Painting My New (to me) Advance Cutter

The color wil depend on how old it is and the manufacturer. I can’t speak to the latter but generally speaking, older cutters before and starting into the 20th century were black. Starting around the turn of the century and through the Second World War a dark bottle/forest -green was common. After the war there was so much battleship gray paint on the surplus market that many machine manufacturers bought it very cheaply and used it for there machines. This is why you see so many machines of all kinds painted this color in the 50’s and even after.

There are always exceptions and machines from the 19th century were often more brightly painted than we think: red, olive green, etc. with pinstripping being common. But for anything before WW 2 you can hardly go wrong with black or very dark green. My Chandler and Price 26” cutter was made in 1926 and was painted the dark green color.

If your cutter has been repainted, which many were over the years, look for underside areas where people repainting would not be likely to bother about and you may find the original color.

As to kind of paint, I wouldn’t be too concerned. Keep in mind that spray paint is fine but will give you a thinner coat than brushing it on. Exterior paint is more durable but than is the cutter really going to be subjected to such abuse that it makes any difference? I think satin finishes look better than high gloss and wouldn’t use flat as you need some sheen to help keep it clean and look good.

I look for the color I want and I like to brush it on and prefer an exterior house paint. This gives me everything I want: a thick coat and formulation for durability even in humidity and the right amount of sheen. It’s also pretty inexpensive, especially since a quart is usually more than adequate.

Rich

Bill,
In the last few years paint companies have changed formulations because of lead-based paints being removed from the market. I discovered this too late when I used one company’s primer and painted 5 coats onto my press before discovering the paint I used (from another company) would not take. It cost me two months of work.

First question: Are you planning to strip the existing paint down to the metal, or are you going to overpaint the existing paint? If you intend to strip and paint make sure you use a primer that is specifically designed for cast-iron. I found mine at Sherwin-Williams and it was the best paint I have ever used. I had them tint it grey like the casting and applied 2 coats. It is nasty stuff - make sure you paint in a very well ventilated area. The compatible paint they offer in black was way too shiny for my taste so I mixed semi-gloss and flat black Rustoleum and that gave it the right finish.

If you intend to paint over the existing paint you will have to go over the machine and remove any flaking and rust; then rough up the surface with Scotch Bright pads (available at the hardware store) to facilitate the adhesion. Your machine is probably painted with lead-based paint and most paints will stick to it, but it doesn’t hurt to experiment to make sure. Make sure you used oil-based enamels when you paint - they give the hardness of finish that you will need to protect the machine.

Paul