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Author Topic: Cleaning and Restoring Black Wrinkle  (Read 170126 times)
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w3jn
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« on: June 09, 2005, 08:11:33 PM »

Here's a quick, easy, and effective restoration method for a black wrinkle cabinet, front panel, or what have you that is dull and marred but not extremely rusty or chipped.

Clean the item using Westley's White Wall Cleaner, a stiff brush (a toothbrush works well), and plenty of water.  Let it dry completely.  The item will be clean but the paint will be still be dull.

Get some matte (semi-gloss) black spray paint, some thinner, and a lint-free rag.  If the item is in good shape but the paint is just a bit dull, dampen the rag with thinner first.  Then spray a liberaly amount of paint into the rag, and rub into the item as you would be waxing a car - circular motions.  If the item is pretty bad, use full-strength paint.  

This method will cover small scratches, mars, small rust pocks, etc.  I recommend you fill in large chips or scratches with black paint before doing this.  Most of the time you can just go right over lettering, etc.  If the paint does cover it up a bit, you're probably using too much paint - just rub with some thinner and it'll take it right off.

This will make the item look like brandy-new - without having to repaint the whole thing!
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Todd, KA1KAQ
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« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2005, 10:51:29 AM »

That's a clever idea, John - I'll have to try that. Makes sense that it would work for light scuffs and scratches, never thought about anything other than repainting, myself. What an excellent alternative for the 'saveable' finish.

Have you tried the 'WD-40' approach for bringing a good but dull wrinkle finish back to life? I've yet to myself, but have heard of others who had great success, and long term as well. In the past I've used lemon oil after a good cleaning, and it really makes the wrinkle come alive. I thought it perhaps replaced missing oils in the paint as well, but the shine always seems to be gone within a few months. Users of the WD-40 method claim it lasts for years and the smell goes away in a few days.
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w3jn
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« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2005, 11:15:53 AM »

Todd, no I haven't.  I didn't like the idea of the "wet" finish attracting dust.  I once used Armor-all on the dashboard of my car and it attracted all kinds of dust and dirt, so I'm kinda suspicious of anything that tends to stay damp.

73 John
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Jim, W5JO
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« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2005, 12:29:16 PM »

Those who have a power sprayer can put some soap in the container and spray the cabinet with it.  Just don't get too close to the paint to lift any edges up and strip it.

No power sprayer, go to a car wash the soap is perfect and you can rinse while there.  Again, don't get too close.
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« Reply #4 on: June 22, 2005, 10:51:19 AM »

Supposedly the WD-40 slicky film evaporates rather quickly and even the smell is gone within a couple of days or so. I have some WWII aircraft gear I plan to clean up soon, so I'll try it on a piece and post my results here.

Never liked the ArmorAll approach - it doesn't last long enough and it also removes your ability to touch up chips or scratches afterwards without stripping the cabinet. Better make sure it's just the way you want it before using that stuff.

~ Todd
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Jim, W5JO
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« Reply #5 on: June 22, 2005, 11:02:46 AM »

By the way, be sure that any cleaner you use does not contain silicone.  If it does and you ever wish to paint the cabinet, it will cause the paint to dimple, even years later.
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wavebourn
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« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2005, 12:59:02 PM »

I bought yesterday a wrinkle paint spray in Harley Davidson's parts store, will post results here...
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w3jn
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« Reply #7 on: June 22, 2005, 01:20:39 PM »

Tolly, Harley Davidson black wrinkle is the BEST I've found.  Helps if the part you're painting is somewhat warm, helps even more if you can put it in the oven and bake at 150 dgrees or so for an hour.

73 John
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k4kyv
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Don
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« Reply #8 on: June 23, 2005, 02:15:41 AM »

The problem I have found with the Harley wrinkle paint is that the texture is too fine, and seems almost flat - somewhat like the finish on the 75A4 and other Collins products.  I prefer a coarser texture, with more gloss.

I have noticed that old gear, pre WW2, has a characteristic that is lacking in modern wrinkle finishes.  It is less uniform,  the wrinkles are coarser, and it has a grainy appearance, somewhat similar to the grainy appearance you often see on galvanised sheet metal.  A good example of what I am talking about is the black wrinkle finish on early National receivers, oscilloscopes, speakers, and other pre-WW2 National Radio products.  Modern wrinkle  finish is almost perfectly uniform, to the point of being boring.  

If the grainy effect was achievable in the 1920's and 1930's, certainly it would be possible to reproduce today, if someone who remembers the technique were just still around.
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Don, K4KYV                                       AMI#5
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wavebourn
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« Reply #9 on: June 24, 2005, 02:07:12 PM »

Quote from: w3jn
Tolly, Harley Davidson black wrinkle is the BEST I've found.  Helps if the part you're painting is somewhat warm, helps even more if you can put it in the oven and bake at 150 dgrees or so for an hour.

73 John


Thanks John, I remember that your post about temperature, stove and wife, and will try a bit later; now I am busy with a guitar amp I am building from PA amplifier, and looking for a way to put perfect looking lettering on it.
http://wavebourn.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7302#7302
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Todd, KA1KAQ
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« Reply #10 on: June 24, 2005, 02:28:50 PM »

Quote
The problem I have found with the Harley wrinkle paint is that the texture is too fine, and seems almost flat - somewhat like the finish on the 75A4 and other Collins products. I prefer a coarser texture, with more gloss.


Don -

I've used the Harley paint (still called VHT?) for a coarser finish with excellent results by doing this: Spray on one good layer, then before it dries, spray on another. The trick is to do it in such a way as to prevent runs/sags but also let the two layers combine before the first sets up. Then put the heat to it and watch it wrinkle. I've found that a decent high-wattage hair dryer works well for this, and lets you add more heat in areas that don't wrinkle as fast as the others. Takes some practice, but works well and leaves more of a sheen, too.
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Carl WA1KPD
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« Reply #11 on: May 24, 2006, 01:03:22 PM »


This method will cover small scratches, mars, small rust pocks, etc.  I recommend you fill in large chips or scratches with black paint before doing this.  Most of the time you can just go right over lettering, etc.  If the paint does cover it up a bit, you're probably using too much paint - just rub with some thinner and it'll take it right off.

This will make the item look like brandy-new - without having to repaint the whole thing!

Has anyone tried this as a method of changing the color of the wrinkle, say from brown to black?
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Carl

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« Reply #12 on: November 04, 2007, 09:48:26 PM »

New reply to an old post! 

Most any lacquer based paint will wrinkle with heat. The key is to find the best for you. Ive found that ones with a high ratio of solids to solvents work best and it has to be applied thick, almost to the point of running.

Once you find a brand that works for you then you can create any color by using a white base and having it tinted to what you need. PPG still has a line of nitro celluose lacquer paints available in most states. I use a small HVLP Touch-up gun for small cabinets and panels and a full size HVLP gun for racks.

Also check around locally for companies that restore old art deco and tacky 50's restaurant/diner table bases, etc. Ive bought white and black by the quart and gallon from them.

Ive heard recently that a powder coating process is available to create wrinkle. Havent seen any yet.

Carl
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W4RON
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« Reply #13 on: November 05, 2007, 12:00:45 AM »

If the grainy effect was achievable in the 1920's and 1930's, certainly it would be possible to reproduce today


Unfortunately that's just not true. Thanks to the EPA trying to protect us from ourselves the paint formulas that gave the heavy textured and crackle finishes of the 20s and 30s just isn't doable anymore.

I've been looking for ways to redo the black painted finish on comm gear for nearly
30 years.
The recoloring idea in one of the first replies is the best solution. Using a waded cloth dipped in gloss black and then rubbed on the old grayed black wrinkle paint will do a great job. After a few moments for the paint to set you can take a clean paper towel and dab the surface and knock down some of the sheen.
You can see an example of this on my Clough-Brengle model 87 project page here,
http://radioheaven.homestead.com/CB87project.html 
The photos are about half way down the page under the heading "recoloring original black paint".
This can also be done using Testors or Brich Wood Casey Paint pens.
I've used this on a lot of my Clough-Brengle test equipment, it works GREAT.
http://cloughbrengle.homestead.com/menu.html 

73, W4RON

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« Reply #14 on: October 31, 2008, 02:20:14 PM »

Another late reply..
The best thing that I have found to restore black wrinkle is Kiwi leather dye. It comes in
a bottle with a foam dauber top.. Just clean the wrinkle  with your favorite cleaner. Any small
scratches  or nicks can be hidden by using a black Sharpie marker. Then apply the leather dye evenly
and let dry. It gets down in the wrinkles and dries to a nice sheen. I think its alcahol based so it dries
very quickly.,.
Frank
K3SQP
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iw5ci
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« Reply #15 on: November 18, 2010, 07:47:42 AM »

With my ART-13 i have followed the "WD-40" approach.
Before applying wd40, i painted the spots where the paint was chipped with a small brush and black paint.
Then i applied wd40 (i like wd40 smell too).


Here the result:

http://boatanchors.tumblr.com/
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k4kyv
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Don
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« Reply #16 on: November 18, 2010, 11:15:33 AM »

This past weekend I re-coated a commercially made rack panel that was originally finished in that god-awful ugly "hammertone" stuff. Firstly, I sanded the original finish with fine grade sandpaper until all the gloss was gone. I purchased a can of Krylon black wrinkle from a local AutoZone (not the high-temperature stuff they sell for painting exhaust manifolds).  Frankly, I was surprised to find it in stock.  I applied 3 heavy coats, each one spraying about as much as I could without causing it to run, per instructions, waiting about 5 minutes between coats. This was done outside. After the 3rd coat I brought the painted panel indoors and laid it on top of the gas heater, which was turned to low heat to avoid overcooking the wet paint.  Within about 15 minutes, one of the nicest, most uniform, glossy wrinkle finishes I had ever achieved, appeared.  I let it sit for 24 hours before touching the surface or mounting any components on the panel.

When I first sanded the original finish, I noticed it left behind somewhat of a grainy texture as a remnant of the hammertone.  The wrinkles tended to follow that graininess and now it looks somewhat, although not exactly, like the grainy wrinkle appearance so common in pre-WW2 equipment.
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Don, K4KYV                                       AMI#5
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Todd, KA1KAQ
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« Reply #17 on: November 18, 2010, 11:32:16 AM »

Your experience somewhat backs up my theory, Don. I've had some luck creating the grainy, split-leather-look finish in the past completely by mistake. I think it was a product of chemical reaction between two dissimilar paints. Perhaps by removing the gloss and exposing the paint you allowed a similar reaction?

Let us know how the finish holds up over time. Krylon apparently went to a plastic-based paint in recent years that supposedly can't be baked, though it sounds like your heater did the trick. Rustoleum is still my rattle-can preference for durability, VHT for generic wrinkle.
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k4kyv
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Don
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« Reply #18 on: November 18, 2010, 12:16:53 PM »

Let us know how the finish holds up over time. Krylon apparently went to a plastic-based paint in recent years that supposedly can't be baked, though it sounds like your heater did the trick. Rustoleum is still my rattle-can preference for durability, VHT for generic wrinkle.

As I recall, there is something on the can about the paint containing lacquer. The instructions do recommend applying heat for fast wrinkling, something I always do because I have had very poor outcome letting it dry at room temperature; I always seem to end up with large patches that don't wrinkle.

Maybe what is meant by "can't be baked" is that you can't wait till the paint dries, then re-bake it for extra hardness and durability.  I'm not sure that ever would work with any brand of wrinkle paint.  The stuff smelt exactly the same as the rattle-can wrinkle paint from days of yore.

BTW, does anyone know the optimum temperature and duration for re-baking paint for durability?  I first  heard of the process at Dayton one year at the AM forum when the guest speaker gave a lecture on restoring R-390s.  He mentioned that baking the dried paint on the tuning and bandswitch knobs will make the finish as hard and durable as the original, and he displayed a panel that had been re-painted grey and given the same treatment, and the finish seemed hard as a rock. He gave the baking time and temperature he used. As I recall, he recommended Rustoleum or one other brand, but not Krylon.  I took notes but as would be expected, the black hole sucked up the piece of paper I had written it on before I could re-copy the information to a safe place.
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Don, K4KYV                                       AMI#5
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wb1ead
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« Reply #19 on: December 02, 2010, 01:47:07 PM »

Hi all..Don K4KYV I'm a bit puzzled at ur mention of "Krylon" black wrinkle..up to now I've only been able to find one manufacturer/supplier of black wrinkle..VHT..Sherwin Williams had at one time but no more..I'm puzzled because I went on to the Krylon website and looked at ALL of their spray products..even put "wrinkle" into the search box at their site..only found "crackle" type in a qt/gal size (brush-on)..no spray products of any type came up..I wonder if this was a one time "special" thing for a user in ur particular area..or maybe I've failed "look-up" class....you betcha I would love to know of another available source for sure as I'm not fond of what VHT produces..spotty and ONLY works well over Rustoleum Pro primer..could ya send along the supplier number and better a pic if ya want to of the can really would be appreciated             tnx 73 de DAVE

PS: I use a heat lamp here when done..momma won't even discuss use of the oven..tsk tsk
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« Reply #20 on: December 02, 2010, 02:37:08 PM »

Google is your friend... Smiley


Krylon part # KRY3370

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0007ZHAJ2/sofa-20/ref=nosim

http://www.autobarn.net/krwrtespfib.html
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« Reply #21 on: December 02, 2010, 09:27:21 PM »

Hey all..yah tnx Gregg..not the 1st time "Google is ur friend"..glad to know that info..honestly..however still mystified Krylon chose not to include as far as I can tell on their website..must be an "automotive" only dept there..also pleased to see yet another supplier..Plastikote..neither of which is available locally yet in this neck of the woods..stuck with VHT for now..however with over half a dozen auto parts suppliers maybe just maybe I can obtain these by special order..who knows they may stock them in time..when I was in high school our neighbor had an additive made by Dupont I believe that you added to basic oil paint to obtain that buzzardly ol' wrinkle..I'm sure it's banned today so finding this stuff is a tuff haul sometimes..now if this "wrinkled" spray paint were available in colors..whoa..guess I can dream!!       tnx much Gregg!               73 de DAVE
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k4kyv
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« Reply #22 on: December 02, 2010, 10:49:33 PM »


Yup, that's exactly what I got. #3370 Black Wrinkle. The label on my can looks different, but it's the same stuff. Maybe older stock.
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Don, K4KYV                                       AMI#5
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KG6TJU
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« Reply #23 on: May 27, 2011, 11:28:45 AM »

Has anybody used the stuff sold by Eastwood? http://www.eastwood.com/ew-wrinkle-paint-black-aerosol-12-oz.html

 And is it just re-labeled other brand?

 Eastwood makes some terrific auto restoration products that I have used in the past with great results (glyptal spray paint is one of them, don't know if this is used in radio restoration though http://www.eastwood.com/glyptal-red-aerosol-12-75-oz.html).

 Also, a method I have used to "bake" paint to a rock hard finish is to spray a medium base coat, wait until it is tacky ( only a minute or two if it is the right temperature) and then give it another good heavy coat being careful not to run, wait until that is tacky and give it another shot. I then put a 100 watt light bulb inside (turn it on, of course!) and close it up (or turn it over) and leave it that way overnight. I have done this with car parts with fantastic results.

 Hans KG6TJU
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Steve W8TOW
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« Reply #24 on: June 12, 2012, 06:56:27 PM »

As an alternative to "WD-40", try Marvel Mystery Oil...works better, not sticky and
brings out the gloss.
73
8tow
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73  W8TOW
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