[Heathkit] SB cabinet repaint question?

Wed Jan 26 21:21:26 EST 2005

Glen's idea sounds good for smaller surfaces, but what about large panels or entire racks? The project I've been working on has three panels ranging up to 17" high for the power supply deck and still I need to refinish the rack that they will be going into. 

Spray cans tend to produce streaky patterns over large areas even when used by a person who paints professionally. I had a friend who does those multi thousand dollar paint jobs on choppers do the R.F. deck panel for me using Plasti-Kote brand wrinkle paint, I figured he'd have his "strokes' down better than me (his airbrush work looks like a freakin photograph) but, if you look closely you can still see horizontal banding even after applying the three heavy coats 10 minutes apart that Plasti-Kote calls for in the instructions.

I've been told that powder coat shops have a wrinkle finish they can apply. Anyone have any experience with this?

Bill AD5OL

>>> Glen Zook <gzook at yahoo.com> 01/26/05 07:17PM >>>
What I have been doing lately is to get my paint
matched at Sherwin Williams in acryllic.  However, I
now have a paint gun and compressor.  The paint runs
less than $11 per quart.

However, there are some "over the counter" paints that
do match pretty closely.

Now, Heath used at least 5 different "shades" of paint
on the SB-Line cabinets ranging from a pretty "putrid"
almost lime green to a gray with just a "hint" of
green.  At one time I had examples of all 5 different
shades!  Also, they used at least 3 different shades
of green on the front panels.

I repainted all of my SB-Line cabinets with the gray
with "hint" of green color since that particular color
I think is the most "pleasing".  A few days ago I
built a phasing control for my 40 meter verticals in a
"surplus" SB-Line cabinet.  For the front panel (which
I made from 1/8 thick aluminum sheet) I first put on a
"crackle" finish using RustOleum American Accents
"Stone Creations" (the gray color works the best) and
then oversprayed with Krylon 3512 Sage Satin paint. 
That color is a "perfect" match for one of the 3
shades that Heath used on the front panels.

It was possible to order a "complete" station from
Heath consisting of an SB-301, SB-401, SB-600, SB-630,
and SB-200 at the same time and get all 5 different
cabinet colors and all 3 different front panel shades.
 Frankly, I almost think that Heath used whatever
color was in the paint gun and didn't pay any
attention to the absolute shade.

I have an SB-101, SB-110A, SB-301, SB-401, SB-630, and
two SB-600 units.  Of all those only one SB-600
cabinet matched any other cabinet!  I also have all 3
different front panel colors.  I did repaint one of
the SB-600 panels with the Krylon paint so that it
matched the other one.  But, since there is
silkscreening on the other panels, and I don't have
the means to silkscreen, I haven't even thought of
repainting any of the equipment panels.

I have had problems with the "wrinkle" paint that is
sold at automotive parts houses.  For example, I make
reproduction crystal doors for the DX-35 and DX-40.  I
paint these 9 at a time.  Frankly, out of 9 I would
get 1, maybe 2, that would wrinkle properly.  The
remainder would partially wrinkle to no wrinkle at
all.  Yet these were all on a single board that is
approximately one foot square and were painted at
exactly the same time under the same circumstances. 
As a result, I have gone to the Stone Creations.  It
takes a few minutes of practice to get the "hang" of
making a good crinkle finish.  But, the results are
much better than what I get with the stuff from
automotive houses.

Years ago Illinois Bronze made some excellent wrinkle
paint that came in spray cans.  I used that stuff by
the case.  Unfortunately, there was something in the
formula that OSHA didn't like and they had to
discontinue making the paint.

RustOleum has both a wrinkle and a hammertone paint
that are a little bit better than what I have been
getting at the automotive houses.  However, I still do
not like it anywhere near as well as the Stone
Creations for crinkle.  For hammertone, if you
overspray with a thin coat, the results are pretty
good.  The pattern is a bit larger than the "old"
original paint.  But, it does look OK when you are
through.

Glen, K9STH

--- "Kenneth G. Gordon" <kgordon at moscow.com> wrote:

BTW, Glen Zook has some information on paints for
Heathkit on his web site. You can get a nearly exact
match for several of the different shades of Heathkit
green from Wal-Mart.

We might ask him. 

Glen? Your advice?

=====
Glen, K9STH

Web sites

http://home.comcast.net/~k9sth 
http://home.comcast.net/~zcomco 

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