'78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

[tallcanadian]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

I will be posting some pics tomorrow. I'm in the process of glassing my stringers. OH WHAT JOY!! My motor painter is too fussy. He wants to repaint is because of a couple of tiny imperfections. I like it. I may have to tie him down..lol.

 

[Trooper82]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Almost finished with the first section on bottom so that leaves four sections total and the transon to do yet..just roughing...but the finishing goes quicker...I am beat think I am calling it a day...

 

[GT1000000]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

You would be surprised to know that sanding is about 90% of every repair I do to a car...the other 10% is applying the bondo...and I don't even finish it...I leave it at 180 grit for the prep guy to take it to primer and 320 grit just before the painter gets it...
And yes, it takes an unbelievable amount of time to do just a small area... Just last week I finished doing the entire body on a 1976 Mini Cooper, and even though that thing is small, I spent close to 80 hours on it applying and sanding bondo...
Take a well deserved break, bro... we both deserve it!

 

[Trooper82]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Always teaching me something Gus, I saw you had said 1976 MiniCoper..thought it was a typo...who knew They started making Mini's in 1959?

I sure didn't!


I am officially working on the top four areas (as she sits) now

Pain in the butt...literally...

 

[Trooper82]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

ok, just so I could liit the amount of time sitting up on the hull, I chose to use my random orbit sander...the bearing is shot so wasn't sure how long it would last...about 15 minutes...the little nylon cage that holds the bearings in place was gone...mostly...decided to make a replacement. Easiest way I could come up with was a piece of copper wire...that lasted about two uses of the sander. So I neeed something else..saw an empty bottle of MEKP and though, hey that is about the right diameter...Cut it off...shaped the bearing traps using the dremel...this lasted for about three uses...and kaboom..pieces and parts flying everywhere...gsthered them all up and decided to remake it a little better. Found an old metel broom handle about the right diameter...fit it to a wooden dowel to hold it while I worked on it. Center punched 9 equally spaced spots and drilled them out with the little drill press. Cut and ground the new cage to length while still on the dowel. Had to put the bearing back together. A little grease to hold the bearings in the outer race. Angle the inner race and flip it in place. Pushed in the new cage...marvelous! it works fairly well. Not too bad for a fix it your self job on a Sunday afternoon. filled with grease and am going to town with the sanding...

 

[sphelps]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

That's what I call determination !!
I'm thinking a broken sander is a good reason to not get itchy ! :eyebrows:

 

[Trooper82]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Round one complete...and the repairs held up...off to round two....

 

[Trooper82]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Knockout in round 2

Back to hand sanding for me...

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

I think your addicted to sanding..lol. I don't envy you but the work will be worth it. The good thing is your arms should be huge by the time your done.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Sorry the sander repair didn't hold for round 2. Finished round 1 though :watermelon:

But, yeah, I'm w/ SP: Busted sander = No mas trabajo, por favor? Dos cervezas heladas y alguna cena

Sander shopping the Labor Day sales?

 

[Trooper82]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

You know last week I picked up a sander, thought it was a variable speed random orbit...but it has no orbit function...decided to give it a try anyway...holy cow this thing knocks the high spots down quick...and has an attachment for the shopvac to boot!
Just set it to slow speed and keep it flat and moving...10 minutes on the transom and done..

 

[Trooper82]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

OK, maybe only on large flat surfaces...and taking your time and paying attention to what you are doing....not for sitting on the hull when you are in a rush...

 

[sphelps]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

but, yeah, i'm w/ sp: Busted sander = no mas trabajo, por favor? Dos cervezas heladas y alguna cena

and how !!

 

[GT1000000]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Definitely OH-beer-30 for me...:watermelon:

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Never seen that sander before, what's it's RPM's? I suspect even on low they're pretty high. So, yep, always moving!

Be careful, being non-random orbital, it can leave pretty good swirl scratches, that may be challenging to get out. What grit are you using on it?

 

[Trooper82]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Not sure of the rpm but it can go pretty slow...as long as I was careful it went ptretty good...started with 60 grit, got some 220 I may try tonight...

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Great!

 

[Trooper82]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

So the long weekend was good, made some decent progress on the sanding....

Paid for it in mighty sore arms though...so tonight I took it easy and finished the transom skin...and I am pretty happy with it this time around...

I notice however that the shine when looking directly into the surface is rather lacking...kinda blotchy even...

Could it be the compound I am using? This is what I am using... the stuff is probably 10 years old...I got medium fine and Black Cherry Glaze...I tried the glaze before and did not like the black greasy look it left behind. The medium and fine is a sort of wax base...I use small amounts and it takes awhile before it is finished cutting..or sticking which ever it is doing. the el cheapo bonnet I got from HF is almost toast...

So my question...is copmound just compound or is there different types for paint vs. gelcoat?

Short week, come on Friday!

 

[GT1000000]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Old compound could be part of the problem as the liquid type ingredients used in making the stuff may have evaporated...
Good quality bonnets do make a big difference as to the quality of the "cut"
I don't mean this to sound like a paid advertisement for 3M products, but at the shop, we use them on Brand new $80K+ vehicles from the dealer and they constantly compliment us that when they get cars back from us, they look better than from the factory...
Yes, a lot of it has to do with the detailer's experience, but both he and the painter swear by these products and both have tried several different brands...
That is not to say that there aren't other brands that are equal to or even better, but these are tried and true at the shop...
Check this out... Compounds, Polishes, Glazes, Perfect-it, Compounding, Polishing, Glazing, Paint Finishing, Rubbing Compound, Buffing Compound
No matter what, you are getting it to look pretty amazing, nice job!

 

[Trooper82]

Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Thanks Gus..I will do some reading....the stuff zi had is what the admiral used on paint way back when...