Touching up the Thorn Nomad

[il padrone]

Oer the past 18 months of regular use my Thorn Nomad has gained a few small scrapes to the powder-coat yellow. Thorn supplied a small bottle of yellow touch-up paint with the frame, so I just got it out to do some paint work. I shook up the bottle a few days ago as it had settled a bit, shook it again today. Taking the brush out the paint seems very thin ??

On trying to do the touch ups, it just goes on like water and does not seem to give any coverage of colour over the scratches at all. It just looks clear. What is wrong with the paint? Has anyone else used the Thorn touch up bottle before and if so how did it go?

If this doesn't work I'll have t go and seek out some colour-matched paint, but then it is powder coat and I'll need something that will work over that. Pretty disappointing that the paint supplied is not fit for the job.

[Danneaux]

Hi Pete!

Thorn have always described their yellow paint as "Tonka Yellow"; presumably it is the same color as the shade used on Tonka toy construction equipment in the 1960s. It looks awfully close to me. I have a few of these toys in my attic from childhood, and found restorations can be made using Plasti-Kote #376 Brite Yellow and Rust-oleum #7747 Sunburst Yellow. Both are near-duplicates of the original toy colors.

Tonka Town, an eBay specialist in toy restoration, also offers duplicate paint colors for many of the shades used, including yellow. See: http://stores.ebay.com/Tonka-Town/Paint-Original-Tonka-Colors-/_i.html?_fsub=103396219&_sid=240398659&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

Big J Toys, also on eBay, offer custom-mixed Tonka Yellow paint by PPG here: http://stores.ebay.com/Big-J-Toys-Your-Tonka-Decal-Place/_i.html?_nkw=paint&submit=Search&_sid=60716913

A two-part version ideal for use with an airbrush is here (must be clear-coated): http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tonka-Construction-Yellow-Airbrush-Spray-Gun-Paint-1-4-Pint-toy-parts-/221129787320?_trksid=p3284.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DMRU-220%252BUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D21%26pmod%3D180997116070%26ps%3D54

If you go this route, use caution; John Deere and Ertl yellow paint is not a match for Tonka -- it is too "lemony".

I use Plasti-Kote spray touch-up paint in semi-flat black for my Nomad, and it fills nicely and is a perfect match for color and gloss; it is truly invisible if applied with care. I simply spray some into a shallow yogurt cup, then allow it to outgas a bit and thicken to the desired consistency before applying with a 0000 camel-hair brush or a double-ended cocktail toothpick. Andre has found old fleece as used in jackets helps to point his brushes; I prefer the similar microfiber washcloths available in Dollar Stores stateside. Similar are sometimes found in the window-washing and car-washing supplies.

You're going to have to use a wet-paint for touch-ups, as powdercoat is a heat-applied process. Do use caution about letting any xylene thinner remain in contact with powdercoat, as it can partially dissolve the hardened plastic.

Hope this helps you and others with nicks and scratches on their Tonka Yellow Thorn bikes.

Best,

Dan. (...former Tonka construction site supervisor...ages 4-7)

[rualexander]

Yes I used the supplied Thorn touch up paint last year, the green for my Audax mk3. It was pretty thin but if you give it a good stir rather than just shaking it does mix a bit better, I had to apply two coats to get any thickness.
Thorn used to recommend Humbrol model paint, but I don't know if there is a compatible Yellow, maybe best to email them and ask.

Here are the available Humbrol yellows http://www.humbrol.com/search/?page=0&searchguid=201210219380

[il padrone]

The bottle is really small - about the diameter of a stick of lipstick. So stirring it is a bit academic. The only thing I could use was an old spoke.

Despite a good stir, it was still really thin. A second coat has still not coloured up. I now have a good coat of almost clear lacquer over the scratches, at least it will keep the weather off but they still look like scratches.

Time to chase up some Humbrol enamel now, I guess 

[Eric]

Beware on Eurostar. The staff hang the bikes from meathooks - sometimes two to a hook - so all the way from London to Paris they clang into each other!
Had to use my touch-up after, but I found it very thin and totally the wrong shade of blue

[dbrown]

Found the same thing myself, Pete. I wanted to touch up my rack after chafing from my panniers wore away the powdercoat at the point of contact (I have since taped over these sections). The paint seemed to attach to the powdercoat (of no use to me), but not to the exposed metal where it had been worn away. It was so thin it just drained off like water.

I see that a local model shop offers Humbrol paints, and also Amazon. Is it the enamel ones I should be looking for then? More specifically, this https://www.humbrol.com/paints/all-paints/aq0366-33-matt-black-50ml-matt-enamel-tinlet/?searchguid=20121024204147&resultspage= one for the black Nomad?

On your suggestion of using Plati-Kote, Dan, might this http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/wood+metal-paint/plasti-kote-fast-dry-enamel-paint-flat-black-59ml/invt/0076437/ be an alternative that could be used straight from the tin?

Eric - have you tried the bicycle service offered by Eurotunnel? It is £16 each way, or the same for a day return. My brother and I used it last month - they pick you up at Folkestone and your driver - gently - secures your bike into a trailer at the back of a minibus. The minibus then takes you onto the train and you get off again at Calais. Admittedly you have then got to arrange transport from London to Folkestone and Calais to Paris, but if you just want to get across the channel it is a great alternative to Eurostar.

Danny