Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-06
END OF REPA|NT|NG
SEEN FOR AUTOS.
Last of Retouching Needs
Forecast in Report to
Chemical Society.
pispat ch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
DETROIT, September 5.-The day
when it may never be necessary to think
of repainting or retouching the finish
on the old family car has been fore
cast in a report made to the American
Chemical Society.
The automobile industry has the
reputation of demanding the impossible
and getting it, according to H. C.
Mougey, chief chemist, and r. j. Wir-
shing, an associate, of the laboratory
forces here. They have contributed
constructive criticism Of processes used
in finishing cars with suggestions for
improvement.
Speed Brings Problem.
The increased speed at which auto
mobiles are driven has brought about
a new finishing problem. Small stones
thrown up by the tires cause chipping
Of enamel and lacquer. Hubs of rear
wheels, especially of wire spoke design,
ere subject to this sand blast" action.
To remedy it, improved finishing ma
uerials are advocated and better meth
DDS Of application. What also is needed,
the scientists believe, is more protec-
zion to be afforded by both tiIes and
nub caps or projections from rear fen
ders Of running boards that will defect
both stones and sand.
In addition to this problem, the re-
search men report, there is another one
Of rust. On this there may be de-
have no conception at present
THE most important would be rust
resisting fender finishes" the report
says. Anyone who will examine cars
parked along curb will be struck by
the difference in finishes used on the
bodies and on the tenders. This Is es-
pecially true at the sea coast and in
cities where sodium chloride (salt) is
used on the streets to melt ice in VIM
ter.
when exposed to salt water the film
Of enamel softens and peels. Rust then
forms on the unprotected surface and
gradually spreads, causing further peel
ing.
Cost Prohibitive.
"Of course, tenders can be finished
in the same manner as bodies (using
lacquer and give the same results, but
the cost would be prohibitive for all cars
except those Of the higher price class"
Baked enamels and not lacquers are
used on the tenders, and the cost is
much less. The automobile industry has
a reputation Of giving high value per
dollar, but 1t has been earned by prac-
ticing rigid economies.
An increase Of only 10 cents per car
appears to be insignificant, but on q
production of 100000 cars a year
amounts to 100000. Expenditure of
this sum, or less, on research may pro-
equal to the present price, will allow
automobile builders to save It and pass
the added value along to the car owner
The ruStless fender will come either
through treatment of the steel sur
face or making enamel that Is less SUBJ
ject to the action Of salt solutions.
The next improvement listed in the
report Is that Of chalk resisting" prop
critics in both black enamel and lacquer.
Chalk Resisting.
by chalk-resisting. it is stated.
I'VE mean ability to retain luster on ex-
posure Cracking. Of finish in cracks
visible to the unaided eye is no longer
problem in automobile finishes, ex-
cept in few isolated cases. Chalk
ing is a microscopic surface failure
which results in loss of lustre. This
trouble is more prevalent in the South
ern climate
1T is true that luster can be restored
TO surface by polishing, but part Of
the fllm Is removed In this operation
and frequent polishing results in the
hlm being worn through. The desired
finish will hold luster without frequent
polishing.
within the last few years lacquer
has been improved so that 1t is much
better in embarrassing properties than
black enamel, but a black enamel with
greatly improved anti-chalking prop
critics has recently been placed on the
market and It now Is In production on
several makes Of automobiles"
(Copyright. 1881, by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Incl