Hello, Recently got an Optimus 22 which had been poorly repainted for the basepanel by the ex-owner. It was really horrible craftsmanship, so much ugly I wounded my mentality. One of my friends suggested me it's better to do Sanding by Sand Blast method due to the embossed typos and welded parts, yet I don't know well about that. So I'd like to ask what methods are the good option for it in order to do; (ONLY for the steel case, not for any part of burners, tank, tubes) - sanding - repainting /restoring Fortunately, my friend has some relationships with one guys who runs his own business about the profesisonal sanding(he has sand-blast machines) but still I don't know about the painting, I only know the basic logic about the painting - priming / main painting / finishing clear coat but nothing more. Any advice would be very helpful for me, thank you. * I did the basic maintenance for the left burner, very fortunately it is now ok with the refilled graphite seal. The spindle end(hand side, squared) part was a little bended, but now it's ok. the burner parts are still having ok condition, no yellowish flame, any leakage, the alcohol cup is ok (but doesn't include any washer from the cup - burner base, not the big matter)
Hello, I would always recommend electrolysis for removing rust and old paint from steel parts. Spray painting and long-cure or a baked cure afterwards. One example HERE Alec.
I think your stove looks fine just the way it is. It's a stove you can use without worrying about scuffing up a new paint job. If you do decide to repaint I'd recommend using a paint stripper like this one: Once the paint is removed you can safely remove any rust by soaking it in Evapo-Rust. The advantage of using chemicals instead of sandblasting is that there is no damage to the underlying metal. Sandblasting can remove metal and leave pitting. Once the case is paint and rust free I'd recommend using a high temperature paint so that the finish isn't damaged by burning spilled fuel. I've had good luck with POR15 products but there are others out there as well. If you really want to get professional I'd recommend using a Cerakote product Ben
Dear Mr. Alec, Thank you for your advice. So I hold to do something about this case. The big problem is that I don't have any knowledge about any of this method, so need to study many things in order to do by myself. Dear Mr. Ben, Thank you for your very detailed suggestions and advices! I'll find them out one by one, and will ask you once again if you don't mind. It's pity because it's really not easy to find the professional specialists about this matters for the small things like this case, because I don't work for this zone so don't know anything. Usually any of Craftsmanships business is existed only as B2B, not B2C in Korea, Sadly. Usual Seoul citizen in Korea all is living in tiny apartments (But the cost is 10-20 Maserati cars per a super tiny rat's house in Apartment, it's hell) so no Front/Backyard. The big matter for us : Find the a Space to do anything...
I too vote for electrolysis as an easy way to remove paint. Tools needed for that are a bucket that holds the item you want to de-rust or remove the paint, a scrap piece of steel (not stainless or galvanized) for the sacrificial anode, water to fill the bucket, roughly 1 tablespoon of baking soda per gallon of water (to provide conductivity for the electricity), and a low voltage power source. The red/positive lead will be attached to the anode. Don't use anything for the anode that you will ever want to use again as that anode will get more and more eaten away each time it's used. I'm currently using a 9V wall charger, but had great luck using a 3.7V 18650 battery. However, with the battery method, you'll need to swap out the batteries every few hours as they will be drained. You would ideally want more than one so you can use one and recharge the other. Note that you can make an elaborate electrolysis setup, but the simple one described above works well for me. Another method that works pretty good at paint removal is to boil the part in water with some baking soda added. However, due to the size of your case and likely not having a scrap pot that large, I'm not recommending it here. Evaporust is great for removing rust, but although it supposedly won't damage the underlying metal, I had one exception: an oil pot on a railroad lantern. It was rusty but felt very solid. I left it soaking in Evaporust overnight, and the next day, it looked lie it was made of a window screen. I was not happy! If you find a sandblaster to use, try glass beads (don't allow yourself to inhale any of it) or something not too abrasive. A really abrasive grit may begin eating through the metal case before you realize it. I use small cans of automotive paint for my repainting. I'm not personally aware of any manufacturers that used a high temp paint or clear coat, although that may very well preserve it much better.
Dear @Jim Lukowski , I thank you for your detailed advices! Yes the Electrolysis would be fine and useful not only for this case, but also for the future requirements. Fortunately I've already many of good AC-DC PSUs and I am a little good for those kind of stuffs! So it's easy to start this new method (for me) as your nice instruction. As told the big matter for me now, I don't have my free time due to my too young twins kids so only I've short free time for me that is the working time(Sorry for my company). So in near future I cannot do anything for me even weekend, any holiday that I don't have.. So this time I'll consider the alternative, Cerakote as @z1ulike kindly advised me. I found one official distributor in Korea, very fortunately his office is very near from me, I visited there and discussed. He told the Sand blast Must be done in advance in order to apply/spray Cerakote. There is no Primer, Clear finishing with Cerakote spraying. He will apply Aluminium Oxide blasting due to the manual of Cerakote, and he told me no worries about the Damage of Mother body(case), in fact I don't sure but need to trust him, so let us see the further result! It's just a stove with a bloody Silver painted on the bottom. (I still don't like this kind of guys who do anything very unrespectful way, now we have Google and Youtube for everything but his way was like my childhood period - No Youtube, no smartphone, just do usd1 spray for everything without any pre-tasks) I think this color would be ok Cerakote - JESSE JAMES CIVIL DEFENSE BLUE So I'll show the final result here just around 3-4weeks later, hope all will be perfect. I really thank you for all your advices once again, and surely will prepare the Electrolysis, Evapo rust, for my future cases, becaues Cerakote method is a way expensive, and for the future cases I won't apply any sanding only by Chemicals in order to avoid any further damages for further cases. The only thing now I should consider : the Gas emission of Electrolysis, I don't know about the related civil codes as like as Environment protection law, frankly nobody cares if I do at the balcony space of my office but I don't want to violate the codes, if it's existed. Here Korea is now being transformed like Californian strict law! CCS is really the best piazza! I am very helped thank you! Yun
The volume of hydrogen evolution during this process is minimal. In even a slightly ventilated area the dispersal rate is such that the risk is nearly non-existent. On your balcony would be ideal, hook it up and leave it to do its work overnight etc. When you don't need it, it can sit with a lid on it until the next time. The soda solution is inert. I have my own opinion of stainless anodes, by all means do your own research but please do not be put off by scaremongering. By using gloves any perceived risk is negligible anyway. I went stainless after much research about 5 years ago and never looked back, it made an enjoyable process effortless, far cleaner, I haven't cleaned my tanks since, have only topped the water up and have only about an inch of rusty silt in the big tank (the workhorse). Alec.
@Yun124 Take a look at this thread it may give you an idea what is achieved with electrolysis Basket case 22B Good luck Nick
Dear @Rangie and @nmp , I thank you once again for your advices, and understood. So as posted I'll use this method by further! This time, I'm now waiting for the case from Cerakote service, but repeat as above - it's a way expensive so next time I'll do as Electrolysis for saving cost and having fun as diy, hope will be allowed by my wife... Best regards, Yun
Hello all and Mr. @z1ulike Finally I've got the case from Cerakote Korean dealership. #CIVIL DEFENSE BLUE Took 2months, really? meh... Anyway the result is fine, frankly I was expecting the better than this, but it is enough. Don't care too much, this is not for into the Window collection - would be as the actual using stove for me. The embossed logo and code is still alive even it had the sand-blasting. Cerakote told the Sand blasting is mandatorily required in order to have paint on the surface firmly. And told the Paint thickness is 50micron it had, instead of the usual: 15-25 micron, due to the mother material(case)'s condition was a way poor. So post some photos from my office. Thank you for all advices.
Wow!! @Yun124 the stove has come out looking very nice, burning good as well. Those white control knobs are a real bonus, i think that they mean that the stove is from the early 1950's. There will be an expert here somewhere that can confirm that, or otherwise. Well done, you have a good looking stove with lots of life ahead of it, you will get much good use from this stove.
@Yun124 I think you're stove came out looking beautiful. Since you're going to use your stove you will not regret going to the trouble of getting the Cerakote paint job. It's excellent high temperature paint that should hold up to plenty of abuse. Congratulations on a job well done. Ben
Greetings, Mr. Yun, Channy, your stove looks wonderful, so very good job! And, you are fortunate that your left burner is burning beautifully! Those left burners are very hard to find, if you needed to replace it! Lovely photos of the blue flame against the blue paint job! I love it! Thanks for sharing, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Mark
@Yun124 Outstanding looking and working stove. Will give you years of pleasure I am sure. Enjoy Daryl
Hello my seniors, I thank you for all your warm comments, it's very glad. Sometimes I feel many emotions upon using this kind of 1950s stoves... At their exworked period from the factories, my society was super poor just around the Korean War (~1953 July, suspended). The stove says many words...
