The following comes from a recent topic on Smok Stak, which can
be found on the Internet at: www.engineads.com/ smokstak.cgi. As
ever, various individuals started, commented on and concluded the
following bulletin board thread.
I saw a previous post alluding to methods of maintaining or
enhancing the original finish on old engines. I also read in the
SmokStak archives that linseed oil could be painted on, but other
than that, I can’t seem to find much else. What are the other
methods, and what works best? I’m looking forward to another
long winter in the shop. – Baggsy
I have left all of my engines with their original finish. First,
they’re cleaned with kerosene and left to dry. Then I apply a
50/50 coat of boiled linseed oil mixed with mineral spirits.
It’s important to use a 50-percent mineral spirits mixture
because straight linseed oil will leave a sticky finish. You’ll
be surprised with the result. – Bruce
The 3 HP Fairbanks ZC I bought came on original wood skids with
original paint, but had suffered numerous paint spills and
splashes. The spills and slops came off with vigorous scrubbing,
but in doing so, the paint gloss was damaged. After consulting the
SmokStak archives, I tried something new and used a couple of wet
coats of ‘Petrol’ oil-based paint additive. A multi-use
product, it ordinarily dries overnight. My results turned out good:
The gloss is even and the dried and flaking paint on the wood skids
appears to have knitted together as if the remaining paint is
holding, and the ‘bare’ wood looks like it has a coat of
semi-gloss varnish.
The paint is a bit more glossy than original I suspect, but
it’s not overdone. I’m glad that I chose this method for
this particular project. – Kid
I tried the straight linseed oil and it took a long time to not
be sticky. I hear clear coat works, but it may yellow with time. –
Vernon
In 25 years of restoring these wonderful old engines, my concept
has changed from ‘creating the beautiful’ to
‘preserving the character.’ An engine in good, unmolested
original condition cannot be made more valuable by anything we do
to it, excepting maintaining its character. – Lester
I can’t say I agree with leaving an engine as found with
only 20 or 30 percent of its original paint remaining – unless
it’s a very rare engine or has a special history. I’ve been
involved in many types of collections such as motorcycles, cars,
etc., but I can’t recall another hobby where 30 percent of the
original finish was better than a full restoration – not even farm
tractors.
How many of you would buy a Studebaker Golden Hawk and
completely re-do the engine, transmission, wiring and so on, and
not do any body work, upholstery or paint it? – Allen
Well, I’ve been thinking of posting something like this for
a while. I personally like an engine that’s fixed up and
restored to its original condition. I’m not great at it, but I
try my best. It’s interesting to see how these old engines have
survived through the years. If it’s your engine, fix it up the
way you like it and enjoy it.
But, there’s one thing that yanks my chain real hard, and
that’s when somebody takes an old, greasy engine and paints
right over everything. I’m working on one of these right now,
and, yes, I knew it was like that when I bought it. Ninety-year-old
grease is hard enough to remove, but try removing six layers of
98-cent paint on top of it. I’ve tried every tool known to man
to clean this thing. It’s enough to drive a man to drink. –
John
At the end of the day, it’s a pure and simple case of
deciding on the method you prefer. I personally like to repaint a
unit, not necessarily even original colors. It’s your unit, you
are the person who sees the beauty in it. As long as it’s
protected from decay, the outcome is irrelevant. To answer the
original post, pretty much anything oil-based will protect and
bring a luster to a finish. – Matt
I’ve seen too many engines painted up to conceal cracks,
welds and other damage. I’ve even bought such engines,
completely trusting the seller’s word that the engines had no
damage. I personally don’t buy painted engines anymore, but I
really do appreciate the time and pain that many owners invest into
beautifully refinishing their engine. If they want to disguise
cracks, welds and blemishes, that’s okay. Why spend the time,
energy and money if the job isn’t going to look good? –
Harvey
Dr. John Wilcox (one of the original founders of the Coolspring
Power Museum) uses nothing but automatic transmission fluid on his
engines. This includes his Callahan, 125 HP Otto, 150 HP Miller and
many others. I believe after a while a nice patina is developed.
All of his engines look outstanding. I’ve been using WD40, but
I’m going to get a spray bottle and start using ATF exclusively
myself. -Keith
If the engine still has some original paint, clean it and give
it a coat of some kind of protect ant (I’ve had good luck with
boiled linseed oil). If it has no or little paint, and it runs
good, leave it alone. If it has little or no paint, and it needs to
be torn down, clean and paint it close to the factory color. I
don’t like painting whatever color is handy even though
it’s better than letting them rust. Personally, I’d rather
clean the rust than strip off some weird color. But, when showing
them, try and present what they looked like from the factory.
We’re trying to preserve and teach the history of these old
engines, are we not? – Bob
SmokStak is an engine conversation bulletin board with over
50,000 messages on file and is part of the Old Engine series of Web
sites that started in 1995 as ‘Harry’s Old Engine.’
Harry Matthews is a retired electronic engineer and gas engine
collector from Oswego, N.Y., now residing in Sarasota, Fla.
‘I’ve been involved in many types of collections such as
motorcycles, cars, etc., but I can’t recall another hobby where
30 percent of the original finish was better than a full
restoration not even farm tractors.’ John
