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Topic: Century Paint

Kevin Crawford
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 207
From: Sacramento, CA, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 03-13-2001 02:03 AM

I am in the midst of rebuilding a Century SA, and the paint is in bad shape. I was wondering if anyone knew the best type of paint to put in this sucker.

I have seen some paint jobs on Centurys and Simplexs that turn yellow or flake off after a short period of time. I would like to avoid this.

Please let me know.

Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 03-13-2001 02:31 AM

Contact Ken Layton. He'll give you a good rundown on what kind of paint to use, how to prepare the surfaces, and how to bake the paint on the surface.

Aaron Sisemore
Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day!

Posts: 3061
From: Rockwall TX USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 03-13-2001 02:52 AM

A really good quality epoxy paint would probably be the best thing for the film side of a Century (or any other projector for that matter). You would likely have to completely disassemble the mechanism and take the case and have it completely degreased and them bead-blasted (after having covered ALL the bushings and bearings with a suitable media to prevent the chips and bead residues from damaging them). Then once the surface is completely clean and dry, apply the epoxy base paint and allow to cure thoroughly before reassembling the projector. Lots of extra work, but the results are worth it.

Aaron

Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-13-2001 09:21 AM

I reccommend Durable Coatings(from Chicago) Gray Hammertone for use on projectors. This is an industrial finish that must be baked on so that it cures. It will air dry but takes several weeks. This is far superior to anything you can get in a spray can, but it also costs more!
Have the main casting stripped by a dunk and strip place. DO NOT SANDBLAST THE MAIN CASTING! You can sandblast the remainder of the castings if you want but do not use extremely high pressure or corse grit sand in the blaster. I use a cabnit type blaster at about 80 psi with DuPont Starblast. On big orders for 4 or more machine I always just have the all the parts dunk stripped!
Clean all castings well in hot soapy water and dry off. mask all areas on the castings that didn't have paint on them. Then prine everything with zinc chromate primer. This is the yellow-green primer thats used on aircraft. This stuff is nasty so be careful. It air dries quite fast but I always give it 24 hours time.
Next paint the castings with the hammertone paint and bake at 180 degrees for 30 minuites. Remove let cool and add the frosting, I mean parts!
Note that the Durable paint only comes in 5 gallon buckets. I usually split it up into some new 1 gallon cans that I obtain locally. This makes handling much easier.
Tis finish is glass hard and shiny as glass when its doem right. Durable also makes several kinds of wrinkle finish paints as well for you wrinkle guys but I reccommend the hammertone as its easier to keep it clean.
Mark @ GTS

Greg Mueller
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1687
From: Port Gamble, WA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-13-2001 10:19 AM

So what kind of paint do I use for the "inside" of the projection head on my Norelco. Not the oil area but the film area. It's an off white, more like yellow white. Looks like a heavy enamel. I need to do the inside of the door.

------------------
Greg Mueller
Amateur Astronomer, Machinist, Filmnut

Josh Jones
Redhat

Posts: 1207
From: Plano, TX
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 03-13-2001 10:56 AM

So what colors does the hammertone paint come in? Does it come in Brenkert brown?
How much is that stuff for a 5 gallon pail?

Josh

Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-13-2001 05:34 PM

Greg,
The Avacodo appliance epoxy in a spray can like you get at Home Depot works really well. I have used this to spray DP-70 optical heads after machining for our retrofit. This usually matches the slightly yellowed interior of a Norelco really well. If you do a slow bake on it it also produces a high gloss like the original Norelco paint. The original Norelco paint, which is a two part paint, is still available through Kinoton as well. I have used Sherwin Williams Bright White for projector interiors. Again a paint that should be baked on. If you do bake it it resists the dye stains better than if you don't.
Josh,
You'd have to call Durable Coatings in Chicago to find out. I'd say in the neighborhood of 250.00 per 5 gallons, can't remember exactly though. This sounds like allot but you also thin to spray it on, so a gallon does allot of projectors! 5 gallons lasted me over a year and we used to do anywhere from 10 to 20 machines at once. Don't forget the Zinc Chromate primer which all auto paint suppliers have on the shelf. Its about 100.00 per gallon though but is the best primer for alumnium as it actually etches into the metal. Its also nasty stuff to use, so either spray outside when the EPA isn;t looking, or in an EPA approved paint booth as I used to do it.
As an alternative you could also carefully mask the unpainted surfaces and have the castings powder coated. POwder coating can also be done in wrinkle or hammertone but if you forget to mask an area be ready to machine the finish off! My VistaVision projector shown here on the picture page was powder painted black and it has held up great. Powder coating is also far more enviromentally friendly as there is basically no waste or overspray.
Mark @ GTS

Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-13-2001 06:25 PM

For the white interiors I have had good luck with SuperWhite
for the exteriors I often get Hammerite

Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-13-2001 09:18 PM

I just came across an old Century just lying on the floor in the booth of an old, derelict theatre. I'm going to try to see if I can get it to work. If not I'll strip it for parts for another theatre that has the same projector.

I'm debating the difference between "rebuilding" and "restoring" it. I know this is more like industrial equipment than a museum piece but I'm wondering if stripping the original paint, etc. has any effect on the future value of the machine.

Any thoughts?

Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-14-2001 09:08 AM

Randy,
Restoring has allot of weight to it if it is a new plex and if the customer is getting his money from a bank. Banks do not like to lend money on used equipment, only new. If they see "rebuilt as new" on the invoice they never question it. We also give an as new warranty on restored machines.
It also has to do with how much you care about your own work. Since I take allot of pride in the booths that we sell all projectors leave here looking like new. The exception is if someone like a collector or do it your selver comes along and wants to buy one as-is.
Mark @ GTS
Mark @ GTS

Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-14-2001 07:49 PM

Well, I just got the thing home and took a good look at in the light. It's got all its parts and I can turn it over by hand. Everything seems to be in order. In fact, when I took the shoe out there was still some film dust under the runners. The aperture plate and the "backer" plate were still in it. It looks like somebody just disassembled it and left it.

I went looking for the nameplate to get the serial number but I couldn't find it. It also looks as if it was repainted. It's got a coating of dark grey crinkle paint over what appears to be the original baked-on enamel. (Only on the outside, not inside the comartment. Thank God!) You can see some chips in the original coating that were painted over.

So, it looks to me like this is going to be a "rebuild" instead of a "restoration". I think I'm going to tear it down, degrease and clean it then reassemble with as many of the original parts as are still in good shape. When I turn it over by hand there's a slight clicking in the intermittent as the cam engages but that could change once I flush out the inside with oil a couple of times and then fill it up the way it's supposed to be. Who knows; it might simply be caked with varnish inside there. (Then again... maybe not.)

On my next trip I'll have to go back and get the sound head. It's an SH-1000. The only thing that looked like it needed replacement was the solar cell, which I would probably replace anyway. I had to leave it. The proj. head was heavy enough by itself. I didn't have enough room in the car. Besides, the proj. head weighs about 100 pounds and the sound head with the motor attached probably weighs twice that! My car wasn't happy with the weight of the one piece. The projector AND the sound head might have killed my clutch!

Aaron Sisemore
Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day!

Posts: 3061
From: Rockwall TX USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 03-14-2001 08:32 PM

>>I went looking for the nameplate to get the serial number but I couldn't find it.<<

Century model number and serial are stamped into the machined top surface that the magazine would bolt to. i.e. SAW 1234

Aaron

Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-14-2001 09:09 PM

Found it! It is "C 2704".

Now, this topic started out to be about PAINT, right? Well, the numb-nutz that repainted this baby sure did a job on it!

First I started to look on the mounting surface like you said but that was covered in paint. He didn't even bother to take off the changeover bracket. Just painted right over! I had to scrape off the paint with a razor blade but it wasn't there. So I thought it might be under the fire trap. That's where I found it but I had to remove the trap that was glued on with paint and then scrape off the paint that had oozed under.

So the moral of the story is: If you're going to repaint, DO IT RIGHT, DAMMITT!

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