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Small Victories.....for Mac

Small steps trying to get back on track.....heat in the garage. I got a 4800 watt heater and needed to change out my 220 plug to the style on the heater. I got it fired up and had the garage at 65 degrees in about twenty minutes.
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Now for the better part of two days I was getting beat up by just trying to get the back half of the driveshaft disconnected from the rear end. I soaked, I twisted, I pried, and no luck. But today I was determined to get there one way or another.
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I finally broke out the air wrench, cranked up the psi and beat the he$$ out of it. It finally came spinning loose but I am pretty sure I will need new nuts and bolts for reassembly. It felt good getting dirty and taking another small step.
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I also found a paint booth that I can use to paint the frame but it may cost me some good beer. I just need to research the paint code for "powder blue" because that seems to be the way it was done originally. More disassembly to come soon
JP
 
Any tips on how to properly check the frame for damage would be greatly appreciated.
I set my frame on saw horses, got it level then dropped a plumb to the floor at all the datum locations noted in the Service Instruction book. Marked the floor and checked the diagonals. The Frame unit in the Service Instruction book has a very detailed description on checking the frame.

David
 
David,
Thanks, I am not sure if I have that manual. Is there an electronic copy somewhere that I might be able to lay my hands on?

JP

Any tips on how to properly check the frame for damage would be greatly appreciated.
I set my frame on saw horses, got it level then dropped a plumb to the floor at all the datum locations noted in the Service Instruction book. Marked the floor and checked the diagonals. The Frame unit in the Service Instruction book has a very detailed description on checking the frame.

David
 
I took a trip to the ER but I am still here, diet and balance issues but I am still here really. I also took a card from the Tush book and went to pick up a second grinder for 11 bucks... harbor freight had a sale. I wanted to see if I could find clean metal and I did. It feels pretty solid but a lot of pitting. How do you treat the metal after flap disk cleaning? I find it hard to get in all the tight spots.
i can say a flap disk will take off several layers on skin should you happen to get to close to your hands. Dang it

I am slowly getting supplies together but my daughter started rowing season again this past week. More posts to follow

JP






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Yep, I've taken a bit of skin off now and again with the grinder....gotta be more careful!

I've finally got the garage door open wide for the first time in about 4 months...weather is getting warmer and is staying above 0 C overnight. Certainly does lift my spirits.

Look after yourself! I look forward to some inspirational updates from you!

Cheers
Tush
 
So I bet that feels good to see the sun and not be in the 30s. So when you were working on the frame how did you get in the tight spaces and moreover what did you do about the leftover pitted rust spots?


JP
Yep, I've taken a bit of skin off now and again with the grinder....gotta be more careful!

I've finally got the garage door open wide for the first time in about 4 months...weather is getting warmer and is staying above 0 C overnight. Certainly does lift my spirits.

Look after yourself! I look forward to some inspirational updates from you!

Cheers
Tush
 
Spot Sandblaster or knotted wire brush on you angle grinder....not the cup type brush, just a flat brush.

Cheers
Tush
 
Sandblasting is the the worst job known to man...but it cleans metal like nothing else. For about $120 you can get a decent blaster set-up from Northern or Harbor. It's the only thing that gets every crevice and cranny...on the car too!
 
I notice that the Harbor Freight Blaster has done away with the Dead Man's handle and replaced it with a ball valve. I did that to mine and love the mod. Advantages are several.
1. Easier on the hand not having to hold the handle open against the spring.
2. If the nozzle blocks up it is easier to clear, You just shut off the ball valve. With the old handle you had to blead the tank down before you could clear the nozzle.

Down side safety. If you drop the hose it will still blast.

David
 
I forgot about the valve! My hand used to cramp holding that thing, so for 2 years I had it strapped open all the time. I finally just removed it altogether.
 
Hi guys,
You recently mentioned sand (media) blasters. If I were to spend $100-150 would a blasting cabinet or pressurized blaster or a simple siphon blaster work best. The reviews are typically pretty bad so I'm not sure what to believe. And what blast media are you using? Sand sounds like it can be a safety problem.
Thanks,
 
Afraid that doesn't have a simple answer.

A cabinet is awesome, as it contains and re-uses the media. Sand tears a cabinet up, so you have to frequently change the viewing windows. I use a small cabinet for beads only. Beads are slow and laborious to remove rust and grease build-up. But, it leaves most parts completely undamaged. .

When using sand, you will need a hood, breathing mask, and ear plugs. Sand cleans fast and furious, but it makes a huge mess. It does erode metal, and cannot be used on plastics or other soft parts. I leaves a good surface that paint can adhere to. The pressurized tank systems are the way to go. The cheap siphon systems are...cheap!...but they will work if you only do minimal blasting. They are a waste of money for a full restoration

To use either...you have to have a decent compressor and water removal system. If you have limited air then blasting will be frustrating, and you'll burn up a lot of compressors.

None of the cheap set-ups, either cabinet or open are ready to go from Northern or Harbor. With a few mods they will work great for many years, though. For example...my bead cabinet plexiglass viewer would turn opaque after 30 minutes of blasting. After months of changing the plexiglass every hour or so, I finally had a sheet of glass cut...it has worked for 4 years without replacement. I also had to add a vacuum evacuation system to keep the air in the cabinet clear (home made). So...none of these are plug and play...you have to do some simple and inexpensive mods to get them going reliably.

This just touches on the answer!
 
Yes...I have never used sand, but depending on the parts and their makeup, I have used plastic beads, crushed glass ( mostly what I use), aluminum oxide, and black beauty (slag).

The compressor is the most important. I find my 30 gallon compressor is fine for my cabinet blasting of small parts...larger parts can take some time while the compressor recharges. I can only use a siphon bucket blaster as my compressor will not drive a pressure pot effectively.

Cheers
Tush
 
I am using a Northern tool 40Lb pressure tank with a modified valve.

Sand is a generic term for blasting. I have seen where people use play sand but there are considerable dangers using that as you will be breathing very fine particles of silica which is bad for your lungs. Silicosis anyone?
Use media from Northern tool or other supplier. Black diamond or crushed glass are two types that they supply.They are good for heavy cleaning paint or rust on steel.
I made a home made cabinet to blast my wheels and other smaller parts. That way I could reuse some of the medium. I will put a blue tarp down to catch the media when I do the tub.

David
Sand blasting setup.jpgwheels sand bladsted close up.jpg
 
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