Brush painted instead of sprayed

Hi, has anyone had success with brush painting, the gloss Black, rather than spraying, cheers, David

It was good enough for Rolls Royce for years - when done properly.
I worked with a guy who had been an apprenticed coach painter. He could get as good a finish with a brush as most of us with a spray gun.

nickguzzi said:

It was good enough for Rolls Royce for years - when done properly.

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It wasn't just Rolls Royce that did a brush finish, although we take your point.
Until spray painting was invented (when was that ?), most bike makers either brushed the paint on, or dipped bits in tanks of liquid enamel and then hung them up to dry - sometimes in an oven to speed up the process.
A gent who wrote of his working at AMC described how his first job as a junior was to put a dab of paint into the centre of the drip marks on the lowest point of parts, since they developed a slight hollow as they dried.
This was into the late 1950s, and Nortons had their own enamelling tanks at Bracebridge St into the 1960s.
The Olde Time Brochures used to say "3 coats of best enamel".

Commandos do look to have been sprayed though.
Probably be outside contractors, since there is no mention of a paint shop ??

You need the right type of paint to be brushed on, it needs to say on the can.
It flows differently ?
And, needs to be correctly sanded flat between coats.

Wondered about that for my frame, Have found Eastwood paints at Frosts Restoration (uk). Any one with any experience?

I had a friend who used to brush paint london buses for a living. He could make Woolworth household enamel look like it was wet. He used squirrel hair brushes and needless to say didn't lend them out. Valspar, and Dulux coach paint both used to give good results.

I friend of mine brush painted all except the tank on his Rudge Ulster restoration some years ago. The finish is better than most spray job restorations.

He's not a skilled painter, he simply researched the topic and exercised a lot of patience.

If you have a large clean workshop, and lots of time and patience, I'd say go for it.

I only have a small workshop and am somewhat "time poor" so tend to farm out paintwork to the pro's.

I have been doing this for years; it really is down to the quality of the paint, and the brush.
I use black enamel and a wide artist brush which I clean after every time I use it- it will last me around 10 years there are cheap ones on flea bay;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hot-Sale-6Pcs ... Sw7s5Xgw~C

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6Pcs-Set-Nylo ... SwcdBWRC8l

I remember helping my dad paint his mates Austin 7 in the mid 50's, back when they had no value. I remember Sid paid a tenner for it, and wanted it as his first every family car - just not in black.
They used ordinary brushes and Brushing Belco (an ICI product). From the name, can we presume it was designed for bush application? It was cellulose based.
My contribution was constantly shaking the bloody tins. The drip spots were still on the garage floor when the parents moved out 30 odd years later. Ox Blood I think it was called, no RAL codes then.

The advantage is that the paint goes on very thick - although one of the skills is thinning it down enough. It ends up so thick you could almost use a file to flat out the runs and brush marks.

One of the reasons German paint, of the late 60's on, was of such good quality is that they found that layer thickness was vital. Too thick and it become very liable to chip.
They also had one of the most chemical centred industrial complexes. BASF, Hochst, Casella, IG Farben etc etc. Not just making dyes and magnetic cassette tapes and nasty gases, but the ethos and culture that through chemistry they could improve many products and basic raw materials - like steel from Krupp and Thyssen and synthesising everything from drugs to fuels

Rohan said:

nickguzzi said:

It was good enough for Rolls Royce for years - when done properly.

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It wasn't just Rolls Royce that did a brush finish, although we take your point.
Until spray painting was invented (when was that ?), most bike makers either brushed the paint on, or dipped bits in tanks of liquid enamel and then hung them up to dry - sometimes in an oven to speed up the process.
A gent who wrote of his working at AMC described how his first job as a junior was to put a dab of paint into the centre of the drip marks on the lowest point of parts, since they developed a slight hollow as they dried.
This was into the late 1950s, and Nortons had their own enamelling tanks at Bracebridge St into the 1960s.
The Olde Time Brochures used to say "3 coats of best enamel".

Commandos do look to have been sprayed though.
Probably be outside contractors, since there is no mention of a paint shop ??

You need the right type of paint to be brushed on, it needs to say on the can.
It flows differently ?
And, needs to be correctly sanded flat between coats.

Click to expand...

My early 68 Commando has the original black factory painted parts. You can see drips on several pieces, as if they were dipped. It polishes up just beautifully.

In the USA I use Rustoleum in the can. The black can look as if the piece were enameled if you do a reasonable job with a good brush. Primer the piece first if bare metal to start. The coating will hold up for 30 years and more. The trick is to put a "full wet coat" on as they say in spray painting. You lay it on as thick as you dare without it running and it then "flows out" beautifully. I have a set of Ford valve covers I did 40 years ago and they still look great. Enamel paint is the key. As in cars, Ford painted cars in enamel. GM painted cars in lacquer. Longevity goes to Ford enamel hands down. I have a 1963 Ford Falcon Futura still in original Rangoon Red paint. Lived all its life outside. I buff it once a year and it looks great from 10 feet. Just give it a try and you will be amazed. I have always thought people were crazy spending all that money to powder coat and then dealing with having to clean it off in places so the thing fit back together. I guarantee it holds up no better than enamel and on top of it cannot be touched up.

I painted my frame with gloss black enamel and a fine brush in '04 ..... I had frame in basement on a bench .... after dinner every second night I sanded and put a coat on .... if you get up close with light you can see evidence of brush , otherwise it looks great and has lasted very well so far , still glossy and no chips .... I had stripped all old finish off first with commercial auto body paint stripper down to shiny metal then washed and sanded before using the enamel as a primer coat ... got a pro to paint tank and side panels
Craig

If you want a good job on the frame just use Rustoleum rattle cans. It's one of the best paints you can find in a spray can and quite durable. The best endorsement I ever heard was from a graffiti "artist", vandal, in my opinion, who was being interviewed by a reporter over his work on NY subway cars. He said; "first you steal a couple of cans of Rustoleum, one can of that is worth 4 cans of $hit paint".

During the 1950s my father worked for a while at an automotive place that brush painted motor vehicles. It was very much a specialist occupation and they would only employ 'first class brush hands'. Only enamel paints were used, and some of the secret was in the preparation of the gloss enamel house paint. First the paint was thinned with a little kerosene (about a teaspoon per pint), which apparently aided brushing and then the paint was further thinned with mineral turps. The paint was then put in a double boiler, heated and applied hot. Several thin coats were used and wet sanding was carried out between each coat of paint. The finished paint was heated (not baked) with drying heaters placed around the vehicle. The result was a very hard enamel finish.
The only brushes that were used were Oldfields superba (no longer made) which was a natural hair tapered bristle brush i.e. all the bristles had a taper and the taper in each bristle was to the delivery end of the brush.
My father had painted his motorbike using the above methods. When I restored his bike I found out just how hard and durable the finish was when I stripped it to respray.
I would far rather spray and have tried spraying enamels which in service are too soft unless baked. As I do not have baking facilities I will stick with 2 pak paints out of a spray gun which give a very durable finish.
ando

I bought a full set of the Christine Keeler chairs a couple of years ago. Second hand, ex-restaurant, and badly stored. They had had not had an easy life. But cheap - £5 each, for 12. Only down side, I had to go to Walsall to get them.
Once home, the clean up began. We had already decided to paint them, so the staining wasn't a problem. Remove the legs, and it is just a press moulded chunk of plywood. Sanding was easy and unexceptional.
The primer coat was a bit of a bother, despite a good keying, the adhesion was patchy. I hate decorating.
While in one of the DIY sheds, I found a pack of the small, 4" rollers with a velour/velvet like surface. Cheap enough to try, good enough to use. Extremely rapid and even cover, absolutely no marks in the finish. Far cheaper than even a halfway decent brush - cheap enough to be disposable even. Painting is cool!
Worth a try perhaps? Even if only on the under/base coats to reduce the tram lines/brush marks which only get worse.

+1 on Rustoleum rattle cans. I used their gloss black engine enamel on the frame. Autoparts stores carry it. Supposed to stand up to oil and grease, good to 500 degrees F. Final coat color sanded, compounded and waxed. Use Rustoleum etching primer on bare metal, followed by quick build primer. Use primer/sealer on old paint followed by quick build.

aceaceca said:

In the USA I use Rustoleum in the can. The black can look as if the piece were enameled if you do a reasonable job with a good brush. Primer the piece first if bare metal to start. The coating will hold up for 30 years and more. The trick is to put a "full wet coat" on as they say in spray painting. You lay it on as thick as you dare without it running and it then "flows out" beautifully. I have a set of Ford valve covers I did 40 years ago and they still look great. Enamel paint is the key. As in cars, Ford painted cars in enamel. GM painted cars in lacquer. Longevity goes to Ford enamel hands down. I have a 1963 Ford Falcon Futura still in original Rangoon Red paint. Lived all its life outside. I buff it once a year and it looks great from 10 feet. Just give it a try and you will be amazed. I have always thought people were crazy spending all that money to powder coat and then dealing with having to clean it off in places so the thing fit back together. I guarantee it holds up no better than enamel and on top of it cannot be touched up.

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Never had much luck with Rustoleum, its never dries and the black is more like a dark grey IMHO. I used Valspar last time I needed black spray can paint. It went on real nice glossed out nice and dried pretty hard for a spray bomb. Used this primer underneath and I could sand it fairly quickly after spraying it. I used the paint on the main frame tube.

and if you really want a good finish out of a spray can

http://www.66autocolor.com/Spray-Max-2K ... 680061.htm

Be careful with that Spraymax 2K high gloss. It's not your average rattle can clear which are generally lacquers, which unfortunately don't stand up to gasoline. Spraymax is a two pack and contains highly toxic isocyanates.
Be sure and use the recommended respirator, wear nitrile gloves and something long sleeved and hooded, eye protection and use in a well ventilated space.

htown16 said:

Be careful with that Spraymax 2K high gloss. It's not your average rattle can clear which are generally lacquers, which unfortunately don't stand up to gasoline. Spraymax is a two pack and contains highly toxic isocyanates.
Be sure and use the recommended respirator, wear nitrile gloves and something long sleeved and hooded, eye protection and use in a well ventilated space.

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absolutely!