My 1.8 Zetec Silver Top Cam Cover was looking a bit worn, so I had a go with the VHT etch primer and wrinkle paint, the key is to apply 3 x thick even coats 5 mins apart on a hot sunny dry day and then wait a few hrs for the wrinkles to appear. I left it a few days to harden and also baked it in the oven for 1hr. Seems like a good durable finish, now it looks like a black top Zetec . Quite pleased with the result. I'd practised on some ali offcuts beforehand to see how best to apply the paint.


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worn cam cover 12sep22 [/img]


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bare ali 12sep22 [/img]


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etch primer 12sep22 [/img]


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wrinkled 1 12sep22 [/img]


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wrinkled 2 12sep22 [/img]


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close up 18spe22 [/img]


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after 18sep22 [/img]


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VHT Paint tins 18sep22 [/img]

Looks much nicer! I’m a big fan of the wrinkle finish, have the same on my crossflow rocker cover. The excitement of seeing the wrinkles appear is child like!

Love it nicely done.

I used the same stuff in red and black.
crackle

Nice job, like the finish.

Satifying to get a good result doing this kind of thing at home. I like the practice run approach and hardening and baking time too. I've found this sort of thing relly helps get good results.

That looks great. Tempting me to have a go too.

Slater

You mention waiting for a hot, dry and sunny day before painting. Did you warm the cam cover at all before painting?

I ask, because I've found in the past if I warm metal parts (usually over an electric heater) before paiting they seem to paint better. It may be that it helps the paint cure/harden better.

Nick205 - On the tin it says to apply when temp is above 16 degs and low humidity, I'd watched a few youtube clips and it seems like the wrinkle effect is speeded up by application of heat (sun or heat gun). But you really need to get the 3 x (very) thick coats on (5 mins apart) before applying the heat, so warming the item prior to spraying would not be good idea in this case. and don't fanny about with mist coats, just apply each coat thick as you can without getting runs. After the 3 coats I then put it out into the sun and about 1 hr later the thick gloss slowly turns into crinkles, taking 4 hrs to fully wrinkle. Then 2 days in the sun to harden.

I also put it in the oven for 1 hr at 100 deg to fully cure, as per tin instructions, when wife was out, I thought I'd got away with it as I'd managed to get rid of the smell. but then 2 days later when we used the oven again at the normal 180 degs there was a bad smell of burning paint!!! Whoops....I never owned up...

Slater

Thanks for the reply and process run down. I've not used VHT Wrinkle Paint before so it's a new one to me. I'm more in tune with rattle cans of primer (usually red oxide) and then rattle cans of top coat.

Thanks again for the detail - looking for something to try now

I'd be in the same position as you with using the kitchen oven and then stinking the pace out with paint fumes