Special Paint

[_goodtimez]

Hi All,

Does any of you know where I could source the type of black paint used for old aircraft instruments or that type of Leica Flash Holder. Thanks in advance.

 

[Murray Kelly]

Reminds me of 'crinkle' paint. Try asking for that.
Murray

 

[FallisPhoto]

Yeah, that's crinkle black paint. It's the same stuff they used to use in cars on aluminum valve covers, on Davison tripods and on some microscope bases. Pretty much nobody liked it because it was really hard to keep clean.

 

[radiocemetery]

VHT makes a black wrinkle paint in an aerosol can. Antique Electronics Supply sells it from their on-line catalog. You could probably find VHT products at larger auto parts stores too. Auto Zone or whatever store you might have locally for the auto hobby.

 

[hanskerensky]

Is there a difference in structure between wrinkle and crinkle or are these just different words for the same type of paint ?

 

[Keith]

Definitely black crinkle! Harley Davidson were (maybe still are) using this on their engines and as nice as it looks on a new engine a few years down the track when it starts to chip and flake it looks god awful!

 

[aizan]

there are different textures of black crinkle paint. some look like parched desert, sorta flaky. others look shriveled up, like a raisin.

 

[sevo]

True crinkle paint was a resin/slow drying organic oil mix, and was the most resilient abrasion proof anti-slip surface coating for soft metal parts in its time - ugly, but very functional. It is thermosetting over hours to days in an oven at above 200°C, which has phased it out in modern industrial processes to the point that the original probably is not available any more - I could only google substitutes with very vague properties.

The mentioned spray can substitutes are positively non-functional. Probably the only possible choice though, the true stuff would be near impossible to apply in repair and restoration - originally the full piece was coated and any blank surfaces and holes were cut or drilled after the coating had set, a process you can't repeat without altering the dimensions.

Sevo

 

[FallisPhoto]

Is there a difference in structure between wrinkle and crinkle or are these just different words for the same type of paint ?

They are the same kind of paint, but the stuff sold nowadays, I'm told, is not the same stuff they used to sell, which was easily as hard as the metal it covered. What they sell these days is just cosmetic.

 

[DeadReckoning]

Special Paint

If you are looking to source current aircraft cockpit paint try: http://www.aircraftspruce.com. If you are trying to recreate the crackle paint finish try googling shortwave radio repair/finish. There is a technique where wet paint is exposed to heat to create a durable crackle paint finish.

Good luck!

 

[peterm1]

If you are looking for crackle paint, try an automotive spare parts store. I found a can of it in such a place. And I have used it on a lens hood successfully. Of course it should be OK for this use - its purpose is to paint engine parts like rocker hoods on old style v8s and the like and that is a pretty hostile environment. Remember though to undercoat properly first or it may flake off. And I have read that the full development of the crackle finish depends on the item being warm when it is painted - not too much though I suspect, it could be warmed for a few minutes first in somewhere like a kitchen oven that's been turned off and allowed to cool to under 100 degrees and this is supposed to make it crackle more. I did not find this out till later so I have not tried that and mine developed pretty consistently but not perfectly. Even so it looks quite OK by my standards and I am generally fairly particular. Hope this helps.

EDIT: Just found the can so you will be able to Google the name. It is VHT brand "Wrinkle Plus" paint model designation "SP-201-A Black" according to whats on the can. Not sure where its made but it was definitely imported into Australia according to the label so there is a good chance of it being available in the US and Europe etc.

PS for the inside of the hood I just used matt black paint. I have tried the spray version but the brushable version is easier to apply for obvious reasons. These are generally available in hardware stores, art stores etc.

 

[newspaperguy]

I have seen the same types of spray paint under the Krylon brand here.