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Painting metal parts

Started by djtownsend, April 27, 2011, 05:46:53 PM

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djtownsend

I'm restoring a couple of old phones.  I think I've got the wiring part down for now but for finishing, I'm going to sandblast the metal parts of both of the phone base and the subset down to bare metal.  Now from there I have options for putting that beautiful black luster back on.  I'm going to prime and put 3 light coats of black paint on.  I've seen posts where people recommend canned Valspar but am contemplating airbrushing the units.  I'm looking for what people have done to paint the metal parts of phones.  Most of these old phones are metal and I'm looking for experiences from people who have painted phones.  I'm not talking about bakelite parts, just metal parts. 

I thought I'd start a new topic specifically for this subject to consolodate people's experiences, both good and bad.  Options are canned spray, airbrush, HVLP, or outsourcing to a professional.  Any other options?  No, I'm not going to paint it with a brush.   ;D 

I appreiate feedback or links to existing posts.  Thanks a lot.

Dan

bingster

It seems to me that sandblasting is a rather extreme way to get old paint off the base.  In addition wouldn't it leave a matte finish on the metal? 
= DARRIN =



djtownsend

Bingster,

I saw a refurbished subset on ebay and it looked really nice.  I asked her what she did to get the old paint off and she indicated that she used bead blasting which is why I thought sandblasting would be similar.  I want to get all metal parts down to bare metal so primer would cover evenly with no visible indications of the old paint.  What would you suggest?  I've seen oven cleaner as an option but want to get all of the old paint and primer completely off.

As for painting, I still plan on priming and painting so I'm looking into options for a nice original look.

Thanks for your feedback.

Dan

bingster

I'm no expert on blasting media, but I do believe bead blasting is more gentle than sand blasting, so you may be fine there. 

For my part, I used a few different things to get the paint off, but wound up finishing with paint stripper (Klean-Strip Premium) to get the bulk of it off.  From there, I did a couple coats of primer, several coats of paint, and a trip through the oven to "flow" and harden the paint.
= DARRIN =



Ed D

Hi folks,

Sandblasting uses an abrasive that abrades away paint as well as the metal surface.  Depending on how careful you are, you can end up removing as much metal as paint.  You won't end up with a smooth metal surface though.

Beads are generally not used for paint removal, but still can be used.  Beadblasting is much more gentle than  sandblasting, and there are several glass or plastic bead sizes that create differing finishes.  Beadblasting does more of a job "peening" over the metal, giving it a "frosted" finish that will not be perfectly smooth.  If painted over, the frosted metal will not have the nice smooth appearance that you will want on your refinished phone, although your mileage may vary.

I would hesitate sandblasting or beadblasting the paint off of the phone or ringer box unless it already had a badly rusted/pitted/corroded surface.  If you must blast a really pitted piece, after doing so, fill in the pits with something like Bondo or a gel glaze, and sand it nice and smooth.  That can take several applications of filler, and sanding between each coat.

I believe that there were some threads here on paint removers.  Some attacking each layer of paint individually, others that dig deeper in one application.  That would be the way to go.  (IMHO)

Ed

djtownsend

Thanks for the feedback to all.

Dan

Greg G.

#6
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

djtownsend

I've got to try that CLR.  I just went out and bought Klean-Strip and tried it on my subset door.  Yeah, it took off some paint but no sign of bare metal.  Does this product have to be used several times before it removes all of the paint?  I'm letting my second coat sink in now.  I've been leaving it on for about 25 minutes before trying to scrap it off. 

It got the paint off of the screw just fine.   ;D


djtownsend

My second coat of Klean-Stripper resulted in hardly any paint removed.  Any chance that the subset was pressed out of a black metal?

Doug Rose

I have an AE subset that is stripped down to a grayish black metal. Looks cool, but you can tell there is no paint on it, smooth and shiny. A picture would help with the guessing....good luck...Doug
Kidphone

djtownsend

I'm soaking some parts in CLR as suggested previously.  Seems to be doing its trick. 

Too bad the metal bucket I bought for this is leaking.    ::)