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Well, it didn't turn out great. I buffed the copper boiler and then finished up with Maas Metal Polish. I cleaned it well (I thought) and then sprayed it with Rustoleum High Heat Ceramic Coating. Next came baking it at 250F for 30 minutes with a 30 minute cool down, then 400F for 30 minute with a similar cool down, and then I skipped the 600F stage 'cause I didn't think I needed it. Sadly after all that it showed patches that look "rusty". I'm not sure what caused them, perhaps unremoved oxidation, buffing compound or metal polish but that would surprise me, or maybe something entirely different. At any rate I'm going to strip it back down to bare metal and leave it that way even though a large percentage of the boiler looks good. Just thought I'd let you all know for future reference.

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Buffing might have been the problem as paint has a hard time sticking to a shiny surface. Better to rough it up first with 400 grit paper for paint to get a good grip. Sticking on brass is also problematic and buffing compound can get embedded in it.

Bummer to do all that work for nothing… Have you thought of painting the boiler black? I have a NOS 504 that’s all black and looks very nice. I’ll see if I can find a picture…

When you've been officially retired as long as I have, sixteen years, you tend to look for things to do as long as it isn't hard labor - besides this was an experiment that I wanted to do regardless of the outcome. The only black boilers that I really like are my Cheddar ones, otherwise shiny copper but that's just my personal preference.

If you want clear, you might want to try nitrocellulose lacquer. I imagine it will hold up to heat nicely at least for a while.

Over the years it will yellow and darken some.

Marklin used it on their boilers and boiler housings.

I just wanted to try to beat the oxidation so the boiler would remain shiny and a rattle can sounded simple more so than spraying lacquer which I haven't done for decades.

Quote from: RedRyder on February 16, 2024, 05:34:07 am

If you want clear, you might want to try nitrocellulose lacquer. I imagine it will hold up to heat nicely at least for a while.

Over the years it will yellow and darken some.

Marklin used it on their boilers and boiler housings.

I just wanted to try to beat the oxidation so the boiler would remain shiny and a rattle can sounded simple more so than spraying lacquer which I haven't done for decades.

I understand. 


The good news is you can find nitrocellulose lacquer in a spray can. It is a favorite among those restoring old electric guitars.