Baking a spray paint finish

"Wild Bad Bob" · Post by **"Wild Bad Bob"** » Thu May 01, 2014 8:45 am

Has anyone used canned spray paint then baked the pieces in the oven to get a harder more durable finish? Does it work? If so what temp and length of time?

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu May 01, 2014 10:15 am

Not sure of the 'harder', but definitely 'quicker'.

Bill Mayo will likely check in here, but IIRC he set temp to about 200F.

billmayo · Post by **billmayo** » Thu May 01, 2014 3:07 pm

I use a modified stove oven set to 200 deg to bake the Rust-Oleum brand paint for around 2 hours. This really harden the paint to where I could assemble the headstock and other parts without knocking paint off them. Other brands of spray-on paint tended to darken and some had burnt spots so I recommend taking a small part to try first to see what the results will be.

I removed the top burners and their controls from a free stove and put a plywood top on the stove. I put casters under the stove. My shop already had a 220 VAC dryer outlet in the front of the shop. The previous owner had a welding machine plugged in this outlet. I had a large size 5 sided cardboard box (30") on top of the plywood top to hold the Power Coating items so I could spray them. Not far to move them to bake them. This did an outstanding job for the Power Coating I was doing at that time.

WmZiggy · Post by **WmZiggy** » Fri May 02, 2014 10:13 am

When I restore an old plane I've baked a finish on them. I usually use 200 degrees for a couple of hours. I usually use a brushing (Rust-o-leum) enamel black. I have to open the kitchen window and at about 30 minutes or less, the wife will say, "What's that smell?"

She tolerates my shop experiments.

I think it gives a harder finish.

Just an aside (perhaps a rant) here: Many collectors of old tools frown on restoring original finish on collectable tools. I make judgement calls here on value and percentage of original finish that is gone. I have to say that Antique Road Show makes me puke when someone shows an old piece of furniture and the appraiser says, "Well, it was worth a $100,000 dollars. But since you refinished it, it's only worth $2000." Give me a break. Who wants a piece of crap sitting in their home? I don't care how old it is. I remove dirt, rust, and grunge, and then make a call on patching spots or repainting the whole thing. In any event, this is what got me into the wife's kitchen.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Fri May 02, 2014 10:26 am

WmZiggy wrote:When I restore an old plane I've baked a finish on them. I usually use 200 degrees for a couple of hours. I usually use a brushing (Rust-o-leum) enamel black. I have to open the kitchen window and at about 30 minutes or less, the wife will say, "What's that smell?" She tolerates my shop experiments.

I think it gives a harder finish.

Just an aside (perhaps a rant) here: Many collectors of old tools frown on restoring original finish on collectable tools. I make judgement calls here on value and percentage of original finish that is gone. I have to say that Antique Road Show makes me puke when someone shows an old piece of furniture and the appraiser says, "Well, it was worth a $100,000 dollars. But since you refinished it, it's only worth $2000." Give me a break. Who wants a piece of crap sitting in their home? I don't care how old it is. I remove dirt, rust, and grunge, and then make a call on patching spots or repainting the whole thing. In any event, this is what got me into the wife's kitchen.

It would appear you both have an uncommon degree of common sense!

That 'appraiser', none!:D

beeg · Post by **beeg** » Fri May 02, 2014 11:28 am

WmZiggy wrote:I have to say that Antique Road Show makes me puke when someone shows an old piece of furniture and the appraiser says, "Well, it was worth a $100,000 dollars. But since you refinished it, it's only worth $2000."

I'd say that it depends upon HOW it was refinished. If ya sand it down to bare wood, you've taken away the Patina. Which takes YEARS to develop. Think of what happens to Cherry over the years.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Fri May 02, 2014 11:39 am

beeg wrote:I'd say that it depends upon HOW it was refinished. If ya sand it down to bare wood, you've taken away the Patina. Which takes YEARS to develop. Think of what happens to Cherry over the years.

I'd say appraiser snits would not recognize the difference. An intelligent appraiser would, but that would be contrary to 'de rigor'.

IMHO anything is 'worth' what the possessor deems appropriate. Any thing else is a mushy rubber band.

Oh what folly we humans engage in!:D

"Wild Bad Bob" · Post by **"Wild Bad Bob"** » Fri May 02, 2014 12:43 pm

Made that mistake big time!!!!! In my 20's bought a Federal mantel clock at a farm auction, that was given to them as a wedding present in 1905, documented. It was painted black with gold finished feet and column pieces, I got it home and under the paint was oak wood. I said self, who would paint this oak wood black. So I stripped it to the wood and refinished. Felt real good about it. Still have the clock BTW. So a few years ago I am watching antique road show, and someone brings in a clock just like it to a T, black, the appraiser sez to the owner, "this is good, the original finish, so many people strip the paint off and it looses all its value" as I looked over at the clock, and sunk deep into my chair. True story!

"Wild Bad Bob" · Post by **"Wild Bad Bob"** » Fri May 02, 2014 9:23 pm

Baking report, 200*F for 2 hours, steel pieces that were primed and painted with RustOlium paint came out okay, an aluminum piece primed with Rustolium and painted with WalMart paint, paint bubbled, primer did not. But that piece was painted yesterday.

WmZiggy · Post by **WmZiggy** » Sat May 03, 2014 10:12 am

rbursek wrote:Made that mistake big time!!!!! In my 20's bought a Federal mantel clock at a farm auction, that was given to them as a wedding present in 1905, documented. It was painted black with gold finished feet and column pieces, I got it home and under the paint was oak wood. I said self, who would paint this oak wood black. So I stripped it to the wood and refinished. Felt real good about it. Still have the clock BTW. So a few years ago I am watching antique road show, and someone brings in a clock just like it to a T, black, the appraiser sez to the owner, "this is good, the original finish, so many people strip the paint off and it looses all its value" as I looked over at the clock, and sunk deep into my chair. True story!

I didn't mean to hijack this thread to Antique Road Show appraiser quirks, BUT we are there. If you enjoyed the more natural oak look (one I do, and our home is filled with natural oak pieces), is their value in that? Sure there is. Also, how does something lose "all of its value"? If the clock mechanism breaks, it's still correct twice a day.

On a serious note, the mechanism can probably be fixed, but then it isn't "original" any longer, is it; but that doesn't affect the appraiser's value?

I think I have figured out this appraiser's obsession with a layer of film (finish), mostly on furniture. I am not calling it "patina" because that is a finish that applies mostly to metals. Foxing on paper posters, books and other paper collectables isn't "patina", nor can a japanned tool be thought to have a patina. Now, one should clean silver, but never copper or brass. You gotta know the rules, all man made, and they change over time. Beginning in the 1970's people moved away from "painted" furniture and embraced a more natural look.

Basically the appraiser wants objects that have been hermetically sealed. When you have a piece of 18th C. furniture how real is that? They want to be able to say to a prospective buyer, "original finish". But as woodworkers, we know that finishes wear out. They have a life. And, I am not talking wood oxidation here. You didn't plane or sand the surface, you removed the film and put a new one on.

You could probably research the kind of finish that was applied to your clock originally and take it back as if in a time machine. If you do a really, really good job you can participate in the illusion that life is hermetically sealed. Silly isn't it.