Progress 7/6/17 - 7/12/17

I decided to stop at four coats of primer (plus a "fog coat") as I had done extensive surfacing to all the parts during the repair phase.  There shouldn't be that much "leveling" to do during the wet sanding process. The seat can now go back into storage while I work on the box.

So the wagon came out of storage today!  One task needed to be done prior to taking the box off the gear; mounting the "rub rollers".

Rub rollers mount to the lower edge of the wagon box.  In a tight turn, the front wheel will hit the body.  The wheel is then in danger of "binding" and may flip the wagon!  This is particularly dangerous with hard rubber tires.  The solution is positioning the rollers so that the wheels strike them in a turn.  The large roller will turn and prevent the wheel from binding.

This picture shows the rubber tire cramped against the lower edge of the wagon box before the rub roller is installed.

Here's the hard rubber tire in contact with the roller.












Unfortunately, the old wheels are not true, and they wander in an out as they turn, so the challenge was positioning the rollers so that they contact the rubber tires through the entire in-and-out travel of the wheels.  It took the better part of an afternoon of holding my jaw just right, but eventually I got them on pretty much where I wanted them.  So tomorrow, the wagon can go down to the shop where the box will be taken off the gear again, and priming will begin.

7/7/17

At long last the wagon was wheeled down to the shop today, where the box was taken off.  Turned upside down here for protective coatings of primer and paint.

No great pains taken, just enough sanding for paint adhesion, then a couple of passes with the spray gun.  I've officially used up my first quart or primer.

Tomorrow, the bottom gets a coat or two of enamel.  Then it's time to build a paint booth in the shop, in preparation for finishing.








7/12/17 Update

The wagon box now has several coats of primer on it, with one more to go tomorrow.  It will be ready to paint as soon as the "paint booth" is constructed in the shop!

Painting Preparations

I think maybe professionals have - or had - "jigs" to mount carriage parts on so that they could be easily tilted and turned for painting.  I don't have anything like that so I'm trying to figure out sensible sequences for priming and painting, and I don't think I chose the easiest method.  Oh well.

I don't want to get primer overspray all over the inside and bottom of the seat, so I spent some time masking today.

Bottom...

...Inside.

  In addition, the corners still needed a little cosmetic work so I smeared them with marine epoxy "fairing compound", then sanded them back.  These photos don't do justice to how smooth and attractive the corners now are.  I have every reason to believe the repairs are permanent.  I'm sure a hairline crack will develop in the paint along the joint, but movement's to be expected.  The repair materials are extremely stable.  The original panel in this photo is the one on the "bottom of the pic with the "vertical" looking grain.  This panel has the "correct" edge and the mismatch is the fault of the panel with all the big white spots, which is not an original panel.  So the white epoxy seam is actually attached to the top panel, and has been sanded to mate with the edge of the original panel.

Other side.  Same deal with the panels.  The vertical panel with all the grain is original.  The one with all the white is the very poorly fitting replacement panel.  The epoxy is adhered to the replacement panel and contoured to match the original. These joints are not glued.  Movement is natural. Reattaching the little epoxy chip went as planned, then the corner received the fairing compound treatment.  This seat isn't going to get any more ready to paint!



Notes for me:  According to previous project blog, spray primer with 1.5mm needle and tip in gun.  Thin primer appox 9 oz naptha to 1 qt primer Pettit EZ Prime.  25 sec viscometer.

For this job, Schwartz Primer, 7 oz naptha to 1 qt primer.  25 sec viscometer. 

7/2/17 - Barb's Shadetree Wagon Painting Shop is Open for Business!  

This morning I set up the little gazebo in front of the shop for the priming operations.  I don't mind a little airborne stuff on the primer (it dries very quickly), but the trees "weep" a little honeydew on surfaces below, and I've learned to keep my work covered!  There will be lots of wet sanding, which is an outdoor project.  While the priming operations are going on, a plastic "clean room" will be erected in the shop for top coating.

I ended up giving the seat one last sanding with 400 grit, because 220 left the wood feeling too furry.

And boom!  A hundred years of ugly wiped out in 20 seconds!  LOL!

I haven't used my spray gun in two years and it was sheer joy to fill it and fire it, and find that it was in perfect working order!

It took less than a minute to shoot the first coat of primer, and about 20 minutes to clean the gun!

We are looking forward to perfect painting weather for awhile, so I will probably give the seat about five more coats of primer over the course of the next week, one coat per day.  Then it will be on to priming the box!