Painting between fins on valve covers?????

Ok I wanna hear how you guys have done it and how successful your job was. I have a set of brand new Edelbrock fined valve covers and im gonna paint between the fins with house of kolor paint, and prime. the block looks like it came out ok. im felling so,so about how good it'll last though.
FRITZ

 

tape off the outside that you don't want painted and just spray away then with some fine sandpaper sand off the tops of the fins to reveal the aluminum again

 

Paint the whole thing then wipe it down with laquer thinner,paint stays where you can't wipe.

 

I remember reading a while ago about using something like petroleum jelly on the places you dont want painted, then wipe the gunk off when you're done painting.
havent tried it mahself.
dan

 

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Paint the whole thing then wipe it down with laquer thinner,paint stays where you can't wipe.

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this is how i've done it also. works well. fritz being the painter gooroo you should make it look awesome

 

Hrm, I have sprayed them down before and just taken a slightly damp rag and wiped them down. I didn't use the paint thinner like someone said above and mine turned out decent, i just wiped it off a few seconds after I sprayed the valve covers. Although I might try the paint thinner thing next time, I was just afraid it might mess up the chrome..

 

There was a post where someone used Chapstick.

Rub the chapstick, I think it was cherry, so you can see where it is (red) then spray and remove.

 

Chapstick, thats a good idea. I dont have a problem with the "wipping the fins" down part, how did everyone else prep to paint, ya gotta have some kind of primer on them first. \epoxy, self etch ...........anyone try this.
FRITZ

 

I just painted a paif chromed Cal Custom jobbies. I scuffed up the valleys real good with a scotchbrite pad. I did mine in candy apple red over a silver base. I didn't use any primer. I used Dupli Color lacquer spray bombs. I used acetone on a rag to remove the paint on the fins.
They came out great, I hope they stand up to the heat and chemicals. Time will tell.

 

Here's the links..
fin painting fin painting 2

 

Great tip on using Cherry Chapstick! I wish I knew about that last time I did some of this type of detailing. It would have saved me quite a bit of time.

Thanks

 

I use the chapstick. Every time I tried the rag trick I'd get a fuzzy or something in the wet paint. When I get a paint job looking nice I get the hell out of the garage quickly before I screw it up somehow.

 

I like the Chapstick idea. Whenever I try to wipe off excess paint with something like urethane reducer, I'll likely mess it up.

 

I painted a pair with black wrinkle not too long ago,

and cleaned the fins with sand paper for a brushed look.

they looked great till I got brake fluid on them..

if you want to remove paint from your valve covers without harming the aluminum

try brake fluid, it actually works quite well

Paul

 

I've done the thinner thing. But I have also used a buffer to buff off the tops to expose the fins. Works well, especially if your covers are chrome or polished.

I will say, you should etch your covers. The paint doesn't like to stick to unprepped surfaces for very long. I just stripped an oil pan on the car that wasn't prepped. The paint just flicked off and I blew off the rest that I couldn't reach.

Reverend Jake

 

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tape off the outside that you don't want painted and just spray away then with some fine sandpaper sand off the tops of the fins to reveal the aluminum again

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That's kinda how I did it...

Here are mine:

 

Petejoe<
hey thanks, I tried to serch for an old post on the subject but didnt come up with anything. I think im good to go now.
Thanks
FRITZ

 

I just finished mine using Vasoline on the ridge tops. Just used my finger to wipe a small amount of Vasoline on each ridge.

I cleaned my aluminum heads by using solvent and a wire brush. I just shot the black right on without primer. Wiped the paint off the top of each ridge with a wire wheel on a drill.

Since I used the wire wheel to take the paint off, I probably didn't need to bother with the Vasoline, but the stuff sure came off easily.

Mike

 

Bump - here's a thread worth bringing BTTT! Just used this trick again recently.

 

I used masking paper & tape on the sides,used a exacto knife on the ends
between the fins & on the eldebrock.used some blue fine line tape on the tops of the fins themselves.after you paint & pull the paper, take a q tip with a little thinner to sharpen up the line edges & dial in the lettering

 

I masked off the fins with some pinstriping tape. 3/16ths, I think it was. Took some time, but came out great.

 

I tape off what i can first then put on 2 light coats of Epoxy primer, Then wipe with thinner, Then the colour and lacquer, wipe with thinner again. I don't use a rag but use paper towel.
Using thinner will give a much nicer edge.

 

Scuff between the fins. Then polish the top of the fins. Clean well with thinner to get all the polish **** off. Tape off the tops with blue fineline tape. tape off surrounding area. Light primer. Then paint. Less chance of f'n up the paint trying to polish later.

 

This is really an easy task. Tape the big areas, wipe the small ones like the fins. The best way to wipe with solvents is to stretch a rag or a piece of leather over a flat block and dampen with the solvent you need. Simply "erase" the paint off you want removed. The only secret is to not soak whatever you put the solvent on. For adhesion, there's only certain self etch products that work for aluminum, usually the clear goldish looking stuff from PPG. Alway use light conservative coats. Painted parts like this peel easier the thicker the coating gets.

 

I scuffed the valleys real good, masked them off, primed with DP90,***** the first time I did not prime them and they flaked off before I got them on the car ( about 3 months)****** I used single stage Omni for the color. I think the real key is the primer.

 

just paint them cause the primer will show on edges I painted mine then sanded the paint off the fins that way I was able to get good strait lines.

I have pics of it here............ http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=152266

 

I would definitly recommend using SEM acid etching primer before painting. Comes in a spray can and I just mist it on and paint my first coat of paint before the primer dries. This method really bites into the metal and holds real well. Scuffing the areas to be painted with a scuff pad is also highly recommended.

 

I think this is the best method,I never use primer anymore for this because when you wipe away the excess there was allways a faint line of primer showing at the edge.

 

I used Plasticote red on mine. I just taped off most of the valve cover, shot the paint, let it dry, then used 1000 steel wool to clean off any excess paint or overspray. It worked real well! Good Luck!

 

thats how i did it