Brian-Northampton Posted March 5, 2013 Report Share Posted March 5, 2013 Hi All, Before I start putting the gearbox back in, I want to tidy up some of the bits I took out. The black 'H' frame as I call it - not really an H, but the bit that bolts to the chassis and the dash. It's currently matt black and has a rough texture. If I rub it down to paint it, it's going to be smooth and I'd rather keep it as original looking as possible. How has anyone else painted this item? Thanks, Bri. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
F1loco Posted March 5, 2013 Report Share Posted March 5, 2013 I love POR15 (pour over rust)...a bit pricey, and it's a mess if you get it on you (you'll be tattoo'd for a while) but nothing is better in preventing rust. It actually reacts and cures when it gets wet. It's kind of glossy though and don't know if they make a matte finish. Once dried it is slick and hard, and not a lot of dirt/oil will stick to it. If it does, a simple hose and bit of detergent and it will clean as freshly done. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pfenlon Posted March 5, 2013 Report Share Posted March 5, 2013 Moss had my frame painted in the absolutely original crackle finish, the job was fantastic, and they charged me £10. It might have gone up a tad, but call Dave or John at Moss in Manchester. You do the prep though. I tried the cans of wrinkle finish first, but it was a waste of time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted March 5, 2013 Report Share Posted March 5, 2013 Hi Brian, the TR4 'H' frame scuttle support is finished in a crackle finish and is made of an Ali alloy. There are various crackle finish paints out there - none will match the original but are very close and look good. Can't remember what I used but was run of mill. Halfords do a good one. You must follow the instructions very very carefully. If you paint all the associated items at the same time it will look good. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pfenlon Posted March 5, 2013 Report Share Posted March 5, 2013 RogerH, on 05 Mar 2013 - 17:00, said: Hi Brian, the TR4 'H' frame scuttle support is finished in a crackle finish and is made of an Ali alloy. There are various crackle finish paints out there - none will match the original but are very close and look good. Can't remember what I used but was run of mill. Halfords do a good one. You must follow the instructions very very carefully. If you paint all the associated items at the same time it will look good. Roger Roger I can see that these rattle can wrinkle finishes only work inside the road to..... whats your secret? They didny work for me at all. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlanT Posted March 5, 2013 Report Share Posted March 5, 2013 Aluminium is tricky to paint. Well painting is easy, its the stopping on thats the problem. Dont think POR will work. Stands for Paint-On-Rust. Find a professional industrial painter who does aluminium panels. These guys tend to be quite friendly and black is something they have in a gun most all the time. Al. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianhoward Posted March 5, 2013 Report Share Posted March 5, 2013 Hi Brian On my TR4 I too used the 'crackle' finish paint (spray can) with success. However, as it was around 20 years ago that I did it I cannot remember where I got it from - local motor factors where I lived I think... Cheers Ian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted March 5, 2013 Report Share Posted March 5, 2013 Hi Pete, I posted my item above then spotted that you had posted seconds before - all my bits contradicted what you wrote - isn't that just normal!!! Most, if not all, of the aerosol crackles need to be heated to produce the crackle. Some people put the item in an oven for X minutes. I used a hot air gun and you can then monitor the bubbles doing their thing. You don't need particularly big bubbles - but uniformity is important. Al - normally for Ali you would use an etch primer to help the keying process. Ali produces a fine corroded surface immediately after cleaning so an etch primer is the only simple way to make it stick. Sadly it is impracticle with the crackle finish due to the heating process (I think) Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pfenlon Posted March 5, 2013 Report Share Posted March 5, 2013 Roger Sods law prevails, my cans didn't mention heat. At Moss in Manchester (Stockport really) they have MGB dashboards for sale at about £60 in a crackle finish, an example is hanging on their wall. it was the same firm that sprayed my H section, it looks fine too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vila Posted March 6, 2013 Report Share Posted March 6, 2013 I just refinished my dash support with black wrinkle paint two weeks ago and it came out great. I did a lot of internet research in numerous automotive web forums before selecting the brand of paint. Some didn't get many recommendations, but the one with all positive comments was VHT Black Wrinkle paint and that is what I used. The texture of the wrinkles is exactly like my original 1962 TR4 parts. The can did not say anything about primer, but after an email to VHT they recommended starting with their VHT SP148 Engine primer. I got wrinkle paint and primer through Amazon for less than $10 (US) for each can. Some of the website forums recommended using a hair dryer or baking the parts to speed up the wrinkling. The can also recommends baking the parts at 200 degrees F for 30 minutes to cure them. I used my wife's kitchen oven and the Facia to floor support bracket just fit. I will warn you the smell is quite strong after around 10 minutes in the oven and didn't dissipate for several hours. You need to make sacrifices for a good restoration job. For the wiper motor housing I used my wife's hair dryer to cure the paint. Vila Quote Link to post Share on other sites
meesonia Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 For the UK guys you can buy VHT Crackle / Wrinkle etc paint from the Frost Auto site. www.frostauto.co.uk, black or red. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ade-TR4 Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 MGOC (blasphemy on this forum, I know...) usually have a stock at good prices, if you're struggling to find it elsewhere. Is it used for Midget dashboards? Can't remember. Anyway, that's where I got mine from and it works ok IF you follow the instructions! Cheers Ade Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MikeF Posted March 9, 2013 Report Share Posted March 9, 2013 I have used the cold rattler version from local motor shops on a number of occasions. The key is to really shake the bejabbers out of the can before you use it, more than the 2 minutes or whatever is recommended. I also find it helpful to warm the can slightly - gives better spray pressure and more even. Just leave it upright in a few inches of warm water and shake it occasionally. Also make sure the surface you are painting is not too cold and is clean. Spray evenly and then wait for it to work, resist the temptation to give it a little extra puff to help it along. The wrinkles take time to form. The knack is to get the same size wrinkles and this is from even thickness. good luck Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlanT Posted March 9, 2013 Report Share Posted March 9, 2013 One thickish coat or lots of thin ones? Al. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted March 10, 2013 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 The usual procedure is one coat and allow it to dry for a bit and the apply another as it seems to be the reaction of the second coat to the first that produces the wrinkle finish. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlanT Posted March 10, 2013 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 Ah, I thought there would be some "coating trick" to get this to go. Got some bits to do with this. Never tried wrinkling before. Its on my bucket-list! Al. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TorontoTim Posted March 10, 2013 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 Never tried wrinkling before. Its on my bucket-list! I think you need to get out more... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlanT Posted March 11, 2013 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 Not at my age. Al. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jersey Royal Posted March 11, 2013 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 (edited) I start of with a thickish base coat or first coat. let it dry, Then i apply second coat a good even coat. Once applied i get hold of an old hairdryer of the girlfriends, and play heat over the paint, amazingly after a short period drying it the wrinkle starts to appear. I do the whole thing with the hairdryer. It will then be wrinkled , but the wrinkling may not be totally formed or hard, so i bung it in the Agas simmer oven for 15 minutes,(make sure your lady is out of the house, the oven will also smell of paint for a little while after) even more wrinkle appears. Its then best left in a warm room overnight. If you make a mess, let it dry and spray another coat, hairdryer etc etc. Cheers Guy I used this product has an easy spray nozzle http://www.frost.co.uk/wrinkle-finish-paint-aerosol.html Edited March 11, 2013 by Jersey Royal Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlanT Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 Thanks for the advice on how to apply this. I got a special little Belling for paint cooking. Al. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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