This looks GREAT. You're just a can of dye away from racing stripes or paisley.I've got to figure out how to do this. The process scares the bejesus out of me.
The secret is in the shelling, or if you're patient (I'm not) in the masking. I've since learned that "dye" is a bit of a misnomer, this is really spray paint mixed with some intensively smelly chemical solvent: rocket fuel, perhaps. It's no harder or easier than spray-painting something, in other words, and the usual precautions apply (old clothes, good ventilation, don't over-spray.)
I did plan this out a bit in advance: the Brother is held together by exactly four screws, one per foot. I intended to leave the carriage alone, as well as the cover (the bottom of the typewriter is the bottom of the case.) This was the ideal type of machine for this project.
Really, Mike, and I've said it over on Flickr - you've done a terrific job here.
I put my poor Smith Corona eighty-eight desktop through the paint process with disappointing results. Impatience and lack of any spray-painting skill pretty much doomed me from the start. Not sure I have the stones to actually post pictures of it.
The dye seems to be staying put, although this typer doesn't get handled very much, either. Compared to the paint job on my AlphaSmart, though, this is worlds better.
I'm using the dye for the knobs on my silver surfer project. That should be a real test of durability.
13 comments:
So then, you're starting a business of selling pimped-out refurbed typewriters to style-conscious college literary types.
If not, I recommend doing so at once.
This looks GREAT. You're just a can of dye away from racing stripes or paisley.I've got to figure out how to do this. The process scares the bejesus out of me.
Nice NaNoBling, by the way.
Whoa...that's RED. Very RED. Turned out great! I like.
The secret is in the shelling, or if you're patient (I'm not) in the masking. I've since learned that "dye" is a bit of a misnomer, this is really spray paint mixed with some intensively smelly chemical solvent: rocket fuel, perhaps. It's no harder or easier than spray-painting something, in other words, and the usual precautions apply (old clothes, good ventilation, don't over-spray.)
I did plan this out a bit in advance: the Brother is held together by exactly four screws, one per foot. I intended to leave the carriage alone, as well as the cover (the bottom of the typewriter is the bottom of the case.) This was the ideal type of machine for this project.
It is beautiful!
That is a sexy typewriter.
Looks pretty good! Now come to Las Vegas and do my Selectric up in Hunter S. Red.
Thanks for the kind words, everyone. It was a lot of fun to do, and will make me look twice at the next plastic junker I find.
Really, Mike, and I've said it over on Flickr - you've done a terrific job here.
I put my poor Smith Corona eighty-eight desktop through the paint process with disappointing results. Impatience and lack of any spray-painting skill pretty much doomed me from the start. Not sure I have the stones to actually post pictures of it.
Oh, and plus?
I went ahead and did up my Sears Achiever with the plastic paint.
Since it's basically the same machine as yours, I couldn't do it in red. So I went a little wilder (for me).
Pictures hopefully coming soon.
Is it an improvement over the brown and off-white? Definitely. Will you want to bring it home and introduce it to the folks? Likely not.
How has this red dye held up over time?
The dye seems to be staying put, although this typer doesn't get handled very much, either. Compared to the paint job on my AlphaSmart, though, this is worlds better.
I'm using the dye for the knobs on my silver surfer project. That should be a real test of durability.
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