gloss black enamel bake or not?

[kimeccles]

So many parts are supposed to be dipped black enamel. Or several layers of gloss paint are close. So Should I put small parts in the oven at some temp to get them set or "baked" on? I have a tail light bracket I have been messing with.

Curious as some parts were actually baked originally.

Thanks for your thoughts.

[jb-ob]

Just how many brackets are you planning on painting a day ?? Henry dipped & baked to produce hundreds.


Don't over think it, air dry will be fine.

[J Franklin]

Modern enamel dries a lot quicker than in the twenties. I doubt baking will help much. You might have some fun and build a small dip tank from a large tin can. Fill it with water a depth to cover the small part and float some enamel (Rustoleum or such) on top. Slowly dip until fully submerged and slowly lift it out. That is the method for dip painting. Japan driers were used to hasten the cure.

[chap52]

I find the Rustoleum Gloss Black Engine Enamel to be extremely durable and fuel proof. I painted the entire frame of my Flatbed with it and it's easy to touch up. If I get a nick or small scratch I spray a little of the paint in a plastic cup (watch your eyes) and touch up with a small brush. Also use the red on my engine and wheels.

[denniskliesen]

Anything and everything that fits in my oven goes in my oven if they are black parts @ 225-250 degrees for 2 to 4 hours. I have used rustoleum enamel, lacquer, engine paint, satin finish, and epoxy and they all turn out the same.

[kimeccles]

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Thanks. I think I can see some advantages of warmer curing and bonding.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by kimeccles

So many parts are supposed to be dipped black enamel. Or several layers of gloss paint are close. So Should I put small parts in the oven at some temp to get them set or "baked" on? I have a tail light bracket I have been messing with.

Curious as some parts were actually baked originally.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Jim's advice about not overthinking this is likely prudent however part of the fun in 'restoration' is doing exactly as you are suggesting where you are trying to duplicate or replicate (-in exacting detail) the aesthetics of how something looked originally when your Model-A was assembled. I get that.


To add some comments to your initial thoughts, several layers is not necessarily what you are after. Also, a sprayed aerosol applied paint does not have the same texture either as dipped. Then, the modern enamels, epoxies, et/al do not flow like Alkyd Enamels do/did. Alkyd Enamels are what is generally called self-leveling paints. Originally during Ford production, the Alkyd Enamel paint was heated and laying on a pool of warm water where the part was slowly dipped and 'drug' thru the paint vat. Because of the self-leveling properties, the thin viscosity of the paint, and the dipping process in general, the outcome was a shiny, -yet thin layer of paint without any orange peel on ALL surfaces of the part. The outcome of this process is difficult at best to produce by spray painting, and in some situations is nearly impossible to do spraying.


Now, adding to this is the fact that all of the steel materials used were new metal that was not rust pitted or damaged where it required primers or fillers to be used. Using a bumper bracket as an example, the metal was hot rolled to a specific size (-originally complete with mill scale), then holes were punched and it was bent to the proper shape prior to being coated with paint. In this scenario, no fillers or primers were used as is often necessary when restoring a rust-damaged piece, -nor would we have seen rust pits or other weather related damage on new parts. The result was you had a very thin layer of paint that covered uniformly down into the crevices and scale marks of the bracket. A different type part would be a brake housing (backing) plate that would have been new steel metal sans of pitting however you would have seen die marks & scratches from the stamping process. The finish on the paint would be just as if you have colorsanded and buffed the plate however it would have been very thin where evidences of the stamping process would have still been visible thru the paint. Again, replicating this look is very difficult to do if primer and/or a spray gun is used.


It has been several years since I have dipped parts trying to replicate that look, but I used Black implement paint that I purchased from Tractor Supply, and used several gallons poured into different sized/shaped Tupperware totes that matched the items I was trying to coat. Alkyd enamel is slow to dry, and will require a dust-free room, -or at least a room with little air circulating for the items to hang and "drip dry". Because there would not be any hardeners in it, after you have dipped a batch of items, the remaining paint can be filtered and poured back into the can for reuse on the next batch. Good luck on your efforts, and let us know how it turns out.