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Old 9th Jul 2012, 2:11 pm   #1
Colin
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Default A supplier of Hammered finish aerosol paint

Can anyone direct me to a supplier of Hammered finish aerosol paint in a colour close to the image attached?

The image is Hammerite 'Wild Thyme' and it's as close as I can find. Unfortunately it's a smooth finish and not available in an aerosol. Anything close to this would do, lighter is better rather than darker.

It's for the metal case of a radio I'm restoring and I'd really like to keep it as close to the original finish as possible.

Many thanks
Colin
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Old 9th Jul 2012, 3:27 pm   #2
brenellic2000
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Default Re: A supplier of Hammered finish aerosol paint

You may be able to dilute the Hammerite smooth with cellulose thinner (or whatever they now recommend) and spray... but that won't give you the 'rippled' hammered enamel finish which I think is caused by silcone.

I suggest you contact Hammerite (not sure who owns them now). Most paint companies' technical department used to be very helpful pre-'compensation culture/public liability' days over potentially large order contracts, supplying a suitable 'tester'. It's a bit of a cheek, but you may be lucky!

Good luck,

Barry
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Old 9th Jul 2012, 7:41 pm   #3
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Default Re: A supplier of Hammered finish aerosol paint

You can thin Hammerite with their (rather expensive) thinners and spray it. Before your very eyes, the hammer effect forms. You then have a major job cleaning your gun if you ever want to use it for anything else. Unfasten the glands for the needle and take the sealing packing out and put it in a jar of (rather expensive) thinners for a while. Take great care over your breathing air supply.

It's rather prone to run, so you need to get some small layers built up and each allowed to almost dry before you go for your heavier top coat. The lower layers act as a solvent sink.

David
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Old 9th Jul 2012, 7:55 pm   #4
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Default Re: A supplier of Hammered finish aerosol paint

Barry, David, thanks for your suggestions. I need a very small amount of paint. One aerosol would be much more than I'd use for this job, so asking Hammerite to make up a test batch would be pushing the boat out a little too far I think!

I thought about spraying tinned paint but (apart from the fact I haven't a spray gun) I think it'll be far too much trouble, and I can't see the finish being very good. That's a comment based on my previous experience of spray painting! From what's been said I'm now convinced.

If I can't find something close, I may have to fall back on a hammered silver aerosol but it wouldn't look right. Be a decent finish though.

Cheers
Colin
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Old 10th Jul 2012, 8:25 am   #5
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Default Re: A supplier of Hammered finish aerosol paint

I don't know if it is possible to mix Hammerite paint to the correct shade (I suspect not due to the rapid solvent drying time, unless thinned).

I really would recommend a word with Hammerite - all businesses welcome new angles and opening of niche markets.

Barry
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Old 10th Jul 2012, 10:53 am   #6
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Default Re: A supplier of Hammered finish aerosol paint

Quote:
Originally Posted by brenellic2000 View Post

I really would recommend a word with Hammerite - all businesses welcome new angles and opening of niche markets.

Barry
I think I will ask them. Nothing ventured ... Thanks for the prompt Barry
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Old 10th Jul 2012, 6:04 pm   #7
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Default Re: A supplier of Hammered finish aerosol paint

I remember Woolworth's used to sell hammer finish paint. I know they've gone under, but maybe Wilko's or similar may be able to help?

I think it was made for Woolies by McPherson Paints, but my memory may be playing tricks on me.

Wickes also do hammer finish paint in 750ml cans, but it's not cheap.

http://www.wickes.co.uk/paint/metal-...at/metalpaint/
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Old 10th Jul 2012, 7:56 pm   #8
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Default Re: A supplier of Hammered finish aerosol paint

Most people think "Hammerite" when discussing hammered finish.

However, both Rawlins and Rustoleum also make it.
(As did Trimite, but they are no more.)

However, another maker was Technical Paint Services, and they are still around. Might be worth contacting them.

All can be found on the internet.
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Old 11th Jul 2012, 12:48 am   #9
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Default Re: A supplier of Hammered finish aerosol paint

I came across an hammerite equivalent in a rather good tool shop I frequent. "Coovar" I bought a few litres to repaint the steel framing of a lorry horsebox. It went on OK, looked as good as Hammerite and was half the price. The steel rusted straight through it. I ended up spending a day with a whacking great wire brush in an angle grinder, followed by a day with real Hammerite. An alternative, if the job is for indoors!

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Old 11th Jul 2012, 8:00 am   #10
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Default Re: A supplier of Hammered finish aerosol paint

There are indeed several 'hammered enamel' paints with different brand names, but most of these are bought from the same paint manufacturer! Personally I'd stick to 'Hammerite', they have been at it 50 odd years!

Like all paints, surface preparation is the key - literally! Wonderful claims are made for Hammerite and its ilk, of painting direct to rust but that rust must only be a light surface rust (not flaky!) which leaves a dimpled finish (increasing surface area/surface tension) for keying. Indeed all structural steel is allowed to 'weather' before painting. But of course any rigid paint finish, like hammered enamel, which turns into a sheet of soild paint can allow rust to spread beneath, unseen, until it is too late. Even electro-plated or hot galvanised steel can suffer separation of the zinc coating from the (now) rusting steel below!

The best steel paint is still red lead oxide (banned!) and Galvafroid zinc primer.... but that doesn't help Colin!

Barry
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Old 11th Jul 2012, 9:03 am   #11
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Default Re: A supplier of Hammered finish aerosol paint

It's about 20 years since I moved in to my current house. I was horrified to find out how very badly rusted the tank was for the central heating oil; looked like it would be lucky to last the winter. But I cleaned it up as best I could and painted it it with Hammerite. Today, it is still giving fine service, though it sits out in the open and faces south on one side. Sorry to have gone off thread slightly, but they do make wonderful products. The "expensive" thinners is xylene; less expensive if you can by it from chemical suppliers.
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Old 11th Jul 2012, 11:13 am   #12
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Default Re: A supplier of Hammered finish aerosol paint

I find ordinary Cellulose thinners is as effective as the officially approved xylene for Hammerite thinning/brush cleaning - and a lot cheaper too! They are both wood based (xylene is a coal-tar based product).

Barry
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Old 14th Jul 2012, 7:22 pm   #13
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Default Re: A supplier of Hammered finish aerosol paint

Thanks for all those who took the time to offer good advice in this thread, it's much appreciated. I tried contacting Hammerite but no joy I'm afraid. They were less than keen to go out of their way to supply me with a single aerosol of Wild Thyme. Can't blame them really.

Alan's suggestion of Technical Paint Services was a little more productive in that they have a vast range of hammered finish paint colours. However, very few aerosol colours and the tinned paint is only sold in industrial quantities. Minimum of 5 litres for the colours I wanted, and that starts around £45.

I decided to compromise on the aerosol and go for a brush job, after all, it's hard to make a mess of a hammered finish. Isn't it? I bought 250mi tins of silver and green hammered finish Hammerite and experimented with mixing colours for a while. Eventually I found that adding around 15ml of the dark green and 5ml of black Hammerite (which I already had on the shelf) to a full 250ml tin of hammered silver, produced a colour that was almost perfect when painted on top of the original painted panel. Success!

I've painted the panels and am waiting for them to dry, but I think they'll be fine. I've still got most of the 250ml tin left, but it's marked up, and will no doubt come in handy in the future.

Thanks again for all the advice.

Regards
Colin
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Old 15th Jul 2012, 10:14 am   #14
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Default Re: A supplier of Hammered finish aerosol paint

Glad to hear you got a good result, especially in mixing Hammerite, but I'm surprised the company was less than enthusiastic in their help; it's a sign of our times, I fear.

Barry
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Old 10th Oct 2012, 3:40 pm   #15
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Default Re: A supplier of Hammered finish aerosol paint

I am restoring a Bush TV62 which has been badly stored. The whole set was covered in thick crud. I cleaned the bakelite with car body restorer and it has come up well. The chassis which I think are tin plated steel have cleaned up with a variety of cleaning products, meths and wilte spirit and elbow grease. I am however left with steel and patchy plating. On other sets I have used aluminium paint, but not good close up.

With all your work with Hammerite, I wonder if I should try that in a grey gloss. Can I use it diluted with an airbrush?

I would appreciate any help and suggestions.

John
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