Black wrinkle paint.

*A bare MkIV belonging to an English amateur astronomer in original black wrinkle paint. The cast pot base rests in the foreground. This gave the option of a drilled flange fitting direct to the base or a pot to fit on top of a heavy wall pipe.

Wrinkle paint should not be confused with crackle paint. The latter is more typically a finish on wood. The original black wrinkle paint used on these mountings is not much used commercially these days. Though it was once used for a wide range of commercial objects. Optical instruments, radios, clocks, electrical items including humble electric room heaters were commonly coated with this baked-on finish. I have been told that the original wrinkle paint was rather toxic to those who worked with it.

Wrinkle paint can now be obtained in aerosol cans from motorcycle customisers. As it is a popular finish on custom Harley Davidsons. I was advised by my supplier that warmth is necessary to achieve a good wrinkle effect. Heat should be applied immediately after painting on a reasonably thick coat. I imagine an electric heat gun would be ideal for this "heat treatment".

As I had already used Hammerite paint on my MkIV I have never tried the wrinkle paint which I bought after a very long search. I understand some car accessory shops have wrinkle paint but I never found any at those I tried. There is still some of the original wrinkle paint remaining on the slow motions power supply box and control paddle: This looks like a lack of primer combined with years of sweaty hands.

Opinions seem to vary on the best finish for these old mountings. Some people detest Hammerite and want to see the original wrinkle finish. I am not so sure that very exposed mountings suit the wrinkle paint. In a proper observatory offering excellent protection then wrinkle paint would be the ideal choice for those seeking originality. It can look absolutely superb contrasting with highly polished and lacquered brass and bronze. I have to admit my first attempt at light blue Hammerite was a mistake. It looked horribly cheap and nasty! So I tried the dark blue and am still reasonably happy. I don't like black Hammerite so that wasn't an option. I have had to retouch the Hammerite repeatedly over the years despite careful application of the correct Hammerite primer on the aluminium castings. On the steel pier it seems to offer no better protection than primer and gloss oil paint. On perfectly clean steel rust has broken through in a number of places despite two thick coats of Hammerite four years ago. It also seems rather subject to chipping when knocked.

Here is an image I downloaded from a European amateur astronomer's website showing a MkIV in its original black wrinkle paint finish.

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