A "Wrinkled" Discovery

[k4kyv]

I haven't run across any articles lately, but I am wondering if any of the old ham magazines or handbooks pre-WW2 give instructions on how to concoct your own wrinkle paint.  I seem to recall reading something to that effect somewhere, years ago, but didn't pay attention to it because the spray can wrinkle available at the time resulted in a satisfactory finish.

[W1UJR]

I haven't run across any articles lately, but I am wondering if any of the old ham magazines or handbooks pre-WW2 give instructions on how to concoct your own wrinkle paint.  I seem to recall reading something to that effect somewhere, years ago, but didn't pay attention to it because the spray can wrinkle available at the time resulted in a satisfactory finish.

I plan on asking some of the fellow at the AWA Conference this week about that very topic Don.
Lots of old timers there, with a rich radio history, so we'll see what we can dig up.
I had posted a request for help on this topic with the AWA last year, but some of real old timers don't use computers.

Sure that someone has to know.
Will also check the Patent Office, bet there is some method posted.
I'll look into it and write up something for Ray at Electric Radio in the coming months.

-Bruce

[w0ng]

Check this out. Black or red wrinkle spray paint in aerosol cans @ $7.95 plus shipping. Wrinkles easily with a light duty heat gun or hair dryer. I got outstanding results on metal speaker and radio cabinets. Great service from the vendor. Quick shipping. Try it... I'll bet you'll like it! Used it years ago for engine valve covers. VHT brand still works great today. Real wrinkle look. The more heat you apply when wet, the tighter the wrinkle.

http://www.cacustomcoatings.com/wrplco.html

73, Bill

[wd5jwy]

Hey Guys:

I don't understand what's wrong with the Krylon wrinkle paint.  It worked great for me - followed the directions on the can.  Two heavy coats about 15 minutes apart, no undercoat, just a light sanding before painting.  Shortly after applying the second coat, I applied heat from a heat gun on low setting from 10 to 12 inches for about 10 minutes.  Set aside to dry.  I can't tell the difference between the finished result on my speech vs. the finish on my old ARC5.  Maybe my eyes are just going bad......along with everything else still attached.  Your mileage may vary.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Very nice paint job!!

[KC4VWU]

    Panel looks really nice JWY. I didn't say I did not like Krylon, but besides having a fairly recognizeable look, it is just as good as the other types of Krylon paints; It'll run like heck if you look at it wrong. Johnny Bench may have said "No runs, no drips, no errors" back in the 70's, but today -- Nada! You got a really nice finish on a horizontal plane, but throw in a couple more angles and give it 2 nice thick coats and you'll see what I mean. And that's not because I don't know how to weild a spray can. If I had all the money I've spent on spray paint over the past 30 years, I could probably retire -- no joke!
    I did manage to find the VHT brand today, and I'll do a comparison. Several companies do sell the small powdercoat systems for a couple hundred bucks or less, but unless you have an extra oven to get the 400 degrees F. to cure the work, kinda useless. I wouldn't put that stuff in my oven even if the XYL allowed it! It would have to be an old clunker in the shop just for that purpose.
Phil KC4VWU

[WQ9E]

I have used the VHT brand and it wrinkles fine with some help from a heat gun.  HOWEVER, it has a very strong odor which lasts for several months.  Additional heat does help with VHT and I would suggest either a dedicated bake oven somewhere not in the house or put the equipment in the cabinet and plug it in outside on a warm day.

 I look forward to learning what Bruce finds out at AWA about wrinkle in the old days.

Rodger WQ9E

[w5omr]

Hey Guys:

I don't understand what's wrong with the Krylon wrinkle paint.  It worked great for me - followed the directions on the can. 

That's what I did on my 250 Modulator.

Started with an old panel that someone scrapped out...



then, with some help from a friend and his sand blaster..



... some work at a machine shop ...



...hmmm... did someone say 3 pictures max per post? 

more to come..

[w5omr]

... continuing...

Here's the modulator on the bench...
I think I enhanced that picture just a bit, to show the detail of the wrinkle...

and, of course, the modulator installed into the rack with the 250TH final.

One of these days, I'm gonna re-paint that final front with the same black Krylon Spray wrinkle paint.

[WD5JKO]

I always smile when I see a picture of a ham shack that has as much clutter surrounding the equipment as I do in my shack...

[w5omr]

I always smile when I see a picture of a ham shack that has as much clutter surrounding the equipment as I do in my shack...

Of all the pictures I've taken, Jim... I think this one came out the coolest of all...

[W3SLK]

Jim said:

I always smile when I see a picture of a ham shack that has as much clutter surrounding the equipment as I do in my shack...

That just vindicates me with the XYL. 

[N3DRB The Derb]

after much effort on my part to try to clean up my 2 buzzardly 48" BUD racks, I found a powder coater in my local area that can sandblast and exactly duplicate the existing finish plus he will pick up and deliver to boot.

I took an existing pre ww2 panel to him and he pulled out both a panel and a sample card. I could not tell the difference between them all. fine grained but very "wavy" glossy wrinkles. Considering my problems dealing with heavy stuff ( I get crapped out for days afterward and have seizure issues ) wifey and I concurred that getting them done is a better deal. the price is high but the satisfaction level will be as well. It will be done forever and I never have to screw with it again.

I would be F'in with them for months and prolly get nowhere near the results. this guy says 10 day start to finish and delivery. I need to actually be building, not endlessly trying to paint something I cant handle correctly.

[KM1H]

Buy it at a Harley shop, it wont scrape off.

Carl
KM1H

[W1REA]

Hey Guys,

The very rough wrinkle can still be bought in a spray can at automotive stores. It's called "crackle or wrinkle" finish paint. DupliColor doesn't seem to make it anymore but VHT brand still has it in couple of colors. I have been using the stuff for around 35 years or so. It takes forever to harden, though. The VHT part # I believe is SP201 for the black crackle.

LennyB

[ashart]

Gentlemen:

After a couple of years and a couple of grand (yes!) in fooling around with black wrinkle paint, I finally gave up and went to powder coating.

I'm at this site only because N3DRB, Tim, stumbled on my website, saw my powder-coated results, and we exchanged some emails about it all.

But, now that I've become a member here, thanks to Tim, I'd be happy to discuss my experiences with black-wrinkle powder coating with anybody interested.

You can see some examples, and read about my own wrinkle painting headaches at  www.w8vr.org.

73 de al hart, w8vr

[Ed-VA3ES]

Brilliant work, Al!!   I always love to see old rigs rescucitated!   

I'm currently working on an 2X813 rig  originally built by VE3ANL, Bud Willing. I bought it from his estate.   It runs a pair of 813's modulated by a  pair of 811's.  I'm going to swap out the 811's for 810's. It uses a separate  modulator supply.    It's in reasonable shape, so not too much  physical restoration is required.   The panels are original Hammond,  in grey hammertone.  The rack is black wrinkle.  Six decks in all: speech amp, power supplies, final amp, modulator, control/low/mid voltage supply.  No exciter, but I can use any rig for that; I'm planning to use a Ranger.

It's  a l-o-o-o-ng term project.        

Gentlemen:

After a couple of years and a couple of grand (yes!) in fooling around with black wrinkle paint, I finally gave up and went to powder coating.

I'm at this site only because N3DRB, Tim, stumbled on my website, saw my powder-coated results, and we exchanged some emails about it all.

But, now that I've become a member here, thanks to Tim, I'd be happy to discuss my experiences with black-wrinkle powder coating with anybody interested.

You can see some examples, and read about my own wrinkle painting headaches at  www.w8vr.org.

73 de al hart, w8vr

[W7SOE]

You can see some examples, and read about my own wrinkle painting headaches at  www.w8vr.org.

73 de al hart, w8vr

Al,
   I have not been able to connect to your website.....

Rich

[KM1H]

I can connect but the pictures show little detail and the information on the wrinkle quarts is missing or hidden. I dont have time/patience to search while Im still stuck on this dial-up line. Maybe when my microwave radio returns from repair.

Carl
KM1H

[W7SOE]

Al,
   I have not been able to connect to your website.....

Rich

I think is my work firewall....

[k4kyv]

The panels are original Hammond,  in grey hammertone.  The rack is black wrinkle. 

I like wrinkle, particularly black.  I despise hammertone. It has to be the ugliest finish anyone ever thought of, and cheapens the look of even the best equipment.  I even prefer Army Olive Drab to hammertone!

I once picked up several virgin rack panels at a hamfest, still wrapped in the original paper, that had hammertone  finish.  With a little deglosser, that hammertone made a good primer coat for spray-on black wrinkle finish.