The Siren Board

The siren is completely in pieces. So far I've gotten paint off the interior and exterior of the intakes, exterior of the solenoid boxes, interior and exterior of the RC-6 cabinet, and the one stator. Its coming along nicely. I'm still trying to figure out how to get the paint off the interior of the solenoid boxes. The second picture you can see what I have left to do. All those horns!!! Plus the motor, the pole mount bracket, the upper intake cover bracket, and I bought all new stainless-steel bolts and screws to replace every original one except the eye-bolt. I am missing the spacers that go in between the intake and the pole mount bracket so if anyone knows where I can find extras that would be great! The motor has been tested at our local motor shop, new bearings were installed and was given a clean bill of health. I did not have the windings re-baked because the repairman said everything looked fine inside, with no signs of water entering. Derek Thompson is dropping off the AF timer from the Valley Springs, SD 3T22 that I bought on Monday.

If you know someone or have access to some kind of blaster, you can blast the paint from the inside & out of those solenoid boxes, in fact just have everything blasted then powdercoated in phases to keep the expense down. The control cabinets, the horns ,upper& lower intakes,the stators on the outside only.You'll have a durable finish that will last for many years especially if you plan to mount it up outside again for display. I plan on having the stators, intakes, and horns powdercoated to my 2t22 sometime. just my 2c...

I might just have the body shop guy here in town do the hard to get spots, otherwise its good enough. Then I plan on doing 1 coat of stage two automotive primer, then 2 coats of yellow. I have my own paint gun, and respirator.
What do you mean by

power coating in phases

?

He means take 10 horns in get them painted. Then take the other 12 horns to get them panted. Then keep doing that between the stators, motor and the panel.

Oh I see. Nah, I'm not so worried about the cost, its just that now that its getting cold up here in MN, I'm not sure if I can get it painted before spring without a heated shop.

Andys Live WX wrote:I might just have the body shop guy here in town do the hard to get spots, otherwise its good enough. Then I plan on doing 1 coat of stage two automotive primer, then 2 coats of yellow. I have my own paint gun, and respirator.
What do you mean by

power coating in phases

?

Hobbeekid said "powDercoating"

Powder coating is much more durable than paint. You need the metal to be completely bare (sand blasting is the best method), and then electrostatically charged powder is applied, through a special gun, to the metal. Then it is baked in an oven for roughly 30 minutes at around 400 degrees F. I do some powder coating myself, but I'm limited to what will fit in my old 1960s GE kitchen oven that I got just for powdering. I powder coat small car parts mainly, so I've never bought a bigger oven.

-Rick

Ready for paint!

Andys Live WX wrote:Ready for paint!

What color are you using? CD Yellow? Or something else?

I'm debating CD yellow v.s the white like Federal uses on their current sirens. Same with the logos, old style or new style? I will not be putting on primer first as the body shop guy here in down told me to use a special automotive paint that hardens once put on. He sprayed it on a truck frame that the black paint was peeling off and it made those peels as hard as a rock. I bought a $350 paint gun and a new air compressor so it should all go great. I just need to practice a little with the paint gun and get everything set right.

Andys Live WX wrote:I'm debating CD yellow v.s the white like Federal uses on their current sirens. Same with the logos, old style or new style? I will not be putting on primer first as the body shop guy here in down told me to use a special automotive paint that hardens once put on. He sprayed it on a truck frame that the black paint was peeling off and it made those peels as hard as a rock. I bought a $350 paint gun and a new air compressor so it should all go great. I just need to practice a little with the paint gun and get everything set right.

I don't think I've seen a white 3T22A before. IMO Civil Defense yellow kinda bets boring after a while, but it is your siren, so paint it whatever color you want. Good luck with the paint gun and tgebproject as a whole.