Was the Coleman 500 pot support and heat shield painted?

What I mean to say is were these pieces painted or bare metal from the factory.
I've never seen one with any traces of factory paint on these parts so I am suspecting they were never painted.

 

I wanted to ask Terry Marsh but I can't find a way to contact him.

 

No, the only thing painted was the fount. Some restore theirs and paint them with high heat silver paint but they were bare metal from the factory.

 

I think the plate may have been galvanized, but I never seen a NOS one so can't say for sure. I paint both when doing a restoration as I've got too much stuff in the shop to be chasing rust on restored pieces.

 

The next one I do I want it to be done the same as they were so I will avoid paint it they were in fact not painted.
I could use something to protect the surface but I'm not sure what will work and still handle heat.
I could oil it and wipe most of the oil off before use but that is not convenient.

 

I ordered some 2000deg clear coat recently for a stove project, that might be a good option to protect without looking too far off.

 

Looks like a real cheap quick galvanizing to me. On the one I restored I just used high heat silver.

Alex

 

I have 3, 500's 2-c-38s and a 1-51 there appears to be nickel on uprights of one and some traces on outer web

 

Here's a 500a I recently redid. The plate and manifold cover are Duplicolor high heat aluminum and the grate is Duplicolor high heat flat black. The aluminum is a fair match color-wise for the original galvanized finish. Rustoleum makes a spray galvanized but I don't know how it does with heat. I used it on some lantern frames but they don't get any where near as hot as a stove grate.

 

@SSW Josh had mentioned stove black before, bet he would know what would work.

 

Well...I could also go with it being a cheap and quick nickel job! lol

Alex

 

DH,
Re OP: I don't know.
I will offer comment but not certain it applies to the 500 model pot support ?? My guess is, it is relevant to your question.
I can not find it but in the past I was involved in a related discussion, I think it was on CCS open posted.
For example here is a '43 521.


*Is that pot support and heat shield "painted"?
I'll offer that if it is paint, it is a thin coating that very easily rubs off.
There are 3 surface treatments above.
The outer cover has green appearance (which is discussed elsewhere, the link I can't find).
**The inner cover.
**The pot support.
(**These may be the same treatment, the brighter silver/white, of the inner cover, is applied onto a brighter metal. The silver on the pot support is applied onto a more dull darker metal).
All 3 rub off fairly easily, the result after many years of handling is most examples have a blotchy appearance with silver surviving in places where it is not rubbed off with handling. There are, excellent original condition, examples that retain most/all of their original silver appearance.

If Coleman shipped out parts with bare metal exposed, they would all develop surface rust so I'll guess, non painted or bare metal had some type of rust preventative coating applied.

(** the tank is "painted" w/an excellent durable paint. If the silver pot support is "painted", that paint (and process) is not at all like the paint on the tank ).
thx omc

PS As to the green tinted version, i don't intend to drift from your question. If I could find the previous discussion I would link it.

 

The comparison of the 521 to the 500 is not in the least relevant. The 521 was a military only stove, finished in accordance to the specifications of a military contract. The 500/500a was a civilian only (with the exception of the Canadian Army issue which is a beast unto itself) and had a completely different finish from the military stoves.

 

My 521 was sitting nearby as i posted and my guess was that is the same silver [paint] used.

"My guess..." was wrong, I stand corrected. thank you.

I went out and checked 2 of my 500s and concur looks like silver paint (although not like the tank paint) and does not rub off.
thanks omc

 

For a high temperature silver paint I have had luck with VHT silver. High temperature coating on bare metal I have used VHT clear. One company that I buy high temperature coatings at a great price is Forest Paints located in Eugene Oregon. Rutland makes an excellent high temperature black stove paint I use. If you want a gray color that will really take the heat I use an exhaust manifold dressing that is popular with the Corvette enthusiasts and looks really sharp. Rustoleum BBQ black works just fine and it is not expensive. From my experience with any high temperature coating surface cleaning and prep is critical. I also bake all of my high temperature coatings in an oven to properly cure them for best results. If I cannot fit what I have coated inside of an oven I have had good luck warming up the finish with a blowtorch, using a propane bbq, finding a powder coating shop to bake it for me, and if I'm broke I just leave it over a kerosene heater overnight. For a clear coating on a bare surface like a polished fount I use clear electric motor insulating varnish. That same clear insulating varnish is also what I use on magnesium after polishing to seal and keep it shiny. Any electric motor shop will have the clear and it can withstand temperatures I'm thinking up to 300°F safely. If you have any questions on high temperature coating let me know and I will be happy to share with you what works for me and what has not worked for me. - Josh

 

Love the colors you used here.
could you post another picture of it straight on?
I would love to know which paint you used for the fount.

 

Don't have a better pic handy. the fount is one of the Rustoleum paint and primer combos, the ones with the weird trigger/top. It might have been Burnished Amber. It was a case of what's on the shelf, but it did turn out to be a good color for that stove. That's the one I did the thread about straightening the generator. It has turned out to be one of my favorite stoves.
Here is one pic that shows the color a little better.

 

This is my 500, I am very happy with it but now I want one in grey.
I plan to get rid of my 502's and replace them with 500s because I find them far more reliable

 

What do your 502's do that give you reliability concerns?

My impression is that they're only slightly more reliable than a hammer.

 

I own 3 and got them all running great and one year later they would not light so I cleaned them all again, tank, gen and fuel air tube and that did the trick.
I would bet they corrode easily and the system is more sensitive than the 500s.
One out of three is luck but 3 out of three is a pattern