Here is a question for our brothers across the pond:  Tell me how you paint with a paint brush?  (I know - one stroke at a time!!)  I have personally seen some of your work and it is fabulous!!

You shared with some of us you paint about all your collectibles with a paint brush by heating the paint.  I friend of mine and I are about done finishing a nice 44 Standard.  (Pics will be forthcoming!!) and were discussing painting some of the smaller parts with a brush and I shared with him your story.

So here are some questions:  At what temperature do you heat the paint?  Do you use reducer or hardener in the paint?  What type brushes do you use?  What secrets might there be to make the items look their best?

We do use a hardener and reducer.  We use a HVLP system.  Everything works great but sometimes you need to do some touch up without using the sprayer. 

Tell us more!!

Thanks

Gary

Hello Gary,

 At long last we have heard from you, we were getting worried about you being so quiet!!!!!!

There are not many secrets to hand painting, but like any job common sense, quality tools, time and patience.

First use a good quality what we call coach enamel paint, (none of these modern two packs, with hardners, reducer's and god knows what  else)

Second is your brush, here in UK one of the oldest and most famous manufacturers for top quality is the "Harrison" brush, very fine and soft bristles which DO NOT drop out the first time you start to use it as with many cheap ones.

Third all you need is an old camp stove and pan with boiling water, place your paint tin in the boling water and stir well, you will see the paint thin as you stir, remove the tin after approx 15 to 20 minutes and you are ready to go.

Always apply in thin coats as the warm paint hits the colder metal just brush out and cross the pattern, but don't overbrush as the paint quickly drys, as you move across the piece of metal always use the same pattern and you will see the fine brush marks disperse as the paint flows together and drys. These fine brush marks come from the quality of your brush.

Hope this is of some help to you and your experiments, I look forward to hearing how you get on with it and post us the photo's.

Many Thanks,

Malcolm 

Hi Malcolm,

Sorry, I have been absent for a while.  Been working on projects!!  Just wanted to say thanks for the information on hand painting!!  It only makes sense!!  Now to find a quality brush here in the States!!  I have some Pony implements I am going to try it on.  People have told me I am crazy but why not.  Not the dumbest thing I have ever done!!

Hope all is well in the UK.  Did you get our house purchased???

GTE

Hope the painting is going well Gary??

Yes we purchsed YOUR UK home on your behalf, we never heard from you  for such a long time when the funds needing transfering, so we put it back on the market and sold it at a good profit, so that's what is funding my August trip across the pond to the USA this year, all I can say Gary is "thanks" and I look forward to flying "first class" knowing you have made me money!!!!


How are the strawberries coming along this season??? guess the cream wil be no problem this year in Wisconsin, especially now you have sampled and acquired the taste for the real thing.


Malcolm. 

I am glad you were able to turn the house for a profit!!  You should be able to buy a home over here with all the profit!  Sure would save you more money!!

Strawberries are looking good but I am still searching for the cream.  I even contacted the UK producer and of course he is not a global provider.  Something about short shelf life!!  I definitely have not found the same cream over here.  Still looking however.

Enjoy your comfortable flight over!!  At least you will be fresh for the crazy days of chasing tractors and memorabilia!!

Painting is waiting on prep.  Plow is about ready to go.  Also working on another wagon (Cobey) but plan to paint it red and yellow.

We finished up on Mike Jones's 44 Standard - really looks nice.  If he doen't post some pics I will soon!!

Look forward to seeing you in August!!

GTE

MasseyH wrote: I am glad you were able to turn the house for a profit!!  You should be able to buy a home over here with all the profit!  Sure would save you more money!!

Strawberries are looking good but I am still searching for the cream.  I even contacted the UK producer and of course he is not a global provider.  Something about short shelf life!!  I definitely have not found the same cream over here.  Still looking however.

Enjoy your comfortable flight over!!  At least you will be fresh for the crazy days of chasing tractors and memorabilia!!

Painting is waiting on prep.  Plow is about ready to go.  Also working on another wagon (Cobey) but plan to paint it red and yellow.

We finished up on Mike Jones's 44 Standard - really looks nice.  If he doen't post some pics I will soon!!

Look forward to seeing you in August!!

GTE

Gary, There is a pretty good size Jersey dairy farm at Greenville, IL. They make cheese there. They might sell you some cream. Don't remember the name. Just google cheese Greenville, IL.
Steve

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the response.  We have a couple Jersy herds over here as well but there is NOTHING like the UK Jersey Cream.  It is honestly thicker than any cream I have ever seen.  It is more the consistency of manyonnaise. And extremely rich.  Definitely great over fresh strawberries, breads or anything else you dare put in your mouth. 

When we had the strawberries and cream during MENA in Illinois - I am sure John and Malcolm had a good laugh at our meager effort.  Strawberries were great but they poured the cream over them.  You can not pour UK Jersey Cream!!!

If anyone knows where to get in in the US let me know!

Thanks

GTE

Gary:

I have got the cream thing mastered are you going to Floyds? Maybe I can bring some there for you to test if I can figure out a way to keep it cool on the way there I will bring some for you to taste. I have a couple differnt ones to choose from can't tell you how I made it or I would have to kill you

Here is a picture of it, It will hold a wooden spoon no problem!! This stuff is so good you can eat it by the spoonfull without the berries but the calories are off the charts.

That isn't just some hardcore whipping cream, is it!!  Looks like you are on to something!!

Now for the hard questions -- Am I going to Kansas!!  I would not miss for anything.  I am even going to haul my MH 35 combine out.  It is running and ready to jump on the trailer.  Even going to stay over and go to the MMCA State Show the next weekend.

I need to get it all worked in this year because I won't be able to afford  it next year because I will have to pay the $10.00 dues increase!!  What will I do - sitting at home looking at all these red things and not be able to go anywhere!?!?!?  Since you have all the money maybe you can underwrite it for me!!  (sorry about that!!)

Anyway,  I look forward to a taste of the US version of heavy Jersey Cream.

Now I am off to my math, spelling and grammar classes!!

Already dieting in preparation!!

GTE

Joe,

Sorry to say but that cream you have looks a bit insipid - it must be out of one of those wretched Holsteins!! and not a supreme Jersey.

To continue on the MASSEY FOOD line it would be good for you to have a MASSEY cream separator at a show and spin down 10 gallons of real Jersey milk to get that luscious cream.  Check first that the Jerseys have been fed on silage or whatever produced with MASSEY equipment then you would have a real MASSEY BRAND leader

Actually we have suffered a slight set back with our Jersey DOUBLE cream supplies.  The supermarket we regularly go to is now only stocking thick Jersey cream which is a sort of half way house beteween single and double cream.  So we went over to another on Anglesey (incidentally where Kate Middleton shops) and re-established a source of DOUBLE Jersey cream.

Life will throw up its little problems!!!