Old paint matching

As you may have observed from Martin's pics this year's exhibit is a 1923 (rebuilt 1928) S type on the P-L. So much paint survived on the engine that I have not repainted it. However a previous aborted restoration gormed yuch green over the Calibrater. Its currently running with a later Calibrater. How do I repaint its own Calibrater to match 80 year old Mid Brunswick? The paint on the engine is now completely matt and shows many green shades from light to dark mid-Brunswick and patches of black. Thoughts welcome............

Surely with today's means of colour matching you should be able to get the colour right, as to matt, how about a coating of a matt finish varnish or some form of artificial aging.
Martin P
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If you can figure this one out Roland patent it, you'll make a fortune! Seriously though, even if you can match the shade(s) I cannot see how you can recreate the patina of eighty years of wear and tear that the paintwork on the engine has experienced. On a more positive note is the original paintwork still under the yuch green? Not knowing a lot about Petters, would the calibrator look too much out of place if you took all of the paint off it and then "aged" it by rubbing some of the stuff that you drain out of the sump and silencer (or similar) of a Petter into the bare metal? It certainly won't rust!
Regards
JohnR Just north of Bristol,UK.

If t'wer I, I'd utilise several years of making quite convincing plastic models when young. It was no basis for a Girl Friend, & when wimmin came along, the models got shoved in a cupboard!
Match the base colour in satin finish if possible & apply on a warm day. Within 24 hours, "dry brush" on appropriate mixes of colour to replicate the rest of the patina & finally spray ( to avoid drifting the dry brushed colour) several mist-thin coats of matt polyurethane, allowing each to become just touch dry before applying the next.
When completely dry (probably several weeks in direct sunlight, but in this case, running the engine would certainly help!), I'd paint the surface with a mixture of petrol & grease & dust on a mix of graphite & flour by dropping it slowly into the air stream from a small fan. This final technique is most effective in adding years of use & neglect.
regards,
Kim Siddorn. - who has whited a few sepulchres in his time!

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Kim Siddorn"
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It reminds me of the techniques used by that art forger chappie... Tom Keating, was it? :O)

Hush, Grimly. Next thing, you'll be complaining about the clothes peg marks on the fifties ;o))
You should see my hand cut dovetails, old boy. No drawer too small, no inkstain too blue .........
regards,
Kim Siddorn.
saying something like:
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thiscase, running the engine would certainly help!), I'd paint the surface with a mixture of petrol & grease & dust on a mix of graphite & flour by dropping it slowly into the air stream from a small fan. This final technique is most effective in adding years of use & neglect.
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Interesting question, but it doesn't sound easy.
In furniture restoration, when trying to match in new wood with original, colouring the new wood slightly darker than the old always helps to make blend in.
So what about making up a mix of paint darker than the average Mid B colour on the engine, and when it's hardened set about it with wire wool to distress it and remove the shine. Some corner areas could be lightly greased before painting to prevent paint sticking to them.
To finish, as John suggests, rub on some some black pettersh*te of the sort which filled the innards of my 8hp S type!
Regads, Arthur G
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Of course you could paint the calibrator and the engine all in the same colour. I suspect I'm a voice in the wilderness though and it's not my engine. I must admit that I prefer to see engines as good or better than they left the factory. Original colours yes and not over restored with chrome flywheels etc but still clean and shiny such that the factory would have been proud to have it on display. As I say, just my 2p.
John

Thanks for all the tips which I've filed for the winter. I would consider it a crime to repaint the engine which has about 85% of its original paint. The 15% is the cylinder head, exhaust pot, and Calibrater. I have for the moment painted all three satin black. At least the vile green calibrater no longer clashes with everything including my T shirt!!! Had it been all-rust it would have been painted (but as an aside a 5hp Petter is somewhat larger than a BSA:-). regards Roland

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Can't agree more on the original paint issue - Did anyone spot the Wolseley Style 4 in last months Letters page in the SEM. Looked very original to me, real shame to paint it. I just hope the owner changes his mind! I have contacted him to give my 2p's worth BTW.
Regards
CHris Bedo Kent UK