Lathe Repaint colour choice

jlmtb1 · Nov 6, 2017

I'm doing a clean up and cosmetic overhaul of my victor lathe. Cleaning everything up and giving it a repaint. The original colours were the greenie gray all over and a orange bed. I'm going the same greenie gray. In order to save buying more paint I did the bed in a dark red/maroon colour. But now I'm not so sure of it. Just looking for some opinions of to leave it, paint it the same as the rest or go the original orange.
Cheers!

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Forrest Addy · Nov 6, 2017

Um-m-m-m... I hope I don't offend but have you ever seen the nose of a mandrill baboon?<br>
<br>Look here:<br>
<br>
<a href="https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=HrkAWuzDIMq6jwOQ_JnYBw&q=mandrill+images&oq=mandrill+image&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0j0i22i30k1l9.4386.15737.0.20281.22.17.4.0.0.0.277.1556.13j2j1.16.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..2.20.1582.6..35i39k1j0i131k1j0i67k1j0i20i264k1j0i20i263i264k1j0i20i263k1j0i10k1j0i13k1j0i13i30k1j0i8i13i30k1.71.TcrewrFSYZA" target="_blank">mandrill images - Google Search</a>

Maybe tint the paint you have two shades darker. and mute the color a bit.

jlmtb1 · Nov 6, 2017

Hahaha pretty close colour match

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Jersey John · Nov 6, 2017

FWIW ... a number of early English machines had red paintwork in the "T" slots and bed castings.

I think I'd rather see red than orange.

Just my 2 cents worth

John :typing:

Alex McGilton · Nov 6, 2017

I would keep as close to the original coulor as possible. You don't won't to look like those guys desperate to sell a "reconditioned"/"restored" machine on creg'slist. On the up side, any drooped parts or wrenches will be vary visible.

Monarchist · Nov 6, 2017

jlmtb1 said:
I'm doing a clean up and cosmetic overhaul of my victor lathe. Cleaning everything up and giving it a repaint. The original colours were the greenie gray all over and a orange bed. I'm going the same greenie gray. In order to save buying more paint I did the bed in a dark red/maroon colour. But now I'm not so sure of it. Just looking for some opinions of to leave it, paint it the same as the rest or go the original orange.
Cheers!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You ARE aware that if you select the wrong paint colour, both productivity and accuracy will suffer?

No joke.

You'll be too busy agonizing over the choice, or defending it, or seeking advice about changing it, or ACTUALLy changing it, and posting your agony all over PM the whole while, that you'll be too distracted to hit spec, if even you can still find time to put it back together and power it up!

Richard King · Nov 6, 2017

Member RC99 and your mate from down under rebuilt his Monarch EE lathe a few years ago and painted it Pink. So compared to that your color looks super. Boring Battleship grey is no fun nowadays...lol

I looked for that thread where he put pictures of it, but not having any luck. Rich

billzweig · Nov 7, 2017

Besides some outrageous variation, there are really two philosophies when it comes to machinery paint. One is to keep to the original colours. Another to try and match the general colour of other machines.
When I restored one of my lathes (light green originally), I matched the colour to the Moore jig borer in the shop. This happens to be close to most other machines in the shop.

Sachmanram · Nov 7, 2017

The lime green masking tape makes it stand out more than it will, when you remove the tape. Additionally, once the tail stock and saddle are back on the lathe, not much to see. I'd leave it alone and put it back together. If you don't like the colour then, slide things out of the way and re-paint.

Brian

Forrest Addy · Nov 8, 2017

You are going to live with that lathe color for a long time so do not make it ugly or un-endurable.

Want color advice? Don't ask a man. Us men know nothing of colors and taste except the business about stripes and checks and even then we don't pay much attention. Look at the average golfer.

Ask a confident practical woman over 30, one who's painted and decorated at least one home of her own. She will give you a pitying look and then pitch in and help you match colors much as a man would change a tire for a woman.

jlmtb1 · Nov 8, 2017

Thanks everyone, I've decided to go the original colour. At least then if anyone (or myself) questions it I can say it's the original colour.

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Richard King · Nov 8, 2017

Several years ago I rebuilt some Do-All Slicer Dicer machines for Control Data and they wanted us to paint them egg shell white oil based enamel gloss. The purchase order request stated to fill all holes,prime and paint. I had my painter figure out the time and cost it would take to make them shine. I believe he said an extra 100 hours.

Back then we were charging around $45.00 p/h. So we did it and they looked like new cars when we were done. We shipped them back and the Purchasing Agent loved them. Next time I went over there to quote another machine I tracked down that machine. It was covered with brown Micarta dust and coolant grime. They had shop rags hanging all over the machine. I said to the foreman "what happened with out beautiful white egg?" He laughed and I laughed and shook our heads. The next one we did, the PO stated Egg Shell paint again. Management won out. So sometimes you can't win painting a machine Hardinge grey the color I preferred. Rich

jlmtb1 · Nov 8, 2017

Thanks everyone, I've decided to go the original colour. At least then if anyone (or myself) questions it I can say it's the original colour.

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Georgineer · Nov 9, 2017

Richard King said:
Member RC99 and your mate from down under rebuilt his Monarch EE lathe a few years ago and painted it Pink....

So did the technician at a school where I once taught. His idea was to make it more appealing to the girls. The other one was bright green.

George

jlmtb1 · Nov 9, 2017

Pink and bright green....I think I like my orange haha

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10 fingers · Nov 9, 2017

Appreciate your choice, but permit me to add an opinion. We build machinery and color of choice is, ASA 61 gray. Is a gray-blue typical of late Bridgeport mills, Is a neutral color at home in a professional tool room. We take it a step further by grinding castings smooth, filling flaws, laying down 3 coats of fill & sand before final block sanding with 400 grit. Finally, we reduce Polane with a slow drying chemical retarder. Allows paint to wet-out, yielding a super gloss finish. Advantage being, I can very easily wipe the finish clean.

Nadobill · Nov 12, 2017

I like the color. I'm in the middle of a refurb on mine....

RC99 · Nov 12, 2017

If you mix some white with that red it might be more pleasing on the eyes.

Richard King · Nov 12, 2017

RC99 said:
If you mix some white with that red it might be more pleasing on the eyes.

I searched the archives for your picture, but couldn't find it. Please honor us with the pretty pink EE :-)

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