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AMfone's Online AM Handbook => Restoration => Topic started by: WB5IRI on February 21, 2014, 02:09:59 PM



Title: How to get a paint match for your rig
Post by: WB5IRI on February 21, 2014, 02:09:59 PM
In searching for paint for my Viking Valiant, I found lots and lots of suggestions online, along with Duplicolor and Plasti-Kote numbers, but none of those numbers matched anything I could find in my area or online. The Duplicolor folks, for example, want your make and model of car, they don't want to hear about your radio. Then I hit upon a solution that ought to work for most anyone living where there is a Sherwin Williams Auto Paint store -- that's AUTO PAINT, not house paint! Take anything from your radio that has the color on it you want to match -- knob, cabinet, panel, etc., and they can match it.

I needed the dark maroon paint for the Valiant cabinet, so I took the knob that covers the crystals to the Sherwin Williams folks, and they did a color match on it. It is what I would call exact, they even compensated for the fact that the knob is 60 years old and faded, took the samples out into the sunshine to make sure, and when I approved the match, they made the paint up and put it into aerosol cans right there -- whole thing took 15 minutes. Minimum is 3 cans, so I will be able to paint any Johnson stuff I get for the foreseeable future, and so will my kids and even grandkids. But it was worth it. Went home and shot the cabinet, let it dry overnight, shot it a second time, and the result is beautiful. My thanks to the Sherwin Williams folks, who were very professional and even interested in my restoration project. "If it has color, we can match it," they said, and I believe them.

Here are the specs, if you need them:
UFN 1704976
SA-47639-00-B Dark Cherry, Code WA5373, GMC 1997
DA609 Accelerator 19.7
DM517 Violet 112.7
DM500 Strong Blac 71.3
DM515 Red Gold 34.8
DM522 Strong WHT 1.3
DM614  5.0 AE Mix
DM624  Voc Balanci 33.4

Now all I need is someone local who can silk screen panels for me. Any suggestions for the Houston, Tx area?

73,

Doug, WB5IRI


Title: Re: How to get a paint match for your rig
Post by: w1vtp on February 21, 2014, 09:45:19 PM
This guy does really good work on EFJ stuff

http://www.johnsonradioresto.com/

Unfortunately, he's not local for you.  If you can get the front panel off and send it to him, he's the man for your job
AMfone - Dedicated to Amplitude Modulation on the Amateur Radio Bands