Has anyone come across a readily available matching paint for the early Hallicrafters satin finish dark charcoal grey color? I know there's someone selling some on Ebay but at $25 a can shipped, I'd rather find something locally. Advance Auto has a dead match but unfortunately it's a metallic finish. I also checked out Lowes and Tractor Supply with no luck. I'm looking specifically, at the moment, to repaint a Hallicrafters R-42 speaker cabinet.

Larry

Larry

If there is any paint left, a local Sherman Williams auto paint store can computer
match the paint for you. They will even put it in a charged aerosol spray can
if you wish.

Or do a google search for K9STH BOAT ANCHOR PAINT . He has several
formulas for various boatanchors in a PDF file. Not sure he covers all of the
Halliscratchers, but worth a shot.

Pete

Thanks Pete. Unfortunately the closest SW paint store closed up years ago. The next closest is over an hour away but I may end up giving them a try. Problem is, this thing is all rust covered on the outside and flocked or padded on the inside so I'm not sure they could even get a good read. I checked out K9STH and he does have two Halli formulas but one is basic black and the other is for the medium grey of later models. The SX-42 and R-42 use a dark charcoal grey, not quite black. It drives me nuts that Advance Auto has a dead color match but only in a metallic finish. Even if it was gloss I could use it and dull it but with metallic there's just no way to deal with that. Thanks for your suggestions.

Larry

I redid a receiver using Eastwood Charcoal Gray Wheel Paint. It's dark and dries satin:

http://www.eastwood.com/charcoal-gray-wheel-paint-set.html

Most of Zookies stuff is water based junk.

If Eastwood has a color chip available it might be worth checking out otherwise Id go with a computer matched real paint which might be twice the price but no shipping. I use only quality automotive paints and can specify the flatness level.

Carl

If Eastwood has a color chip available it might be worth checking out otherwise Id go with a computer matched real paint which might be twice the price but no shipping. I use only quality automotive paints and can specify the flatness level.

Carl[/quote]

Carl, when you say real paint are you meaning an acrylic or ??? Who do you use for your automotive paint supply?

Not to hijack the thread, but I'm looking at a couple of old SX-28's that have obviously been out in the weather for an extended period. On both, the front panel shows major damage to the black paint, but it seems that there was a clear wrinkle layer beneath the black. Is it possible that a clear layer was laid down over a hot panel and allowed to wrinkle and then resprayed with the black top coat or am I just looking at a relic of the black paint deterioration. Do you think the panels were oven heated before painting or oven cured after? I'd be interested in the groups thoughts.

Thanks

jack

I use a single stage acrylic enamel from PPG or DuPont, havent found any quality differences and Id suspect the other good companies can supply similar. Id stay away from the box store homeowners products that arent UV resistant, are easily abraded and dont spray worth a damn in a HVLP gun or a rattle can.

That SX-28 panel is made that way with the alligator skin look embossed in the metal.

Carl

Thanks Carl

I hate it when I ask if something is A or B and find out that it's C

Here's my S38-E with the Eastwood paint:

It might be my monitor or the way the photo was taken but that's not dark enough. The later Halli stuff was a lighter gray than the early post-war speakers. Even this photo doesn't do it justice. It's dark graphite gray bordering on black and in a satin, almost flat, finish.



Larry

I didn't mean to imply that the Eastwood was an exact match, simply that it was dark charcoal. I had also clear coated it to protect the new decals and used semi-gloss spray. It was not as shiney prior to the topcoat. and the camera flash.

No, it's not possible, since the front panel is etched, probably chemically.

Etched? I would think that would be more costly than rolling it in. Spending extra was not a Hallicrafters tradition.

Carl

Might try a can of the paint sold for outdoor grilles. It is high temperature tolerant and is a pretty close match.
Lowes and HD sell it.

I already checked it out. The grill paint is black, not gray, but thanks.

Larry

Could be, but the edges are quite sharp and the "wrinkles" are different on each radio. I'd think it would be pretty inexpensive to print a pattern with ink then toss it in a tank of acid to etch for a while. SX-11 and SX-16 have similar, perhaps etched, front panels.

For the fellow with the SX-28's with pealing paint:
Seems that one thing Hallicrafters tried to control corrosion was to nickel plate the panels of some radios.
I have one that I sat and watched a beautiful paint job fall off of over a period of 3-4 years.
Sometimes someone gets a wild hair and advertises one on the 'bay as a "special presentation radio" for mr president high mucky or somebody.
Truth is if the rest of the paint is carefully removed aanr the panel polished with rubbing compound they can be rather striking. Not original, but different.
For the rest of you here are a couple of paint sites

http://k9sth.com/uploads/Boat_Anchor_Paints.pdf

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hallicraf ... Rows&tbl=2
Have fun
Lloyd KK7IZ

The Yahoo link is for members only.

Larry

Only if you like water based junk or are doing a quick flip. Anything Ive seen needs a complete stripping and real paint. File under "Hacks".

Carl