Remember yesterday when I said “There were a couple of finish blemishes which needed to be corrected. I accomplished that shortly after the above pictures were taken”? It looks like I messed up!

There were a few dust motes and a small fiber embedded in the paint on the top and power plate. Well, it had been about 26 hours in fairly high temperatures (mid 80s F) so I hit the paint with a light buffing using 000 steel wool, tacked it off, and gave the paint a light overcoat. Within about an hour the finish had crinkled in several areas.

I had forgotten that what I used to paint the top was a “Rust-oleum” product. Now 20 to 30 years ago, in the US at least, Rust-oleum was a great product. Then the EPA got involved and began outlawing solvents that had been in use for decades. Now, in spite of what the instructions say, it takes a least a week before you can safely apply a second coat without “finish upset” as the experts say. They also recommend at least 48 hours between buffing and re-coating. So multiple coats require 10 days or more to apply if you want a decent finish. Rust-oleum is now the product for garden tools and metal patio furniture. Defiantly not for anything where you want a quality finish.

So now I’m stuck with having to strip the whole thing and start over with a better product. I think I’ll run over to the local auto parts store and get a rattle can of a good quality automotive touch up paint. Set backs like this are very annoying.

As always, questions and comments are welcome.