How to Restore Red/Green Parts

Hi from Howard (the restorer),

Here are a few handy tips in how to restore parts. I hate throwing away old tatty Meccano so this is what I do with it…

Here is what you need:

1. Caustic soda (drain cleaner)
   For removing old paint. You get this as a solid in crystals you can buy it from B&Q or plumbers merchants. However it is very dangerous if you get it on your hands and eyes so be very careful. Wear gloves and goggles and dispose of responsibly. I take no responsibility from the use of this or any other chemicals on my web page. Always follow the safety advice that comes with the manufacturer. Don't be tempted to rush any stage or short cut safety in any way. Have water on hand to dilute any spillage that might occur and be near a sink so that you can run to it should anything go wrong. If you use near boiling water you need very very little of the caustic but as I say be very careful. Boiling caustic is even more evil than cold caustic but you can use a very dilute solution when you fill a kettle and start with hot water. Reaction rates go much quicker at high temperature.
2. Rust remover
   You can get this from Halfords. I find the stuff that dilutes about 1:7 works well. I leave the parts overnight in this after removing the paint as most parts have at least some rust.
3. Very fine sandpaper
   You might need this to remove stubborn rust/paint but first wash the parts and dry them thoroughly.
4. Primer
   I use grey for green parts (and blue and yellow if I'm spraying those colours) and red for red parts. I know Meccano didn't use primer but it does give more rust resistance so I do a very fine coating in primer first. One coat each side then wait 24 hours before the top coat. I always wear a proper (full) facemask (again off to B&Q) with proper filters on it when spraying and I do it in a ventilated area using my home made spray booth (pictured below!) made from a large cardboard box and 2 flat pieces of cardboard as a pin board.
5. Top coat
   I use Halfords spray cans now. I have also used B&Q Plastikote but Halfords new enamels are nice and give a good finish. There are some good colour matches though its very hard I find to get a perfect green match. It is much easier to get a good red. I give 3 coats of top coat. One very light coat (spraying left to right) and then leave to dry for about 10min. Then a 2nd coat a bit thicker (spraying right to left). Again wait for 10min Then a final 3rd coat (again spraying left to right). All coats are fairly light. Wait before turning the parts over for painting the other side. I find fairly brisk movements across from left to right about 4-6 inches away works well.

You are supposed to bake the parts in an oven. I don't do that. Instead I put them on an empty cereal box placed over a radiator to dry them out completely and harden the paint a bit. I then don't use them for a few weeks to harden the paint further.

I show all the stages below: