CURRENT Recommendation for Pre-WWII Craftsman Machinery Blue

[JEFinCLE]

The paint recommendations on Vintage Machinery for close matches for Craftsman blue seem to all be out of stock or discontinued. Anyone have a good "go to" off-the-shelf match for 40s era Craftsman blue? Rattle can or quarts, doesn't matter. Quarts would give me a reason to drag out my HVLP and use it again.

 

[Shiftless]

In for the answer to that question.

I have used Hammerite Light blue on a vise, but that is no longer available.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

This is the best I've come up with.

 

[JEFinCLE]

Thanks for that, JoCo. I might take that to my Sherwin Williams up the street and have them shake me up a quart. Did you spray or brush? I take it the Atlas floor model in the background got the same treatment? That's what I'll be doing. Might as well do my Alien while I'm at it.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

After reading a lengthy thread over at OWWM regarding different paint techniques for machinery, I decided to brush paint the little Mohawk. I was very pleased with the results. Maybe one day I'l invest in a HVLP paint set up but till then, I'm sold on brush painting machinery. The Atlas in the background was rattled canned. I've probably got 25 different shades of blue in spray cans collected on my quest to find a decent pre-war blue. Never did find one. The machines that have been sprayed will eventually be repainted this Sherwin Williams blue. Another thing to keep in mind is that there is variance between OEMs of that period on their shade of blue. Walker Turner used a darker blue than Atlas did. Parker used a completely different shade of blue on their grinders. I've been chasing my tail on these colors for years.

 

[JEFinCLE]

Thanks, I may do the same with my Atlas. It's quite evident that my pre-war 6" planer was brushed at the factory, so...why not? Did you add anything to the SW All Surface before brushing it on?

What's the keyless chuck on your Mohawk? Looks like a Delta-Grip. I've got one of those that I currently have on my little Delta radial DP.

Nice collection of 40s drill presses in that picture.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

I just brushed it on straight out of the can. I can't recall the maker of the keyless chuck and I'm a bit far away from my shop to look. Works like a charm though.

And thanks..yeah I've got a pre-war DP or two.

 

[Mallen]

The paint recommendations on Vintage Machinery for close matches for Craftsman blue seem to all be out of stock or discontinued. Anyone have a good "go to" off-the-shelf match for 40s era Craftsman blue? Rattle can or quarts, doesn't matter. Quarts would give me a reason to drag out my HVLP and use it again.

Ive used ford blue, the dark one. But ots quite a bit darker. If you can take off a part and find some unexposed paint, take it to an auto paint shop and they can mix you up some two stage polyurethane.

 

[bmw57isetta]

I used Valspar Classic Royal Blue on a pre-War Dunlap drill press. Maybe a gnat's eyelash darker than the factory blue behind the Dunlap badge that was very well preserved. Got it at Lowe's for $4.00 a can. Took two to paint the whole DP and motor with a little left over. For what it's worth, I fogged a couple of coats of Rustoleum Clear Satin over the blue to knock the glossy shine off of it several days after it was painted and allowed to completely dry.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Great work on that Dunlap!!!!

 

[bmw57isetta]

Thanks! This is what it looked like when I got it.

 

[wrenchr]

Thanks! This is what it looked like when I got it.

That belt still had some life left.........................

Seriously outstanding restoration on that Dunlap.

 

[bmw57isetta]

That belt still had some life left.........................

Seriously outstanding restoration on that Dunlap.

Thanks wrenchr! That drill press was seriously used and abused during its lifetime. The original table was an "arc of shame hall of famer". The whole thing was covered in oil, dirt and grease. Parts had been hogged together over the years. Found all of the original parts on the Internet and put it back the way it was supposed to have been. It's now in regular use in my son-in-law's woodworking shop.