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Wahl Metal Lakeside Pen, Repaint It?


Greenie

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I have been toying with the idea of trying to really restore my Wahl metal Lakeside pen. the pen is great as it is, but it used to have enamel paint as shown by D. Isaacson.

 

What are some thoughts about trying to fully restore it with flat black enamel paint in the original pattern?

 

fpn_1437446042__reduced00005.jpgfpn_1437446066__wahlmetal_black_lakeside

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I like things with character. Patina shows something is valuable enough to have been used.

But that's just me.

 

Hmmm. ... I seem to have a lot of patina from use, too.

Never argue with drunks or crazy people.
 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thank you for the information!

 

As a pure hobbyist, the time intensive is not a deterrent to me. The value I derive is the time spent on hunting for pens and restoring them, and then tuning them up for the best possible writing experience.

 

Still thinking about the long process of truly restoring this interesting pen vs. enjoying how cool it looks without the paint.

 

Now I know to buy guitar touch up laquer for the more original finish. One step closer to taking on this long process.... Hard to say if it will happen or not.

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Reminds me of building model airplanes when I was a kid and trying to paint the face on the little pilots. They always looked so confused.

 

If you don't like it, the process is reversible - why not give it a try.

 

Bob

Shouldn't phonics be spelled with an f?

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OK. I am going for it !

 

The comment from robert1962

and the encouragement from the guru Mr. Nishimura

and my comment about how I enjoy the process

and a post today on another thread https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/289469-it-started-out-innocently-enough/

 

have all come together to inspire me. The first few stripes are down and look so cool. I experimented with hand masking the squares and it seems feasible, but my impatience (ignored David Nishimura's warning!) caused me to mess up a stripe.

 

I will post some progress, good, bad, horrible, or excellent, as the progress is made. There is no way this makes financial sense, but neither does building elaborate card houses or oil painting with average talent.....

 

The inspirational quite from the above link:

 

It's therapeutic, this focus on arcane details of pens and ink behavior, eccentric entrepreneurs, Byzantine marketing and distribution strategies. It maintains a personal and historical connection to people and companies with dreams, some fulfilled and some not, and it focuses our attention on the tactile world, much like slicing tomatoes or restoring typewriters or listening to vinyl records. It builds bridges to countries and cultures, shows similarities and differences in values and goals, and enables an escape from the always-connected, always-seeking-the-clever, always urgent rabbit hole of digital hive-mindedness.

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OK. Paint #1 went on looking great. Did two stripes, and then hand masked a row of the squares. Tape pulled off a bunch of the paint from the stripe. Otherwise looked cool. I will need to try a different prep of the surface, and a different paint.

 

Now I am more determined, but the failures look more like the Isaacson photo..... chipped and worn. Not my goal, but not too terrible either.

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OK. Making progress. A lot to learn with nothing to practice on but the pen itself. some disappointing sloppy areas. Some need touch up, and some removal and repeating. Still, looking at the original, it seemed less than perfect as well. The flaws are real, bur REALLY magnified in the pictures. Looks better in person.

 

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fpn_1439753928__wahl_lakeside_00011.jpg

fpn_1439753935__wahl_lakeside_00012.jpg

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Completed Project (actually one square under clip not done). Perhaps some minor touch up in the near future.

 

fpn_1439872141__wahl_lakeside_completed_fpn_1439872120__wahl_lakeside_completed_

fpn_1439872127__wahl_lakeside_completed_

fpn_1439872135__wahl_lakeside_completed_

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I think it looks amazing. I never, for 1 minute, thought you would be able to do it so huge congratulations.

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I'm really glad you went for it, Greenie. I think it looks terrific. Will it require any type of clear coat to protect the paint job?

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Thank you everyone for the encouragement!

 

I was wondering about clear coat. It would have to be then and a matte finish to keep the pen from looking funny. I have no way to test it or practice, and if I don't like it, I am stuck with it or have to remove ALL the paint and start over.

 

For now, it is a nice display piece and a trophy to my effort.

 

Here is a link to something with lots of Wahl Metal eye candy, especially painted metal prototypes. Be sure to click on the pictures for extra large views.

 

http://leadheadpencils.blogspot.com/2013/07/try-naming-this-one.html

Edited by Greenie
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  • 4 years later...

Nicely done.

I am contemplating a similar, though slightly less laborious, project; restoring the enamel rings on my WE colonial.

What type of lacquer/paint gave you the best results? Any tips/recommendations would be greatly appreciated @Greenie.

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Nicely done.

I am contemplating a similar, though slightly less laborious, project; restoring the enamel rings on my WE colonial.

What type of lacquer/paint gave you the best results? Any tips/recommendations would be greatly appreciated @Greenie.

 

I assume you mean the Ring Colonial. I have "freshened up" one of these as well that has great metal, but the paint was about half gone, faded, and just not nice. It turned out beautiful. Mask either side of the groove. I used Testors black. Just go around the groove once and let it sit. You can do a second layer after it dries. If there is a thin spot and you try to get good coverage all at once, sometimes the paint ends up with an uneven finish. I had to do a little clean up at the edges but my finger nail managed to take care of it.

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I assume you mean the Ring Colonial. I have "freshened up" one of these as well that has great metal, but the paint was about half gone, faded, and just not nice. It turned out beautiful. Mask either side of the groove. I used Testors black. Just go around the groove once and let it sit. You can do a second layer after it dries. If there is a thin spot and you try to get good coverage all at once, sometimes the paint ends up with an uneven finish. I had to do a little clean up at the edges but my finger nail managed to take care of it.

 

Awesome. Thanks for the advice. I'm going for it.

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It looks the same, but I never use it. I have no idea how it would stand up to use. My Ring Colonial held up well, but the paint is deep in a groove.

 

Then again, the original pen had paint that did not stand up to use at all. These models usually are found with almost zero enamel left. Even the one shown with original paint has flaking. And I would guess it is unused since the paint is not worn where the pen would be held.

 

Based on the modern condition of Wahl patterns that were enameled (colored barrel ringtops being more common, and a couple of uncommon patterns I have), remaining enamel, even worn down, is rare. And hand painted hard rubber pens similarly are rarely found with good paint. I would say that paint on a pens surface is doomed to fail if the pen is used.

 

Still, for a collector, restoration can be nice. Not every collectible pen is well suited for use.

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  • 1 month later...

Here is my Ring Colonial after "restoration". All in all I am mildly satisfied. At first glance it looks great. A closer look will reveal that the enamel is uneven, however.

I have half a mind to remove the paint and try again with thinned-down Testors.

post-138351-0-41814500-1577840162_thumb.jpg

Edited by Theroc
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Looks good! And, yes, you can remove it and try again. If you are more patient than I am, use thin paint, do a single layer that won't cover well at all. Let it dry, and repeat a layer. It will be a slower process but I bet it will turn out great.

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