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14-7-2017 18:26:02  #1


Repainting Skyriter that has old crinkle paint; also, ideas on handle?

I have several Skyriters. Two of them need repainting. They have rust and sun damage.

They both have the Smith Corona tan paint with the rough surface (I'm pretty sure it's referred to as crinkle paint.  One has the racing stripes on the metal lid, the other does not.

I've tried cleaning them extensively, but I sincerely think that a repainting would do wonders.

I just want to do a good job. I haven't found much information on how to achieve this however.

Do I need to strip the old paint first?  Any suggestions on how to do this?  What's the best way to deal with rust?  (rust is on the metal covers)

What paints work best?  I've heard of people just using canned spray paints, but have not directly seen the results of such endeavors.

I was hoping to go with a light green color or maybe a soft white to go with the dark green keys and then maybe getting an artist friend to do some additional patterns on them.


Finally, the handles on both covers are in very rough shape. The vinyl is heavily cracked to the point where I am nervous of using the handles at all.  Any thoughts on replacement handles?

 

25-7-2017 15:32:33  #2


Re: Repainting Skyriter that has old crinkle paint; also, ideas on handle?

I can't help out much, but I'll tell you what I know
For the painting, I've heard that getting a powder coat of paint works well....as well as anything auto-body grade.  I wouldn't recommend spray paint, because it would come off way too easily.  You would need to strip the old paint off first, since matching it would probably be impossible.  As for the handles, if the the vinyl is easily accessible (no tiny corners that would be hard to reach), you can always try a vinyl repair kit.  I think one for furniture might work best, but I'm not certain.  As for just replacing the handles, I guess it depends on the handles themselves, but perhaps take a look at some handles on vintage suitcases?  I own quite a few and I think they would put up well with the weight of a typewriter (or several, as I keep my typewriters without cases in some of my suitcases, sometimes two in one suitcase).  I hope this helps even a little!

 

25-7-2017 16:00:31  #3


Re: Repainting Skyriter that has old crinkle paint; also, ideas on handle?

I don't think powder coating is the way to go unless you get it done professionally. It's a method that involves electrostatically charging the powder with a special spray gun, and then it has to be heated properly to turn it into a unified paint. Not exactly a DIY project for the garage.

​The way I repaint is to media blast every trace of the old paint off of the metal, which also gets rid of any surface rust, and then seal the metal with primer, and then whatever paint colour you want to finish the typewriter in. If you want professional results you need to use proper tools for the job, but there are LOTS of typewriter owners out there who simply paint their machines with rattle can paint and most of them seem to be happy with the results.

​If you want to give the machine a crinkle (also called wrinkle) finish again, it's a more complicated process as crinkle paint is essentially two different layers of two different types of paint (lacquer and enamel) that dry at different times. An alternative to going through this process is to use an ersatz crinkle paint product that mimics the look (sort of), like this brand of paints does: https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-Wrinkle-Finish-Spray-Paint/dp/B006ZLQ2HS


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
 

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