Hollywood Senior Restoration

[Roundnoser]

Thought I would share some pics of my recent Hollywood Senior press restoration project. I don't have any "before" pics, but the original paint was too far degraded to salvage. - Additionally, this is the cast iron model.

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[Kevin Rohrer]

It looks very nice.

What paint did you use?

[ReloaderFred]

Nice job, Jon! Both my Hollywood Senior presses still have the original paint in great condition. I've seen some that needed some TLC, though. Your press looks like it just came from the Hollywood Gunshop!

Fred

[Pressman]

OK, please do not keep us hanging, what paint? and how did you apply it? Was the old paint difficult to remove?

Nice looking press.

Ken

[MtGun44]

Looks like an absolutely perfect crinkle paint job! I, too, would be interested in the
source of material and the method used.

Well done, sir!

Bill

[Roundnoser]

The paint is VHT Wrinkle Plus. You can find it at many of the major automotive parts stores. The trick to it (to get the tight wrinkles), is to cure the paint in the oven before any wrinkling begins. Curing is at 200 degrees for 1 hour.

If you don't heat cure it, you will get large wrinkles, that probably won't look right. -- Another piece of advice...The instructions call for at least three coats of paint with at least 5 minutes between each coat. Each time you apply it, change the direction of the spray (horizontal, vertical, and finally diagonal). - By doing this, it will create that nice "cross-hatch" pattern in the wrinkle.

Also, once cured, do not handle it for at least 48 hours....to make sure it is fully hardened. It is really fragile for the first 24 hours.

As for the old paint...I taped off the polished steel parts, and carefully sand blasted the rest of it.

[Alvarez Kelly]

It's beautiful!

[LUBEDUDE]

Dude, that is so awesome!

You can start a restoration business for those things.

[Kevin Rohrer]

Info on the paint:

http://www.vhtpaint.com/products/wrinkleplus/

[Pete P]

Wow, that looks brand-new.

[Wots]

Yeap.
Looks like its fresh outta of the box.
Nice job.

[seagiant]

Sweet Jon!,
I might redo mine!!!

[John Guedry]

Looks a lot better than anything anyone currently makes.

[Mike Kerr]

Holy Wowserr!!!

Truly awsome. I should not but -- "I covett"


regards,

:-):-):-)

[fatelk]

Very nice! I just picked up one of those, and the paint is definitely less than perfect. I just might try what you did; hopefully it would come out nearly as nice.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Round: very nice wrinkle job, Thanks for the tip on the oven cure and the spray patterns

I have never used the oven method, only the heat lamp method, and yours looks way better than any I've done.

Really nice job!

Randy

[Roundnoser]

Thanks for your nice comments. It means alot coming from my peers. -- I too was suprised that the paint wrinkled so well.

I almost used the hammered paints, but figured what the heck...If the VHT paint didn't work, I could always sand blast it and try something else!

The only negatives I found with the VHT is the thickness required to get the wrinkle. It calls for "at least" three coats. At first, there are no wrinkles. The paint just appears to be gloss black. Within 2 hours of application, large pattern wrinkles will begin to form.

With a press like the Senior, the parts are very tight, and both fulcrum pins on the opposing linkage arms operate very close to the body of the press. Since the VHT paint is a thick coat, the pins can rub off some of the paint if care is not taken.

Also, in my experience, the VHT does not work well to touch up spots that get damaged in the curing process. This is why I noted not to touch the paint for 48 hours after curing. If you damage areas of the crinkle coat at all, touch ups won't look like the original crinkle....so be ultra careful the first time!

Just my 2 cents.