Windmill and tower markings - black paint / ink

[PaulV]

Thanks guys. Just easier to work in a small space when it's somewhat organized. Also makes more room for windmills stuff.

[PaulV]

Getting back in topic! Anyone have experience with Marsh Rolmark Stencil Ink?

[mtblah]

That looks interesting, yes I would also be interested in that product, the label is printed in multiple languages so it must be good.
If it is formulated in a foreign country it may have chemical
not used here, maybe lead ?

[rockingjl]

Very nice Paul. Lots of cool stuff in the background and those are some pretty long wheel arms in the first picture.

Thanks for the pictures, Jeff

[PaulV]

Ordered the stencil ink. Arrived yesterday. Will report further when I get time to experiment with it.

[hwy8]

The best thing that happened to me was finding an odd, round shaped brush at a garage sale (see photo): I couldn't resist a bargain even though I didn't know what it was for. Then a couple of years later, someone said, "what are you going to do with that stencil brush?" It didn't even occur to me that is what it is meant to do. Prior to that, I had tried every kind of bristle brush, roller, and sponge brush, and none were quite right. I think the stencil ink will give you "a feel" for the process/technique but I wonder if it will hold up outdoors as well as paint. UV rays, etc, etc...

One thing I found to be important is not to get the brush too wet (as odd as that sounds). Keep in mind that a paint brush is just the delivery vehicle and the tips of the bristles are all that are needed to hold some paint while it's on the way to another surface. I ended up getting about 1/8" of the bristles wet; the rest stayed clean. The brush is round and the firmness of the bristles are purposeful: Instead of wiping the paint/ink on, it is "tapped" onto the surface. When you look at the bristle end of the brush, realize that there are hundreds of bristle ends that hold the paint and each produces individual paint dots. The more you tap those dots onto the surface, the more coverage there will be. In the case of stenciling, very little paint is needed. Delivery addresses needed to resist abrasion or being washed off by moisture but I doubt they were shooting for a hundred year life (Logos/words on tail vanes are another matter) I think the paint they used was "stickier" than general-use paint and the trouble is, you need it to get onto the brush AND more importantly, you need to get it off the brush and ONTO to your surface.

So, off to the paint store I trotted, and there I talked to someone that actually knows what he is talking about. We spoke about the solvent part of it and the solids part of it and the adherence part too and I went home with the smallest can of wood/metal black enamel and the smallest can of solvent/dryer. I wanted the stuff to cover but also, to dry relatively fast. So I thinned it and tried it, and then let it sit with the lid off to thicken it, and tried that. Nothing worked or looked quite right.

And then I realized, I use "ONE-SHOT" sign paint on my tail vanes and that stuff is bulletproof! It stays on and doesn't fade. It took me all of this time and experimentation to realize that I should give it a try and for my needs, it worked great! (The smallest can of paint and solvent is expensive but both will last forever. I bought a smaller diameter stencil brush and retired my antique one.)

IF ALL ELSE FAILS AND WINTER IS LONG, I might try an air-brush...

Burt

[mtblah]

Burt , thank you for the tutorial on stencil usage
I didn’t remember using One Shot paint in the past,
It does last forever
Paul , pinstripes use that stuff, I should have remembered , but

[LoTec]

Back to your 3-leg trussed tower. Does it have split eye brace rods, or are they knob-and-keyhole style? Anybody know when Aermotor switched over that technology?

[PaulV]

Back to your 3-leg trussed tower. Does it have split eye brace rods, or are they knob-and-keyhole style? Anybody know when Aermotor switched over that technology?

Knob and keyhole?

[Windcatcher530 Dan]

LoTec I have a1899 or earlier tower and it has knob and key hole. My three legged truss tower has the split eyes but had a early 602 on it.