Custom paint for restoring Kenmore & Whirlpool control panels

All -

I am considering ordering some custom color paint pens to use to restore or re-touch a couple of the vintage Kenmore control panels that I have. These look like magic markers, and are used like them as well, but they dispense paint instead of ink.

I have found that black paint pens from Sharpie work wonderfully on the consoles of newer black panel machines, and also effectively touch-up trim on the older pot-metal panels. These paint pens work GREAT because they dispense a more easily controlled paint, that is less likely to brush-mark or run, and can be touched into corners and on edges without flowing into areas where it is not wanted.

The problem with the Sharpie products is they're available only in a few generic stock colors. Their black happens to match Kenmore black very well, both vintage and not-so vintage. Anyway, I have found a company that is willing to custom-make some paint pens that are basically just like Sharpie's, in whatever colors I choose. I am working on that now, but I am going for a charcoal gray and an antique white first, to use on my two '61 Kenmore panels. I believe the white on those machines is the same color that was used into the early seventies, so I'll be trying it on a '72 pot metal console as well.

The reason for the small dissertation above is that I have to buy a minimum order of pens, which are probably more than I'll ever need. I think these two initial colors were used a few years earlier than my '61s, and on a number of other heavily painted consoles, including a number of mid-60s Kenmore models.

I have not completed my discussion yet with this company, however if I make this work, I would like to offer the pens to anyone else who'd like to use them on their machines. They should be somewhere in the $5 range each. Unless you're going to re-paint a whole panel, one is probably all anyone would ever need.

If you're interested, please let me know and I'll keep that in mind while I am talking to the company.

Regards!

Gordon


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Post# 331410 2/20/2009 at 13:57 (5,537 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)
Checkrate/Likes All - I am considering ordering some custom color paint pens to use to restore or re-touch a couple of the vintage Kenmore control panels that I have. These look like magic markers, and are used like them as well, but they dispense paint instead of ink. I have found that black paint pens from Sharpie work wonderfully on the consoles of newer black panel machines, and also effectively touch-up trim on the older pot-metal panels. These paint pens work GREAT because they dispense a more easily controlled paint, that is less likely to brush-mark or run, and can be touched into corners and on edges without flowing into areas where it is not wanted. The problem with the Sharpie products is they're available only in a few generic stock colors. Their black happens to match Kenmore black very well, both vintage and not-so vintage. Anyway, I have found a company that is willing to custom-make some paint pens that are basically just like Sharpie's, in whatever colors I choose. I am working on that now, but I am going for a charcoal gray and an antique white first, to use on my two '61 Kenmore panels. I believe the white on those machines is the same color that was used into the early seventies, so I'll be trying it on a '72 pot metal console as well. The reason for the small dissertation above is that I have to buy a minimum order of pens, which are probably more than I'll ever need. I think these two initial colors were used a few years earlier than my '61s, and on a number of other heavily painted consoles, including a number of mid-60s Kenmore models. I have not completed my discussion yet with this company, however if I make this work, I would like to offer the pens to anyone else who'd like to use them on their machines. They should be somewhere in the $5 range each. Unless you're going to re-paint a whole panel, one is probably all anyone would ever need. If you're interested, please let me know and I'll keep that in mind while I am talking to the company. Regards! Gordon

Post# 331446 , Reply# 1 2/20/2009 at 17:51 (5,537 days old) by everythingold (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Checkrate/Likes I'm in. Need coppertone and avacado. One question though, there are many shades of coppertone, will these colors be brand specific? Matt

Post# 331451 , Reply# 2 2/20/2009 at 18:54 (5,537 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)
Checkrate/Likes Matt - In this case you might be better off looking for the original manufacturer's touch-ups. I presume you're talking about cabinet areas you want to paint? I was able to get Coppertone paints in both the base and the highlight for my '72 this year (wasn't easy) and I found the new avocado for the green beast easily online. These are original Whirlpool paints. The coppertone matched better than the avocado did, but they were both satisfactory for me. What I'm looking to do is match the subtle console trim colors that tend to flake, peel, or scratch off. That's why I will be trying to get the gray and off-white colors that were common on Kenmore panels. I can help you however if you want to work with that company to make some of your own paints, they do spray and the pens both. Gordon