MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 70, 15 December 1933, Page 17

MOTORS & MOTORING

(By

PAINTING THE CAR Hints for Amateurs DUCO AND CELLULOSE With the materials now available it is possible for the amateur carpainter to secure far better results and more lasting satisfaction from his efforts than'was the case until a few years ago. This, writes a contributor to an English motoring journal, is due largely to the introduction of duco and cellulose lacquer that can be applied with a brush. Brushing cellulose lacquer and .duco are better than ordinary paints, varnishes and enamels from the amateur car-painter’s point-of view because, for one thing, it dries so quickly that dust —always existing in the air in a garage, or,-private workshop—has not time, tc settle on the work before the latter is dry ;• and, even if some of it should do so, the concluding processes remove all traces of it and leave a dear and smooth surface. r Another advantage of duco and cellulose lacquer is that they flow freely and are not therefore so prone to retain brush marks; in fact,.in applying them no .attempt must be made to remove brush marks, as in the case of paint and varnish, by “working” the brush to and fro and at right angles all over the surface under treatment. Then, too, any blemishes that exist after the lacquer has been applied can be confidently removed in the final process.The cellulose finish applied to cars during the past two or three years is so durable that, if it has had fair treatment; it is unlikely to call for renovation yet. So, in the following hints on amateur x car painting. with brushing cellulose and duco it will be assumed that the car to. be treated was originally finished With paint and varnish.

SPARE WHEEL.)

ject a little above the surface of the surrounding metal, so that when it is quite hard it can be rubbed down level with wet rubbing paper.

Cleanliness Essential.

When the last of the stopping is dry, a coat of undercoating should be given; this also dries in about two hours and should then be rubbed down. Here it may be mentioned that before any ot the coats are applied after the previous one has been rubbed down great care must be taken to ensure that the surface, and all nooks and crannies, are cleared of scum by sponging them over with clean cold water and drying them off with a moist leather; equal care must be taken to. ensure that the work is perfectly dry before the next coat is applied and that no water or grit remains in the cracks or crevices. Three, or preferably four, coats of cellulose lacquer are needed for a lusting finish, but, as each coat dries and hardens in two hours, this presents no difficulty or objection. Method of Application. And now as to the method of applying the various coats. A great point to bear in mind is that cellulose lacquer, and. the same thing applies to undercoating and filler, must be applied quickly and with as little brushing as possible, owing to the rapidity with which it dries. There is no need to “work” it; in fact, this is positively detrimental, for It will raise the lacquer into streaks and even lumps. The freedom with which it flows will eliminate brush marks, and brushing will actually prevent this characteristic from having effect by increasing the rapidity of drying. To obtain a good idea as to the way in which cellulose lacquer should oe applied, it will be distinctly advisable as a preliminary to experiment on a piece of clean sheet metal. A point that will probably surprise the amateur painter is the liberality with which it must be applied. The brush should be positively “loaded” with lacquer, which implies that it is full to the point of dripping; it should then be applied to the individual panel with a vertical motion where possible. Starting at the top of the panel with a well-filled brush, carry it half-way down without brushing out' too thinly, and from the bottom work up to the first application, allowing the two just to overlap. Then, with another brushload of lacquer, make another stroke downward from the top, just overlapping the first, and another from the bottom to meet it. By following that plan each successive vertical stroke or lay-off will overlap a wet edge. There Is one particular exception to this vertical lay-off, viz., in treating the scuttle dash. In this case the lacqudr should be applied horizontally, starting from the bottom on one side, working upward, then over the scuttle and down the opposite side—always with horizontal strokes. If vertical strokes were made one should be left with a difficult join. The bonnet should be taken off the car and rested on a box or trestle at a convenient height; the side panels should be done first, vertically in the case of vertical louvres, and then the top panels. r’t-J The point as to the liberality with which the lacquer should be applied must not be overlooked. With an empty or partially loaded brush there is need for more pressure to bring out the “paint” and this may'cause lumps to form. Apply each and evbry coat quickly, lightly, and with, a well loaded brush. . ' Securing the Gloss. The final process consists of gaining the gloss, for the lacquer itself does not afford the high finish that is to be desired. The last coat is first rubbed down with 400 grit (very fine) rubbing paper, to smooth off imperfections and brush marks ; plenty of water must be used, and a little yellow soap applied to the paper will prevent scratch marks. To gain the gloss for the now smooth but matt surface, rubbing polish must be applied with a Clean and soft rag. This polish may be either the special compound sold for the purpose or metal-cleaning 'liquid, which contains the extremely fine abrasive that is needed. The rubbing polish should be used freely and rubbed over all the surfaces with circular, longitudinal, and crosswise movements of the rag, and in all corners and crevices and over mouldings and other upstanding parts. A smooth, polished, and almost mirrorlike finish will result.

On Correct Finish:

The first question that will arise, therefore, is whether the duco or the cellulose lacquer can be applied over the old paint. The reply is that it can be done sometimes, but that there is a great risk that the old paint or enamel may be dissolved by the lacquer and that blisters will occur calculated to ruin the work. Even though the old finish resists the solvent effect of the cellulose while the latter is being applied, the different characteristics of the old and the new finishes are likely sooner or later to give rise to unsightly blemishes.

When, therefore, the car to be treated has been painted and varnished, or ’ enamelled, the old finish should be completely “stripped” ’as a preliminary; this will remove a lot of anxiety, and, although it may cause the repainting to take a few hours longer, there will be assurance of a satisfactory job. It is an advantage to dismantle some of tb”.parts of the car before repainting, or even stripping the old paint, is commenced. The spare wheel, lamps, door bandies, and such details are prone to get in the way, and, although ,it, is preferable .to remove the mudguards as well, the fact that this often presents a good deal of difficulty (on account of the wiring of the wing lamps, for instance) affords some justification for leaving them in position;.. /. Stripping the Old Paint. To remove or strip off bld enamel, paint, and varnish, a mixture of equal parts of methylated spirit and benzole is as effective as the average proprietary paint remover, and one has the assurance that it is free from substances of a greasy nature that would subsequently affect the drying of ’the lacquer. The stripper should be applied freely with a stiff brush and well worked in; after a short time the old paint will soften, and can be removed easily with a painter’s scraper. After the old finish has been removed from every nook and cranny, the panels, mouldings, etc., should be rub bed down with rough emery paper or glasspaper, and wiped over with a clean rag saturated with benzoie to remove every trace of grease. Here it must be emphasised that, from beginning to end, it is imperative not only that grease of any kind shall be kept away from the work, but that even the operator’s bare fingers or hands Should not touch it; the natural greasiness of the skin may sooner or later cause the lacquer to blister if it is applied where finger-marks have occurred. For that reason, and also because splashes of lacquer are not easy to remove from one’s hands, the wea cing of perfectly clean leather gloves, free from fluff, can be recommended to the amateur craftsman. Before proceeding further it will be advisable to specify the materials required for the remainder of the work to be done. They are as follow: — 1. Grey tiller. To be applied to the bare metal and woodwork when these have other than a perfectly smooth surface. A filler also ensures better adhesion of the remaining coats.

2. Stopping. This is required to AU up any blemishes, such as screw holes, uneven panels, etc., that are too deep for the filler to level up.

3. Undercoating. Of the same colour as the finishing coat; it gives more “body” to the finish as a whole.

4. Lacquer. The final coating, which finishes off the colour and provides the durability associated with cellulose and duco.

5. Thinners. Required for various purposes, such as removing flacquer from one’s hands and fingers, thinning down the lacquer if it should not fiow freely through exposure to the air and consequent evaporation of the spirit in it. Thinners will also soften brushes that have become hard or stiff througu being exposed to the air with lacquer in them. , C. Brushes. The purpose of these is obvious, but it must be emphasised that they should be preferably obtained from the makers of the lacquer to ensure that they are suitable. They should be at least two inches wide and flat.

7. Rubbing Paper. This is needed for rubbing down the various coats to provide a good surface for the subsequent ones. Two grades are required, known as "240 grit” and “400 grit” respectively. Reverting to the processes involved, the bare metal and woodwork should be brushed over with two or three coats of grey filler at intervals of at least two hours, and the final coat rubbed down‘with the 240 grit rubbing paper used thoroughly wet. After the first coat has been applied all the panels should be carefully inspected to note where stopping is required. This corresponds to the putty used by house decorators, and is applied in much the same way in thin layers with a putty knife, each layer being allowed to dry before the next one is applied. This treatment may be required with an old car whore a panel has been dented slightly, and the "patch” should pro-