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No, he's talking about the COLD windy city, Chi-town.....or Chi-country in his case!:LOL:Quote:
Originally Posted by 406Rich
Sorry Bobby, never had any big desire to live there. If I ever leave SoCal, will probably go to AZ or TX or somewhere warm like that.
No this year was the best we ever had at least in my lifetime . WE didn't get the frigged below freezing at all , I bet it made a new record for warmest days .
Well, today was an interesting day....I put new cross-drilled rotors and pads on this big-ass BMW for a buddy of mine....then I got busy on my own stuff....
Attachment 53854
First, I made myself a shrinking disc. I cut a 5" circle out of 16 gauge then drilled a hole in it and bolted it to my sander. I formed it a bit with a body hammer and it seemed to work out ok. I wasn't exactly overwhelmed with it's performance though. It didn't heat the metal up nearly as much or as fast as the one's in the videos on youtube.:( Any thoughts about that?:confused:
Attachment 53855
So, I read somewhere that you could also use a heat gun for shrinking purposes, so I thought I'd give it a try. I put it on the hottest setting and heated the high spots individually, then doused them with a wet rag. It gave me some nice psssssizzle and some steam so I assumed it was doing some shrinking. It helped some but it still lacked the "magical effect" of the metal shrinking videos on youtube.....:HMMM:
Attachment 53856
So, I keep dinking around with it....a little hammer and dolly work, then some more shrinking and repeat, but it still has a long way to go before being perfect.:whacked: At some point I'll probably just say, "good enough" and slap a skim on it I suppose but I'm still intrigued with this whole metal working process. How these guys can take a lid like this and work it till it needs hardly any filler is beyond me but I'm not moving on just yet. Any of you with thoughts or ideas that would be helpful, please feel free to chime in. I could use the chiming! :D
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Randy, I wish I could offer you some words of wisdom or pearls of knowledge but your just out of my element! It still looks better than when you started! Keep after it, you've made great progress!
No worries, Mike. Encouraging words help too! Thanks!:DQuote:
Originally Posted by 34_40
My Pleasure, ol' buddy, ol pal o' mine! :D
Randy as Mike says it looks better each time you post a pic....way to go......;)
Thanks, Rich!! At this rate I should have the deck lid finished in another year or so....then I can move on to the rest of the car....:LOL::LOL:Quote:
Originally Posted by 406Rich
btw, I was scrolling thru my other thread and saw some of the pics of your '37 again. Such a sweet ride!!!
I still need to revisit the rear lower trunk area as you did, bad old body work....:HMMM:Quote:
Originally Posted by randyr
I am in agreement with all of the above . Keep working it and it will come :) . You are making progress so as we say at work don't set em back .
Your shrinking disc looks great , I wonder if the speed is a issue here ?
I just went a read on speed , they recommend 3000 to 6000 for the 9 inch disc and 10,000 to 13,000 rpm for the 4 1/2 disc . He says something of weight on old grinder so applying good pressure must be a technique also .
Q: What speed of grinder do I need for your shrinking discs?
A: For the 9" discs 3000-6000 rpm work great. I personally use an old heavy 6000 rpm grinder. For the 4 1/2"
discs, most small grinders run at 10,000-13,000 rpm. They will work great.
b
Thanks, Bobby! My machine runs 5000rpm, which according to your research, may not be fast enough. I also didn't apply very much pressure. I'll try again with more pressure and see what happens with the speed I have.Quote:
Originally Posted by bluestang67
Let us know how it changes in progress , I may go ahead and make one my self . My electric grinder spins at 11,000 , speed is more surface contact and friction . I am itching to give one of these a whirl .
I might be able to move the shrinking disc over to my 4"angle grinder which also spins at 11K. I wonder how much racket it's going to make?? The neighbors may not be too happy.....:LOL:Quote:
Originally Posted by bluestang67
Just wait till their in bed they may not hear it Randy . :eek:
b
oh, man, I wish!!! They're light sleepers so that won't work.:CRY:Quote:
Originally Posted by bluestang67
I switched the disc over to my angle grinder today and tried a couple of spots. It was really, really loud but I think it's going to work much better. In fact, I think the disc will also work much better than the heat gun because the disc only heats up the high spots so you can control the shrinkage a little better. Will keep you posted.
My other neighbor has a shop nearby. He offered to let me go over there for the really noisy stuff. I think I'll take him up on it!:D
Nice to have the neighbor offer up . If the time allows now you will be able to put some time in on the parts . In his shop you can also just yell out loud to yell LOL . :3dSMILE:
b
Yeah, his shop is located in a little industrial park. There is a small body shop on one side, a paintless dent remover guy on the other plus a bunch of mechanics, welders and other fabricators there. A little more noise won't matter. :LOL:Quote:
Originally Posted by bluestang67
However, my other neighbor's noise-sensitive woman has just left town for a month :D so I might be able to get away with making a little noise in my own garage!
I was working with the shrinking disc some more today. It's really hard to get things as smooth as they look in the video!:confused: :CRY::rolleyes: Not sure how much longer I'm going to tinker with it before I just shoot it with epoxy and skim coat it.....Even now, it will require way less skim coat than it had before! I think getting it smooth enough to require no filler is virtually impossible....for me, at least.....:o
Realistically, how smooth should I expect to get it before resort to a skim coat??
Just keep working it til you're happy with it Randy..... as long as the surface is prepped properly and you use a quality filler there's absolutely nothing wrong with a skim coat IMO. If it's that close, I use a couple coats of 2K Urethene hi build over the epoxy and block it. On the old sheet metal where you don't really know what's been on it in the past I let the epoxy primer cure out a few days before I put anything over it just in case there was any sort of residue on the metal that might pop out.....rather have it come through the primer then the paint!!!!! Again, I'm sure my methods aren't up to "production" standards, but I'm getting so old I don't have any 'hurry' left in me anyhow!!
Thanks for the good words, Dave! I think "production standards" on these projects probably vary from person to person & shop to shop. On "Chop, Cut & Rebuild" (I think that's the right show) they were building a chopped '40 Merc custom and they slathered the bondo all over that thing but if they had taken the time to work each panel/weld to perfection so it didn't need filler, it would have taken years and the viewers probably would have been bored to tears!Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Severson
I'm trying to build a show/driver here and also trying to learn a lot more about metal working than I knew when my dad and I built it the first time. I'm continually challenged by all the other master metal workers on this site to take it a few steps beyond what might be considered "good enough" but I also want to be able to drive it before I'm dead!!!:eek: So, for the sake of time, I'll probably spend a few more hours tweaking with it and call it good.....:3dSMILE:
As for epoxy primer, I primed the fenders with SPI epoxy and I'm amazed at how hard that stuff is and how well it sticks, yet it's pretty easy to sand. It gets rave reviews from many on this site & others plus we now have a jobber in SoCal who will deliver it for free. :) I'm really impressed with their dedication to quality, affordable products!
Thanks again to all you guys for all the help & support! Will keep you posted on the progress....
Randy for sure I don;t think we can repair the sheet metal all the way out but learning with the disc will get you closer each time .
I have some area's on the 31 I surly want to try this out on .
b
Have you tested out the new technique on warming and cooling the metal ? I think I will short cut and just order the 4 inch disk . I have a few spots I would like to test it on . If I can get half the results these other guys get I would be happy .
Yeah, Bobby, I adapted the disc over to my angle grinder which spins way faster. I ran it on high spots & doused it with a wet rag. It does work. I haven't been able to make it perfect but the skim coat will definitely be way thinner than before!Quote:
Originally Posted by bluestang67
Last week I treated the back side of the inner support with Rust Bullet, because I had some. I'm coating both the inside of the skin & support before I spot weld them back together then I'll shoot the whole thing with epoxy primer. Maybe I can get to it this weekend. :)
Randy something the size of the area would take a skilled guy with the disc and most likely a torch a while . I am glad to hear there was results though . When we see them work the steel they are only doing small areas also .
I have about the same size about 6 inch diameter at the largest .
I am working 12 hour days right now weird schedule 2 off - 3 on - 5 off - 4 on , I am walking with a tilt . :confused:
b
Well, the neighbors are out of town this weekend so I got to make a little extra noise...:LOL:
I did all the straightening to the skin that I knew how to do. I think I mentioned before that I coated the inside of the skin & inner frame of the lid with Rust Bullet because I had some. I tacked the pieces back together. This lid came without a latch & handle so I need to decide if I'm going to patch the hole and go with the remote cable latch I have or find an original type. :HMMM:
Attachment 54172
After I tacked the pieces together I applied the Rust Bullet to the inside lip, too because it had some pitting. The Rust Bullet is supposed to permanently seal & stop the rust plus it has some metalic that helps smooth out the pitting. We'll see how well it works over time. Now I need to shoot the whole thing with epoxy primer.
Attachment 54174
While I was at it, I decided to cut out the tailpan and see what I'm going to have to do there. I used a spot-weld cutter for the welds on the bottom edge and a cut off wheel for the sides. This pan has been replaced sometime in the life of the car and it wasn't the smoothest installation and it's apparently been whacked a few times since....:CRY:
Attachment 54171
I'm not sure yet but I think the tool tray is in pretty good shape. I have to spend some more time with the heat gun to clean off all that undercoating and see what I have.
Attachment 54175
Yeah, I know this looks like used tin foil :eek: but I'm going to play around with it a little before I give up and buy a new one. I don't really have $600 for a new one so if I can master a few more metal working skills, maybe I can make this one decent. If I accomplish that, perhaps I'll also be able to walk on water & turn water into wine!:LOL: I'll definitely need some wine by then!! As always, ideas & input are always welcome...:3dSMILE:
Attachment 54173
Well, I guess I'll be your cheerleader again 'cause that lid came out real nice considering what you started with! Your doin' great and I'm sure you can improve the condition of the lower piece(s)!
What is this Rust Bullet your using? Have you used it before?
Watching you has me considering doing my uncles 48 F-1.. it's not near the level of work your doing, that's why I'm thinking of giving it a go.. we'll see what happens.
Thanks, Mike! At least the "skim coat" won't be 1/2" thick in places like it was before!:LOL:Quote:
Originally Posted by 34_40
As for the Rust Bullet, it's a rival product to POR15. I've used it on a couple of things and it seems to be pretty strong I guess. I'm not totally convinced that any of these types of products are any better than a good epoxy primer but since I had a can of this and it's brushable, I decided to try it on these inner parts. Here's a link: Car Rust Protection, Repair, Prevention by automotive car paint
The '48 F1 sounds fun. Got any pics? What are the plans for it?
When it's called a skim coat, it really should be IMHO.. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by randyr
I'm not sold on products like POR15.. just skeptical by nature..:D I wonder what really happens under the covering?? :HMMM:
The 48 F-1 is my Uncles P.U., it has some rust coming through and I'm sure the bondo is/was as thick as what was on the back of your car.. maybe WORSE! Pics? No, not yet. I'll need to let my uncle decide if he wants me to tackle this (probably) over the winter, while he's vacationing in Florida.
I hear ya on all of the above!! However, since rust kinda needs air & moisture to grow, if the product seals it completely and if it's not too far gone to begin with, maybe it works out ok for some areas, especially when replacement parts aren't readily available. I'll let you know in a few years....:)Quote:
Originally Posted by 34_40
Here's a couple of pics of an F1 I saw last year at the F100 Western Nationals. I really liked everything about it except the Chevy engine....:LOL:
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Randy - I'm with Mike on the POR15/Rust Bullet skepticism. I feel that it will slow down the rust process, but the very fact that rust is iron oxide (Fe2O3)says that the entrained oxygen and ANY free water molecules, will continue eating, tho at a slower rate - unless there is significant water droplets, then it goes fast.
Like I said, I agree with both of you in the skepticism, however, if I cut out & replaced every slightly rusty bit of metal on this lid, not only would I be working on it for a lifetime but I would also be replacing about half of it. It will never again be exposed to the kind of weather that a daily driver gets so I think I'll be good for many years on this. I'm certainly not promoting the product, I'm just letting you guys know what I did. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by IC2
Randy - with pitting, you can often get back to white metal with just a media blast, grinding or maybe wire wheel cleaniing. You will still have pits, but they can be then epoxy primed and sealed for rust protection, then filled with plastic or even sprayable poly filler if only minor. You wont have to replace any metal except what what was crunchy rust and now a hole after blasting
Yep, Dave, I agree with all of that, too, but media blasting wasn't a viable option on this deck lid for far too many reasons to list here,:CRY: but I did sand, grind & wire wheel every reachable surface before applying the Rust Bullet. I also did a complete washdown with SPI wax & grease remover first. In fact, the ONLY reason I used the Rust Bullet in this case is because it's brushable and I already had it. My intention was to coat only the inside of the skin and the backside of the support structure before I welded them back together. I didn't want to mask off the garage & mix up the epoxy just for that. It will get an overall epoxy coating on the entire lid anyway before the additional body work happens.Quote:
Originally Posted by IC2
I cut out and replaced the crunchy corners of the lid and a section of the inner structure earlier in the thread.
I guess this will be an experiment to see how well the stuff works. That fact that it's coated with anything will be better than the factory did. These pieces were originally welded together with no coating and the inner parts were only protected by the insulation that was sorta glued in.
As always, thanks for your input! I promise we're on the same page even if it looks like I picked up a different book for a moment....:LOL:
Hey, thanks for those pics! That is one NICE ride! With that shiny radiator, you can't even see a bow tie! :LOL:Quote:
Originally Posted by randyr
Yeah, it's pretty cool! On my computer, the pics have a little purple cast to the gray paint, but in person it's totally gray. I liked it so much it's made me add gray to the potential colors for my '37!:DQuote:
Originally Posted by 34_40
Really?!?! 'cause on my computer it is purple! Now I'll have to go back for a "re"-look...Quote:
Originally Posted by randyr
Yeah, the truck is actually like a gun metal gray...Quote:
Originally Posted by 34_40
I will put on my cheer leading out fit also ( dont get a mental pic ) . Randy the deck looks great from what you started with . I think a English wheel set loose on the tail panel would roll out most of that , this I would like to try the theory .
You keep plugging away and you will have it in paint sooner then you think .
I picked up the Cougar Sunday played a bit till it started , made a lot of racket like the trans is loose . The owner said the guy had started to pull every thing so it may be . I work with him so his word is good . He said they bought it in 1978 , his wife had a little accident . She started to have it redone by a guy same story it sat and they brought it home . But he also said it's been sitting almost 30 years .
Got it home and put power to the top , It's been down the whole time . It came up Hydraulics still work strong but top shrunk bad had to use a strap to pull it down and lock it . After sitting all night some of the seems are opening up LOL . Glad tops are cheap $250 .
Not to high jack a little pic
http://inlinethumb17.webshots.com/39...425x425Q85.jpg
Cool, Bobby, it's even got some Cragers on it!! It's gonna be a sweet ride!Quote:
Originally Posted by bluestang67
Thanks for the kudos on my lid! Now, if I only had an English wheel to work on that pan....
Randy those are copy cats , Rockets and Westerns I have em for rolling stock , kept them from the Mustang . This will be barn stock for a while , mustang then 31 . Of course the rear 60's clear the cougar and not the mustang wheel wells .
Randy the work on the lid is great , you did take it to a skim and thats great . I think a English wheel would make the panel work a lot easier . I think one of these days I will get one from H F .
b
Too Late... where's a sharp pencil when you need one? I didn't need that eye! :LOL::eek:**):whacked:Quote:
Originally Posted by bluestang67
That is a marvelous color/paint! I wish I had seen it in person.Quote:
Originally Posted by randyr
