How To: 1944 Chev HUW restoration

[David Dunlop]

Hi Bruce.

I fear that might be a thought that walks the line between a Dream and a Nightmare these days.

On doing some research into wrinkle paints a few years ago, the magic ingredient is apparently a product known as 'Tang Oil'. The ratio of it, the reducer and the oil based paint can be varied to alter the final appearance of the wrinkle finish, but an additional requirement, as Harry mentioned, is that the drying temperature and time are also factors that assist in obtaining the desired wrinkle finish. This can range from a smooth 'frosty' look, rather like Black Granite Countertop all the way up through grained leather to very heavy wrinkle.

The principle is basic enough. The paint is mixed as required and applied. The reducer evaporates at the surface creating a skin over the Tang Oil still in the mix. As the Tang Oil dries out underneath, the paint skin created on top collapses and starts to wrinkle up. changes to temperature and time dictate how much wrinkle forms as the trapped paint shrinks and drys up.

Back in the 1980's, Don Wright in Edmonton, looked into No.2 Brown wrinkle fin ish for his 52-Set. Very few paint shops back then still knew how to work with it. Those that did advised the tang oil came in very large quantities and was expensive. Now we are dealing with rapidly disappearing oil based paints in general and to my knowledge, water based wrinkle paints don't exist.

A local machine shop to me does work with powder coatings and I am going to visit them this summer to see what I can find out about them in better detail. Will keep you posted.


David