Black Shadow engine painting

Magnetoman

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Radiant heat transfer is a little more complex than just colour...
The reason for this is we see in the "visible" wavelength region of ~0.4-0.7 nm, but thermal radiation is in the long wavelength "thermal infrared" region of greater than 5 microns. Without going into the reasons, many black pigments are the exception, but otherwise there is no correlation between the optical properties in the visible and those in the infrared. The high emissivity of snow in the IR being a good example. So, yes, it definitely is complex. All the more reason why advertising material posted on web sites is to be taken with a grain of salt.
 

Hugo Myatt

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I couldn't wait for the clue, so looked it up:

The Birth of The Black Shadow. ...the two original models were completed. Fully machined crankcases arrived from British Salmson in matched pairs... Timing cases and chain cases... were temporarily attached to the crankcase so that all mating edges could be trimmed up and all visible surfaces highly polished... treated chmically with 'Pylumin'.. and a finishing coat of the enamels supplied by Pinchon-Johnson for the frames. George Aylott took great pride in the lustrous finish he obtained, yet ensured that all machined surfaces and tapped holes were free from enamel by blanking them off or using slave plugs. This work was done in the No. 2 factory and then the parts were then transferred to... the No. 1 factory..."

Not directly related to Shadow cases but on Pinchin-Johnson enamelling, at least pre-war, pages 200 & 201 Irving Autobiography.
 

craig

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So to sum up with info to date -
Vincent engines were fabricated (cast and machined) at British Salmson and apparrently matched marked there. The special Black Shadow engine cases were delivered to Vincent shop #2, assembled with all outer cases, appropriate holes plugged up, surfaces masked off and then the engine case were treated with Pylumin then slathered with PJ oven paint using a brush, allowed to drip off, then ovenbaked till set.....Rapide cases were simply trimmed and polished....... all at Vincent shop #2 (location unknown to me at this time)..........then the finished Black shadow engine cases/covers and Rapide polished cases were transferred to Vincent shop #1 for dissassembly and assembly.
yes? i hope?


I couldn't wait for the clue, so looked it up:

The Birth of The Black Shadow. ...the two original models were completed. Fully machined crankcases arrived from British Salmson in matched pairs... Timing cases and chain cases... were temporarily attached to the crankcase so that all mating edges could be trimmed up and all visible surfaces highly polished... treated chmically with 'Pylumin'.. and a finishing coat of the enamels supplied by Pinchon-Johnson for the frames. George Aylott took great pride in the lustrous finish he obtained, yet ensured that all machined surfaces and tapped holes were free from enamel by blanking them off or using slave plugs. This work was done in the No. 2 factory and then the parts were then transferred to... the No. 1 factory..."
 

vibrac

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Thats a good summary
Aside from the No1 No2 identity someone should enlighten me about Fishers Green and Bolwling Green works
A picture in "fifty years of the marque" shows a lorry with crates of new machines leaving "Bowling green works" and a half timbered building in the background. now that would indicate that No1 was Bowling Green, yet the same book shows an Archdale and a machine shop there as well. when the plan I have shows no machine shop at all just assembly test canteen offices etc and the bulk of the machine shop is labeled Fishers Green. Then again I seem to recall that one cold winter before 1950 when electricity was off PV said the machine shop was moved.
Can someone give me the sequence of events?
 

Magnetoman

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So to sum up with info to date -
...The special Black Shadow engine cases were delivered to Vincent shop #2, assembled with all outer cases, ... slathered with PJ oven paint using a brush, allowed to drip off, then ovenbaked till set..... ... transferred to Vincent shop #1 for dissassembly and assembly. yes? i hope?
Not 'yes,' but 'maybe.' The description in the autobiography strictly only applies to the first two B.S. engines produced. Also, it does not mention using a brush. While these might be reasonable inferences to make for later production engines, they still are only inferences based on the information posted thus far to this thread.
 

Big Sid

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For the most part dip tanks were used to apply the enamel coating . While there I stood inside the doorway of the old paint room , blackened everywhere inc floors and walls it seemed , very dark . This was in the old works buildings across from Paul Richardsons office and the spares counter . Quite old looking structures these , much different to the new plant section up the road .
The offices were also located in the new section of the works . Sid .
 

craig

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Thanks Sid, Can you provide more detail on this viewing please.
I realize this was 60+ years ago.
What date was this viewing?
what size were the dip tanks?
How large was the paint room?
how far away was this old facility to the "new" section?
was the paint room just a step away form Paul's office?
thank Craig
 

Big Sid

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A large room , not being used at that time , very dark from the black paint everywhere . No more details .
Was across from Richardsons office the width of one traffic lane . His office wall the side of the Spares counter next down the row .
1953 , early Summer .
The new factory building down the road say by a quarter mile . In sight , the big doors where the completed machines emerged .
Sid .
 

Big Sid

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To Craig . Much of this is described in my book ," Vincents With Big Sid " . Have you read this ? Also has photos . I have a few others , Richardson posed for me on his sidecar equipped twin , and more . Write me and I'll share them . Sid .
 

Hugo Myatt

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According to Norman Peach, if I have read it right, in an article in Classic Bike Guide, February 1999, he says the enamelling shop was moved to Fisher's Green in the winter of 46/47.
"The High Street had engine assembly, cycle assembly, road-test, the canteen, PCV's office and Phil Irving's, the welding shop, the hardening shop, the drawing office and the test house. At Fisher's Green there was the machine shop, enamelling, polishing and initially the Service Department, though together with the spares, this was also moved to the High Street in 1950."
 
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