Paint for plane restoration

[RedShirtGuy]

My boss gave me a pretty nice old Stanley 4 1/2 plane (Aussie made) and I've been giving it a spruce up with the usual rust removal and polish up. Tonight I stripped the paint from the body and am now wondering what to respray it with when I'm done de-rusting and prior to lapping it.

I'm not looking for accurate replication, but I do like the sheen of the original paint, so is there anything from "the usual places" that might be good to use? Or if I choose not to defile it, what IS the replica paint?

I'm also interested to know if there is some sort of recommended primer/rust inhibitor to use as the base coat(s). I'm wondering if a thin coat of Penetroil wiped onto the metal first might be of some benefit.

Once I'm done, the exposed surfaces will be treated well with Camelia oil/wax as per usual.

Edit: Oh yeh, I guess this applies to the body black as well as the red around STANLEY in the lever-cap too.

Ta for the helpies

[I_wanna_Shed]

My boss gave me a pretty nice old Stanley 4 1/2 plane (Aussie made) and I've been giving it a spruce up with the usual rust removal and polish up. Tonight I stripped the paint from the body and am now wondering what to respray it with when I'm done de-rusting and prior to lapping it.

I'm not looking for accurate replication, but I do like the sheen of the original paint, so is there anything from "the usual places" that might be good to use? Or if I choose not to defile it, what IS the replica paint?

I'm also interested to know if there is some sort of recommended primer/rust inhibitor to use as the base coat(s). I'm wondering if a thin coat of Penetroil wiped onto the metal first might be of some benefit.

Once I'm done, the exposed surfaces will be treated well with Camelia oil/wax as per usual.

Edit: Oh yeh, I guess this applies to the body black as well as the red around STANLEY in the lever-cap too.

Ta for the helpies

I've no experience with this, but plan to do it one day. I think I have read somewhere that the black engine paint from SuperCheap Auto (or the like) comes up well. Half of me wants to go on say it is then baked in an oven at a certain temp for an amount of time, but I can't remember if I read that bit in the same spot or not.

[Master Splinter]

Hi-Temp engine paint, or (for a much more original finish) asphaltum powder mixed into marine varnish or for a really really original finish, linseed oil, turps and asphaltum (and probably lashings of plumbago, cyanide, asbestos, DDT and radium, too, for historical accuracy!).

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolRes...Japanning.html

http://home.comcast.net/~rexmill/pla.../japanning.htm

[Chief Tiff]

The base and frog were originally japanned; there are a million and one recipes online for making it yourself. All of which appear to be very expensive, or difficult, or have difficult to find expensive ingredients.

You can buy jappaning mixes specifically made for restoring old tools but again they are expensive. And American.

It just so happens I have come across a plane made at the beginning of the last century that is in very good physical condition but is cosmetically fornicated. If I do get it I'll be restoring it as a user; my thoughts are that modern black powder coating will give a serviceable finish to the iron parts if applied thickly enough.

[ian]

Perhaps a spray can of stove black (or another colour) is what you want

http://www.stovebright.com.au/paintpowder.htm

[orraloon]

I used black spray can enamel over kill rust metal primer. OK for workers but would not be something the collectors would like.
Has lasted ok on the planes I did about 7 years ago.
Regards
John

[Vann]

...or (for a much more original finish) asphaltum powder mixed into marine varnish or for a really really original finish, linseed oil, turps and asphaltum...

Probably not the original finish on an Australian Stanley though. I believe production in Tassie began in 1964 and I doubt asphaltum based japanning had been used by Stanley for a very long time by then.

Cheers, Vann.

[RedShirtGuy]

Thank you all for some *very* interesting information and links.

While it would be extremely nice to play around and do a valid replication, I'll probably just end up going with the engine paint for ease on a "worker".

Generally that's what I do with most "historically nifty" things...my comics and other "collectables" are for reading and playing with, not investment, so likewise my tools are for working with and not hoarding or selling off for a buck.

Much appreciated.