Finding markings

[Robin Craig]

I am about to start rubbing down my Canadian Ferret c/s 31 and hope to find markings in the layers of paint as I do.

Any tricks to doing this best? What grit sandpaper do people use?

I intend to use tracing paper and camera to preserve them as they appear

Robin

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Robin

From my experience I would say the finer the better. I use an orbital air sander with real fine wet sand paper and running water to really cut slowly through the layers. It is how I found the markings on my `42 C60S which came through French Army Nato stock. The markings were definitely on a post war layer of paint and strangely there were no markings under that post war layer though there was two more layers (slight difference in color) then the primer coat on bare steel.

A question for the group as a whole, in the US it was common to just paint over unit marking and numbers, but I have heard that vehicles coming out of British Service it was common to grind of the old markings then paint over that area, comments please?

Cheers Phil

[Jason Ginn]

You can also try Circa 1850 furniture paint stripper and a razor blade uncover markings. Circa 1850 is usually not strong enough to lift more than one layer of paint per application, but apply it to a small areas and remove it as soon as it starts to lift the paint. The amount of time required to lift each layer will depend on the type and thickness of paint on the vehicle, but it usually only takes a few seconds.

I apply the stripper with a 1" brush so I don't get more on the panel that I can get off in a second or so. I use the razor to lift off the soupy mess and steel wool or a damp rag to clean the area down. After the stripper is removed the remaining layer of paint is usually softer than the untreated areas. A razor works really well to follow markings that you start to uncover in, or under, the softened layer, but I suggest knocking the square corners off the blade edge so they don't dig into the panel.

J