I'm sure this has been addressed here somewhere, but does anyone have any tips? I got my '66 Pearl silver sparkle set from eBay on Friday, and it looks worse than I thought. I'm still glad I got it, it's just that it's gonna take more work than I expected. I want to keep some of the patina, but the wrap is in worse shape than I could see in the photos. I can repair the peeling and splits easy enough, but has anyone had any luck with stains or uneven fading? I don't want to spend the time or money rewrapping them, I'm just hoping to make them a little less ugly. If there was ever a clearcoat on them, it appears to be long gone. I have a really nice paint booth at work, so I thought if I could get them cleaner and smoother, I can shoot a nice coat of gloss or semi-gloss then.
Also.......the wood is pretty dried out inside and split/peeling in a few spots. I can make the repairs, but do you recommend paint or oil to preserve the insides? These things are probably never going to have much collector value at this point, so historical authenticity isn't too important to me. Oh, and no markings or serial numbers are present inside anyway.
Well, after filling some of the splits, peels, and dents in the inside of the shell, I think painting them is the best option, unless I use coated heads. What paint best duplicates the white on old Ludwigs? Is it a pure or off-white? Textured or smooth? Flat or gloss?
Thanks!