How wrinkle paint works, page 2

A. To get a wrinkle finish, you can spray a base coat of lacquer paint with an over coat of enamel (it think that is the order but it may be the other way around). The solvent in the enamel causes the lacquer to dissolve, as the enamel tries to dry, the surface tension pull stretches, but the underlying layer is liquid and allows it to bunch, or wrinkle. This is the same method that was used on Atwater Kent Radio Equipment in the 20s. For those who play with this old equipment, you'll notice the valleys in the paint are darker while the surface paint is brown or gold, this is due to the black lacquer underneath.

A. Hi all. Getting paint to wrinkle with automotive paint, as described before, is easy. spray on lacquer paint first let dry 5-10 minutes then spray on your desired top coat color with enamel paint. What happens, is the lacquer paint dries from the inside out, and the enamel paint dries from the outside in. When the two meet it causes the two to react. (almost, if not instantaneous) Hope that helps.

Painting, and baking with enamel works well too. While still relatively wet, place the part under a heat source, such as a heat lamp, or an old oven works well too. For some of you with sensitive camera, or telescope equipment, this won't be an option for you. You'll have to use the lacquer/enamel method. Do some test panels first, play around with varying dry times (for both lacquer and enamel), and paint film thickness's to get different degree's of wrinkle. Once you have settled on a formula that works, apply that to your project piece. Happy wrinkling.

By the way, some of the "hammer tone" paints use silicone in the paint mix. Paint won't stick to silicone, it will separate from it like the plague, this causes the paint to crater as it separates from the particles of silicone, resulting in a "hammered" look.

A. I understand that spraying two coats of enamel, with a time lag in between, using different reducers may also create the wrinkle effect. In other words, first coat with a slow reducer, second with a fast reducer. This is also probably one reason why spray can products are so hard to work with; the necessary ingredients cannot be combined in one mixture.

A. Regarding the use of "toolbox brown" wrinkle finish, it IS available in single spray cans directly from the toolbox manufacturer. I tried it in restoring an antique Atwater Kent radio and one of my toolboxes. Turns out it doesn't exactly match the color of my toolbox and is an almost abrasive-feeling texture, not the wrinkle effect. The original toolbox finish may be a powder coat as suggested in a previous post.

A. I have been an auto body tech for about 27 years, if you want a wrinkle effect apply several coats of enamel letting each coat flash about 20 minutes but not set hard, then spray with clear lacquer. Each coat of clear wait about 10 minutes between coats to get the wrinkle effect you want, I also play around with old radio equipment and this works well for me.

A. I once sprayed a set of oak cabinets that already had been finished. I used latex in an airless sprayer. I sprayed on way to much paint so I took a roller and rolled it to keep it from running and it came out with a real heavy wrinkled effect. Probably resulting from the heavy nap roller I used. For a finer wrinkle maybe a lighter nap roller could be used. This only works for wood products.

A. I personally contacted the company that makes Kennedy toolboxes, which have the brown wrinkle finish on them. I'm restoring my thirty-six (36) year old machinist chest. The lady kindly told me that the wrinkle finish they used back then has been replaced by a newer process which is "proprietary" and they cannot sell any of this product, period. If I wish I can ship my tool box back to the factory and they will re-finish it for me. The quoted pricing was way too high. FIY

A. Hi guys,
I read your messages with great interest.
Many of you looking for wrinkled finishing and many giving interesting answers. After many hard researches I found an Italian company that produces the wrinkled effect. In their site, www.gasup.it, they published some colors; I called them because I wanted a brown color and they made it for me; they told me they can create every color. I don't know if this is true but I'm sure they made the one I requested. Take a tour in their website, maybe you can find what you are looking for. Denis

A. Wrinkling occurs because the base coat dries slower that the topcoat. A simple way to get this effect is apply one coat of a oil base primer that uses mineral spirits as a clean up solvent. Wait a few hours, or until the primer is slightly tacky, and then apply the color of your choice that is available in a aerosol. Make certain the aerosol completely covers the primer

A. to get a wrinkle effect with paint, you need to speed dry the flash point.
acetone [linked by editor to product info at Rockler]works best, this low flash point thinner makes the coat dry rapid (seconds), unlike dragging paint which uses high flash rate thinners which gives you a longer time to play with the material (mins). the more thinner the more desired effect.
if you can't find an acetone thinner try nail varnish remover, though not easily available in big quantities.
this is an acetone, notice the thinner evaporates very quickly,
if mixed with paint the paint separates as the thinners evaporates. if using paint from an aerosol get the thinner on a rag + wipe over the product first but be quick to spray the object before the thinners disappears.

Q. To Terry D: you state you have six cans of krinkle paint but you don't know if it works. What is the name of the company that is shown on said cans??

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