A painting surprise

[poplargreg]

As the weather was fine yesterday, I decided to finish refurbishing an old school desk I'd acquired for my grand-daughter. Only the hinges needed repainting, so I searched the workshop for something suitable and found a small tin of "Brushing Belco" cellulose from Halfords. Now I remember putting it there about 35-40 years ago when I found that the nice shiny finish soon went dull when I used some on a bike frame.

Just the job. The tin was rather rusty and had an ominous bulge in the bottom but seemed about two thirds full and sloshed about when I shook it. Gave it a 60 second shake and started to lever the lid off, which was stuck down very tight. There was then a VERY loud bang (heard 400 yards away), the lid flew about fifteen feet and my face and the surrouding area was sprayed with paint!

The paint (from the now half full tin) was good and made a nice job on the desk though. It had been in a dark cupboard in a dimly lit shed all those years, and was not stood in yesterday's lovely sun before opening.

I've got a few more old part tins of paint that I'll treat with some respect now.

[Rob Harknett]

Cellulose paint is very volatile and has a short shelf life. It can be very dangerous. I brought a gallon can back the early 1960's. I really had no idea of what I had brought. You could shake the tin and hear it sloshing about inside. I got the tin home and out the car boot, dropped it on the lawn. Bang, the lid flew off higher than the roof of the house. The paint looked OK to me. Sprayed the car. It seemed to take a long while to dry. As it dried it went to a matt orange peel effect finish. I got plenty of advice later about using cellulose paint. Bit too late to stop me making the mistake. One more bump in the boot of my car taking it home, could had made a nasty mess. So I considered myself a bit lucky to get away with that. I later worked at a factory that used cellulose. It was stored in a specially built shelter. Late one day a delivery of a few hundred gallons was taken into the factory. Next morning the factory was flooded. The fresh new cellulose had ignited and set off sprinklers. Needles to say, those responsible for taking he delivery, not properly storing it, were severely reprimanded. If you love your bikes, clear any old cellulose out the shed.

[poplargreg]

Thanks Rob - my fault for being such a hoarder. I'll wait wait for the nice shiny black finish to deteriorate (and check my stock!). It was a really loud bang.

[Rob Harknett]

You may be lucky if it dried shinny. The stuff I had only looked shinny while it was still wet. I sprayed it on my 1960 Reliant, in about 1965. Using an electric spray gun. ( electric motor built into the gun ) I spent hours rubbing it down, then gave it a flash over with almost 100% thinners. That got rid of some of the matt finish. It was ages before it got really hard.

[poplargreg]

It was touch dry and good finish after 10mins so should be ok I think. Don't think I'll keep the rest of the paint though

[Dave T_LAPSED]

Oh dear! I've got a 40yr old part tin of brushing cellulose in my garage. I was saving it for "something special", sounds like the something will be a big bang! Will light blue touch paper and retire(to France) immediately.

[56G80S]

Good to see you posting again.

I also have an old Belco can of similar vintage - think I'll dispose of it thanks to your advice.

Never looked at your location before, my father in law and wife moved from Sutton St Nicholas to Marden and now in Leominster to be close to the hospital.

Lovely part of England.

Be down Easter week on a flying visit.

Johnny B

[poplargreg]

[quote="50 G80
Never looked at your location before, my father in law and wife moved from Sutton St Nicholas to Marden and now in Leominster to be close to the hospital.

Lovely part of England.

Be down Easter week on a flying visit.

Johnny B[/quote]
We lived in Marden, then Sutton St Nicholas until about five years ago! Now in Hereford city. Often up and down the M42/M1 visiting our son in Sheffield. Yorkshire looks pretty good too!

[56G80S]

Then you'll know the detached house on the point of a Y opposite the pub, used to have a swimming pool behind it; travelling towards Hereford you'd come up the single leg of the Y and branch right for Hereford. Can't remember the name of the pub! The skittle alley used to make a row sometimes though.

That's where Sid and Maureen lived.

Funnily, I think I remember the other pub, Golden Cross was it? Something like that. Suppose I could look on Google Earth.

Johnny B

Edit
Had to look; the Pub opposite was the Amerley Arms and of course it was because their place was called Amberley House! And it was the Golden Cross.

[poplargreg]

I know it well - It was called the New Inn before becoming the Amberley Arms. The Golden Cross is the Sutton pub and the other in the middle of Marden is the Volunteer.
I used to know Keith Harbour who lived in the house on the point some years ago.