Retired from newspapers and television, currently sailing Thelonious II, a 1984 Ericson 381.
A 38-foot Ericson probably has eight dome lights, four reading lights, a chart light and maybe some kerosene lamps. I believe in old gear and always resist tossing it on the rubbish heap. It saves money, and sets a good example for my wife to follow, should she start to consider my own utility questionable.
The fixtures were all black, which at time of purchase I thought looked a little odd, although not bad. An Ericson quirk back in 1984? No, I discovered later, it was a P.O. quirk--he had spray painted them all with an aerosol can. Worked OK until you touched them, after which your finger was black, too. So I took them all home for contemplation.
The black came off with acetone, revealing brass that was only slightly corroded. After a few hours of trying to save the brass, I had a gin and came to my senses. This was was why he had painted them in the first place. Restoring junk back to junk may be authentic, but sort of misses the point. The lights functioned, though, and each had a retrofit LED bulb.
So I decided to paint them myself, but to do it right. Enter Interlux Brightside Hatteras Off-White and the famous Preval Sprayer "system." There had been no primer before, so I used a gray automobile product from the hardware store.
And then Brightside. Thinning is important with the Preval sprayers. About 10 percent with Interlux 216 is required. It's Zylene, so too much means the paint dissolves on contact like a secondary character in a science fiction movie. And sprayed Brightside needs three coats, which on complex surfaces like these is easy to screw up. But I persevered, because I was committed to a powder-coat -like gloss, which standard aerosol spray cans can't do but Brightside can. If you're lucky.
I put the painted reading lamps back on the boat and hated the way they looked. Just--well, painted. But the painted dome lights, which are somewhat hidden, looked OK and factory new.
Live with the four reading lights? Nah. New Sea Dog brand fixtures are less than 50 bucks on line, and in brass give the cabin a touch of, well, a touch of 50 bucks each. I bought a new brass Sea Dog flex-neck nav light, too.
A prior owner had installed two Weems and Plath gimballed oil lamps, which were dark with heavy patina. They're expensive, and solid brass. To do things right, I ordered a rather small $20 container of "Weems and Plath" special polish exactly designed for their products, and said to be the perfect choice for any yacht owner with a checkbook. The polish really doesn't work extremely well. By which I mean, if there were a contest for polishes that don't work, it would win. It is extremely good at not working, better at not working than any polish I have used before. So I dipped the fixtures in vinegar, $1.45 a gallon, rubbed with salt, and in ten minutes the brass was bright again.
We all knew why the polish wouldn't work: the label said it "cannot harm surfaces." What you want to see is "use with extreme caution" or "professional use only" or "no user-serviceable parts inside." That is the key to success. Well, just another $20 tuition payment. And I was already paid up.
Ain't it grand, re-learning stuff you already knew?
The fixtures were all black, which at time of purchase I thought looked a little odd, although not bad. An Ericson quirk back in 1984? No, I discovered later, it was a P.O. quirk--he had spray painted them all with an aerosol can. Worked OK until you touched them, after which your finger was black, too. So I took them all home for contemplation.
The black came off with acetone, revealing brass that was only slightly corroded. After a few hours of trying to save the brass, I had a gin and came to my senses. This was was why he had painted them in the first place. Restoring junk back to junk may be authentic, but sort of misses the point. The lights functioned, though, and each had a retrofit LED bulb.
So I decided to paint them myself, but to do it right. Enter Interlux Brightside Hatteras Off-White and the famous Preval Sprayer "system." There had been no primer before, so I used a gray automobile product from the hardware store.
And then Brightside. Thinning is important with the Preval sprayers. About 10 percent with Interlux 216 is required. It's Zylene, so too much means the paint dissolves on contact like a secondary character in a science fiction movie. And sprayed Brightside needs three coats, which on complex surfaces like these is easy to screw up. But I persevered, because I was committed to a powder-coat -like gloss, which standard aerosol spray cans can't do but Brightside can. If you're lucky.
I put the painted reading lamps back on the boat and hated the way they looked. Just--well, painted. But the painted dome lights, which are somewhat hidden, looked OK and factory new.
Live with the four reading lights? Nah. New Sea Dog brand fixtures are less than 50 bucks on line, and in brass give the cabin a touch of, well, a touch of 50 bucks each. I bought a new brass Sea Dog flex-neck nav light, too.
A prior owner had installed two Weems and Plath gimballed oil lamps, which were dark with heavy patina. They're expensive, and solid brass. To do things right, I ordered a rather small $20 container of "Weems and Plath" special polish exactly designed for their products, and said to be the perfect choice for any yacht owner with a checkbook. The polish really doesn't work extremely well. By which I mean, if there were a contest for polishes that don't work, it would win. It is extremely good at not working, better at not working than any polish I have used before. So I dipped the fixtures in vinegar, $1.45 a gallon, rubbed with salt, and in ten minutes the brass was bright again.
We all knew why the polish wouldn't work: the label said it "cannot harm surfaces." What you want to see is "use with extreme caution" or "professional use only" or "no user-serviceable parts inside." That is the key to success. Well, just another $20 tuition payment. And I was already paid up.
Ain't it grand, re-learning stuff you already knew?
