. 
> Japanning Varnish & Brush dry before disposing of them. Figure 3 
> shows a small jar of home-mixed japanning varnish and a soft 
> bristle (camel’s- hair), brush for applying it. These brushes are 
> available at most art supply stores. If unavailable, most any 
> soft bristle brush can be used. Clean with paint thinner. 
> Preparing The Base —The old japanning varnish on speed key bases 
> can be removed easily in fifteen to thirty minutes with most 
> commercial paint removers. Prepare the base for this as follows. 
> After the hardware and feet have been removed, straighten the 
> brads and remove the label. These are simple dome-head, brass 
> brads that have been annealed by the factory for easy bending. On 
> the bottom of the base, slip a wood chisel under the bent end of 
> the brad and lift it enough to be gripped with a pair of flat 
> nose pliers. Do not allow the chisel to mark the wall of the 
> brad. Straighten it as much as possible and drive it free of the 
> base. If the wall of the brad has not been scored with the 
> chisel, and does not crack while being lifted, it may be possible 
> to anneal and reuse it later when reinstalling the label. 1 4 
> Figure 4 illustrates the lifting of a brad with a small wood 
> chisel. Some brads are not bent but are large in diameter and 
> have their ends bradded on the underside of the base. Most, 
> however, are of the brad type and are bent on the underside of 
> the base. All I have seen are brass. Removal of the old japanning 
> is best done outdoors near a water faucet. Place a bent wire in 
> the bottom of a loaf pan, to space the base from the pan so the 
> paint remover can easily reach the underside of the base, Fig. 5. 
> Place a wire through one of the holes in the base for ease of 
> handling. Be certain Fig. 5. A Loaf Pan with Bent Wire Fig. 4. 
> Brad Removal to wear eye protection. There is a great danger of 
> the base slipping during handling and causing the paint remover 
> to splatter. For this reason, the handling wire is an added 
> protection. Wear rubber gloves and avoid all skin contact with 
> the paint remover. It is a very offensive material, burns the 
> skin almost instantly and could cause blindness Lay the base on 
> the bent wire in the bottom of the loaf pan, Fig. 6, cover it 
> with paint remover and allow it to stand for 15 to 30 minutes. By 
> then the varnish should be free enough to be pushed off the 
> surface with a brush. In stubborn cases, it may be necessary to 
> discard the old paint remover and apply a fresh coating for a 
> longer time. When all the old varnish has been 6. The Base In The 
> Pan Bl removed, rinse the base thoroughly in tap water and use a 
> toothpick, or other object, to clear the dead paint from inside 
> the holes. Dry in a toaster oven at 150 degrees F for 30 minutes. 
> The base stripped of the . japanning is shown in Fig. 7. 
> Smoothing — Key bases are m usually cast iron that has been 
> poured in a sand mold. This often Pjd je. leaves sharp pips in 
> the surface. These cause problems by sticking - •*'' f C'il 
> through the various coats of |ic s •: japanning varnish and they 
> should s . be removed. A very simple way to do this is to lay the 
> base on a board Fig. 7. The Stripped Base and drive finishing 
> nails around it to prevent it from moving. Paper the surface with 
> an orbital sander and 100-grit emery paper. This is only to 
> remove the sharp points that could stick through the varnish. It 
> would be unreasonable to try to remove all of the sand mold 
> marks. Key makers seldom made any serious attempt to remove the 
> marks before japanning their bases. 1 5 iHv Fig. 8. Papering The 
> Base The setup for papering a base is shown in Fig. 8. Using wet 
> or dry paper and water speeds up the process but is very harmful 
> to the orbital sander. At times, one encounters a base with 
> cavities in the casting. These can be filled with Lab- metal 
> before japanning . This material will withstand the baking 
> temperature and comes in two temperature versions, 350 degrees F 
> and 1000 degrees F, and has a very short shelf life. A can of 
> each type is shown in Fig. 9. It can be purchased from Alvin 
> Products (Ref. 2). Rust Removal — By far the best rust removal 
> method for a cast iron key base or steel base is by electrolysis. 
> This is a simple process and can be done by anyone. Purchase a 
> typical wall-wart having an output voltage of 6 or 12 volts DC 
> and at least 1/2 ampere current capacity. Also, a container will 
> be required to hold the electrolyte solution. Since the 
> electrolysis action does not affect 18-10 stainless steel, I 
> purchased such a bowl used in a plastic container but it is 
> difficult to arrange Fig. 10. Rust Removal From The Base Fig. 9. 
> For Patching Casting Holes from Wal-Mart. Iron plates could be 
> such plates to completely surround the base for the line-of-sight 
> action desired for electrolysis. Thus, I prefer the solid 
> container of stainless steel. Suspend the base on two wires from 
> a wooden rod laid across the top of the container. Connect the 
> negative lead from the wall-wart to one of these wires. (A red 
> alligator clip is the only color I had.) Attach the positive lead 
> either to the iron plates submerged in the solution and spaced 
> around the base or to the stainless bowl. A base arranged for 
> de-rusting by electrolysis action is shown in Fig. 10. The 
> Electrolyte — Mix a solution of one tablespoon of washing soda 
> (sodium carbonate), not baking 1 6 soda (sodium bicarbonate) to 
> one gallon of water. Cover the base with this, plug in the 
> wall-wart and look for bubbles rising from the base. If none are 
> seen, check for a poor connection. The action is self-limiting 
> and can be left unattended for extended periods. Drying — After 
> de-rusting, ferrous metal will begin to rust in about ten to 
> fifteen minutes. It is imperative that it be dried properly and 
> quickly. Remove the base from the washing soda solution and rinse 
> it thoroughly in water. Dry it on a towel and rinse it in 
> denatured alcohol, dry with a towel again and place it in a 
> toaster oven at 150 degrees F for about 30-minutes. When cool, 
> the base is ready for the application of the japanning varnish. 
> Japanning The Base — In each of the foot screw holes, install a 
> screw that protrudes about 3/4" from the bottom of the key base. 
> Lay the base upside down on a piece of clean paper. Using a 1" or 
> 3/4" wide camel’s-hair brush, apply a uniform coat of japanning 
> varnish to the bottom of the base. (It is best not to stir the 
> varnish before use. Some of the offensive material, missed by the 
> straining and settled to the bottom, could cause bumps in the 
> varnish if stirred.) Do not try to apply excessive varnish or it 
> will form droplets on the bottom side of the base that must be 
> removed with a knife after baking. Turn the base over, stand it 
> on the screws and apply varnish to the edges and then to the top 
> surface. There are two choices before starting the baking cycle. 
> The base can rest in a dust free place for two days or it can be 
> taken directly to the toaster oven, Fig. 11, at 125 degrees for 
> 2-1/2-hours. I prefer to go directly to the oven and allow the 
> low heat to do the same job of evaporating the volatiles that 
> resting at room temperature for two days does. Set the base on a 
> 1/16" thick sheet of steel and place it in a toaster oven. This 
> first stage cannot be rushed. If too high a temperature is 
> applied to the base before the remaining volatiles have had time 
> to evaporate, large bare spots or brush-like streaks will appear 
> in the varnish. Figure 12 shows a large bare spot on the base 
> caused by this. Most instructions for japanning state a baking 
> process with a cooling period between bakes. My experience has 
> shown that cooling between bakes is not required. Thus, I go 
> directly from one baking temperature to the next. This avoids a 
> great loss of shop time. After the 2-1/2-hours in the 125 degrees 
> F oven, it is time to start the baking cycle. Set the oven at 150 
> degrees F and bake for 1-hour, then at 200 degrees F and bake for 
> 30- minutes. Next, bake at 250 degrees F for 30-minutes. Follow 
> this at 300 degrees F for 30-minutes, and finally 350 F degrees 
> for 1-1/2 hours. When cool, it should not be possible to mark the 
> japanning with the 1 7 Fig. 11. The Toaster Oven & Key Base Fig. 
> 12. Temp Too High Too Quickly Fig. 13. The Support Screws 
> fingernail. If it can be marked, return it to the oven for a 
> longer bake at 350 degrees F. Experience has shown that a minimum 
> of five coats of varnish will be needed for a good finish. Each 
> coat requires the same complete baking cycle. Figure 13 shows 
> temporary feet (tapered screws) for handling and supporting the 
> base during the varnishing and baking process. Quite often, small 
> inclusions appear in the varnish as minute grains after a baking 
> cycle. When they occur, they must be removed. Wrap a small patch 
> of 600 grit, wet or dry emery paper around a half wine cork 
> (sawed axially), Fig. 14. Wet this and rub the surface to remove 
> them. This should be done following each baking cycle. At times, 
> varnish will be stripped off the brush Fjg 14 Emery Paper & 1/2 
> Cork as it crosses the holes in the base. This excess varnish 
> will collect as a drop on the bottom of the base and will not 
> cure during baking. Cut these off smooth with the surface with a 
> pocket knife before each baking cycle. Figure 15 shows a muslin 
> buff, an arbor for chucking it in a drill motor, and tripoli and 
> red rouge polishing compounds. Clamp the drill motor in a bench 
> vise to simulate a buffing machine and use the polishing 
> compounds on the buff to produce a highly polished surface. After 
> buffing, thoroughly wash the base with detergent and water to 
> remove the polishing compounds and dry it in a toaster oven at 
> 150 Fig. 15. A Buff, Arbor & Dressing degrees F for 30-minutes. 
> Figure 16 shows the japanned base. The Pin Stripes — There are a 
> number of ways to pin stripe a base. I have used a draftsman’s 
> ruling pen and gold paint and also a commercial gold paint pen 
> from an art supply store. Each of these work but I prefer the 
> latter. To simplify the pin striping effort, a homemade ruling 
> guide must be made to guide the pen while drawing the stripes. It 
> must rest against the side of the base to provide a straightedge 
> that stands above the surface Fig. 16. The Japanned Base 1 8 Fig. 
> 17. Top View Of Straightedge of the base and serves as a guide 
> for the pen. Figure 17 shows such a device. It is composed of a 
> wooden base, a 1/16” thick brass spacer and a 1/32” thick brass 
> top strip. This top strip can be positioned and locked from 3/8" 
> to 1/2" inward from the edge of the base to guide the pen. The 
> spacer positions the straightedge above the surface of the base 
> to prevent the guide from touching the paint. For the same 
> reason, the spacer must be shortened to a dimension less than the 
> distance between the pin stripes on the ends of the base. This 
> will allow the guide to be put in position for drawing the long 
> stripes without smearing the freshly drawn end stripes. Figure 18 
> shows the underside of the ruling guide, as described above. The 
> pen used for the pin striping is called a paint pen. It is 
> available from art supply Fig. 18. Straightedge, Bottom View 
> stores in larger cities or from Sandford Company (Ref. 3). It 
> contains a gold liquid, which is probably a lacquer. Adjust the 
> top strip to position the guide at the desired distance inward 
> from the edge of the base. Position the guide across the Fig. 19. 
> Drawing The End Stripe end of the base, as shown in Fig. 19. 
> Shake the paint pen vigorously to mix the paint, place it against 
> the straightedge and draw the gold line. Move the guide to the 
> other side of the base and draw the other line there. While the 
> end stripes are still wet, lay the straight edge against the long 
> edge of the base, Fig. 20, being careful to center it so the 
> spacer will not touch either of the freshly drawn end stripes. 
> Also, do not let the guide tip over and touch the wet end lines. 
> Draw the pin stripe on one side of the base and then the other. 
> Allow these stripes to dry for about 30-minutes. Use the paint 
> pen to draw the tick marks inside the stripes.
> 
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-- 
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL