Turner +2 mike paint job

[MrBubble]

The +2 is one of the best looking mikes, IMHO. It's art deco style and smooth lines are timeless.

Unfortunately, the original paint on these mikes is usually in bad shape. And if you are fortunate to find one with the original paint in good shape, it's just a matter of light handling before it starts to fade and wear. At over 45 years old, the original paint was not intended to last this long and it's probably lead-based which is not good either.

I'm repainting two of these mikes. They are in great shape (nice chrome, clean plastic & lettering, good cords) except for the paint.

A proper paint job is not difficult but it is time-consuming. I need to get all the original paint off, clean the bare metal, apply primer and allow to dry thoroughly, and then paint. I'll post pics at each step.

-- Jan 18th, '16, 15:41 --

Here is the mike taken down to bare metal using paint stripper and wire brush. This is the hardest step in the entire process.

(edited by MDY, made change at member's request)

[jessejamesdallas]

I did the same thing with a old D 104 I picked up off ebay a couple of years ago...Took it completely apart, sanded it down, replaced the Mic element, and felt bottom, then used self-etching primer on the chrome parts so the new paint would stick. Then pained it Coca Cola Red, with pearl white accents...Picked up some Coca Cola stickers off ebay to finish it out...Took maybe a couple of weeks to finish.


Nice to hear someone else giving New Life to old Mic's!

[MrBubble]

I did the same thing with a old D 104 ... Nice to hear someone else giving New Life to old Mic's!

Great job! I'm proud of that mike and it's not even mine

[kskev]

Wow, LOOKING GOOD Mr. Bubble!!!!
Yep, I always liked the looks of those too..... I even got one coming from the auction site that I just bought.
The paint and chrome looked pretty good in the pictures, but you know how that goes! Will see when it gets here how good it is.
Most likely I will be doing the same in the future!
Are you going back with the same color?

Yours came out looking good as well JJD!

[jessejamesdallas]

I've been thinking of doing a Turner+2 in maybe Candy Apple red or Purple...I'm with you on the design of the +2's they are timeless. And you can find new stickers for the Mic Gain...

[MrBubble]

Wow, LOOKING GOOD Mr. Bubble!!!! ... Are you going back with the same color?

The original color is light hammertone blue (which faded to green on many units). Rustoleum has this color and I tried it but it doesn't match the original very closely and it's kind of bland. So I'm painting one in metallic blue and the second one in metallic red.

Since I'm not a professional painter/artist and I'm using rattle cans (not an airbrush), I found it's best to use a paint that has some texture in it. Using a flat color shows every little blemish. When there is texture (e.g., hammertone, metallic) you don't notice any of these imperfections.

-- Jan 18th, '16, 16:18 --

I've been thinking of doing a Turner+2 in maybe Candy Apple red or Purple...I'm with you on the design of the +2's they are timeless. And you can find new stickers for the Mic Gain...

Yes, I purchased the mike gain stickers on the auction site. The original is not usable when you remove it.

[Mr Peabody]

That is one nice looking D104!
I will definitely be watching the progress on the turner!
I love the look of the classics .
What radio will u be using It on ?

[MrBubble]

That is one nice looking D104!
I will definitely be watching the progress on the turner!
I love the look of the classics .
What radio will u be using It on ?

My old rig is a Realistic Navaho Pro. It powers on but is not operable, I think the e-caps have dried out. So I keep a small collection of vintage equipment that is showcase-quality for display only.

[dgbacb4148]

MrBubble and JJD, I have to give props when they are due, you two are to be commended for doing a great job keeping the oldie's alive, nice job to detail.
3's to ya and good luck.
David g.

[MrBubble]

Here it is with a coat of self etching primer. The primer contains acid which reacts with the metal to form a bond. It's supposed to cure in 2 days but I'm going to wait a full week to be sure.

Interesting to note that when I stripped the original paint I did not see any primer coat. The original paint was just baked on to the metal.

[jessejamesdallas]

Yep, no since rushing it...Just don't do like I did and have it sitting somewhere, where flying insects can get stuck on it while your waiting for it to dry...

Think I had to sand down and repaint my D 104 at least twice because some critter decided to use it as a landing pad when the paint was still sticky!

[Slim Pickins]

You guys are making me want to tear one of my old mikes apart and get painting now.

[Mr Peabody]

I can wait to see the finished product! They are gonna look awesome.

[MDYoungblood]

Wow, LOOKING GOOD Mr. Bubble!!!! ... Are you going back with the same color?

The original color is light hammertone blue (which faded to green on many units). Rustoleum has this color and I tried it but it doesn't match the original very closely and it's kind of bland. So I'm painting one in metallic blue and the second one in metallic red.

Since I'm not a professional painter/artist and I'm using rattle cans (not an airbrush), I found it's best to use a paint that has some texture in it. Using a flat color shows every little blemish. When there is texture (e.g., hammertone, metallic) you don't notice any of these imperfections.

-- Jan 18th, '16, 16:18 --

I've been thinking of doing a Turner+2 in maybe Candy Apple red or Purple...I'm with you on the design of the +2's they are timeless. And you can find new stickers for the Mic Gain...

Yes, I purchased the mike gain stickers on the auction site. The original is not usable when you remove it.

If you use a lighter gray primer then the blue it might lighten it up a bit.

3's

Greg

[Bombero]

Hey,

Those are some very nice looking mics.

Bombero

[MrBubble]

If you use a lighter gray primer then the blue it might lighten it up a bit.

3's

Greg

Those pics are just the primer, although it doesn't look too shabby just with primer alone. I'll be apply the base color coats next week. I'm actually going for a darker tint, just a matter of preference.

[MDYoungblood]

Yes, I saw the pics of the primer, I know that Rustoleum does lighten up as it dries and the lighter primer (white) helps lighten up the the finish coat. If your planning on an enamel paint you can bake the finish to make it harder, an oven works great, I've baked small parts for some engine builds I've done. The canned paint had the instruction to do this, not sure about the spray cans and there are some YouTube's too.

3's

Greg

[jessejamesdallas]

My other D 104....

[MrBubble]

Hey Jesse, those are two beautiful twins! After seeing the great job you did, I'm not sure I even want to post my pics ... you're a hard act to follow!

[jessejamesdallas]

Hey Jesse, those are two beautiful twins! After seeing the great job you did, I'm not sure I even want to post my pics ... you're a hard act to follow!

Should have seen them before I started...The Coke one I think I payed $20 for, and the chrome was all pitted-out, rust on the PPT handle, element had a hole in it, felt was all torn on bottom....Defiantly project-Mic's.

[MrBubble]

Hey Jesse, those are two beautiful twins! After seeing the great job you did, I'm not sure I even want to post my pics ... you're a hard act to follow!

Should have seen them before I started...The Coke one I think I payed $20 for, and the chrome was all pitted-out, rust on the PPT handle, element had a hole in it, felt was all torn on bottom....Defiantly project-Mic's.

You have not only brought these mikes back to life, you made them better (looking) than new. I think you should make a guest appearance on that TV show American Restoration!

[jessejamesdallas]

Hahaha! Just wanted to be different...Was thinking of doing a Nascar theme one maybe next...I've got a Turner +3 that could use a make-over...Just going to have to wait till it warms up some.

[Rabbit Ears]

Wicked mics!! Awesome!!

That took some serious work to boot.

Psst...can I have the green one??? I have a thing for John Deere. Now that takes the bank, the cake, and everything else! Great job!!

[Mr Peabody]

If I didn't know any better I would think them D104s
Where factor special editions . Those look great!
And mr bubbles, no need to get discouraged
I'm sure the turners will look amazing when your
done too !! Can't wait to see um!

[MrBubble]

While I'm waiting for the primer to fully cure, I thought I'd add a tip for anyone else who restores their old mikes. In my case, I removed the base of the mike so I could work on the body. This involved removing the gain control and desoldering a couple wires.

Before removing anything, take a photo! Like they say, a photo is worth a thousand words and is much better than written notes. When I reassemble the mike, I will use the photo as a baseline reference for how everything is routed and connected.