Rear Luggage Tubes & Chassis Painting
/I have now attached the rear luggage tubes which I had not added earlier due to difficulty getting the necessary 19mm round tubing. I finally got this from Metal Supermarkets in Ibrox, Glasgow. They have a website at http://www.metalsupermarkets.com where you can find details of your nearest store. I bought a 6 meter length of 19mm, 16swg ERW tubing for around £8 GBP which seemed good value and not too high a premium for getting it from this type of vendor. They are happy to cut the metal to length for you too at no extra cost.
I bent the tubes using a pipe bender from a local DIY convenience store who shall remain nameless. I decided after making my 4 bends that the bender was not worth the £40 which I paid for it and took it back for a full refund... Yes it is a bit naughty but I did take extra special care of it while I had it and even cleaned and polished it before taking it back. This DIY store makes plenty of money out of me during the year anyway so I don't feel bad at all. However my wife was disgusted at my audacity...
Here is the paint that I have bought for the chassis. It is an etch primer with a very high build and comes as a two pack mixture. The base on the right and the activator/thinner on the left. They mix 1:1 to form the paint which is designed for spraying but works well with a brush too. It dry's very fast too.
I am using Dulux weathershield as my top coat and following the advice of many other builder's by using Black Gloss. This stuff is reputed to dry into a very hard wearing finish and is much better than the likes of Hammerite or Smootherite which tend to stay soft. It goes on a treat and covers very well.
Here is a pretty hopeless picture of four trailing arms which have now been painted and hung up to keep out of harm's way. The panhard rod can also be seem up in the rafters if you look closely. I intend to paint the front wishbones shortly as well using the black gloss as well as the back axle assembly. The back axle assembly is currently on the workbench of a professional welder who has much better welding equipment and experience than my own. Since it is a critical and highly stressed component I think it is only sensible to get it done properly.
Here is a picture of a couple of grinding heads which I have found to be very useful. The flap disc is great for linishing down welds ready for flat panels such as the floor to be placed on top. It is more gentle and quieter than the normal grinding discs and is much more controllable. It also leaves a better finish. The wire wheel is brilliant at removing pitted rust from second hand components which you are reconditioning such as hub carriers and driveshafts. It really does give a result which is very nearly as good as a shot blaster. It is also great at cleaning out welds ready for painting.
Well that's it for now, next I hope to complete welding in the floor and a few more triangulation tubes before moving on to the steering system.