Kerrmudgeon

....sorry to hear that.

Zoomin

X2 Russ. Prayin for you guys.

mcb55-210

Thoughts are with you, Russ.

Mike

MrPbody

Thanks guys…….

I've been doing some light bodywork on the left side off and on, and have that side pretty much ready for primer now, but the right side was really the one with the "issues", so today I began chipping away the old bondo to see what was under there. a bit of heat and a sharp/stiff putty knife helped speed up this process



Once the majority of the crap-o-la was pealed away, I began working over the tin to get it looking more like a 59 Chevy instead of a piece of used tin-foil. the area around the bumper tip was really mangled, requiring a fair bit of persuasion with an air hammer and various other persuasive devises. the basic shape is back again, so now I can start ironing out the "smaller" wrinkles.



Don't even tell me about how the old timers were such skilled craftsman, when it came to body work. the caliber of repair done on this thing must have made Bubbas daddy SO proud, back in the day.

Kerrmudgeon

....and it looked so good when you brought it home too. Evil lurks under the skin....

MrPbody

Typical of the little rust holes I've found on this car. hard to explain why the rust decided to attack the spots they did, but I've just added this to the long list of lifes little mysteries.



2" square patch panel fabricated and installed


I've been hammering on the RR fender for a few days now. I'm sure the neighbors will be happy when I'm finished, and I'm pretty tired of it myself, which is why I did some patch panel work today

Russ

Zoomin

What's behind that little hole? Does the trunk floor meet up there? Very odd spot.

MrPbody

That's what's so odd. there is nothing behind that spot at all. no seam, no floor or brace within 2" of it. you can see a brace in front of the hole, inside the trunk, which is about 2" away, so I might speculate that something was stored between the brace and the bodywork. then again… as many rats nests as I located in this body, perhaps there was one here at one time also. the area beneath one rear side window was full of nesting up to the window crank.

Russ

MrPbody

3 days of hammering, shrinking, welding, and more hammering later, and I'd had all I could take. it was as good as it was gona get by me, so I spread a skim coat of bondo, then knocked down the goobers with a 12" board and some 80 grit, then sprayed a coat of polyester primer and knocked that down with 80 grit on a stir stick (aka block sanding). it's just now gotten a coat of 2K primer which will get a light guide coat and the stir stick wrapped with 120 grit. if that passes inspection it will get a light going over with 600 on a soft block and be ready for the final coat of primer/sealer and paint……. nothing to it. easy-peasy.
Is that a faint light I see at the end of this tunnel?



Russ

mcb55-210

INSPIRING! I have managed to roll my body dolly with my '55 2dr post on it into my shop. Want to have the body ready to go back on the frame by spring. I think I said that last year, too. Really need to get excited about the car again, and seeing your progress helps to get me motivated.

Keep kickin' butt, Russ!

Mike

MrPbody

Mike,

At the rate I'v been going lately, you'll catch and pass me before long. I will say, however, that doing a blog on the build has always been one of my secret methods of self motivation. it's kinda like telling everyone you know that you're going to kayak a local water fall. once you've said that, and everyone comes to watch, you kinda have to do it.

I've managed to get the doors off my car, cleaned up the jams, and sprayed them with a coat of 2K primer………………………………………… that's about it.



Russ

juiceman03070

Great job Russ..hope all is well.
Idid a 68 Chevelle that had a paint color caller Gecian Green and your car is a match to it .

MrPbody

Yup. Grecian Green was very close to the original color of this car. I kinda like it even today.

I was able to get a little bit done on the car today. scuffed up the trunk and shot it with Lizard skin. this stuff really quiets down the "drumming", as well as doing a fine job of heat/cold insulating. the total floors, firewall, and trunk are now sprayed, and I'll eventually spray inside the doors and quarters also.



Maybe I should put a hot tub in there.

Russ

Fawndeuce

Now that you've lined the trunk with Lizard Skin Russ, you already have a hot tub, just fill with water!



Paul

MrPbody

Hey Paul. How was Californica?
Yup. just plug a couple of drain holes and fill up my hot tub.
===========
Believe it or not, I do have a game plan on this painting gig when you work on such a large car in such a confined space, ya gota get a little creative. If I tried to spray it all in one shot the overspray would build up in the room and begin to settle on previously sprayed areas. if I try to crank up too many fans then it just creates a dust storm. been doing it this way for years and have a system that works so I use it. I do use a fresh air breathing system also BTW
I think by the time I get this car painted I'll know how to spray this "California Sage Metallic". the top came out really nice today and I feel like I've developed a good handle on what it takes to lay it down well. it's one of the most challenging blends I've shot in a wile, but I like the end result.



Russ

Fawndeuce

California was all work, but I did get the Sunday afternoon to myself. Ended up at a woody show in Dana Point on the coast, beautiful cars in a postcard location, I'll post some pics later.
Your '59 is coming along great Russ, the color looks amazing even with what little we see, that will be one fine looking machine when it's done!



Paul

MrPbody

I remember that area Paul. a couple buddies and I used to go down to So Cal every winter to fly hang gliders. we'd stay in Lake Elsinore, but go over the hill via San Juan Capistrano and down the coast to Torrey Pines. south of Dana Point a ways is a small surfing town that's lost in time. still much like it was in the 60s, complete with a small restaurant/burger joint that constantly plays Endless Summer on a big screen. great food also .

==========

One more little piece of the puzzle was completed today. the tops of the fins and bottom of the door openings turned green.



Russ

blue_74

Could you fill us in on your system for painting in sections? I've thought about painting my '67 Mustang in my basement, but without a booth, I know I would struggle with getting overspray out. I've got enough space to easily walk all the away around the car, so I really wouldn't struggle with the actual painting process, just the fumes and overspray.

MrPbody

Most smart painters will say the same thing: don't do it.

OK. that's out of the way. I'm a stubborn sob that likes to do ALL of his own work, even if the end result ends up less than perfect (which it generally does). but with a little pre-planning, a pretty darn good paint job can be had in some pretty horrible conditions.
The color you choose is a big factor in the success or failure of a piece by piece paint job. solid colors will be much easier than metallic because even minor changes in gun setting will affect the way metallic particles lay on the car. an even coat of primer is a requirement with B/C metallic, and provides an even color base to lay it on, and even then any areas that gets more paint will end up darker. the more you spray an area, the darker it will get. this is the main reason that doors and front fenders should be sprayed wile vertical. it's a natural tendency to spray more paint on horizontal surfaces and less on vertical ones because of the fear of runs. if parts are sprayed in there normal positions, then at least that will (hopefully) all be the same throughout the rest of the car.
bottom line: single stage solid color is easy to spray well in pieces. metallic single stage is fairly easy also. base clear is harder because you generally spray much less color overall, and thin areas will show lighter. heavy metallic base/clear is the hardest, for all the reasons mentioned earlier exaggerated. light colors are the hardest in a base/clear heavy metallic, so of course that's what I chose to spray this one .

as far as the spray area itself, you need to set up a fan to pull as much of the fumes/overspray out as you can, but without stirring up too much dust in the process. I start blowing dust out of the shop a week or more before I know I'm going to spray. and when I say blowing, I mean with a leaf blower, with the ventilation fans on, and I mean everywhere. celling, walls, shelves, everywhere. keep doing it every day until you don't raise dust anymore. when you don't raise dust then drag a hose with a fine nozzle on it in and mist everything you can, in the area where the car/parts will be. then use a mop on the floors. do this several days in a row.

If you insist on spraying in a poorly ventilated area then you MUST have excellent protective gear. the fumes in modern paints are not just dangerous, they are deadly. oops, not deadly, I meant to say DEADLY. don't take this lightly. google isocyanates for an eye opening read in your spare time.
I think the best breathing system for this is a fresh air system that draws in filtered air from outside the area your working in (which is NOT the same area as where your fans exit). isocyanates are absorbed through the skin also, so full body coverage is needed. I use a disposable painters suit (under $10.00), nitril gloves, sock hood, etc. all of the clean air breathing systems come with either a full face mask or hood, as isos can also be absorbed through the eyes. I can't use either one due to poor eyesight and reflections in the lens, so I build my own mask, that attaches to the air supply, out of a std respirator. my eyes are exposed with this system, and I understand the risks, but oh-well.



Are you still ready to do this?

No matter how good you prepare, there will still be a build up of fumes/overspray in the room. how well you're set it up will determine how long you can spray before you start getting problems with polluting your freshly painted parts. I try to plan areas on the car that will be easy to hide the separation lines between sessions. areas that require taping between session areas are back-taped to minimize tape lines. be aware that clear will fog up the room much quicker that base coat, so start with a hood or trunk lid until you determine how much you can spray at one time.

No matter what brand of base coat you choose to use, use SPI for your clear coat (google "SPI universal clear" for how to purchase on-line). it's the best clear out there anyway, but it also sands and polishes easy, a day or two aft you spray, and you will get some dust in the clear, but don't mess with it until you cut/buff. I start with 1500 wet to cut any orange peel or dry areas, then a quick trip with 2000 wet,.. polish,.. and done.


Oh ya. lighting: you can NOT get too much light to spray. I have 10 double 4' fixtures in my small space and it's not enough. I still carry around a 32led light in my off hand to assist in seeing the wet edge in some areas of the car. I've also taped one of those 28 led lights from HF on the front of the gun with good results. you've got to be able to constantly see the wet edge, to spray well.

Nothing to it,

Russ

Kerrmudgeon

Hmmmm....? I wonder if corrective lense motorcycle goggles would work as a base for you Russ......hate to see you get sick from years of exposure to that stuff.

That's quite the system you've come up with. Lots of prep time. But, the results are amazing, and not just for a home system, even pros don't get it as good. Orange peel in the clear is always present it seems.

....looks like an aircraft carrier!