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Alternative to painting a hinge
jhartley111:
I'm to the point of needing to paint a metal atari control panel. The only thing I'm worried about is the 23-24 inch long hinge that runs the length of the control panel on the bottom. It bolts to the cabinet at the bottom of the panel and allows the panel to swing down.
Common sense and google searches tell me that I shouldn't expect painting that hinge to go very well (once the paint dries it will split and crack if I swing the hinge.
I'm wondering if there are any good alternatives to this. Rust is what I'm worried about. Right now the plan is to paint it and give it a good wd-40 lubing. I have no idea if that will work but it's the best thing I can think of. I'll be painting with Rustoleum flat black enamel
Any thoughts on this would be appreciated
SavannahLion:
Don't use WD-40, that tends to attract dirt. It's also not very friendly to some types of paint it seems. Never tried mixing it with Rustoleum though.
In any case, why bother painting it? If you use any sort of oil (including WD-40) it is usually sufficient to prevent general corrosion.
jhartley111:
I intended to paint it because I stripped all the paint off of the hinge when I stripped it off of the rest of the panel. Now it's exposed and vulnerable to rust.
So you're saying I should leave the actual hinge unpainted and just use oil? if so, what to use besides WD 40 since it attracts dirt?
Turnarcades:
Use several layers of plasti-kote and seal it with lacquer. Shouldn't worry about rusting on exposed parts - you're not going to be getting it wet are you? :D
Failing that, swap it for a brass or galvanised hinge.
fjl:
I would suggest replacing it. If not then at least remove it, paint the cab then put it back on. I know it's a lot easier to paint over it but it looks like ass when someone paints over a hinge. Sloppy work. I hate seeing that.
Once you remove it perhaps you can re-paint while its bent back so the whole area is covered in one coat.