How to restore the 4x4 Blue Front Hub lock knobs?

[71blksuper4x4]

Originally Posted by AirSpeed

Chics have some cool stuff if you think out of the box! The bathroom is like a mini hardware store!

Funny stuff but true!

[57taskforce]

Originally Posted by AirSpeed

Chics have some cool stuff if you think out of the box! When I was little I wanted to be a doctor, doctors need to give shots and I had no needles so I grabbed my sisters tampons as a substitute syringe. I use my wife's nail polish remover when I run out of acetone, finger nail adhesive when I run out of super glue, her makeup sponges work great for small polishing pads, I tore one of her curling irons apart because I found it had the same heating element as my broken soldering iron. The bathroom is like a mini hardware store!

Haha I couldn't stop visualizing tearing my wife's curling iron apart and seeing her face! Good stuff!

[71 super]

I used fusion blue on my knobs, I lightly sanded with scotch bright pad and then went light coats does pretty well, pictures shortly- remember been done for four years...

[tjsblazer]

Certainly some different ideas of stuff to try here. Lets see some pics of those that have been done.

[leddzepp]

I've painted two sets with Krylon fusion and they came out pretty good IMO

[AirSpeed]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

I've painted two sets with Krylon fusion and they came out pretty good IMO

They look very good!

[1972RedNeck]

Originally Posted by AirSpeed

I bought a cnc recently and finally learned how to use it, wonder if the knob could be cut out on my machine? I'll have to look at my old one. Be pretty cool in different colors of acrylic! I'm gonna add that to my list of experiments! Designing a new instrument cluster now.
Mine were pretty cracked and ugly and a pain to turn so I bought a set of stainless Mile Marker hubs. Had them a few years and still look and work great.

How about steel, aluminum, or stainless?

[tjsblazer]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

I've painted two sets with Krylon fusion and they came out pretty good IMO

I think I will give this a try. Do you have a part number or color on the can. There is more than one blue on their website.
thanks. Jeff.

[71blksuper4x4]

Originally Posted by tjsblazer

I think I will give this a try. Do you have a part number or color on the can. There is more than one blue on their website.
thanks. Jeff.

True blue

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by 71blksuper4x4

True blue

Yes, that is the one I used as well.

[tjsblazer]

Originally Posted by 71blksuper4x4

True blue

Originally Posted by leddzepp

Yes, that is the one I used as well.

Do you guys mind taking a look at the website link. I can't see that color. Maybe they renamed them. Would it be "Patriotic Blue" ??

http://www.krylon.com/products/fusion-for-plastic/

[71blksuper4x4]

Originally Posted by tjsblazer

Do you guys mind taking a look at the website link. I can't see that color. Maybe they renamed them. Would it be "Patriotic Blue" ??

http://www.krylon.com/products/fusion-for-plastic/

Patriotic matches my old true blue cap. You can get it at most true values, menards, most home improvement stores.

[michael bustamante]

Originally Posted by AirSpeed

Chics have some cool stuff if you think out of the box! When I was little I wanted to be a doctor, doctors need to give shots and I had no needles so I grabbed my sisters tampons as a substitute syringe. I use my wife's nail polish remover when I run out of acetone, finger nail adhesive when I run out of super glue, her makeup sponges work great for small polishing pads, I tore one of her curling irons apart because I found it had the same heating element as my broken soldering iron. The bathroom is like a mini hardware store!

and then we wonder what theyre mad about hahhahaha

[tjsblazer]

Originally Posted by 71blksuper4x4

Patriotic matches my old true blue cap. You can get it at most true values, menards, most home improvement stores.

Thanks. I picked up a can of "Patriotic Blue" at my local Canadian Tire store, EH! Looks like they renamed some of their lines.
I plan on getting them refinished over the next week or so. I'll post some pics of the results.

[tjsblazer]

So tonight I was cleaning up a bunch of aluminum parts in my media blast cabinet. I was using an extremely fine glass bead with a mesh size of 140-230. It is so fine it feels like talcum powder. It almost polishes aluminum.
I saw my extremely faded light blue lockout knobs sitting on the counter and decided to put them in and give them a shot. I had already rinsed them in a parts washer and then scrubbed them with a toothbrush and some Spray9 followed by a couple of rinses with water so they were perfectly clean but almost chalky white.
I turned the air pressure down to about 60psi'max. The knobs came out looking like this. It appears to have "burnished" away the old faded and weathered top layer of the plastic.
I'm tempted to take the can of Krylon Fusion paint back to the store and run them like this. I wonder if they will last ...

I really wish I had a before picture to show what they looked like originally but they had 40 years of Arizona Sun fade. Here is what they look like now.

[IMG][/IMG]

[AirSpeed]

Those look great! I think if you put some kind of protectant on them they would look good a long time.

[tjsblazer]

Originally Posted by AirSpeed

Those look great! I think if you put some kind of protectant on them they would look good a long time.

Maybe some sunscreen!

[72 tigger]

Would a couple coats of flat clear preserve the color??

[DeadheadNM]

Run them as is, looks great! Thanks for posting.

[tjsblazer]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

Run them as is, looks great! Thanks for posting.

Yes I think I'll run them bare. Thats the way the General made them in the first place. Time will tell if they weather as well as they did originally.

[DeadheadNM]

Media blasting did the trick on this example of mine...

[tjsblazer]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

Media blasting did the trick on this example of mine...

Nice. I think we're on to something. I might put a UV protectant on mine like is used on old plastic headlights after they are buffed new. Or maybe not... Either way they look 100x better than chalky white.

[72 tigger]

Are they smooth or do they have a texture from the media? Just wondered if they would retain any dirt from your fingers?

[tjsblazer]

Originally Posted by 72 tigger

Are they smooth or do they have a texture from the media? Just wondered if they would retain any dirt from your fingers?

Mine feel very smooth. I used an extremely fine glass media that feels like talcum powder with a controlled air pressure (50-60lbs). I don't think you would want to use any media that felt like a grain to the touch.

What did you use Pete?

[DeadheadNM]

Originally Posted by 72 tigger

Are they smooth or do they have a texture from the media? Just wondered if they would retain any dirt from your fingers?

Mine feel smooth...

Originally Posted by tjsblazer

What did you use Pete?

Today I took an aux battery tray to my local powdercoater and brought along the dials to ask him who in the valley could blast them for me (I don't have a blasting cabinet). As it turns out, he does glass bead and sand blasting and offered to give it a quick try. I actually believe he hit that dial with sand at low psi but will confirm tomorrow when I get the other dials from him. This example was the worst dial of the lot - it was white. It's now smooth to the touch, not pitted. Thank you for your "eureka" moment!