C&P Old Style Restoration/Cleaning Feedback

look at dry ice blasting on you tube-amazing

Jonathan, dry ice blasting looks promising. Tomorrow, i will start calling dry ice blasting businesses to get some quotes.

After blasting it, what would you recommend on doing? Any specific paints/products? I want it to look as close to original as possible, but very protected. Can the paints or protecting products be sprayed?

Thanks for the input.

I am only familiar with UK paints, much better you try for U S brands and take advice from restorers here——-have used Jenolite, kur rust I like, use a proper machine resin /enamel type paint like Trimite, Rochat use these for their presses, I have used Bilt and Hammer? etch paints and primers-people who restore tractors use these paints, as suggestions. I feel dry ice would be kinder to the metal, but have not actually seen it, just try and sample it, but far less messy I think and no particles in bearings etc.

I have restored several presses and recommend this primer, designed specifically for cast iron above all others:

http://www.paintdocs.com/webmsds/webPDF.jsp?SITEID=STORECAT&doctype=PDS&...

It can be thinned with mineral spirits, but you would be well served to brush it on because you will get a better coating, similar to the lead-based priming the press originally had. It comes as a white color, so I had the fellow at the store add a bit of black to give it a grey color similar to the original casting. Castings can have voids which the primer (if it is thicker) tends to fill, and it will give a better protective coating. I use Rustoleum, a combination of 1/2 Satin and 1/2 Flat black which comes pretty close to the original finish. On the press shown below I used two primer coats and five finish coats painted by hand using a large Deerfoot Fitch brush (available from online sign suppliers - it’s specifically designed for rough surfaces).

Paul

RHoeWashington4109.jpg

So, dry ice blasting is not an option anymore. No local companies do it in a small scale, and renting a machine from sunbelt rentals is over $700.

Can anyone recommend a paint removal chemical that won’t harm cast iron?

Thanks,

It look to me that your press was painted without regard to the fact that it was covered with grime and oil, which is why the paint job is flaking off so badly. You might be able to remove the offending paint by scraping, gentle brushing with a plastic bristled brush, and some gentle paint remover if applied carefully to only the re-paint areas and not allowed to remain too long, you might be able to not only keep the original paint, but you might not have to disassemble your press.

Paul

Any update on this? Did restoration happen?