Dracula restoration - backbox repaint - Part 3

Painting of the backbox:



Notice the knot/plug in the plywood and the number stamped in the side:



After first or 2nd coat.. Although it was latex, because it was sprayed, it went on thin enough that after 2 coats, the color wasn't uniform - thin in places.



Final product:

It wasn't slick like a car finish, but it wasn't bumpy either. Ample coverage, yet it doesn't appear too thick. Considering I'm using latex instead of lacquer, I'm happy with the results and compromise.





Finally, here are the new backbox trim pieces, cut from 3/4" MDF and sealed with several coats of Zinsser sealer.

Dracula restoration - backbox repaint - Part 2

Dings filled, sanded, primered, ready to paint:



The metal sheet will be replaced. If I'm going through the trouble of repainting, I might as well fix that corroded detail. More later on that.



I took a piece of the backbox trim with purple to Lowes and they matched it. If it's not dead on, it's a very close match. Bought a gallon:



Cheap HVLP gun, cost $30 10yrs ago. (added regulator and cheap filter)



The mix I used was 85% latex paint, 10% water, and 5% Floetrol. The Floetrol really seemed to help the paint flow, as in it would have looked like crap if I didn't use it. It seemed to spray on bumpy (sputtered out of the gun?), but smooth as it dried. Although the result was beyond my expectations, I will probably thin the paint a bit more next time.

Dracula restoration - backbox repaint - Part 1

The backbox was made out of 3/4" plywood. The surround/edge pieces of 5/8" fiberboard, similar to what Galaga cabinets were made of.

The top and side piece near the lock were swollen and damaged from insects and rot. I removed those pieces and made new ones from 3/4" MDF. These were originally sprayed so that the back edges of those trim pieces were base coat (purple) and not black, and the top face of the top piece was purple. I'll spray em black, use a pin nailer to secure and Titebond glue to reinstall, after the backbox is repainted.

Here are a few before pics of the Dracula backbox. Some dings and chips and some rough spots were filled where the trim pieces were removed. I did not use a paint stripper, but sanded though MOST of the factory paint to get a smooth base for the primer.

Already applied filler, but before final sanding and primer coats: