Reply To: Stanley #80 paint job
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Depending on the age, The original old finish is paint (newer) or hot bitumin cured in an oven. You can’t duplicate japanning, but you can get respectably close.
Three paths:
Go to an auto store and look for “ford engine black” enamel.
Put it on pretty thick in several coats In semigloss, it’s perhaps a bit too glossy, but wait a month until it hardens and then use some OOOO steel wool on it, then wax it and it will look a lot like the original jappaning.
Alternatively, you can make your own cold jappaning by mixing roofing cement( bituminous) with equal parts turps and spar varnish (NOT POLY VARNISH). The roofing cement should be put in a muslin sack and steeped in the turpentine for a couple weeks to make a dark tea. Then add the varnish before you use the concoction. It looks exactly like Japanning.
It will be runny, so do the painting in sections oriented horizontally and in several coats so it doesn’t run. If you are diligent, you can do all the coats in one day if you do it in sun and wind.
Do the jappaning outside and don’t bring the scraper inside for a few days. It stinks
Lastly, you can buy cold jappaning premixed.
http://www.libertyonthehudson.com/pontypool.html
not cheap.
Here’s a Wentworth saw vise painted with method 2 and still curing. When it sets another month I’ll buf and wax it.
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- This reply was modified 6 years, 11 months ago by Larry Geib.
- This reply was modified 6 years, 11 months ago by Larry Geib.
- This reply was modified 6 years, 11 months ago by Larry Geib.