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Telephone painting techniques/results

Started by BDM, October 22, 2008, 12:24:07 AM

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cihensley@aol.com

All the ingredients for japanning are available. If you decide to paint, I would use auto paint rather than Krylon or Restoleum. It is far better paint, as indicated by the fact that it will cost about $80 per quart. Go to a good auto supply store, not one of the blister package chains, that knows paint well. Tell them you want "black black" as the color because they will be otherwise expecting you to have the paint number for a particular auto. Tell them what you want it for. Purchase the kind that doesn't require a clear coat for shine. You will also require some reducer (thinner) and hardener that is compatible with the paint. They will know what kind.

The best way to apply the paint is with a regular spray outfit (somewhat of overkill for a phone) or preferably an airbrush. If you don't have other uses for either of these, the expense of the outfits will probably deter you. In that case use a Prevel spray combination. The propellant and container are separate so you can use your choice of paint. Prevel is available at the big box hardware stores and other paint stores. Remember many parts of new auto are plastic of one kind or another, so the auto paint you buy is usable on plastic. You can buy little wipe sheets that facilitate paint adhesion to plastic. For priming, a spray can of primer from the same auto store will suffice. Bake the finish coat using heat lamps or an oven of some kind.

Come in Nighthawk

#61
Quote from: cihensley@aol.com on July 02, 2010, 10:53:05 AM
All the ingredients for japanning are available. If you decide to paint, I would use auto paint rather than Krylon or Restoleum. It is far better paint, as indicated by the fact that it will cost about $80 per quart. <snip>

Thanks!  Sounds like you're suggesting stripping and repainting the whole mount?  I had in MIND just a "touch up" of the few areas -- mostly around the "ears" of the cradle -- where the paint has chipped off over the ages. 



I also hadn't intended to turn this into a major operation.  Any further suggestions in that respect.... besides that is, "a job worth doing..."

;D

cihensley@aol.com

I have never painted or otherwise tried to restore just the chipped part, but after sanding the area to smooth it out I guess the rest of of my recommendation stands.

Chuck

Kenny C

I am sorry I am bring back such an old post but in the verry beggening mcheath said something about painting tentite. i have a few questions

1. what tempature did you bake on ours only goes to 170

2. did you sand the case before you painted?

3. will it melt the case in the dishwasher?
In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

Phoniac

#64
I don't know if this will help or not but when using a good automotive paint  they only bake the parts or car for an hour at a surface temp of140 degrees. Granted there using a catalyst paint. The temps I've seen posted here are well over that and seem a bit extreme, specially for plastic. I have done my share of phones in the past and recently I've been restoring antique electric fans. I use a 2 stage Urethane and never put anything in an oven. Yes, it's a bit pricey but, if your going to do a job why not do it right. The equipment is not all that costly to do these small projects and there are many good urethane's out there to choose from that are not that pricey. I always use a etching primer, adhesion is the key besides having your pieces degreased,  prep work is essential to a good paint job.
I NEVER use Bondo (body filler), I use glazing putty and very little. As far as painting plastics there's some good paints out there but I have no experience with them. I you just want to rattle can it, Rust-O-leum has proven to be a good product. Hope this help someone.

DavePEI

I just wanted to mention this, as it is something I have had great success with...

One several black painted phones recently, I have has a number of small paint chips. I used to completely re-paint similar phones, but one day while in Canadian Tire, I had an idea.

Canadian Tire and other automotive stores carry a product called Dupli-Color Scratch-fix 21.

The next day, I went back in with a paint sample, and bought a touch-up can of paint. It is a hand size tube which has a small brush in it for touching up scratches. THe one I found works best is called Obsidian Black Pearl (Dupli-Color # SU 01249) and is made to touch up the Subaru 32J color.

One cleans the area to paint, and merely places a drop in the chip. Let it dry, then using rubbing compound, feather down the edges. When done, the repair is almost completely impossible to see on most black painted phones. Now, I must admit, using the rubbing compound is very important in this process, as the edges of the repair if done properly will feather completely into the edges of the chip, making any slight color mis-match virtually un-noticeable.

Just thought I would post the suggestion, as it has saved me quite bit of stripping down and repainting of phones with just minor chips.

For those with extensive damage, complete re-painting is still best.

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

olderdude60

Hello All - Thought I'd share my refurnising first try on my D1.  Dated IV 36 on the inside of the mount.  I lost the date on the plunger - it was 11 50.  Anyway I used Kleen Strip Green from Lowes, a thicker product than the spray - it worked really well - it did take two tries to get all the paint off.  I then cleaned it well, and did a steel wool once over.   

I used Valspar primer and black gloss,  The primer and black went on quite nicely I think.  (again my first attempt)  I've included pictures of it before and after.

I enjoyed the experience and would attempt it again.

Hope you all enjoy it.

Jim

Doug Rose

Jim....looks outstanding.....nice job....Doug
Kidphone

olderdude60

Here's the D1 reassembled - I like the way it turned out.  Want to get some novous for the handle. Also included part of my collection.

Jim

fuhrmant

#69
All:

I want to share my experiences with painting a 1939 metal-base North Galion phone. I am not claiming that this is the "best" way to do the job, but I am pleased with the results. I apologize for the length of this post.

I am not an expert in painting telephones or other things, so I got a lot of help from this thread within the Rotary Phone Forum. Many thanks to the forum! This is a great resource.

The paint on my Galion was in pretty bad shape when I acquired it, so I determined that it would need to be repainted. I stripped it with a product I found at Home Depot—Citristrip Stripping Gel. I was surprised at how easy this was to use and how well it worked. It stripped a layer or two (I could see the phone had been repainted before—not very well) of black paint almost effortlessly—wipe on/wait/wipe off. Underneath, what I assume was the original paint was only a little more difficult and cleaned up easily with the Citristrip and some rubbing with #0000 steel wool. See photo 1.

As for the painting itself, building on the advice in this thread, I went and talked with some folks at a nearby auto body shop. They gave me good advice and directed me to their supplier (Pro Finishes Plus, which has stores throughout the East Coast). Their advice was consistent and they were able to help me with actual products. Here is a summary of what I learned:

1. Use serious metal-painting products and techniques. They recommended an initial coat of a high quality self-etching primer, followed by a second coat of a compatible acrylic primer, and finally two or more coats of acrylic enamel paint. Here are the products I used:
   DuPont Etch Primer A-4119S (pricey at $20+)
   DuPont QuickPrime A-4240S (also pricey)
   Rust-Oleum Acrylic Enamel, Black, Semi-gloss finish (from AutoZone)

2. The preferred method of application is with professional paint spraying equipment. Since I do not have this, I bought the products in spray cans. (I would have bought a DuPont black auto body paint but it was only available in gallon cans and required a sprayer.)

3. I chose semi-gloss black paint because (1) the Bakelite handset is not super glossy and I want the body and the handset to match of course; and (2) I think this sheen is about right for a phone of this vintage. I could be wrong on that point because I don't have any specific data. Anyway, flat and high gloss paints are also available.

4. Mask off all the holes in the body of the telephone. This includes the plunger holes in the cradle as well as any and all screw holes.

5. I followed the instructions on the paint cans carefully. The primers were easy to work with. They went on smoothly and evenly. Note that the instructions on the acrylic primer state, "sanding is required if the primer has been allowed to dry more than 24 hours." I did some sanding with steel wool to smooth out the primer coat. I was feeling pretty good about the process at this point.

6. I had more difficulty with the black paint than with the primers. I found that technique really matters, especially how close you hold the can to the work and how fast you move the spray. While I "knew" this, I had to teach my hands and that took practice. Also, getting an even coat is significantly complicated by the shape of the telephone. All those angles create the potential for overspray to strike different parts of the phone. I found that my initial results were uneven in places (I admit to being a stickler about these things). I found that the overspray caused a dulling of the semi-gloss finish and a mild leather-like appearance in places. I did not notice these imperfections at first and they only became obvious as I got more sensitive to the matter of technique.

7. I did not hesitate to take more #0000 steel wool to the bad areas once dry, even smoothing them down to the primer in some cases, and then repainting. It took many sessions in my makeshift spray booth before I was satisfied. See photo 2.

8. I ended up buying a second can of the Rust-Oleum paint before I was finished. As I got down to around ¼ of the original paint remaining, I convinced myself that my results were getting poorer. I attributed this to things like: reduced effectiveness of the propellant, possible nozzle deformation, possibly diluted proportions in the "ingredients" within the can as the paint was being depleted. This may have been my imagination, but I felt much better about the process when I was using a new can of paint! In any case, it is very important to always keep the nozzle clean, and to keep shaking that can!

9. None of the people I spoke with advocated "baking" the enamel. They all said that baking would, at best, only accelerate the curing of the paint, but would have no effect on the finished result. I have no basis for an opinion on this, but it did save me from having to convince my wife to let me put the newly painted phone in the oven! I am not in a hurry, so allowing the paint to cure for a few weeks is not a challenge for me. I only have time to work on the phone in spurts anyway.

No doubt there are things I could have done better, but I am pleased with the results. The finish (after curing) is hard and seems to be pretty durable. I think it captures the essence of this beautiful phone. The next phase is to reassemble the pieces, all cleaned and restored, and get this Galion back "on the air."

DavePEI

#70
Looking over this thread after being accused of cooking after mealtime by my wife last night gave me a kick!

In reality, the item cooking in the over was the handset off my recently acquired Imperial phone. Yum! The look on her face when she saw what my "snack" was!

I kept the temperature down to 150, but then kept it on for 3 hours, and it seemed to do a god job. I wasn't brave enough to use a higher temperature, though I would probably have gotten away with it on the Imperial's bakelite handset...

Oh, the look on her face when she saw what I was cooking :D

Makes me wonder - what is the best recipe for cooking a handset. Wrap it in bacon before cooking, bake it in onion soup? Lathered in mushrooms? What sort of marinade would be best?

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

AE_Collector

#71
Yeah I'm thinking what with the cost of electricity propane there, you could easily have had some french onion soup in there as well!

Friends of ours were in Europe this past May-June and she ordered French Onion Soup in Paris which brought strange looks. Apparently it is just "Onion Soup" there!

Terry

Greg G.

#72
Ok, I must have made a basic error, not sure why this "honeycomb" or "crazing" occurred on this metal finger wheel.  I painted it with primer before I left for work and brought it in when I got home in the wee hours of the morning.  I use a "paint box" (large cardboard box) to paint parts in because I have no other workspace.  Since that's done outside on the porch, it's subject to the ambient temps and moisture, so I'm guessing that it had something to do with it being damp and cold out.  The primed finger wheel looked fine, it was when I went to spray on the gloss that this occurred.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

LarryInMichigan

Greg,

I have had that sort of thing happen when the metal surface was too cold.  I painted a candlestick outside once and wanted to scream as I watched the paint crumbling like that.  You could always sell the finger wheel as artwork ;D

Larry


cello973

If anyone here wants their metal glass bead blasted contact me and I will do it for the cost of postage. I blasted an AE type 43 and the finish was better than the 302 I sanded. I am thinking about blasting the 302 and re spraying it....
Vince