I used to swear by black smoothrite… it was almost foolproof and gave a nice hardwearing glossy finish with often just a single coat…
But now they have changed the receipe and it’s rubbish… very watery and thin, slow drying and prone to running… can anyone recommend a decent alternative?
GRAVY! 
Is that what you use on the shrek-mobile?!
[quote=chrisb]I used to swear by black smoothrite… it was almost foolproof and gave a nice hardwearing glossy finish with often just a single coat…
But now they have changed the receipe and it’s rubbish… very watery and thin, slow drying and prone to running… can anyone recommend a decent alternative? [/quote]
Just found this out last weekend, it was utter sh1te as you say!
That’ll be the health & safety brigade changing it from solvent to water based.
I bought some hammerite thinners a while back, i thought they had stopped making it, but B&Q etc now have to keep it under the counter to keep the sniffers at bay 
Now that IS good stuff 
on solvent related tangent, silly they remove solvent from paint when there are products like FE10 on the shelves, awesome awesome stuff but basically pure solvent.
POR 15, even better than old style smooth hammerite.
I’d heard of that stuff… Now I’ll order some!
Cheers 
Another vote for POR15
Also, I’d recommend using “metal ready” as a base under the POR15
I used this when I refurbished my Caterhams chassis and the results were excellent.
http://www.frost.co.uk/automotive-paint/por15-paints/por15-prep-ready-946ml.html
[quote=SteveM]Another vote for POR15
Also, I’d recommend using “metal ready” as a base under the POR15
I used this when I refurbished my Caterhams chassis and the results were excellent.
http://www.frost.co.uk/automotive-paint/por15-paints/por15-prep-ready-946ml.html
[/quote]
good call.
If its a small area they do a 3 can kit with paint cleanser and prep
[quote=661][quote=SteveM]Another vote for POR15
Also, I’d recommend using “metal ready” as a base under the POR15
I used this when I refurbished my Caterhams chassis and the results were excellent.
http://www.frost.co.uk/automotive-paint/por15-paints/por15-prep-ready-946ml.html
[/quote]
good call.
If its a small area they do a 3 can kit with paint cleanser and prep [/quote]
Wow - looks good… I’ll give it a go - cheers!
I used some matt black simoniz spray paint last night - pre heated the part (rear hub) and the paint in the airing cupboard for about an hour and the results were great… it comes out more of a satin finish but covers well, dries very quickly and the finish is excellent… try not to inhale too much of it though 
Nothing like pre-heating parts in the airing cupboard!
I have been known to put the parts back in the airing cupboard to dry but it doesn’t go down too well 
Nothing to do with paint but I was once caught boiling pistons in our new, big, kitchen pots (well it helps to get the gudgeon pins out). That didn’t go down too well either.
Yup, fly wheel in the freezer and new ring gear on the hob with all 4 burners on full blast…went down like a pork chop in a synagogue
When I was 17 I knocked a hole through the bottom of the (cast) kitchen sink while trying to get the main bearings out of my 350LC crank case…
man, I loved that bike!
Repaired sink with a small patch of ali and some araldite - was a while before my parents even noticed!! (thanks to washing up bowl!)
I get done all the time for putting engine bits in the dishwasher
And when I was a kid, my Mom wasnt to happy with me keeping my fishing maggots in the fridge