Help Needed: stripping/painting micrometers

[Tom CPM10V]

Help, please.
Recently I bought a set of 6 used Brown & Sharpe mikes covering the 6" ~ 12" range. They have carbide faces, and are beautiful instruments, almost like new with one exception. Somebody had painted 3 dots about 3/4" in diameter on each one -- a white dot, a red dot, and a green one.

I'd like to get rid of the dots by repainting the mikes. The original paint was black wrinkle paint and I would like to use that if it's a good idea. Need your advice and tips in following areas:

1. Would you remove the original wrinkle paint? If so, what would be the best way?

2. Would you use wrinkle paint? If so, what brand of paint would you use to get good chip and abrasion resistance? If regular paint is used, what do you recommend?

3. Is powdercoating possible? Advisable?

THANK YOU very much
Tom [Gettysburg, PA]

[MJMIKE]

Painting dots on mikes is common practice in some shops indicating they have been inspected for accuracy with the colors coded to an inspection or expiration date. If you scraped them off you might find different color dots underneath. The dot paint is probably fast drying like laquer (sp?). A solvent for that might take off the dots without taking off the micrometer paint. No one has abused them, this is just clearly visible date coding.
John

[SGW]

Personally, I wouldn't mess with them.

Powder coating a micrometer sounds like a really bad idea to me.

[JCHannum]

Ditto leaving them alone. Definitely no on powder coat or any other treatment involving heat.

You might try a mild solvent such as alcohol and a stiff brush.

Be happy the PO used paint to identify and didn't engrave his name all over them with a Dremel or electric pencil.

[ttok]

You might try dabbing a small amount of paint stripper (Aircraft Stripper or Strypeze) on the center of the dot for ONLY ABOUT 10 SECONDS, then wipe it off. It may soften the upper layer of paint (ie., the dot) and not reach the base coat. Do not get it too close to the perimeter of the dot - you can experiment with the first one. Then carefully scrape the softened paint off gently with an Exacto or razor blade. When you get close to the bottom layer, use kerosene to remove the last of the dot. Good luck! A.T.

[Ausserdog]

Try using automotive brake fluid. It will rapidly soften and remove laquer and enamel. Rinse with water (carefully!), dry and oil.

Tom

[Excitable Boy]

Leave em alone.

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