I'm working on restoring a very old 1/2 horse Century repulsion start motor. One of the steps in the process is going to be repainting it. I would like to paint the windings a nice flat red as is often seen in later Century motors. My concern is that the windings in this motor are likely to have bare spots here and there due to their age and the hard life this particular motor has lived.

Seen here next to a modern 3 horse for comparison:





(This motor is so old that the magnet wire is actually cloth-wrapped. The thing's been dropped and brazed back together, it's spun a pulley and worn it's shaft down to a taper, burned out it's bearings and had replacements machined for it, lost it's pickerhead, had it's terminal leads shortened all the way back to the magnet wire, been re-assembled with incorrect spring compression in the centrifugal mechanism and been all-around beaten, battered and abused. ...Yet it still runs 120 years later.)

My question is whether I should be concerned with the type of paint and primer that I use when painting the windings. If so, what sort of formulations might be suited to this use?

Thanks.

 

I thought motor winding were Dipped in red-dyed varnish?
MG Chemicals 4228-55ML Red Insulating Varnish, 55 mL Bottle: Construction Marking Tools: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

It's not cheap...

 

Looks like Glyptal 1201A is exactly what I'm looking for in terms of paint. Sounds like it might even serve as a good primer for the black paint everywhere else - less masking for me to do.

Now I'm just trying to think of the best way to remove a century of grease and oil from the cotton covered magnet wire and friction tape. Lectra-Clean or equivalent? Don't want to risk damaging the varnish on the magnet wire with carb/brake cleaner.

 

The Glyptal used to be really great, haven't used it in over 30 years though, so can't say it's the same now or new and improved. It was what guys used to paint the lifter valley in race engines to better allow oil drain back to the oil pan. Never saw any of it lift off the cast iron or start to peel off.

 

I recall reading a work log where a machinist fixed up a big Springfield lathe and which had an oil reservoir that was lined with Glyptal, so it ought to be perfect.

What about soaking the stator ends in isopropyl alcohol (91% or 99%) then using a dry paintbrush (a narrow one you'd use for trim) to clean off the loosened crud?

 

I could try alcohol... but in my experience it doesn't do anything to the wax used as a base in most oils. Petroleum distillates of some description are usually required for degreasing.

This is the sort of crud I'm up against, lol: