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Has anyone used the liquid asphaultum from Blick's to touch up Edison bedplates? I have a Gem that is worn down to bare metal near the bottom. Does this product smell badly? I would hate to smell up the whole house, especially in the winter.
Dave D

I've used Blick's asphaltum and it won't create an odor problem for small projects. It dries extremely slow however. I read somewhere that the Edison factory had special sheds where they hung and dried dipped bedplates during the summer months to dry in the heat.
Dave

Yes Dave it was like an oven effect scence they did not have ovens back then. I also have a nice edison C 150 bedplate that needs work, However to speed up they dryring process I can ask to use the spray booth it has a bake cycle in it when they paint cars. Great idea hugh.

Discman wrote:I've used Blick's asphaltum and it won't create an odor problem for small projects. It dries extremely slow however. I read somewhere that the Edison factory had special sheds where they hung and dried dipped bedplates during the summer months to dry in the heat.
Dave

What does a long time mean? Do you mean it took all summer in a hot shed? If it took a couple of weeks in my basement I would not care as long as the end result looked good. The other option would be nigrosine mixed with shellac. Do you know if that is a good match?

My wife insisted on getting an expensive and fancy clothes dyer with an upper cabinet that is used for drying sweaters. As I suspected, she never uses it. I wonder if that would speed things up if I choose to use asphaltum?
Dave

Asphaltum will take at least 2-3 weeks to dry and may still be slightly tacky after that. I always put a light top coat of shellac over it. Nigrosine and shellac dries immediately and the color match is very good.
Dave
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Dave D wrote:...

My wife insisted on getting an expensive and fancy clothes dyer with an upper cabinet that is used for drying sweaters. As I suspected, she never uses it. I wonder if that would speed things up if I choose to use asphaltum?
Dave

Cloths dryers blow lots of air filled with lint. I would be very hesitant to use such an environment to dry a tacky finish.

I think that what we are calling asphaultum paint is called Japanning. Probably not politically correct, but that is what it was called a century ago. First, where to get the asphaultum to make it? https://www.renaissancegraphics.com/pro ... -powdered/

And a video of making several different formulations. I will try some of these myself, going to get the ingredients soon. It was a durable, shiny black finish, that is about 4,000 years old. Mainly Asphaultum powder, and turpentine, some have other ingredients.

https://youtu.be/SBqgpdBNrt8

Some information from a previous thread:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=40216&hilit=Black+enamel&start=0

https://victrolagramophones.proboards.com/thread/141

Asphaultum / Asphaltum

Thanks guys for digging this thread back up!

I'd love to see how the experiment turns out, Shawn. When you can make Japan lacquer I'm sure Edison collectors everywhere would love to know just how you did it.