Suitable Paint for Power Transformer?

[odourboy]

I've got a power transformer from an old amp I want to recycle ina new project. It's kind of dingy looking. I'd like to freshen it up with a coat of black paint. Is there special paint for this - can I use any old thing? (Thinking of some 'tremclad' rust paint but I'd hate to create a hazard.)

Thanks!

[gearhead]

Unless there's some funky properites I don't know about, would suggest auto engine/exhaust paint. If your tranny requires a rust bonder, then you'd need to check out the specs to check for heat limits.

[odourboy]

No - nothing funky. I was just thuinking Tremclad might be good because it bonds very well to metal and old paint without priming and it's really durable once it hardens.

[CaseyJones]

Ya can't beat Hammerite. It's got ground mica in it, gub it on with a brush and it gives you a cool hammertone finish all yer mates will "ooh" and "aahh" over.

Next best thing is good old black enamel that comes in a pry top can. Same deal, smear it on with a brush, wait for it to lay out and you're good to go.

Hammerite dries pretty quickly. Some enamel never dries. I got some Chinese PTs from Weber a while back that were covered with permanent Chinese fingerprints.

I avoid anything that comes in a rattle can like the plague. The only way I'll spray is with my old Sharpe 775 while wearing my North respirator, I've breathed enough toxic paint vapor for one lifetime thank you very much! I usually wear a Tyvek hood to keep the vapor off my head, I get swelling behind my ears if vapor settles there. Like I said, I've been exposed to enough paint for one lifetime...

I usually stockpile rusty transformers until the bike needs another coat of black, a quart of acrylic enamel is a terrible thing to waste!

Exhaust paint in a rattle can requires 400 degress to cure. Stinks the house up to high Hell! The Missus will toss you out on yer arse. Don't say I didn't warn you!

[odourboy]

Thanks KC but it doesn't look like Hammerite products are distributed in North America.

[Phil_S]

After you wire brush, possibly apply a bit of sand paper, and wipe down to remove all dust, I would choose some 10-minute primer in a spray can. You give it a light coat and it's dry in just a few minutes. After that, I often opt for a very unpopular choice, high gloss Rustoleum in a spray can. Rustoleum is a very slow drying enamel that dries to a very hard finish. The can says 24 hours to dry, but I leave it in a warm, dust free place for at least 2 days before attempting to touch it. With multiple coats, I will recoat after 24 hours, but the final coat needs 2 days or more to harden. You need lots of patience with this product, but the look and durability can't be beat.

The reason I suggest this is that Rustoleum is supposedly formulated to arrest the rust that you describe.

Since these are spray paint applications, I do them outside. Spray paint stinks too much to use it indoors. It is also a health hazard. Outside = well ventilated. Put your piece on a board so that you can move it once it's painted and the paint has set. For a tranny, I would screw it to the board. I don't like to leave it outside overnight due to possible problems with the change in temperature and humidity.

[odourboy]

Well I went with Tremclad (By Rust-oleum) - Hammer finish. It looks pretty cool. Nice day, so I got a spray can and did it outside. I don't need to use the transformer right away, so I'll let it sit for several days to thoroughly dry before I handle it again.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[CaseyJones]

Thanks KC but it doesn't look like Hammerite products are distributed in North America.

Yeah, it is. I was shocked to find a full Hammerite display over at my local "paint" store, they have a little bit of everything, paint, flooring, countertops, furniture. They're not exactly a hardware store.

If you Google Hammerite you'll find that Amazon has it, also if you go to Hammerite's site they list local dealers.

I don't like Rustoleum but that applies to anything from a rattle can like I said. Rattle cans have too much solvent and not enough solids, that's necessary to get the material through that little orifice at low pressure. Plus I'm spoiled, the Sharpe will spray a uniform pattern 12" wide, no drips no run no errors... Rustoleum used to advertise that their product did that but good luck! The other thing I don't like about Rustoleum is unless you spray a really thin coat it takes about a month to dry. The stuff I spray is catalyzed, that means four hours out of the gun the catalyst goes off and you're good to go. It still vents solvents for up to a week but when it's set it's set.

[Lonely Raven]

James Peters was nice enough to paint my transformer bells to match the vinyl he used on my head cab. It's been 3 years and seems to be holding up well on the Peters Custom Dual Channel. I believe it's the Rustolium Hammer type paint from a rattle can.

[img775]http://lonelyraven.zenfolio.com/img/v2/p703671924-5.jpg[/img]



[img738]http://lonelyraven.zenfolio.com/img/v2/ ... 1196-5.jpg[/img]

[odourboy]

LR - That looks totally cool!!! I wish you'd posted those pics BEFORE I pulled the trigger (literally!)

KC - Correction, my Tremclad is not by Rustoleum. It's the Canadian formulation - made in T-dot - and apparently is a different animal than the USA stuff. FWIW, it dried pretty hard in a couple of hours and it went on thick. I got good coverage in one coat. It's not as cool looking as LRs blue bells, but it still looks good!

[Structo]

I've used the Rustoleum Hammerite paint several times, mainly on stomp box enclosures.
It's a great durable paint once it's cured properly.
I usually put them in an oven set at 200F for 15-20 minutes to harden it.
The wife doesn't like the smell too much though...........

[jaysg]

I believe you need to be careful not to get any paint on the laminations, in case the paint is conductive.

[Lonely Raven]

LR - That looks totally cool!!! I wish you'd posted those pics BEFORE I pulled the trigger (literally!)

It's not as cool looking as LRs blue bells, but it still looks good!

Hey, who said I had blue ba....oh wait, never mind.


It's kind of a funky looking head cab though. James used (I think) a marine grade vinyl rather then tolex, and a "non-standard" head cab size. It didn't bother me at first, as typically I don't care how an amp looks so much as how it performs (and the Peters Dual Channel ROCKS!!), but I'm starting to wish it was in a nicer looking cab. I tried to talk him into putting a metal grill on the front and chrome knobs on it for me, but he was too busy and didn't want to do custom cabs for all his customers (which I totally understand).

Eventually I'll make a standard Marshall sized cab for the Peters amp, with a nice metal grill and chrome knobs. But this amp is a keeper!