Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[whiteshadow]

I've been making numerous repairs on the timber body structure of my Singer. I had been using a bitumin paint which looked similar to what was there, seemed in keeping with 1930's style and seemed ideal to give the woodworm a stomach ache........but as it re-wets with preserver/cellulose I' m worried it may be a problem when it comes to painting or trimming Adhesives).

Any advice?

[Bitumen Boy]

Although I'm rather a fan of the black stuff, it wouldn't have been my first choice for this application - in fact I'm not sure I would use paint at all, I'd probably be thinking more along the lines of several coats of clear preservative (the kind that soaks in) followed by Danish or even straight linseed oil. The original stuff that looks like bitumen I would guess probably isn't, more likely it's a coal tar based product, or possibly a wood tar of the Stockholm variety, both of which will behave differently to bitumen when faced with various solvents.

As for problems when painting and trimming, you'll have to try a bit and see how you get on. What's on there now isn't going to come off, so if you have trouble you'll have to try isolating it from whatever stuff you're trying to put over the top. Cellulose isolator paints can be useful, although they do tend to crack after a year or two when applied over bitumen. In really difficult cases covering the bitumen with an aluminium foil tape and painting or whatever over that can give good results, but isn't easy to hide. If you could find an oil-based aluminium paint it might do the trick - they used to be recommended for blocking stains coming through on chimney breasts and the like - but all the aluminium paints I've seen lately are water based and seem to be sold mostly for decorative purposes.

[buzzy bee]

Something with an insecticide in it might have kept the worm at bay in the future, some preservatives have it in.

[Greeney in France]

Because most of the french homes are built of Oak beams etc we can still buy the 'proper' stuff here in the big stores, it comes in 25litre drums.
Its called xylophene and gives 25yrs protection
It is on a linseed oil base.
VERY good stuff, you probably couldn't buy it in the UK but I could always get it sent over with a friend.
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[whiteshadow]

Before I painted anything wood I made sure that it got several coats of timbrene superior.

Its more the decorative appearance..... and a clear bit of spliced wood stuck onto black wood always just looks unfinished!. I also have to make up the bulkhead which is a lot of black painted ply.

So far I have only really painted repaired floor beams which i think i can protect when the clouds of cellulose attack.

Its a shame as I rather like the way the bitum paint can paint over metal as well....you know the lightly rusted brackets on the frame where it would do far more damage just trying to get them out.

Any advice on which paint I should use on the bulkhead?

Thanks

[1935Hillman]

It is true that most timber preservatives have had all the 'good stuff' taken out of them now but you have to use what you can get. I have in the course of my work used a number of 'all purpose' timber treatments that have turned out to have absolutely no effect on wood boring insects. I would try one of the Blackfriars products from Brewers and then paint over it. Many people are unaware that your standard black car paint in an aerosol will paint timber very well indeed. Many of us will have noticed that the overspray one gets on a sheet of plywood when spraying some small car component is still there twenty years later! I am just finishing my ash frame (see my story elsewhere on this forum - Aero Minx rebuild or something. I intend to treat it and then spray it with a primer and black car paint of some description.

[Nick57]

Have you considered something like a breatheable varnish to allow for the moisture content of the ash as it varys over time.

Might be a better option than paint as paint would seal moisture in

Congratulations on a superb job

Nick
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[Miken]

What about this stuff?
Comes in a variety of colours including black

http://www.maxwellsdiy.com/painting-decorating-c3/woodcare-varnish-c60/ronseal-5-year-woodstain-black-ebony-250ml-750ml-2-5l-p2345/s3816?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=ronseal-5-year-woodstain-black-ebony-250ml-750ml-2-5l-volume-25-volume-250ml&utm_campaign=product%2Blisting%2Bads&gclid=CLiZkOCgsb4CFYsfwwodwUYA-w