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MG TD TF 1500 - Coating and Painting Parts

I have slowly started becoming more proficient in getting parts ready for applying finishes. Using a wire wheel on the grinder, hand drill and dremel, I am starting to collect a number of small parts that are ready to be covered with the various coatings. That brings me to again call upon those of you that are experienced on this BB.

Considering that I do not have a setup to airbrush parts (no compressor, spray painter or paint both), is spraying out of aerosol cans a viable alternative? If so, should I start with primer first? If not, should I find someone or some company that will paint the parts for me? What about parts that are zinc coated, i.e., seat mountings and rails? There are zinc coating products that can either be sprayed or painted onto the bare metal. Does anyone have any experience with these products, or do I need to wait until I have everything that needs to be plated and take (ship) the parts to a plater?

Right now, I am talking about small parts like the seat guides and rails mentioned above, or the seat hinges and back guides. And very soon, the fuel pump housing and radiator brackets.

By the way, thanks for the information on cleaning up the voltage regulator (previous post). I ended up giving it a good cleaning and applying teak oil to it. It looks good but I need to do some polishing to make the finish look a little more smooth. (Outside the looks, I am trying to bring it back to proper operation using the sheets that were sent via this BB.)

As usual, thanks for the information and patience.

DP Earles
D P Earles

Spray cans are fine...especially for the parts you describe... I have done half the door and half the fenders with spray cans followed by spray can clear coat and hand rubbing...looks like the original (with patina of course).
gblawson

Regarding polishing bakelite parts, I find that if the surface is not scuffed or nicked, a good rubdown with plastic polish (Novus or 3M are my choice) will bring up a very nice shine. If the parts are scuffed or nicked, I try to sand those out with a very fine (600 grit) sandpaper, then buff on a wheel and apply the plastic polish. Some very credible finishes result.

Cheers,
Lew Palmer
Lew Palmer

Small parts are great spraying out of rattle cans. One note, rattle cans are mixed from the factory with hardner and don't have as great of a shelf life as regular paint.

I think plating the seat rails is better than painting, but you can do what works best for you. I used a shiny 'silver' cad plating on my parts, it won't accept paint very well (that's what the yellow cad is for) I think my minimum batch cost was $70. A small cad plater in your 'neighborhood' would do a great job, and are easier to find than a chrome plater because the process is cleaner.

For black items which are orignially semi gloss, nothing beats Rustoleum 7777 which is a satin black outdoor furniture paint. With or without priming. This paint is fairly thick, and drys pretty hard.

Priming will help fill small imperfections and can be sanded smooth, or you can let it dry for a short time and hit it with the finish coat. Don't wait too long between coats, or you will HAVE to sand to prep the surface.

You will also want a semi rough surface for your paint. A bead blasted surface is great. Not too smooth and try to avoid fingerprints or oils on the surface before you paint. A cardboard box sitting on my wife's chest freezer in the lower level works great for me.

When you have more things to paint, especially chassis items, get a small compress or and binks gun and try painting That way. It's fun. Thinning the Rustoleum 7777 15% with acetone works good in a gun. Too much thinning and the paint starts getting a bit shiny though.

good luck,
dave
Dave Braun

I use a air brush for my small parts. You do not need an expensive air brush, I believe I bought one of the chinese brands for around 20 bucks.

These units can be run off even the smallest compressor or from a can of compressed air.

I like the air brush in that I can use any paint. It works great for touch up on tiny chips and scratches in my car finish also.

I tried a number of the cold galvanizing zinc coatings but did not like the color.

The Eastwood Zinc plating kit is a really easy way to do small parts. I used a piece of plastic pipe with a cap on it to create a tube that I could plate my rails in.

http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=134&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=zinc

The Caswell plating kit is a bit more, but some have found it a better coating.

http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/zinc.htm
Bruce Cunha

For plastic and bakelite bits, I have had good success with pipe stem polish/cleaner, which is available at smoke shops everywhere. Gets through the crud and then ats like a very mild compound.
Paul
TDs,YB,etc.
Paul

i suggest a self etching primer under your paints. it is available locally or through eastwood. look at eastwood online or request a catalog. their rust encapsulator gets better reviews from trade publications (auto restorer, skinned knuckles magazine)than por-15.there are a number of good soft cover books on auto painting available on line (amazon.com etc.)or at your local bookstore. tom
tm peterson

I have used Krylon's Rust Tough Enamel for my small black parts. It is a direct to metal (DTM) paint so you do not need primer. We started using this years ago at our refinery and had good success. It sprays on very well and can be found in spray cans or gallons. I also found a zinc plater in our area that will plate bulk parts. I gave him a 3 lb tin of bolts, nuts, washers, "P" clips and seat slides and he charged me about $100 for the lot. They looked absolutely new! Have a good day!

John
John Progess

John, I've heard good things about Krylon too. I think their standard paint dries thinner, which can be an advantage on some parts. I've never personally tried Rust Tough Enamal, but if it is good at the refinery, I would be tempted to try it too. Since I switched to silicon brake fluid, I used their clear enamel on my brake parts. I was amazed at how quickly it dried!

Tom, I would add that I've heard that some paints don't work well with rust encapsulators. I tend to take my parts down to the bare metal by blasting, and avoid the encapsulator issues.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

Two words of advice - POWDER COAT

Using zinc rich primers, encapsulators, rattle cans (an excellent description we call them aerosols in the UK) etc will always give a third rate job and cost more in the long term. Just look what Pauly Teutill at Orange County uses on his show bikes.


Jan T
J Targosz

Thanks to all,

I think I am going to wait and put together enough stuff to have a minimum lot for a plater (I believe I have found one in the area). I may try the "rattle can" for a part or two and see what happens. But it does look like I will ultimately need to look into a small sprying unit before this restoration process is over.

The other thing that I need to locate is a blaster of some kind. I am hoping that there is someone in the local club that can let me try my hand at it before I invest in a full up capabilty.

Again, thanks for all the input.

DP Earles
D P Earles

This thread was discussed between 06/01/2006 and 09/01/2006

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