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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Painting Door Escutcheons and Steering Wheel Boss

Hi,

I'm trying to repaint the Door Escutcheons (the metal surround for the interior door handle) but amn't convinced I know the best way to do it.

From factory, it looks like the black paint has been sprayed over the chrome. I'm not convinced I could neatly mask the outer chrome part off neatly enough plus using a primer then a couple of top coats would end up leaving a hard raised edge of paint. I wouldn't be able to sand it down without risking scratching the chrome surround finish.

I'm thinking if I spray the paint on and then straight away wipe the excess off with a cloth, I should achieve the same 'black inner with chrome surround' effect as it had when it left the factory. Does this seem achievable?!

Also, what prep and which paint would people recommend? I've wire wooled the black paint and removed any flaking bits, but there's still chrome underneath and I'm not convinced the paint will stick. It's difficult to use sand paper, again due to the potential of scratching the chrome surround. I'm leaning towards Enamel paint from a rattle can so I went into Halfords earlier tonight but couldn't convince my self to spend £7.99 on the adhesion promoter, followed by £7.99 on the primer, followed by £7.99 on the gloss black, (potentially followed by £7.99 on laquer) on a paint system that might not work.

Any thoughts?
Robin

steering wheel Boss should be easier, though also not sure how well the paint will adhere to the cast aluminium surface. Perhaps the adhesion promoter will help there too.

Not a wasted trip to Halfords though, bought chrome polish and went home and polished my bumpers :)
Robin

Robin, not exactly answering any of your questions, but . . .
Small and intricate areas that you want to "mask" off to protect from paint can be done very effectively using grease, applied with a small artist's paint brush. Just take care when handling the part afterwards to avoid smudging the grease onto areas that you do want to paint!

After the paint has dried the grease will just wipe off and clean with white spirit or meths. It would work well for that narrow chrome edging to the door lock escutcheons.
GuyW

Very interesting idea Guy. Might try that out on a scrap bit of metal and see how it works first.
Robin

Humbrol do a liquid called Liquid Mask, magic mask or something like that. Stir it up and apply depending on the area with a toothpick or cotton swab. (Sorry, I use it for model building.)

Let dry, paint and pull it off. It is almost like rubber cement when it comes off. Great stuff.

Clare
Clare Ravenwood

In the past I have read that many paints don't take well to aluminium but I have had good experience with Rustoleum products and intend to use their clear lacquer for coating my alloy wheels when I refinish them as the lacquer seems to adhere well and stand up well to various abuses.
David Billington

I doubt that the factory - or outside suppliers - would have used a primer, probably just painting straight onto the metal.

I would do just that. Use masking tape, just a light coat of paint and remove the masking tape fairly quickly, when the paint is just dry, but not hard. You can then run your finger over the edge of the paint to flatten it, so you can don't get a hard edge.
Dave O'Neill 2

Robin,
I've just had a look in Terry's book to confirm as yours is a US spec car as it sounds to me like the black paint over isn't perhaps factory but perhaps by a previous owner.

If I've read Terry's book correctly yours shouldn't have the earlier chromed Mazak (see link below) escutcheon but the black plastic escutcheon with black plastic (breakaway for safety) window winder handle.

If you put up a photo of your door interior panel we can see which match or mix of door handle and lock/striker plate you might have with the window winder as who really knows what it actually left the factory with.

Original Sprite & midget The Restorers Guide by Terry Horler
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1906133336

I'm not suggesting you need the repair, this is just to explain Mazak if you don't know it -
http://www.chromerestorationspecialist.co.uk/projects/mazak-repair/
Nigel Atkins

Nigel

I believe that Robin means this part...


Dave O'Neill 2

Doh!

Thanks Dave.

I've done it again, I saw the word escellon (the one I have to copy and paste because I can't spell it) and just saw the window winder!

I never knew that part was called a door escell.., er door escutcheon.

It's no good I'm going to have to go back to trying to wear my reading glasses

. . . and find some way of bump starting my brain into gear.

You know the old joke - I've got the world's most expensive brain as it's rarely been used.

Apologies to all.

ETA: I blame the pet, I keep having to show him how to use the new feeder.
Nigel Atkins

Don't worry Nigel, it was well after midnight when you posted, you were just tired!

The term escutcheon was a new one on me too, although the dictionary definition does tie up: "a flat piece of metal for protection and often ornamentation, around a keyhole, door handle, or light switch.".

From factory they definitely just sprayed the black paint over the chrome. Whatever type of paint it was, it stuck pretty well. May just buy the top coat and give it a shot, it's easy to take off and redo if it flakes in a couple of years time.

Thanks Clare, liquid mask sounds similar to the grease idea. Being humbrol it's probably compatible with enamel paint too.
Robin

for aluminium bits are you not best to use an etch primer ?
P Bentley

Yes, Robin, it is compatible to enamel and lacquer paints.

Those areas on the plates are so small, what about a careful brush painting?

Clare
Clare Ravenwood

I'd thought about brush painting them with some Humbrol enamel paint for airfix models, though I wasn't sure how smooth a finish i'd be able to achieve? It'd certainly be easier to achieve a nice edge up against the chrome outer, given a steady hand.

I looked about on the internet and it appears that other people have used an etch primer to good effect on sanded down chrome. Of course, others reported poor results, so I wasn't convinced either way.

Managed to pick up a can of Plasti-kote gloss black in my local B&M store for £5.75, though annoyingly it doesn't tell me whether it's enamel or acrylic. Going to have a shot with it on Sunday and see how it goes. Tin says it can be used on aluminium too, though no suggestion of a primer underneath. If the original paint was applied directly on top of chrome and it lasted this long, surely my efforts will last at least 10 years?!
Robin

Dave O'N - re your pic. My car only has two of these - am I missing something? (Sorry!). John.
John Hutton

Think he's working on a stretched limo midget!
Robin

A technique used in license plate restoration is to spray the number color then the background color. Then using rubbing compound remove the background color on the numbers/letters. You could use this idea to remove the paint from the chrome along the edge. You wouldn't put scratches in the chrome as you would with sandpaper.
J Bubela

That's a great idea. Wire wool doesn't seem to scratch the chrome, so perhaps a mix of wire wool to remove the bulk of the paint and rubbing compound on a cloth to finish, would result in a clean finish. Thanks!
Robin

How will you achieve a straight line?
Dave O'Neill 2

That's a fair point Dave. I'm going to have a shot at this next week and after looking over all the suggestions I'm going to try the masking tape idea first. A light coat ought to do it and if I remove the tape before paint hardens I should avoid any nasty edges. Any overspray can be removed with thinners and a cloth. I'll smooth down any edges with some rubbing compound after it's hardened.

Think that ought to do it, shall post some photos when it's done :)
Robin

This thread was discussed between 22/06/2017 and 28/06/2017

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