HELP: Removing new paint from horn

[rgordon939]

I have a horn that has been painted black that I believe may have a wood grain finish under it. Any suggestions on removing the paint without destroying the finish underneath? I think there may have been a link to this subject but I could not find it.

Rich Gordon

[Lucius1958]

First, you had better be pretty damn sure that the horn has an original grain finish before you strip anything.

If you're sure that bell has been repainted, and is not a later marriage with the elbow, then your first option is to trade it for an original that matches the elbow - or else trade the elbow for one that matches the bell.

If you are determined to remove the paint from the bell, you will have to pay a good price to have it repainted to match the elbow.

Just my humble opinion.

Bill

[Mr Grumpy]

I would use a chemical stripper, the mildest I could find, and dilute it with whatever the recommended thinning agent is to reduce it's effectiveness.

I'd start in a test area, wipe on and then wipe off quickly (time it).
If there isn't much black visible on my rag, I'd try again but increase the amount of time I leave it on.
You could also try gently sanding the black paint first (just to scuff it up) as this will help
the diluted stripper do it's job.

If none of this had the desired effect, I'd make the stripping mixture stronger and try it all again.

Starting with an incredible weak solution will decrease the chances that the original finish underneath is damaged, but will also increase the amount of time the entire process will take.

[Jerry B.]

It appears to me that it's an original black bell mated to a wood grained elbow. Before you do anything please examine the bell for any nicks that reveal wood grain underneath. Also, that decal on the bell looks original. Is there any evidence that the black has been painted around the decal?It would be a shame to spoil a nice black Cygnet bell in error and it's a one way street you start down with any paint remover. Jerry Blais

[rgordon939]

The horn looks nice but it has definitely had been repainted. In the close up picture you can see that. In the very first picture of my post you can almost see the brown wood grain color underneath the black paint. The only place that was not repainted is the inside of the elbow where the wood grain is still present. Just not sure if it's worth all the work.

Rich Gordon

[Jerry B.]

Since it's already a repainted horn you have nothing to lose. If you are unable to save the wood grained finish, you can have it wood grained again after stripping it down to bare metal. I'd take some photos for provenance. In truth I think it's unlikely you can remove the black and save the wood grain paint. A wood grained horn is much more interesting than a black Cygnet and much more unusual. If you need to have it wood grained, Gregg Cline does a nice job. Another option is to check with local car clubs and ask who does the wood graining of dash boards. Jerry Blais

[JerryVan]

Even if it was wood grained, very few have survived with a reasonably nice finish. If yours is a repainted wood grained horn, it was probably repainted for a good reason. Unless you want to have it further repainted, back to a wood grain, I would leave it alone.

[NEFaurora]

An old trick is to use Hoppe's No. 9 Gun cleaner. It uses Bananna oil and it stinks, so use outside. It will strip the paint layer by layer without harming the original finish. I've been using it for years with excellent results. I discovered it 25 years ago. Most anything else will destroy the original finish underneath if there is any if you try to strip it with anything else.

That's my tip.

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

[fmblizz]

Wow thanks Tony,,, there is one I have never heard of... I'm heading to Bass Pro today to see if they carry the stuff.. I want to experiment a bit before I have to use it on something special.. LOL

blizz

[jboger]

The problem with moving only one layer of paint while leaving an underlayer intact is that whatever off-the-shelf solvent you use will probably dissolve both. You would need to find a solvent that removes the outer layer without removing the underlayer. That is possible, but only if the chemical bases of both paints are sufficiently different. A fully equipped conservation lab would probably begin by analyzing the composition of both paints and even then might come to the conclusion that this technique could not be used. So, if you are going this route, someone above suggest diluting a paint remover. This is so you can control the removal of the outer layer that you don't want. Time and patience are required. And you still might not like the result. Any way, those are my thoughts.