What is the best paint for an old machine restoration.

[Inflight]

I live in California, so choices are very limited but I have had excellent long term results using Ellis Hy-Lux (solvent based) paints for machine restoration. Works best sprayed (cheap HVLP gun is fine). It can be wet-sanded, rubbed and buffed for that smooth & glossy, factory style finish.

 

[Rockingdodge]

Try Tractol Paints, I used these when restoring a 1938 Denham Junior lathe. First an acid primer coat then undercoat and topcoat, all brushed on, doesn't chip and looks good.

 

[jdurnya]

to spend all that time dis-assembling / cleaning / repairing use a good quality catalyzed urethane and the matching etching primer if you do it right you will end up with a automotive grade finish that will be extremely durable

its not cheap and you will have to use protection to handle and spray it but its definitely worth it

 

[Wizard69]

isocyanates - ugh! I hate to think of all the poisonous things I've inhaled or have got in through skin, etc ! Resins, solvents... All those miracle materials seem to turn out to have dire qualities. Now the evidence is in about BPA - that's in just about everything and now PTFE (Teflon).

Well some of this stuff is massive over reaction to sometimes questionable science. You feed a lab rat a constant diet of toxins and the rat will most certainly die. In the same regard alcohol can likewise be deadly if drank to excess but on average it can be seen as a positive by most people.

isocyanates are in fact very dangerous especially with exposure over time. This has lead to manufactures refactoring formulas for their paints. Imron for example has gone through many revisions over the years. That doesn't make it safe but it can be considered "safer".

This is why I suggested going to a pro paint store and talking to coating professionals. This way you can get up to date information on best practices with a specific paint. Sometimes we end up hearing information that might have been true decades ago but isn't current when seen against current products. This doesn't imply that everything is safe out there, however a pro paint store can guide you to products suitable for low end equipment.

 

[Wizard69]

Another possibility that fits in nicely with model engineering is to consider some of the powder cost systems out there. There are very low cost options to apply it and a repurposed oven can be used to cure. Unfortunately I haven't used such materials myself so any knowledge about durability comes from using items coated with the powder coat.

Now obviously you will not put a machine frame of any size into a repurposed oven. So you would have to limit use to places where it would make sense. Guards and brackets, especially if contrasting colors are desired are good places to use the material. Also high wear items like handles, knobs and so forth are a good place for powder coating.

The nice thing about powder coating is that it can be used to put very high quality finishes on your models and display items. In other words it is a good process to have "in house".

 

[DJP]

If the purpose of the restoration is to have a show quality machine that is for display then automotive paints would be my choice. I restored and sprayed cars in the past and automotive enamel with the correct temperature reducer produces very good results. However, if this machine is older and to be used again in a dirty and rough environment then a simple brush on metal paint (rust paint) is perfect. You don't need to be careful and invest a lot of prep time to keep it looking good.

My thoughts for consideration.

 

[Charles Lamont]

Ah, but I want the best of both worlds, a smooth glossy quality finish that I can abuse for the next 20 years.

 

[alcostich]

Years ago I brushed porch and deck enamel on by Bridgeport Round-ram. Prior to that, even more years ago I brushed the same on my SouthBend lathe and Atlas 7B shaper. All have held up well to years of abuse.

 

[chrsbrbnk]

there's a hardener available for several implement enamels that have hug in pretty well on my steam tractor

 

[MrMetric]

Be aware that some of the hardener type paints are cyanoacrylate based paint. The MSDS on these can be a bit scary.... You can absorb stuff through your skin and mucous membranes. A charcoal filter will not remove the harmful vapors, so the best way to use them is to cover up and use a full supplied air facemask. I believe a lot of these paints are for cars and are fairly expensive. The one I used once dried *rock* hard, but had surprisingly good durability and fill qualities. It was a little too shiny for my tastes but overall the results were actually pretty good.

Disclaimer... I'm basing a lot of the safety side on the MSDS and with my talking to the factory.

 

[Lisa_Clark]

Well, I am answering to this 2 years old post because I found something interesting. I researched on this topic I need to restore one of my classic sewing machine. And gradually could found a lot of information about machine painting.

When you are going to paint a metal body, you need to be very specific in choosing the paint. I would suggest epoxy primer or acrylic Urethane for heavy machines. Mypaintsprayer posted a beautiful blog regarding types of paint, where you can check which paint is appropriate for your paint job.
Like wise different paint enamels and rust preventive paints are also useful to paint old machines. When you are going to restore an old machine. It involves several process such as:

1. Disassemble the parts
2. Removing the old paint from the machine
3. Treating the rust properly
4. Reconstructing the precision surfaces by scarping and etc
5. Prepping the surface for painting
6. The final painting
7. Assemble the parts

Thanks

 

[Anatol]

As a survivor of a cancer whose causes are strongly correlated to VOC exposure, as a long time environmentalist, but also as someone who has a lot of experience with marine paints, urethanes, epoxies and other nasties, I offer the following.
1. True marine paints are as tough as they come. You can walk a herd of cattle over two part urethanes and hardly see a scratch.
2. Where I come from, there are such stringent controls on VOCs that you can't buy paint thinners. But, knowing the history of synthetic chemicals (from DDT to BPA) I know its a history of 'innocent till proven guilty', and often you only find out they're guilty 20 year later when you get cancer or lung disease or your kids have issues. So I tend to be a bit conservative, I don't trust that in 20 years, we won't learn that stuff has been leeching out of the latex paint that's on the outsides insides of our houses.
3. I like hammerite. I love that old-time dappled look, its just the thing for old iron.

 

[KellisRJ]

Well, I am answering to this 2 years old post because I found something interesting. I researched on this topic I need to restore one of my classic sewing machine. And gradually could found a lot of information about machine painting

Hi Lisa. I refurbished machines for years, and slowly culling my heard as a move is pending and I honestly spend more time now making chips. What machine are you working on? I have a 201-1 & a 15-91 that I need to get off the floor and finished . . . wish I had the skills to do a 66 bobbin carrier!

Ron

 

[KellisRJ]

As a survivor of a cancer whose causes are strongly correlated to VOC exposure, as a long time environmentalist, but also as someone who has a lot of experience with marine paints, urethanes, epoxies and other nasties, I offer the following.
. . .
3. I like hammerite. I love that old-time dappled look, its just the thing for old iron.

For what it's worth, my sympathies. At 17 I was a know nothing and consider myself just darn fortunate that I wasn't permentally damaged as a painter's "helper" with a bandanna painting a PBY with two part urethane. Or keytone poisoning from splashing MEK around like it was water . . . . I find it amazing how it's still considered "OK" to slowly poison people because the same math/statistics they use to create the stuff are inadequate to prove harm.

Oh, on the old Singers it's often called a crackle or "Godzilla" finish.

R

 

[SmithDoor]

The heading says it all. I am restoring an old Acorn tools Shaper and want to repaint it as best possible.
I need a good paint that will resist oil and also stick to the old casting filler. I would like to brush it on as well as spray, with a final cut and buff to get a good polished paint surface. Here are a few photos of the regrinding of the ways. I have reground all the sideways, as most were only milled.View attachment 104362 View attachment 104362 View attachment 104363 View attachment 104364 View attachment 104365 Finally I will scrape them for oil retention. Having a 1 meter surface grinder at work as a luxury. A machine rebuild makes one appreciate accuracy in 3 dimensions.

I have automotive paint.
I like oil base but good luck buying it California.

Dave

 

[57mm_M18]

Does anyone know what was used as a plaster on the surface of the castings before painting?

 

[goldstar31]

Does anyone know what was used as a plaster on the surface of the castings before painting?

Possibly boiled linseed oil and whiting.

 

[57mm_M18]

Possibly boiled linseed oil and whiting.

Ahhh-yes, This would get hard and could be smoothed to provide a paint ready surface. Do you know if they added lamp black to the mixture and what the purpose of that would be.

 

[goldstar31]

Lamp black if you have read Charles Dickens , he sold it as iron stove polish. Grate Expectations

I would add cobalt napthenate as driers

Never thought that I could crack an old joke like that

Regards

Norman

 

[SmithDoor]

Use machinery dealers use automotive filler it works great. They buy it one gallon cans but just buy by tube from the auto parts store.

China likes spackle bad choice
Dave

Does anyone know what was used as a plaster on the surface of the castings before painting?