Print PDF
Favorite
Email
Step 19Patina and Finish
Before we did any patina work, we masked off all the growth rings that we wanted to leave black with tape. All the wiring and the entire engine compartment was tarped over to keep it safe from the patina chemicals.
The car was moved outside and the patina chemicals prepared. I wanted a warm coppery feel to the car so I chose a patina using water and cupric nitrate 32-1, ferric nitrate 32-1 and gun bluing16-1. We used bug sprayers for each chemical. Before applying the chemicals, we washed down the whole car with plain water. Keeping the section we were about to treat whetted, we started spraying the gun blue, then cupric, then ferric. Gun blue was used in combination with the cupric to fill in bright spots. The completed sections were kept wet to keep air from changing the earlier sections we had finished. Once the entire car was patinad, we used a weak solution of baking powder to stop the reaction, rinsed one more time with water and finally dried it off with air nozzles and the warmth of the sun. The crew stared at what was once beautifully shinny shell, now dull rust colored, and wondered "why".
The tape and tarps were now removed and all the growth rings were cleaned with scotch brite pads to bring back the black look. The whole car was dusted using compressed air.
Polyurethane spray cans were used to paint it late that night and, to the delight and relief of everyone, it looked great! Care was taken not to over spray the section we had already done. It took 3-6 coats to seal.
Now it was time to assemble all the parts again.
The car was moved outside and the patina chemicals prepared. I wanted a warm coppery feel to the car so I chose a patina using water and cupric nitrate 32-1, ferric nitrate 32-1 and gun bluing16-1. We used bug sprayers for each chemical. Before applying the chemicals, we washed down the whole car with plain water. Keeping the section we were about to treat whetted, we started spraying the gun blue, then cupric, then ferric. Gun blue was used in combination with the cupric to fill in bright spots. The completed sections were kept wet to keep air from changing the earlier sections we had finished. Once the entire car was patinad, we used a weak solution of baking powder to stop the reaction, rinsed one more time with water and finally dried it off with air nozzles and the warmth of the sun. The crew stared at what was once beautifully shinny shell, now dull rust colored, and wondered "why".
The tape and tarps were now removed and all the growth rings were cleaned with scotch brite pads to bring back the black look. The whole car was dusted using compressed air.
Polyurethane spray cans were used to paint it late that night and, to the delight and relief of everyone, it looked great! Care was taken not to over spray the section we had already done. It took 3-6 coats to seal.
Now it was time to assemble all the parts again.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
2
comments
|
Add Comment
|
Jan 14, 2009. 1:43 PMBusyHands
says:
Just curious - did you let all those chemicals run down the street into the storm drains? That can't have been a good thing for the animals in the river!
Reply
6
Jan 14, 2009. 2:13 PM
jonsarriugarte (author)
says:
jonsarriugarte (author)
says:
Nope we collected the run off in our parking lot drains, treated to settle out the heavy metals neutralized the acids in the water filtered and properly disposed of the solid waste. Most of the reaction happened right where we wanted on the car. Very little solid was extracted out of the waste water and most of it was probably dust from the lot that comes from the smelting plant next door to us.
Reply
 |
Add Comment
|
