Sterling L2A3 crackle paint ideas

mjhenks

Sr Member

RPF PREMIUM MEMBER

• Feb 12, 2009

• #1

Has anyone found a way to simulate the original crackle finish on a L2A3?

The export finish not the British military smooth finish. I know how it was originally done but i do not have that kind of $$ for this project.

I am working on a static L2A3. Right now i am not sure if it will stay a L2A3 or become a E-11.

Thanks

 

Ripcode

Well-Known Member

• Feb 12, 2009

• #2

mjhenks said:

Has anyone found a way to simulate the original crackle finish on a L2A3?

The export finish not the British military smooth finish. I know how it was originally done but i do not have that kind of $$ for this project.

I am working on a static L2A3. Right now i am not sure if it will stay a L2A3 or become a E-11.

Thanks

Click to expand...

Plasti-Kote - Wrinkle Paint - Black 217 - $11.96

http://www.mgexperience.net/article/wrinkle-paint.html

 

exoray

Master Member

• Feb 12, 2009

• #3

This is the stuff many of the professional Class III rebuilders of the real guns are/have used...

PJ1 Fast Black Wrinkle Paint Mfr. # 16-WKL, 3 coats

http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/produ...7Q57U0TMO&catId=1&leafCatId=12005&skuId=30299

 

Last edited by a moderator: Nov 8, 2018

Hirohawa

Sr Member

• Feb 12, 2009

• #4

Great info! Thanks

 

exoray

Master Member

• Feb 12, 2009

• #5

Also note not all Sterlings had the crinkle finish and the ones that did vary in degree of wrinkle... So your end finish is pretty much up to you, as there really isn't a definitive finish even on the real guns...

 

pennausamike

Sr Member

• Feb 12, 2009

• #6

ripcode said:

Plasti-Kote - Wrinkle Paint - Black 217 - $11.96

http://www.mgexperience.net/article/wrinkle-paint.html

Click to expand...

I used this paint to restore Trans Am steering wheels.

The linked article mentions the necessity of heat to make the wrinkle finish work.
They talk about heat lamps, but I put the steering wheels in my oven at 200 degrees.
I would assume a Sterling would fit in an oven if you made a little painting/baking rack.

Good Luck,
Mike

 

gunnerk19

Master Member

• Feb 13, 2009

• #7

Hi

Just want to make sure you're looking for (and find) the right finish...

AFAIK, they never used a "crackle" finish on Sterlings... The surface had more of a "pebble" texture to it (itsy bitsy spherical drop shapes) as opposed to cracked (think dry skin or desert floor kind of irregular) texture... As shown below...

"Crackle" finish

"Pebble" or "Stone" finish

 

exoray

Master Member

• Feb 13, 2009

• #8

gunnerk19 said:

AFAIK, they never used a "crackle" finish on Sterlings... The surface had more of a "pebble" texture to it (itsy bitsy spherical drop shapes) as opposed to cracked (think dry skin or desert floor kind of irregular) texture... As shown below...

Click to expand...

Actually it was more of a "wrinkle" finish, but only on some, see bottom of post...

The stuff I linked to previously is what Stan Andrewski of Stan's guns uses to finish his Sterling rebuilds on registered tubes, and for what it's worth he is pretty much the de facto Sterling rebuilder...

Here is a link to an ended auction for one of Andrewski's rebuilds, there are some real closeups of the finish so you get an idea of the end results...

https://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=119048682

BTW as I said before the finish varied, almost all British Military issue Sterlings were a smooth parkerized finish, no wrinkle... The wrinkle finish was mostly reserved for export models and/or "commercial" models...

 

gunnerk19

Master Member

• Feb 13, 2009

• #9

first thing I saw was the price and I surfed no further!!!
LOL

but that still doesn't look like the original coating; it looks to me more like Martha Stewart simply threw a "Duvet" over the snot spot on the table...

 

Last edited: Feb 13, 2009

Darth Lars

Master Member

• Feb 13, 2009

• #10

The thicker the layer of winkle paint is, the larger the wrinkles will be. The key to getting a good wrinkle finish is to paint it evenly.

By the way, just in case you did not know: The E-11s were made from British Sterlings (and casts of British Sterlings), so they did not have wrinkle finish, either.

 

exoray

Master Member

• Feb 13, 2009

• #11

gunnerk19 said:

but that still doesn't look like the original coating; it looks to me more like Martha Stewart simply threw a "Duvet" over the snot spot on the table...

Click to expand...

It matches the finish on several of my cut up MK4s and it also very closely matches the finish on the civilian friendly MK6 guns...

Here is a civilian friendly MK6 built by Sterling themselves, not a rebuild but a factory gun...

http://www.gunsamerica.com/userimages/5861/976893848/wm_399060.jpg

Like I said the British Military issued ones had a smooth finish, and the wrinkle finish wasn't consistent over the years it varied in the degree of wrinkle...

first thing I saw was the price and I surfed no further!!!
LOL

Click to expand...

Actually one of the cheaper transferable machines guns, many including myself consider that a bargain...

Take for instance a transferable M16, they start at about $10,000

 

Last edited: Feb 13, 2009

B

bobasfett

Sr Member

RPF PREMIUM MEMBER

• Feb 13, 2009

• #12

That crinkle finish on the auction gun is spot on to the original sterling finish. But, as Darth Lars said, the sterlings used in SW had smooth finishes.

 

Treadwell

Legendary Member

RPF PREMIUM MEMBER

• Feb 13, 2009

• #13

One way (as pointed out by Bobadebt long ago) is to just spatter the guy with your regular rattle can paint, from a few feet above. Droplet splatter provides a bit of texture, and you can do it over and over until you've reached the degree of texture you desire.