A "Wrinkled" Discovery

[KC4VWU]

I think I've stumbled onto something that may be of interest. I was painting some HQ-120 dial bezels and decided to try Rustoleum appliance epoxy black. I usually use this to repaint transformers, since it leaves a nice finish. It dries pretty slow, but with a properly finished piece, it gives a slick, glossy look that is tough as nails. I had given the bezels a dust coat twice, and before I retired for the morning, I decided to give them a good coat. Approximately 8 hours later, I checked on them and found they were dry to the touch, but not as slick looking as I had wanted. I took them outside to apply one more good coat and after I sprayed them, almost immediately, I noticed that the coat underneath looked like it was starting to lift. That is when the little light bulb lit up. I then took it into the direct morning sunlight. and a little wrinkle! Quickly, I rushed the bezels to my shack and hooked up the heat gun. High heat and keeping it moving, the wrinkle started to appear. I then removed the heat, which I have found with wrinkle paint, makes the wrinkle come in really nice. The really cool thing about this is the wrinkle this paint produces closely resembles the type found on the old Bud enclosures; nice squiggly or grainey when looked at under magnification. It is unlike the wrinkle produced by the Krylon or HD stuff which is more of a highly textured finish.
         Maybe someone, who is better equipped than myself, could follow up on this and figure it out? The paint is Rustoleum Appliance Epoxy #7886 Gloss Black. They also make it in white and beige. I think you can also buy this in pint cans to use in a spray gun. Very interesting!

73, Phil KC4VWU

[N3DRB The Derb]

I have 2 48" bud racks that need a good repaint or powder coat. I'll give it a try.

[KC4VWU]

Hey Derb,
               Try it first on some scrap. I lightly scuffed the bezels with 400 grit to give the paint some adhesion surface; I didn't prime. The first coat was dry to a light touch, but I'll bet if I pressed down hard, I would have left a fingerprint. The surface was dry or skimmed, but underneath was not cured yet. A moderate overspray and a little heat. Just be sure and don't blister the paint. I just checked them a little while ago; they look good, real glossy.
73, Phil

[k4kyv]

If they were able to produce that particular style of wrinkle finish 75 years ago, it shouldn't take rocket science to duplicate it to-day.  Modern day wrinkle paint in a spray can produces a fine grain, highly uniform texture that is totally different from the old Bud and National finishes.

I don't think you could go to the paint store in the 1930's and buy wrinkle paint.  It had to be a technique using regular off-the-shelf paint oil paint. I don't think water based paint had been developed back then.  A lost art, since the people who knew how to do it are probably long gone now.

The paint was probably a mixture of linseed oil and carbon black and possibly some lead or other substance.  There has to still be some information somewhere on how pre-WW2 paint was formulated.

[N3DRB The Derb]

I keep seeing a reference to "Kem-Art" metal finish when I do a bit of research on the subject. I've looked into it a few times.

You would think that it would not be too hard to find the documentation somewhere. There's got to be formulas out there in existence, it was too much the standard finish on so many products.

I wonder if Atwater Kent documents are out there, they used a lot of grey brown and black wrinkle in products.

[KM1H]

Ive been making wrinkle paint for decades. A lot of it has been via experimenting and these days the Internet is full of ideas.

I started out by reading the things NOT to do when painting a car back in the days of lacquer and alkyd finishes.

Carl
KM1H

[W1UJR]

If they were able to produce that particular style of wrinkle finish 75 years ago, it shouldn't take rocket science to duplicate it to-day.  Modern day wrinkle paint in a spray can produces a fine grain, highly uniform texture that is totally different from the old Bud and National finishes.

I don't think you could go to the paint store in the 1930's and buy wrinkle paint.  It had to be a technique using regular off-the-shelf paint oil paint. I don't think water based paint had been developed back then.  A lost art, since the people who knew how to do it are probably long gone now.

The paint was probably a mixture of linseed oil and carbon black and possibly some lead or other substance.  There has to still be some information somewhere on how pre-WW2 paint was formulated.

I sure wish the finish you mention could be duplicated accurately today Don, but unless someone releases it commercially, we'll have to settle for the light "vein" or "pebble" style of wrinkle finish used today.

I understand that the wrinkle finishes were often used to expedite the metal finishing work, one did not have to worry about a perfect metal surface if it was going to be covered with a wrinkle finish. Gloss, satin and to some degree, even flat, black serves to magnify the surface imperfections underneath the paint.

I had researched this extensively when I was refinishing the W1FPZ transmitter back in 2007, taking months to try and find the exact match. After all, I had spent weeks disassembling and documenting the rig, I wanted it to be 100% when done.  I even posted my request here and must have called nearly two dozen "coating", as the paint folks now like to term paint, specialists about a formula matching the 1930s wrinkle. Nothing was really out there is a exact match, close, but not exact. I settled for close, used powder coating - more about that later, thinking it was better to preserve the piece rather than lost it to rust. Or worse yet, have to go back in in 20-30 years and disassemble those now 100 year old wiring harness so it could be properly refinished. If you saw the results of this project at last year's AWA Conference, you know that it worked.

What I discovered is that their is great variation in the color, texture and design of the wrinkle finishes over the years, this is true even among the same manufacturer.  When I look at my 1940s Collins 30K transmitter and compare it the the matching 75A1 receiver, bought at the same time for the same station by the original owner, you can see the 30K has more of a "pebble" finish and the 75A1 has more texture. Both pieces were built at the same time, by the same company, for the same station. Take a look at any Collins gear in the classic Saint James Gray, some is certainly black, others have a more blue hue. There is no true Collins "standard".

I found that the same variance is true with the Gross Radio and early National gear. My 1930s Gross Eagle receiver has a large number of "veins" and even what could be described as "starburst" patterns in the paint, certainly not your typical finish. The Nationals here, from the very early SW-3 to the FB-7 and HRO all have different finish colors and textures. All are still black, but different shades of black, and different designs of texture.

Arguably, some color variation may relate to conditions of storage, sun exposure, etc. but I think to a large degree it is simply variances in paint formulation and application. Yet another issue with the wrinkle finish is the degree of gloss. On some of the pieces I've seen the finish almost looks "dry", very low gloss, even after cleaning, my BC-348 comes to mind. Yet others, thinking of some of the later Collins gear, like the 75A-4s, almost glisten once cleaned.

I suspect the texture, color and gloss variances had more to due with the paint vendor than they did with the manufacturer. You still had a number of small to midsize companies back then in the paint game, rather than the few large multi-nationals we see today. Quality control was relative among many of the early manufacturers, ISO standards were decades down the pike as were the Pantone color standards. Automated manufacturing was unheard of during the early days of radio, if you've seen vintage photos the rows on rows of women wiring up sets you know what I mean, so I suspect that to a large degree, the finish also relied upon the skill of the fellow holding the paint gun. With so many variants of color, texture, design and gloss, it is nearly impossible to set a standard, we can only hope to come close.

So in the real world, I think the answer is to do the best you can to replicate the original equipment appearance, while making certain it will also there for future generations to learn from. We are not so much owners as we are caretakers of this wonderful gear, and we owe to future generations to be able to experience the same magic of radio that we have been privileged to witness.

One of the memories that I treasure most about my visits with Fred Hammond VE3HC was the ability to turn on and operate the equipment, his museum was more of a dynamic candy store for adult hams, than a static museum display. The important thing therefore, at least in this ham's mind, is to not have static equipment displays, but rather a living, working station to enjoy. That's my 2 cents...

-Bruce W1UJR


Powder Coating Examples from the W1UJR Station

[KC4VWU]

         Exactly right Bruce! I just can't bring myself to "part out" gear in any condition; it just sits there screaming "Please fix me!". The more we part out, the more that is lost, never to return. The views on paint consistancy is right on the nose also.
         As far as the Rustoleum paint, please do a little experimentation before planning a paint job with it. I painted a piece of scrap yesterday and went back over it this morning with different and inconsistant results. I'm sure if it wrinkled correctly one time, it will do it again. I'll play with it a while to see if I can get a consistant effect and procedure. It would just be really nice to have several wrinkle patterns available. I'm getting tired of the Krylon look on everything. So tired of it in fact,  I've been using the Rustoleum Texture finish, which looks pretty good by itself in their limited color selection, but can be oversprayed to give the texture like the FT-101 finish has.
         HRO, The texture finish you speak of can be had by mixing the texture media in with the paint, which can be obtained through an industrial coatings company. I use Piedmont Industrial Coatings here in town which supplies PPG paints. You buy the media from them and mix it in yourself to give the results you need. Their paints are already pre-mixed (reducer, hardener); you just load the gun and shoot it. The only drawback is you have to buy a gallon at a time; but it only costs around 32.00 and you's pay that or more for a quart from an automotive paint supplier.
73, Phil KC4VWU 

[k4kyv]

I sure wish the finish you mention could be duplicated accurately today Don, but unless someone releases it commercially, we'll have to settle for the light "vein" or "pebble" style of wrinkle finish used today.

It has to be duplicatable.  They did it in the 30's and 40's, and I don't think they were any smarter back then than we are now, nor do I believe Martians descended to the factory, painted equipment for them, and then left the earth for good.  It's just a matter of discovering the proper technique and paint formula.  Back in the 19th and early part of the 20th century, people even made their own paint from scratch and some of it was more durable than any commercial product sold to-day.  This was despite the fact that they had fewer raw materials to choose from than we have to-day.

I suppose maybe it's a little like the mystery of the Stradivarius violins, but there are bound to be people still alive who remember doing it and maybe even remember the technique.  I'm surprised so little information has surfaced on this topic, given the renewed interest in vintage radio equipment and vintage other items.  Most people who use wrinkle paint to-day seem to be satisfied with powder coating or the stuff from the spray can, which is a not-so-close approximation at best.

Even the stuff from the spray can back in the early 60's had a texture very much like the old pre-War equipment.  The paint available to-day is very fine grained, uniform in texture, and usually not very glossy.  No doubt the paint companies consider that an "improvement".

I hadn't thought of it before, but I  suspect wrinkle finish was popular because it covered up imperfections on the surface that could thus be left alone, and this speeded up assembly time.  Wrinkled finish has more surface area, so it no doubt makes a superior infra-red radiator.  That's why exhaust manifolds are often painted with it.  About the only wrinkle paint I have been able to find lately has been at auto parts stores, but it makes far from the best finish for vintage equipment.

[KD6VXI]

I sure wish the finish you mention could be duplicated accurately today Don, but unless someone releases it commercially, we'll have to settle for the light "vein" or "pebble" style of wrinkle finish used today.

It has to be duplicatable.  They did it in the 30's and 40's, and I don't think they were any smarter back then than we are now, nor do I believe Martians descended to the factory, painted equipment for them, and then left the earth for good. 

I think we might find that the chemicals might be duplicatable, but on lists that say we common humanoids are unobtainium painticus.

I would think it would be a chemical and heat related process....  With more emphasis on the proper amount of heat.  I seem to recall pix showing them being "fired" on an assembly line, so obviously they could control rate of heat and application by adjusting temp and speed of the line.

--Shane

[WBear2GCR]

It is very unlikely that you'll find paint today that will work like paint 40 years ago because the formulas have all changed radically. No more VOCs are permitted in consumer stuff. Pro stuff, yes, but even there they have moved to two part and other cure methods.

From the 1956 Chemical Formulary Vol III (the only one I have):

Bushing Lacquer
US Patent 1,533,616

Alcohol
Ethylene Glycol
Amyl Acetate
Butyl Acetate
Ethyl Acetate
Benzol
Toluol
Xylol
Gasolene
Amyl Alcohol
Butanol

All about equal parts, fwiw...

Polished Metal Lacquer

Nitrocellulose Wet
Rezyl No. 468-2 (50% solution)
Dibutyl Phthalate
Butyl Acetate
Butyl Alcohol
Butyl "Cellsolve"
Toluol
Xylol


hey here's a good one:

Electrolytic Condenser Coating
British Patent 397,554

Acetone
Amyl Acetate
Phenol-Formaldehyde Resin
graphite

this is baked on aluminum for 24 hrs at 100 deg C and then 2 hrs at 170 deg C

Nothing on wrinkle or crackle finishes though.

Perhaps a search of the USPTO might yield some patents on wrinkle paint compositions...

                     _-_-bear

[k4kyv]

It is very unlikely that you'll find paint today that will work like paint 40 years ago because the formulas have all changed radically. No more VOCs are permitted in consumer stuff.

 

Interior and exterior house paints at the local big-box stores list the VOC content of their paints, but paints with VOCs' are still available here, mostly in oil based paint. The guy at the paint store said they have tried to outlaw oil paints, but so far haven't succeeded anywhere except in California.

Wonder if CA has paint control checkpoints at the border like they have agricultural check points.

Oil based paint is a PITA to work with; the clean-up can be almost as much work as the paint job, especially if you purchase good quality brushes and re-use them.  But for wood, particularly in older construction, oil primer works much better than latex primer.  For my exterior paint jobs, I always use a high quality oil primer that contains linseed oil, followed by two coats of 100% acrylic latex.  I normally use one coat of flat topcoat, followed by a 2nd coat of gloss.  I use the flat for the first top coat because that's the only way I can tell where I have applied the 2nd coat and where I haven't and avoid missing spots.  Although it makes small defects in the wood more visible, I have noticed that when it rains, water beads off the gloss coat, while the flat wets and appears to thoroughly saturate with water, so I believe gloss paint has to be more durable.

I have found that when applying wrinkle paint not in spray form, a roller works better than a brush.  I have tried brushing it on, but inevitably ended up with large patches that would not wrinkle, and for what did wrinkle the wrinkle pattern followed the brush marks, and the whole paint job looked like crap.  The marks left behind by the roller seem to accelerate the wrinkling process and make the wrinkle pattern more random and uniform over the whole surface.

[W1UJR]

It has to be duplicatable.  They did it in the 30's and 40's, and I don't think they were any smarter back then than we are now, nor do I believe Martians descended to the factory, painted equipment for them, and then left the earth for good.  It's just a matter of discovering the proper technique and paint formula.  Back in the 19th and early part of the 20th century, people even made their own paint from scratch and some of it was more durable than any commercial product sold to-day.  This was despite the fact that they had fewer raw materials to choose from than we have to-day.

I agree that it COULD be duplicated today Don, but as Bear pointed out, so much has been banned from use commercially. Could one of us find the ingredients and whip a batch of "Boat Anchor Black" (sounds like a good micro brew beer!), no doubt it could happen, but suspect its much more to the process than just spraying on the paint.

The black wrinkle stuff from the can looks good, but put a little carb cleaner on it, dissolves, it is, as you stated Don, not that durable. The Gross CB-25 and the W1FPZ rig had both been repainted with aerosol products at some point in their lives, both finishes were not durable. If you've ever had to clean off the authentic 1930/40s wrinkle paint, you'll know how durable it is, and tough it is to remove from sheet metal. Current paint products are nowhere near as durable, or have that level of adhesion.

Powder coating on the other hand, is pretty much indestructible, if only we could get someone to whip up batch that had the extreme wrinkle texture. I think that with the original wrinkle, something like heat must have been used to cure the paint, or it would not be so durable.

Phil, I chuckled when I read about the Appliance Epoxy paint! I just found and used that this week on the leaking oil filled cap which I repaired. Man, that stuff is amazing, looks great, does not run, and leaves a very authentic moderate gloss which matches well with most xformer end bells and sheet metal. Thanks for the tip. As for the wrinkle phenomenon you noted, did you see the directions about adding another coat? I did, and thought it was odd, something like within 24 hours, or after 7 days. That may have been the ticket to what you experienced? Must have something to do with the curing that takes place. My reading is that the paint does not fully cure until 7 days.

Any way, interesting topic, glad it was brought up.

Here is one lead and their product -->> http://www.gasup.it/en/index.php?pag=prod&id=24#

[k4kyv]

Here is one lead and their product -->> http://www.gasup.it/en/index.php?pag=prod&id=24#

At 70 euros per pound plus shipping, I would damn sure want to see how well it performs before spending that kind of money.

[W1UJR]

At 70 euros per pound plus shipping, I would damn sure want to see how well it performs before spending that kind of money.

Agreed Don, not a cheap modern coating, though it certainly costs far less than inventing a time travel machine.

Given how much sheetmetal was painted with this process during the 1920s to the 1950s, one would think that both the process and the formulation would not be so hard to dig up. Somebody living today has to have been around during the time this paint was in active application, surely some painter from General Radio, Collins, National, or one of the countless other users should be able to tell the tale. Or maybe not, if the stuff was so toxic, I have heard that lead was an ingredient, perhaps they have gone onto their reward. 

I do know that I Googled countless hours trying to dig up more exact information when I was researching how to refinish the rig, found numerous requests of how to duplicate the finish, or discussions like this one, but nary anyone who said they did the actual painting. So many of the small companies who may have supplied during that era are gone, victims of the "we don't build anything here anymore" syndrome, this may stand as an open question.

-Bruce

[W1VD]

<thinking out loud>

Since our treasured old radios were never intended to become 'heirlooms' still in use over a half century later it's doubtful the factory got carried away with laying on a 'fine' painted finish. As with the chassis assembly lines the paint shop would be expected to turn out the maximum possible cases per unit time. The simplest approach might have been:   

1) Etch wash the steel - most manufacturers don't appear to have used primer.

2) Apply enamel base coat with slow drying reducer - mineral spirit speed material.

3) Apply enamel top coat with fast drying reducer - acetone speed material.   

4) Possible baking to promote wrinkling.

Time between coats and bake temperature are no doubt important factors. The common mistake may be in looking for a simple single application product in a can that will duplicate a multi step process.

</thinking out loud>





 

[W3SLK]

Don said:

Wonder if CA has paint control checkpoints at the border like they have agricultural check points.

Nobody has to wonder why they are in debt. 

Jay said:

1) Etch wash the steel - most manufacturers don't appear to have used primer.

I have some original panels with a chip here or there which clearly show some primer coat.

Bruce: Some of these panels are in pretty good shape if you should need some for your project let me know your dimensions. Most have common holes cut out but there may be one there to fit your need.

[W1UJR]

Jay,
I think that you might very well be correct, when you lay it out like that, does make sense that the process would be simple and cost effective, read cheap. Collins may be the exception, but sure that National, Gross, etc. did not chose the finish so much for durability, but rather because it was cost effective and covered a multitude of sins in metal work. On your point that it is a muti-step process, that makes sense as well, in a commercial setting they'd not mind an extra step if it saved production costs. Doubt that James Millen had the fellows using an aerosol can, so you may well have hit it on the head. Reading about wrinkle finishes on line, not metal radio finishes, but automotive and wood, seems that it is a two part process, many folks mentioned the addition of "Tung Oil" to the paint.

Mike,
Thanks for the panel offer, I did finish the W1FPZ rig, had all the sheet metal there, but will kind your offer in mind.
I know that the National, Gross and at least the early Collins gear does not seem to have a primer coat under, judging that from items I have refinished, or seen with extensively damaged finish. Zinc Chromate?, the green stuff, have seen under a great deal of finishes on mil gear.

Sunny day here today, getting ready for the AWA Conference.
Think that this subject would be an excellent topic of an AWA Journal or Review article.

[KM1H]

Was wrinkle used to hide blemishes?  Maybe but thats far from the real reason.

From the time it was accidentally discovered it became a fad in many categories so no wonder it was used on radios, including automobile receivers.

It was also used on restaurant table bases at least into the 80's as I used to buy it by the gallon then from a local restaurant equipment refinisher. Unfortunately out of business.  Id also check with 50's nostalgia shops who restore jukeboxes.

It is still used by Harley Davidson and dealers sell touch up in spray cans.

National did all their own painting and refinished old HRO's and the like for customers. I wasnt interested in the process then but there was a bank of heat lamps used.

Carl
KM1H

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

It was also used on restaurant table bases at least into the 80's as I used to buy it by the gallon then from a local restaurant equipment refinisher.  

I actually have one of those small diner-type tables here with a wrinkle-finish base, Carl. Durability was a big reason for its use in many cases, the military using it extensively of course.

The internet is a great resource for sure, unfortunately some use it exclusively for their info and are all too quick to perpetuate any 'cool' myth they take a liking too. The Collins black vs St James Gray is a prime example. Collins did in fact use black paint on their early pre-war gear, but never on the A-Line equipment. That's 'never' as in never. Still, it continues to surface from time to time, almost exclusively from those who arrived on the radio scene in the last decade or so. Without a doubt their paint batches did vary somewhat over time. but nowhere near as much as Hallicrafters as an example, and never 'black'. This isn't my opinion as I wasn't around then, but rather comes from several of the OTs who worked in the paint booth for Collins during those days as well as those who really have 'researched' the process, like Bill Wheeler K0DEW, Joe Rose WA2PJP, and several others who have done accurate restorations on the gear.

The problem seems to come in when a newb or otherwise less-experienced individual sees a repainted piece of gear, has bad eyesight, or hears it from so-and-so. In an effort to promote their vast knowledge or sound experienced, the myth moves forward on their insistence based on this 'research'. Even Howard Mills' powdercoat paint that he had custom made - although very dark - is still gray when compared to the black bakelite knobs. And therein lies the simple test: in good light, and from a few feet away, see if the knobs are discernible from the front panel. On every piece of A-Line gear I've owned and many, many more I've seen, the black knobs are always black, and the panels/cabinets are clearly gray, albeit a darker shade than, say, a Dove gray or even battleship gray used by the military.
 
As well, Collins always used zinc chromate/'chromate green' primer on its gear at least post-war through the A-Line and probably the S-Line too. I've yet to examine any of the Rockwell-Collins paint from the end of the run, and therefore can't state this with certainty.

<thinking out loud>

Since our treasured old radios were never intended to become 'heirlooms' still in use over a half century later it's doubtful the factory got carried away with laying on a 'fine' painted finish. As with the chassis assembly lines the paint shop would be expected to turn out the maximum possible cases per unit time. The simplest approach might have been:   

1) Etch wash the steel - most manufacturers don't appear to have used primer.

2) Apply enamel base coat with slow drying reducer - mineral spirit speed material.

3) Apply enamel top coat with fast drying reducer - acetone speed material.  

4) Possible baking to promote wrinkling.

Time between coats and bake temperature are no doubt important factors. The common mistake may be in looking for a simple single application product in a can that will duplicate a multi step process.

</thinking out loud>

That's some of the most accurate info yet, Jay. Between you, Carl, and Don, I suspect the bulk of the experience needed exists.

Along with some chemical components used then being banned now, the actual process of using the correct reducer along with proper application (shooting it on 'dry' for the Collins A-Line finish) combined with correct base and proper baking (time and temp) was important. With Collins A-Line gear this resulted in a very fine wrinkle finish that has been described by those in the know as 'fine sand paper'. Never heard it referred to as 'pebbles' before this thread, sounds more like another new-age re-direct moving folks further from the actual process. Though Drake and other companies did use a special 'spatter' process similar to that used in old car trunks years ago. Carl probably knows the correct term (Poldine or ?). It involved shooting paint that was thick, from a distance, and is indeed repeatable. 

Powder coating is an entirely new process that, while durable, isn't original to the equipment (if accurate preservation is your goal) and often causes problems with fit during reassembly due to its thickness. I wouldn't hesitate to use it on a new 'old time' project but wouldn't consider it for restoring an artifact.

Perhaps the bigger mistake is trying to group it all under 'wrinkle' vs. 'textured' finishes. Before the wrinkle we are so familiar with was in vogue, there was an earlier texture that looked like paint that had thinned and split in spots while clumping and wrinkling in other areas. Virtually all 20s-mid-30s gear I've seen had this type of finish, which was referred to as (drum roll) crackle by the OTs who explained it to me in the 70s. Like Phil, I had discovered wrinkling by mistake, while painting a model car (too thick and too little time between coats). Unfortunately I only took mental notes back then when it was explained to me.

One thing is for certain: experience is never gained by sending your stuff out to someone else for painting or powder coating. But it works well for purty pictures and displays. What's the old saying? If it's worth having, it's worth working for? One of the drawbacks to having the ability to throw money at things, we lose those hunter/gatherer skills along with the trial-and-error processes that brought about such discoveries in the first place. 

[kb3ouk]

Since most things I've seen say that the difference in drying time ( which is the reason for adding tung oil, to slow the drying time) wouldn't something such as putting a layer of thicker paint on a layer  of thinner paint cause a difference in drying time, or even spraying a thick layer of of paint over a piece of somewhat cooler metal then dry the paint on with a blowdryer. My brother and I painted  a cardboard box with nontoxic paint like they let kids use and then blowdried it with lots of  heat at close range, and if I recall, areas of that box, especially where there was tape, wrinkled like like the picture Bruce posted earlier.

[KC4VWU]

       I think Todd has it nailed. I believe it's mainly based on the curing times between the two coats. The old way of doing it back in the day may have been just one coat with specific chemicals added to get the effect, but that's not going to happen today -- probably a prohibited compound now. The applicance epoxy, as Bruce stated, has a slow curing time. I think somewhere betwwen a couple hours to a day after application of a good first coat, another good coat is applied and then heated. The effect I got with it is the same as the pic Bruce posted, but not as tightly grained; pretty close though.
       This all leads me to wonder about using different brands of paints. I do know from experience that the Duplicolor automotive touch up paints, sold in spray cans, is really fast drying. Although not fully cured I'm sure, this stuff can be handled about 5 minuted after spraying and feels prettty dry to the touch. Now, maybe by using similar paint by a different manufacturer with a slower drying time, sprayed and left to air day, but not fully, and then an overspray with the Duplicolor which dries way faster.
       That is the process, the initial thick coat, at a slower drying rate, is left to partially cure on the surface of the paint, underneath it is still relatively wet. The second coat, which dries faster, squeezes the base coat and wrinkles it up. Basically, of course.
       Still worth a little play time, but not for me right now. I'm checking out the V II. It's getting about 80w carrier into a dummy load so I may be on the air soon!
Phil -- KC4VWU
   

[W3SLK]

I guess just to throw a monkey wrench in all this, if it may not be more on the application side instead of the material. I got to thinking, (I know that is dangerous to me), I remember the AB's on the flight deck used to put 'non-skid' as a way to provide traction for the tow motors for the aircraft. This was applied with a very deep knapp roller. Could it be that a rolled type of paint with a deep knapp would provide the same kind of texture that we see in our wrinkled gear? It would make it easier from a production prospective.

[KC4VWU]

      On some equipment I've seen through the years, that would be a completely viable theory. Don said that he has applied wrinkle paint with a roller before.
      Also, I remember years ago reading an article about Vinnie Bell, who was the originator of the Danelectro line of guitars, talking about how he discovered the crackle finish that he had applied to the Coral Sitar. I'll look around here and see if I still have that article.

      Phil
 

[WBear2GCR]

Just throwing this one out...

I grabbed some Automotive silver spray paint and sprayed the plastic center inserts on my 1997 Subaru Outback (aluminum wheels) because they were down to the plastic, looking grey.

Darned it the paint didn't wrinkle up big time!.
I guess the solvent in the spray paint attacked the plastic slightly and that caused massive wrinkling!! I was PO'd...

            _-_-bear