Machine Tool Paint: Cheaper, more readily available alternative to Polane, Imron?

[jim rozen]

We use rustoleum smoke grey straight from the can, but our machines are work machines. Most important thing to remember unless you use oil based the paint won't stick to any residual oil left behind, and it won't get hard either.

+1

Black, straight from the can. Won't *really* get hardened up for a good two weeks or so. Typically two coats, disposable foam brush. No primer. This was done two or three years ago, looks the same today.

 

[J_R_Thiele]

TimNJ

" Degrease -> Jasco paint stripper -> Degrease -> Wire wheel -> Degrease -> Wire wheel -> Isopropyl alcohol... Seemingly, no amount of degreasing will truly get rid of all of the embedded crud. But, I had to stop somewhere. "

What were you doing and using to degrease?

 

[ballen]

Seemingly, no amount of degreasing will truly get rid of all of the embedded crud. What were you doing and using to degrease?

I was fortunate that on my machine, the original filler/primer were fairly intact. So I didn't have to deal with cast iron that had oil/grease soaked into the pores. If that's an issue for you, I have read that one can judiciously use a torch to "sweat out" the oil from cast iron pores. Obviously case is needed to avoid overheating/distortion.

 

[J_R_Thiele]

Not an issue for me at this time- but it appears to have been so for him.

What I suspect was done:
The machine is wiped down thoroughly with a solvent for several minutes, then the solvent is wiped off and the machine allowed to air dry.

Why the above did not work:
The solvent soaks into the metal pores and filler and dissolves part of the oil. The solvent on the surface is wiped off. The solvent in the pores and filler evaporates off this wiped surface- leaving the oil it dissolved at the surface. If repeated many many times, the oil would eventually be removed.

What should have been done:
Mix the solvent in with whiting (calcium carbonate, powdered chalk) to make a paste, and "paint" on the paste. The solvent soaks into the pores and filler. dissolves the oil, and as it evaporates off leaves the oil at the surface of the paste- not the surface of the machine. Remove the dried paste and repeat. The whiting is very white- but will be yellow where the oil is left on the surface. This allows you to know what areas may need more treatment. Whiting is not something most people have on hand, but many other things are. Any powder that is fine enough to make a paste and stay in place will work if it does not interact with the solvent. I have used flour, corn starch, corn meal, baking soda, baking powder, sawdust, bentonite clay as a powder and crushed up "oil dry" to make a powder. I have also laid down "kleenex", paper towels, and strips of toilet paper wetted with solvent.

Whiting can be used in the laundry, but I cannot tell you how because X----X Google assumes I must be looking for bleach ads, want white clothes or am fishing for whiting... I did find out that it is also used with window glazing, making stained glass windows- and powdered chalk is used by gymnasts- and to mark fields, if you want a 50 lb bag.

This method is also a good way to remove oil soaked into concrete. Products such as Oil Dry work the same way- but MUCH slower due to the size of the particles, and not having the solvent. They will work much better if crushed or ground into a powder with your foot, then soaked with a solvent.

I first read about this method using whiting and a solvent to remove oil from military gunstocks prior to refinishing. It works.

 

[TimNJ]

Digging up my own thread to make an update.

And, I wish I had seen some of the more recent responses as they may have been helpful. I will remember the "whiting" idea for the next time I inevitably decide to re-paint some 80 year old thing. Thank you for that.

TimNJ

" Degrease -> Jasco paint stripper -> Degrease -> Wire wheel -> Degrease -> Wire wheel -> Isopropyl alcohol... Seemingly, no amount of degreasing will truly get rid of all of the embedded crud. But, I had to stop somewhere. "

What were you doing and using to degrease?

Degreasing consisted of submerging the entire part in a solution of hot water and Zep Purple Degreaser (fairly heavy on the degreaser). I wire brushed the parts while submerged. I think the degreaser has some surfactant properties to try to lift the grease into suspension/to the surface. It seemed to be a reasonable approach for the size of the parts. I think where it failed was the amount of elbow grease needed to manually wire brush it.

Anyway, as I mentioned, I was not satisfied with the BEHR Semi-Alkyd Urethane. Too soft, even after many months and with dozens of hours of high heat.

So, I decided to re-paint everything. (I actually only painted a few parts with the BEHR paint, as a test.) I chose Rustoleum Protective Enamel (Rattle can, #7737830, Satin Spruce Green). 2 coats. Then 2 coats of Spraymax 2K high-gloss clear. Results are great. Hard as glass, as you'd expect, and the color is great too! I think it's a little bit more green than the original Walker Turner color.