Bezel painting tips
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 99
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From: Chesapeake Virginia
Bezel painting tips
I pulled my instrument cluster for some repairs and want to refinish the matt black paint on the spedo and tach bezels. So far, I'm having a pretty tough time doing the job right.
Does anyone have suggetions on:
Preparing the surfaces for new paint so it will properly adhere to the metal
Masking the bright chrome leading edges
Paint choices
Techniques
Does anyone have suggetions on:
Preparing the surfaces for new paint so it will properly adhere to the metal
Masking the bright chrome leading edges
Paint choices
Techniques
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
Clean the surface well with paint prep or laquer thinner; then wash with soap/water and make sure it is rinsed of all soap residue; let dry. If you want to assure good paint bond, shoot it with some zinc chromate first. Then use Krylon semi-flat black paint on it. After each coat of primer/paint, let it dry for about 10 minutes; then use an X-acto knife or razor blade to scrape paint off the raised chrome surfaces. Be careful not to damage the other fresh paint. A couple of light coats of semi-flat black will do the job.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 4,653
Likes: 6
From: North Royalton, OH
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
This might help a bit -
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...-controls.html
There are many of us who are not able to get the original and preferred Krylon #1613 Semi-Flat Black any longer. I have found that the Krylon Rust Tough Semi-Flat Black is an exact sheen match to the previous product and works extremely well for these projects.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...-controls.html
There are many of us who are not able to get the original and preferred Krylon #1613 Semi-Flat Black any longer. I have found that the Krylon Rust Tough Semi-Flat Black is an exact sheen match to the previous product and works extremely well for these projects.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,270
Likes: 4,362
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi MLM,
The advice from 7T1 is right on.
If you experiment a little you'll know how long to wait before you start with the blade. You want the paint to still be 'soft' enough that it comes off in long 'threads'. When the timing is right you get a very clean edge on the chrome/black. The sharper the blade is, the better.
You'll get good at it pretty easy!
Regards,
Alan
The advice from 7T1 is right on.
If you experiment a little you'll know how long to wait before you start with the blade. You want the paint to still be 'soft' enough that it comes off in long 'threads'. When the timing is right you get a very clean edge on the chrome/black. The sharper the blade is, the better.
You'll get good at it pretty easy!
Regards,
Alan
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 219
Likes: 0
From: Jupiter FL
My 2 cents worth..... If there is any pitting, I sand the black portion down to bare metal and make sure all the pits are smooth, careful not to sand the leading chrome edge. Use 0000 steel wool to clean up the leading chrome edge. I then coat the black portion with a coat or two of self etching primer, (or zinc chromate). Then wrap a soft cotton cloth aroung my finger and using a sparing amount of lacquer thinner, wipe off the leading chrome edge. I use the semi flat black to paint the black portion, using several light coats, and use the cloth/lacquer thinner to remove the paint on the leading chrome edge. This system works well for me....
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,970
Likes: 45
From: Cameron Park CA
I recently repainted mine using Eastwood's Under Hood Black, also a semi-gloss paint. P/N 10024Z. It's an acrylic lacquer. Chemical and soap & water cleaning it the way to go, as stated by others.
I also had some blue Scotch "painter's tape", which is really a fancy name for masking tape. I cut it into thin 3/16" approx. strips, thin enough to follow the curves of the raised chrome side ridges. To me that was a lot easier than scraping the paint off the perimeter of the cluster. I did use an Xacto knife to scrape the paint from the letters VOLUME & TUNING. That went well, but you have to be very careful to not pull paint off where it shouldn't be removed.
I'm not saying my way using masking tape is better, just an alternative way to do the job. Mine came out looking like a new '69 center cluster, especially with the new lens and new quartz clock.
I also had some blue Scotch "painter's tape", which is really a fancy name for masking tape. I cut it into thin 3/16" approx. strips, thin enough to follow the curves of the raised chrome side ridges. To me that was a lot easier than scraping the paint off the perimeter of the cluster. I did use an Xacto knife to scrape the paint from the letters VOLUME & TUNING. That went well, but you have to be very careful to not pull paint off where it shouldn't be removed.
I'm not saying my way using masking tape is better, just an alternative way to do the job. Mine came out looking like a new '69 center cluster, especially with the new lens and new quartz clock.
