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Old 21st Mar 2019, 9:21 am   #21
ex seismic
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Default Re: Crackle paint

Why was this finish used? I wonder if it has some property that makes it worthwhile compared to normal finishes. It may be aesthetic for car dashboards but this is irrelevant in say, US WW2 military kit which uses it quite a lot. Better to grip maybe but again not relevant to a radio fixed in place. And every time I come across it the finish is different so each manufacturer has had his own formula. Again, why bother?

Confused of Tonbridge
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Old 21st Mar 2019, 9:49 am   #22
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I can see being hard-wearing and non-reflective as two advantages.

Andy
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Old 21st Mar 2019, 9:58 am   #23
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Default Re: Crackle paint

i used wrinkle paint on my grampian amplifier there is a picture of it on here in another thread it is very critical for temperature i sprayed it in my electronics shed i have thermometer and fan heater to get things right just clean item to bare surface and follow instructions on can oh, and i switch fan heater off when spraying just in case there is a flash over from fumes
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Old 21st Mar 2019, 11:16 am   #24
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Default Re: Crackle paint

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Originally Posted by M0FYA Andy View Post
I can see being hard-wearing and non-reflective as two advantages.
And it covers a multitude of scratches. I used a brush on variety back in the 50’s to paint chassis’s. Brushed on and cooked in the gas oven for a time at low temperature.
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Old 21st Mar 2019, 12:27 pm   #25
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Default Re: Crackle paint

Exactly what my dad did with a R1155 cabinet, came out perfect.
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Old 21st Mar 2019, 1:38 pm   #26
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Default Re: Crackle paint

I don't think my photo of the MGB dashboard was very informative, so here is a better one. No ruler for comparison, since the bit near to it wasn't so clear.
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Old 22nd Mar 2019, 3:13 am   #27
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Default Re: Crackle paint

I have purchased "Black & Grey Crackle paints here in the U.S.and it said on the spray can for best results to bake item in the oven at 150-200 F for 1- 2 hrs. It produced the same finish as the U.S. military had on many items. I'd pull the chassis out of the cabinet & bake it.
Note: It DOES smell a lot. The XYL may strongly object to "HER" oven being used.
Likely a heat gun would work, and the XYL won't get into a tizzy.

When you get into the U.S. Military "CARC" paints, that's a whole 'nother ball game.
2 part, epoxy base, very fast setting. (IIRC "CARC" stands for Chemical and Radiation Coating). Most often used on aircraft and vehicles, but I have seen it on radio gear too.
Easy to I.D. as the surface feels like sandpaper, and if you happen to bark your knuckles on it, have a plaster ready. It removes skin like 80 grit sandpaper. (I still have the scars from that from working on my T925 A.M. General 6X6 5 tonner.)
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Old 22nd Mar 2019, 6:00 pm   #28
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Default Re: Crackle paint

Can all these paints be sprayed direct onto bare aluminium, or does it need an etching primer?

Mike
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Old 30th Aug 2019, 4:21 pm   #29
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Default Re: Crackle paint

Hi

These lovely panels for the Link Trainer at NELSAM. Just look close up at the 'wrinkle' - just like a brain! I did two coats of Halfords etch primer but had to do each panel twice at it turns out that three coats of the wrinkle paint 5 mins apart isn't really enough and I got 'flat' regions.

These were from 4 heavy coats and then the panel laid flat to stop it drooping to one end!

Cheers
James
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Old 30th Aug 2019, 4:34 pm   #30
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Good result there James.
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Old 30th Aug 2019, 5:05 pm   #31
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Default Re: Crackle paint

Nice work! I've done various homebrew power-supplies/test-gear/accessories in wrinkle-finish (I have a bit of a thing for the WWII/1940s-industrial aesthetic - my latest is a mains-filter in an Eddystone diecast box intended as an analog to the Eddystone "Cat 732") and with a good 'key coat' the wrinkle sticks well enough.

Time spent on surface-preparation before applying the top-coat is always time well-spent.

I'd suggest making sure it's really fully-dried [ideally a week or so] before you handle it too much or in your enthusiasm start fitting controls, meters etc - the paint remains slightly soft under the skin for some time and it's easy to inadvertently snag/tear the surface. Always use washers under all fastener-heads too - this stops the surface tearing-up when tightening.
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Old 30th Aug 2019, 5:34 pm   #32
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Default Re: Crackle paint

Hi thanks

Yes, on the first bad coat the paint could be 'slid' irreperably, even after two days! Not an issue as part of the surface was flat anyway.

I learned a lot from that experience! The paint can dry for weeks now as I don't need to bolt it up yet.


Cheers
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Old 10th Sep 2019, 10:05 pm   #33
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Default Re: Crackle paint

I remember using crackie paint on projects in the early sixties and recollect that the paint had to dry in an atmosphere where a gas or paraffin flame was burning to get it to crackle !
No I haven't imagined it !
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Old 10th Sep 2019, 10:46 pm   #34
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Hi

Here are before and after for one of the crackle panels.


James
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Old 11th Sep 2019, 11:18 am   #35
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Default Re: Crackle paint

In the 1960's there used to be a company (I think in Tottenham Court Road London), called 'Ucan'
They sold a really good one-part crackle paint, that smelt strongly of Naphthalene. It required no special techniques, & was simply brushed or sprayed on.
It produced an excellent hard-wearing finish, that looked very much like that used on RAF equipment.

Does anyone know if there's anything like it still available?

David.
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Old 11th Sep 2019, 4:14 pm   #36
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Originally Posted by Vintage Engr View Post
In the 1960's there used to be a company (I think in Tottenham Court Road London), called 'Ucan'
They sold a really good one-part crackle paint, that smelt strongly of Naphthalene. It required no special techniques, & was simply brushed or sprayed on.
It produced an excellent hard-wearing finish, that looked very much like that used on RAF equipment.

Does anyone know if there's anything like it still available?

David.
These days it's rattle-cans rather than brush, and I suspect Napthalene has been banned by the Health&Safety/Environmental-people but the current generation crackle/wrinkle paint is still quite strong-smelling of solvents.

Car-restoration places [Frost etc] sell it - it's used on the dashboards of MGBs and Midgets.
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Old 11th Sep 2019, 6:46 pm   #37
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Default Re: Crackle paint

I've been following this thread, but, never having used this stuff, I'm still confused over when you need a primer and when you don't. Do all types require an etching primer for use on aluminium? Is unprimed steel OK for "one-coat" types?

Mike
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Old 11th Sep 2019, 7:04 pm   #38
G6Tanuki
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Default Re: Crackle paint

For aluminium I'd always use an etch-primer; you can get a reasonable one - by UPol - from Halfords.

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/pa...-8-etch-primer

I prefer to etch-prime bare steel too. When painting, remember that 90% of the final result comes from time spent in the preparation!
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Old 11th Sep 2019, 9:30 pm   #39
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Default Re: Crackle paint

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vintage Engr View Post
In the 1960's there used to be a company (I think in Tottenham Court Road London), called 'Ucan'
They sold a really good one-part crackle paint, that smelt strongly of Naphthalene.

David.
I remember a company that I thought was in Edgeware Road, it just had one small window with some cans of paint in. My dad bought some cans of crackle for our Practical Electronics 3" Oscilloscope. That crackle really was a crackle - like very tiny cornflakes on a tray. He also bought some Hammer Finish. Happy Days!

Cheers
James
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Old 12th Sep 2019, 2:02 pm   #40
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Default Re: Crackle paint

Does it really matter what it's called? People will argue for ever and day over such matters. The real issue is, 'is it what I want?'.

It's exactly the same with shoe sizes. You see people in shoe shops agonising (literally) trying to shoehorn themselves into that size 42 that they "know is their size", when the size 43 fits them a treat?! What does it matter, the 'number' on the sole of the shoe? It doesn't.

Just my quirky take on these matters!
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