Restoring a press...how to?

[Char-Gar]

The recent thread on the old Pacific C presses made me want one like the old Super C I began with in 1958. So Ebay to the rescue. I picked up a Super C that is missing the handle and perhaps a few other parts for a reasonable price. I can make the handle and any other parts I might need.

I want to restore the press by painting it back as close as I can to the old Pacific light blue. I supose step one is to sand blast the press down to metal and the do the paint.

I know nothing about paints, so what do I want? I would like spray paint if possible. A little help please!

[cheese1566]

Take a look at RustOleum Hammered Finish Paints. Good stuff!

[Recluse]

You could also take a sample of the color you want to a Sherwin Williams and ask them to match it with an enamel type paint. You could then use an air compressor type rig to apply the paint.

This would be pricier than finding a can of stock-color spray paint on the shelves of Lowe's, but if you're restoring. . .

:coffee:

[Catshooter]

Did Pacific use a regular paint or did they do a wrinkle paint like the old RCBSs?

I love that wrinkle paint. It's fairly intricate do apply, but worth it.


Cat

[azrednek]

Been almost 10 years since I used it so I don't know if it is still avalable. True-Value used to and hopefully still does sell an epoxy enamel in spray cans. Took 24 hours to cure but it dried hard as a rock. The store I bought it from had the basic colors on hand and other colors were available in about a week.

[dubber123]

Look into the Engine Enamels if you go the spray paint route. They are pretty darn durable, and a wide variety of colors are available. VHT is a decent name brand, carried by many auto parts stores. If they only have a few colors, see if they have a vendor catalog. They make a lot more than Chevy orange or Ford blue...

[Mk42gunner]

Chargar,

After the recent thread, I dug mine out of the box it has lived in for the past five years. Mine is pretty close to Ford's light blue engine paint, if you want I'll check it against the engine in my truck tomorrow.

To make sure we are talking about the same press; mine has The Pacific "P" on the front behind the ram, SUPER on the left side, and DELUXE on the right. The ram uses universal shellholders that are retained by a set screw.

Let me know if I can help,

Robert

[HeavyMetal]

If you want to get really "trick" check out the web site for Dura coat.

They'll have the color you want and this is a hardened paint that should last a good long while!

www.lauerweaponry.com

[Shiloh]

What about parkerizing it. Hmmmm...

Shiloh

[dhansen]

Did Pacific use a regular paint or did they do a wrinkle paint like the old RCBSs?

I love that wrinkle paint. It's fairly intricate do apply, but worth it.


Cat

My two blue Super Delux presses are done with a wrinkle light blue paint.

If you blast it or aggressively clean it you will loose the paint texture. I think it would be difficult to find a light blue wrinkle paint these days but I'm not sure?

I was thinking of getting a conventional spray paint as close in color as I could find and try shooting it on over the old paint. (After cleaning, of course).

Then again, why not celebrate the fact that after 40 years of hard use and often neglect these old battle axes are still happy to work and proud to bear their scars. Doubt I'll be getting a face lift and dying my hair!

Haven't decided!

[shotman]

the wrinkle paint is not hard to do paint with the color you want in enamel and let dry for about 8 hrs and spray with a clear lacquer it will wrinkle in about 2 min.

[Pressman]

Un less the frame is badly rusted a good cleaning will make things look new. I use a quality, but inexpensive degreasing cleaner. This stuff is aggressive to paint and does take a slight amount off the top. Works good with cast iron tools but must be diluted for use on aluminum tools as it will leave streaks in that paint. Apply with a tooth brush or brass bristle "tooth" brush then rinse in HOT water.
Good to do on a day when the wife is not home. Another option is putting it in the dishwasher. Another good deed not done when wife is around.

Ken

[.30/30 Guy]

+1 for shotman's advice. You get a great wrinkle finish with lacquer over enamel.

[quasi]

you are dealing with cast iron so you want some kind of a textured paint unless you want to do a lot of filling and sanding.

[Char-Gar]

When the press got here it proved to be from the early 50s when Pacific Gunsight painted their presses black. I gave the press a good cleaning with 91% alchohol to get rid of dirt, oil and grime. It came out with the original paint about 99.5% in excellent condition. So, I scraped the re-paint to blue plans.

It was missing the handle so I took a scrap Winchester 1917 Enfield barrel to the lathe and made me a nice handle with purty knurling on the end. I like the fact that you can look through the handle and see rifling.

The press is now mounted on the bench and ready for work.

[cheese1566]

picture, picture!!

[Catshooter]

Original paint! Now that's even better than a repaint.

So? Where are the pics??? :)


Cat

[Safeshot]

I agree that leaving the finish in original condition is desirable. Most of the time the presses clean up rather nice.

You are fortunate to have a press with a Universal Ram that takes the (modern) interchangeable shell holders. Many of these nice old presses have rams that have the shell holder machined into the end of the ram (shell holder is one piece with the ram). These presses required a separate individual ram for each case head size.

Replacement Universal Rams that take the (modern) interchangeable shell holders are available from CH and I think from Lyman and Midway.

If you plan to "really use" your Pacific (or any other older press) you might want to consider adding a "billiard ball" to the end of the handle. It makes the press much easier to use and adds some "effective length" to the handle - increasing the leverage.

Good luck in your efforts and enjoy your nice vintage press.

[thebigmac]

CHEESE-- LOOKS LIKE YOU DO MIGHTY FINE WORK. HAVE TO KEEP YOU IN MIN . (i mean write it down). THANKS OR THE PHOTOS. Mac

[Char-Gar]

Safeshot---- Sometime around 1964 or 65 Pacific began to offer a universal shell holder ram to replace the old solid ones that had to be changed out for each caliber. I retrofited my blue Super C with one.

This new old press has also been retrofitted at some point in time with one of the universal shell holder rams. It uses a set screw to hold the shell holder heads in the ram. A little slower than the RCBS spring, but it works fine.

I made the new handle a little longer for some more leverage. Many years ago, I FL resized about 5,000 once fired L.C. 54 30-06 cases for some fellows. I slipped a four foot piece of iron pipe over the handle of my old blue Super C to increase the leverage. My buddy Frank got on the end of the pipe and I feed the lubed cases while he pumped the lever. We made short work out of it without much sweat involved.

Sorry boys, but I have no camera at the time.

[Iowa Fox]

Speaking of restoring presses. Does anyone here have a red plastic spent primer catcher for a Lyman Spar-t laying around?

[Mk42gunner]

I actually like the set screw to retain the shellholder. You can lock the shellholder at whatever angle works best; then it doesn't spin on the ram. This makes for more efficiency when processing large quantities of brass.

Robert

[357maximum]

the wrinkle paint is not hard to do paint with the color you want in enamel and let dry for about 8 hrs and spray with a clear lacquer it will wrinkle in about 2 min.

That is exactly how I restored an old bonaza co-ax....came out looking like it was original.

The fastest way to re store a press it to put it back in the box.:kidding: