Brush Paint Finish..?

[1776J]

Brush finishes.... here's what I know regarding history...

Auburn and even Cord did brushed finishes. However, the paint was applied with a VERY fine haired brush, the likes of a sable haired brush would have been used. Then in between EACH coat, there was a watery mixture they would hand buff the coat with with was pretty much a fine pumice in a liquid they would mix up and apply, rub and apply yet again. Of course as you can imagine this took a while, but there were more than one person doing it!

Other than that,.... yes, as I've mentioned to you in the past when we talked paint, right from the fellows that were there (in the 1930s and 40s) you used what you had on hand. rarely did anyone have an air compressor and a paint gun! if you were lucky enough to have a friend with that combination of tools, then, yes, you'd try your hand at spraying the finish. Buffing between each layer,..(hand rubbing). Though most fellows could only afford primer, or primer and a color coat. They did what they could as best they could with the materials at hand. This info comes from two fellows in California that were hot rodders in the mid to late 1930s. One is 92 and the other is 89 years old.

[Rubone]

ctbrunt,
One of the things that always surprises me reading vintage British bike publications is the number of people who use brush on finishes. Many of them have multiple coats which are then buffed to a finish closely resembling original sprayed finishes. I say go for it!
Robbie

[ctbrunt]

Hey Gang,

Ok, this'll sound odd but I'm more into the details of the motorcycle culture of the 1930s and 1940s than the just the parts/details. You know- doing things like they did, if I can. So I'm after the experiences of these men more than anything else.

One thing I've always thought epitomized the period was the do-it-yourself mentalilty- from the homebrew slant jobs to shed tuners. Well, we've all seen the images VLs re-painted and/or re-badge into newer looking jobs. And of course the Harley (or Indian) catalogs selling touch up paint, laquer, new emblems, etc catered to this mentality.

So, like the do-it-yourself (cash strapped guy of 1940-41), as I work on my "Schnucklehead" I'd enjoy painting the tanks and fenders by brush and wet sanding each coat both to save money as well as just to do it (think Ford). I don't have a paint booth or spraying set so spraying is out.

Has anyone tried this before? Could anyone give me a few pointers??

Thanks,
Clint