Bottlehead Forum
Bottlehead Kits => Crack => Topic started by: Immanence on April 04, 2022, 04:55:46 PM
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I'd like to get a sense of what it would look like. I feel like that would actually be a cool aesthetic.
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Many, many years ago I did a pair of amps with purposely rusted end bells and channel frames, a verdigris looking chassis panel and green flocking on the exposed transformer coils. Sorry I don't seem to have a picture handy, maybe someone else has a pic of it. People did seem to like it. I used some kind of chemical rust finish kit from Michaels IIRC. These days I would just take the end bell with me to Bonneville...Do cover the rust with a clear coat so it doesn't get rubbed off on your hands when you handle the amp.
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I couldn't find the specific image, but found a kinda sorta similar 'amp with patina' to get the idea.
https://music-electronics-forum.com/forum/amplification/guitar-amps/vintage-amps/45830-old-rusty-transformers
You may have to scroll down to see it. I think it might be a kind of cool look. Older cars with a 'patina' finish have become very popular, and are often finished with a clearcoat to stop (or really, really slow down) the corrosion and prevent it coming off due to handling and use.
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Google "fake rust patina". Popular with Old Skool hot rodders.
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Somewhat OT: This thread reminds me of the on-campus apartment complex I lived in for 3 years during college in the mid-1970s. The complex was built and run by the school. A few months after completion in 1973, it's design beat out over 50 other entries nationwide as the "best college living quarters structure."
What's the connection to this thread? "The (outer) walls were constructed of CORE TEN steel, a special material that... (was) intentionally designed to oxidize under the impression that rust would give it an aesthetic affect." To make a long story short, the complex had numerous problems including those outer rusted steel walls and was torn down well before its predicted life expectancy.
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This is a Foreplay 3 extended that I built in 2008. I never painted the bell, only gave it a cleaning and maybe a steel wool treatment and then 'preserved' it with Turtle car wax. At one point, maybe 6 years ago I did the steel wool treatment again and applied turtle wax. As you can see I does not rust much, at least with the wax treatment I guess.
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Love the FP III lets see more shots overall and under.
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Follow up: you are only supposed to paint the top to maintain metal contact surface. Is there an issue if the underside rusts, or does that not impede anything?
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We have not run into issues with rust on the bottom of the transformer covers.
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Not on subject anymore but here are more shots as desired by Thermioniclife. Forplay 3 extended, my first Bottlehead built back in 2008. Also present a Crack and Eros.
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I have always had an affection to the FP3 extended and stock.
Here are my FP3 type preamps
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I like the grey transformer bell, what is the color, do you remember? And I have seen the Fi Foreplay version before on this forum, very cool.
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I ended up painting it, but I'm happy with the way it came out.
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It's Krylon gloss smoke grey. I have had that can for many years, It's a great utility grey grey. Have used it on many end bells and 2 sex 3.0's and some battery boxes for EMG pickups and active preamps for a couple of bass's I have. It's pretty durable.
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Nice work on the Crack. What did you treat the base with? Looks real good.
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Thanks - that's tried and true danish with beeswax. Can't remember how many coats, but polished off with some 0000 steel wool.