How To: 1944 Chev HUW restoration

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

One of the things I still have to look into for the 52-Set is possibly powder coating the flat No. 2 Brown onto the Carriers No. 4 and Remote receiver Case. Fortunately, still down the road a bit.

David

Dave, what you really want (and me too) is the correct colour of brown wrinkle paint in a rattle can. Oh to dream...

[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

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

More...data plates. Repair on the right hand window frame, before and after included.

[David Dunlop]

Hello again, Bruce.

The interior paintwork for the rear section (working section) of your HUW sounds interesting. I am quite familiar with the original factory paintwork in the WIRE-5 2K1/2 Boxes, and you have peaked my curiosity as to how similar the logic was for painting up the interior of the HUW.

I would anticipate all interior walls and ceiling of the working section of the HUW to be done gloss white. The floor, if not given a layer of battleship Lino, would be painted either a dark grey, or done matching the exterior colour applied to the vehicle at the factory. The key here is that if the rear roof hatch is open, the floor colour should not give away the vehicle location to passing aircraft.

For security/safety/camo reasons in the field, the doors accessing the working section should all be exterior colour inside and out. For the same reasons, the exterior colour should cover any exterior metal work that wraps around any door and window openings they are acting as frames for, and end wherever that metal ends on the inside.

The rear roof hatch gets a bit interesting to sort out. You may have to stand somewhere to look down into the opening to fully figure out what needs to be done.

First thought would be the exterior colour would wrap down over all the metalwork forming the frame of the hatch in the roof and end wherever that metal ends. The exterior colour on the hatch itself would also likely wrap around the four side/edges and follow that metal to where it ends. The main ceiling of the underside of the hatch should be gloss white.

When standing looking down into the opening for the rear hatch. What you would need to be looking for are any parts around the perimeter of the opening, like tracks, rails, handles etc. that would stand out if painted gloss white and ensure they are all painted to match the exterior colour. Again, you do not want to accidentally give away who you are and where you are, if you can avoid it. The rear hatch will definitely be the most exciting bit of the HUW to sort out for painting. It will probably not look very uniform when finally completed.

It always amazed me that the basic concealment processes in wartime vehicle painting were lost so quickly in the Canadian Army in the postwar years.

Keep us up to date on this, Bruce. It is going to be fascinating stuff, worthy of your skills and attention.


David

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

You pretty much nailed it. The interior bins, ceiling and walls are gloss white. I even found areas where the white didn't quite cover the original grey primer. The inside of the doors of course are brown, as is the seats, wireless table and battery trays...all meant to be removable. What is odd is that the angled portions of the cab/body division panel nearest the body door windows are white and stick out quite visibly (wartime photos show this a lot). There are of course black vinyl covers for these windows but they would have to be rolled down to cover all that camouflage-ruining white. The floor is checker plate and brown. I wasn't sure if this included the insides of the wheel wells but now am convinced they were white. I may resort to painting the floor last with a brush. What is linoleum and I'm having a hard time finding material for is the wireless table top.

What is going to be hard to duplicate on the interior is the yellowing of all that white by years of chain smoking signalers. Forget wrinkle paint, where oh where do you find nicotine varnish in a rattle can???

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Hello again, Bruce.

The interior paintwork for the rear section (working section) of your HUW sounds interesting. I am quite familiar with the original factory paintwork in the WIRE-5 2K1/2 Boxes, and you have peaked my curiosity as to how similar the logic was for painting up the interior of the HUW.

I would anticipate all interior walls and ceiling of the working section of the HUW to be done gloss white. The floor, if not given a layer of battleship Lino, would be painted either a dark grey, or done matching the exterior colour applied to the vehicle at the factory. The key here is that if the rear roof hatch is open, the floor colour should not give away the vehicle location to passing aircraft.

For security/safety/camo reasons in the field, the doors accessing the working section should all be exterior colour inside and out. For the same reasons, the exterior colour should cover any exterior metal work that wraps around any door and window openings they are acting as frames for, and end wherever that metal ends on the inside.

The rear roof hatch gets a bit interesting to sort out. You may have to stand somewhere to look down into the opening to fully figure out what needs to be done.

First thought would be the exterior colour would wrap down over all the metalwork forming the frame of the hatch in the roof and end wherever that metal ends. The exterior colour on the hatch itself would also likely wrap around the four side/edges and follow that metal to where it ends. The main ceiling of the underside of the hatch should be gloss white.

When standing looking down into the opening for the rear hatch. What you would need to be looking for are any parts around the perimeter of the opening, like tracks, rails, handles etc. that would stand out if painted gloss white and ensure they are all painted to match the exterior colour. Again, you do not want to accidentally give away who you are and where you are, if you can avoid it. The rear hatch will definitely be the most exciting bit of the HUW to sort out for painting. It will probably not look very uniform when finally completed.

It always amazed me that the basic concealment processes in wartime vehicle painting were lost so quickly in the Canadian Army in the postwar years.

Keep us up to date on this, Bruce. It is going to be fascinating stuff, worthy of your skills and attention.


David

[David Dunlop]

I think you are on the right track, Bruce, if you start at the top of the interior with the gloss white and work your way down to the floor. If you can, consider doing the roof hatch assembly as a separate item with the required exterior colour and gloss white and mate it to the vehicle at the appropriate time. Once the interior white is finished, detail in the exterior colour around the relevant openings and leave the floor until last. Again, if possible, give the white a couple of weeks to dry cure before starting the floor paint work. Makes cleaning up an 'Ooops' so much easier.

I am not a fan of masking/painters tape available to us plebes at the local DIY stores. There is a yellow one, about 2 inches wide that autobody paint shops use that is a lot better but still not perfect. Years ago, I stumbled across a painting aid at a store somewhere here in town called a "15-inch Painting Trim Guide". It was made by a company called DYNAMIC and looks like a strip of heavy-duty aluminum Venetian blind with a flat handle in the middle of one side. Over the years it has removed about 80% of my need for masking tape, inside and out.

I just did a quick internet check and it looks like this product and a very similar one made by BENNETT should still be available at Home Depot, RONA and Lowes and are running less than $5.00 or so. You might want to test one out.

One last thing. Have you thought of using a roller for the floor work? A 3-inch would allow you to cut in around the edges with a couple of light coats and then follow up with the standard 9-inch Roller for the main floor area. I have found the roller gives a much closer look to a sprayed paint job than I can ever get with a brush, and I use fine nap rollers. Never bother cleaning them. I just keep enough on hand to see the job through and throw them away after each painting stage.

On that note, Bruce, it is time I ventured out into the 32 degree Back garden and decide if it is worth working the BBQ for dinner tonight, or ordering in from the nearest Bar and Grill.


David

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

On that note, Bruce, it is time I ventured out into the 32 degree Back garden and decide if it is worth working the BBQ for dinner tonight, or ordering in from the nearest Bar and Grill.


David

BBQ steak with a Sleemans's Honey Brown tonight. I don't know about yours but my BBQ doesn't work without beer.