Hi All,

I received a lot of compliments and good reviews on a 59' Club Date kit

that I restored recently. (see photos below) Mostly what People like is the

paint job. It's a two-color Duco finish using Krylon high gloss Hunter Green

spray lacquer top and bottom and Metallic Gold (dark) lacquer for the center

stripe. What made the results possible was an old turntable I used to spin the

drum shells while I painted. You don't have to be a pro to paint a professional

looking Duco finish on your old orphans.

I have created a couple of illustrations for you that pretty much covers it all.

It's basically a two step process that you will repeat several times. I promise

you that if you take your time, and do it carefully, you will be rewarded with

mind-blowing results.

TIPS:

1. It's important to properly prep the surface for paint. After a thorough

cleaning I will tape out all holes from the inside and carefully tape out the

bearing edges. I attach pieces of newspaper to the top and bottom to prevent any

over-spray from hitting the inside of the shell. Next comes the Primer.

2. If you're going to use light colors, use a light/white Primer. For dark

colors use a dark/grey Primer. Using the appropriate Primer will make the colors

you use to really Pop.

3. After Primer, sand everything smooth with 00-00 steel wool pads. One good

coat of a quality spray Primer followed by sanding with 00-00 wool should be

enough.

4. It is much better to spray several light coats of color sanding with 00-00

steel wool in between coats, than it is to paint one or two heavy coats. Resist

the temptation to continue adding paint. Add a light coat, sand, add another

light coat, sand, etc. Repeat that a minimum of three times (as many as four or

five times) and what you end up with is deep, rich color with a smooth

professional finish and look.

5. A high gloss clear coat to seal the paint is recommended but not absolutely

necessary. Krylon makes a quality high gloss lacquer. After 3 - 5 coats of it,

you don't really need the clear coat. I only recommend it to protect the finish.

It is a drum after all and it's going to be moved around and handled.

Of course it goes without saying that you should only work with lacquers in a

well ventilated area and you should wear a good face mask. Make sure you're

nowhere near open flames of any kind.

The Duco Machine:

The element that makes this possible at all is a simple turntable. I'm sure

almost everybody has an old turntable stashed away collecting dust in a closet

or basement somewhere. If you don't have one, a quick trip to Good Will or the

Second Hand store will turn one up for just a couple of bucks. The point is; you

need to be able to spin the drum as you paint. Any kind of Lazy-Susan set up you

can create will do. An old turntable is just perfect.

I put my truntable into a plastic trash bag and sealed with tape. I then cut a

cross over the plate and tucked the plastic - under the plate. The only thing I

left exposed is the top part of the spinning plate. Trim the plastic a little so

it doesn't get caught on the spinning post underneath. As long as it spins

freely, you're in business.

I left the turntable switch in the 'on' position. Set the speed to 33 1/3 RPM. I

also had to tape the tone arm in place close to the plate so that the turntable

would automatically start when I give it electricity. I controlled the on and

off function by simply plugging or unplugging the power cord from the extension

cord. Simple.

I found a big box and I threw a tarp over it. I set the turntable on top of the

box. I then taped a thin 24" square of particle board to the turntable plate to

act as a base to set the drums on. It's important to make sure that everything

is perfectly centered in order to eliminate wobble of the shell as it spins.

I'd like to recommend Krylon high gloss spray lacquers for the job. The colors

are deep and rich and the spray nozzle produces a fine mist. The Krylon rattle

cans have the best spray nozzles I've seen. This becomes a critical factor when

you try to create the fade at the border between the colors.

I've created a couple of illustrations that should make easy to take on board.

It's not hard to do and if you have a good eye and a steady hand, you'll be

blown away by the really pro looking results. It also has the advantage of being

cheaper than paying somebody else to do it. Besides, it gives you some very cool

bragging rights!

Step 1 -

I did a little homework before I started the job. I visited quite a few sites

that are all about how to do custom fade paint jobs on automobiles. One rule I

learned immediately was; always lay down the lighter color first when creating a

fade. I just followed the pro's foot prints in the snow. My fade came out great.

Step 2-

Paint the dark while the lighter color center stripe is still wet/tacky. It

helps the fade if the paint is wet enough to mix as it dries. Start at the top

edge holding the spray can steady and slowly tilt the spray down until it just

meets/touches the center stripe, then -STOP spraying-. Allow the drum to

continue spinning for another minute before pulling the plug. The spinning and

air drying helps spread the paint evenly and cuts down on drying time.

I looked at a dozen or more photos of vintage Duco kits. Consistently, the

center stripe is the same width as the Bowtie lugs. So I used the lug holes on

my spinning drums to know when to start and stop the colors. As the holes spin,

your eye sees an uninterrupted line. Instant visual guide! Easy.

I hope you try this. Practice on some orphans. You may end up with a killer

looking orphan kit that's a keeper.

John