1957 Chevy truck re-rebuild

[Stepside Jim]

Originally Posted by Indian113

I think floor patchs would be easier for me this way.

Oh, the workability difference is huge. I originally started with the cab on jack stands while I was scraping the old oil and rust proofing off the bottom. My arm got sore and I had crud in my eyes.

Once I rolled it back, I was on a fasttrack to getting the bottom finished.

Jim

[Kim57]

thanks for the info Jim.
It will definitely make it much easier to work on mine when I get to that point.
Kim

[jmedero]

Wow... This truck is insane. Your fab skills are awesome man. I want to be able to make the parts I want for my truck like your doing. Bravo man.
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[Stepside Jim]

Originally Posted by jmedero

Wow... This truck is insane. Your fab skills are awesome man. I want to be able to make the parts I want for my truck like your doing. Bravo man.
Posted via Mobile Device

Thanks for the compliment jmedero.

Slowly but surely moving forward I resealed most all the metal to metal joints.

Then also starts the filling and smoothing of door jams and firewall. Good news is I've reached the bottom of disassemble and clean up, now time to move to some of the reassemble.

The left over maroon color in the cab has been sandblasted and gone in real time, well as of Wednesday afternoon anyway. lol

[Baldeagle SR]

Nice idea on the little trailor. Work looks awsome. Rich

[Stepside Jim]

Originally Posted by Baldeagle SR

Nice idea on the little trailor. Work looks awsome. Rich

Thanks Rich, the trailer was a last second idea that has worked out well.

These pictures are no different than most everybody elses, it's just all part of the process......

[Stepside Jim]

Good day today... The weather was near perfect for priming and as luck would have it, I managed to get the day off. Knowing I had a chance to be able to prime I worked every night this week getting the truck ready.

I started with Eastwood's Epoxy primer. I haven't used any other Epoxy primer, but it would have to be great to be better to mix, spray and dry than this stuff, I'm really happy with the use of this product.

I only have one picture tonight but it says volumes, 2 coats of Epoxy primer on the under side of the cab.

[Bomp]

Really nice job.
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[Kim57]

Looks real nice.
Kim

[dubie]

Nice progress Jim, thanks for the update

[Stepside Jim]

Thanks everybody.

Just a couple more of the bottom side and one of the cab on the engine hoist. As long as I didn't remind myself that if the hoist lets go I'm gonna be in bad shape I was able to focus on the priming.

[Kim57]

Looks good but I think I'll figure out another way to paint the bottom of my cab.
Kim

[Stepside Jim]

Hi Kim, I must admit, I pondered many other ways. For instance, I've pretty well have the cab rolled upside down, this would work well.

I had a couple of variables to weigh.

This next bit of text is for most anybody thinking of getting into the priming and painting side of the build.

Timing and temperature are two very key rolls in painting, almost as important as the materials themselves.

Luckily I got Friday off, luckily the temps outside was a little over 70 degrees. That's a timing and temp situation.

Having day off was key, I needed a 4 hour window to spray. Using the hoist I was able to epoxy 2 coats under the cab, and 1 coat of epoxy on the outside and inside of the cab. Then after proper dry time I was able to spray 2 coats of high build feather fill primer on the outside and inside.

Using the hoist I could go up and down when needed, and with spraying everything within a certain timeframe, I cut down on alot of sanding and scuffing between prime times. Now I can get right into block sanding the high build feather fill primer.

On the bottom where I applied the two coats of epoxy only. Once the rest of the cab is sanded and blocked and primed and blocked a couple times I will scuff sand the bottom side and apply either an undercoating or a smooth finish bed liner coating before it goes back on the frame.

With todays paints and primers it's good to figure a plan, meaning the right time frame and temperature to guarantee the product won't come back and bite you later.

Two pictures, one in the epoxy, then after the high build feather fill.

I wish I could get Photobucket to work again, these pictures suck on clarity.

[Kim57]

Good info on the paint.
The pics look good.
Kim

[Stepside Jim]

I'm gonna go down a road not often covered in many of the builds....the wet sanding and blocking stage. It is boring, and makes one heck of a mess, although it is what raises the bar when the project is finished.

In the last pictures the cab got epoxy and a high build primer (feather fill). The epoxy adheres and protects the metal, the feather fill leaves enough material to sand and fill, or level the slight imperfections in the surface.

By using a block or something straight wrapped with paper, either wet or dry, we sand the surface, since we'll only knock of the high spots, the surface levels itself.

In the pics below, the freshly primered step looks perfect, but after block sanding all the highs and lows show. I've sanded to the epoxy coating in many areas, that's ok, the sanding leaves a perfect texture for the next coating of feather fill. It does show the low spots so I've used a gazing putty to fill the few low areas. This glazing putty sands and finshes as smooth as the feather fill. NOTE.... only use a glazing putty that requires a hardner, he non hardening putty has a terrible problem with shrinking later.

Once the hole cab gets this treatment and I get the next 2 coats of feather fill applied, the next phase of blocking should show a very nice level surface all around.

Note.... there are a ton of ways of doing this and primer products on the market. I'm mearly introducing this step the concept of block sanding. Every painter seems to have a different twist on the steps to get to the finshed product.

On this step I did dry sanding, I'm working in a confined area,the next pics will be of wet sanding the roof.

[Stepside Jim]

Now for some block sanding/wet. It's nothing more than the common rubber block with 180 grit paper fitted to it.

Once again it's a matter of sanding down all the high spots. With the wet sand paper and keeping a continuous flow of water, the paper stays clear and cuts without clogging.

I usually use a sponge and keep it dripping water just above the area being sanded.

Being able to lay this cab on it's backside makes this much easier also.

[Kim57]

That's some good stuff your showing.
Kim

[Stepside Jim]

Well, day after day after day I sand, prime, sand and prime.

With all the work, there has been a decision to go to a two tone black and silver vs maroon and silver.

Once I got the cab in epoxy primer then feather fill primer I went to the block sanding. The block sanding showed exactly where there were imperfections are. Then goes a fine layer of spot/glazing putty. Once the putty is block sanded, time for a couple coats of feather fill.

The firewall is going to be clear coat gloss black, so I'm trying to get it as correct and smooth as possible.

A couple pics of during and after.

[ddubbs]

Like what you have going on here. Definitely going to keep a eye on your thread. Subscribed
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[Stepside Jim]

Originally Posted by ddubbs

Like what you have going on here. Definitely going to keep a eye on your thread. Subscribed
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Thanks ddubbs, for a while here I'm just gonna run through the block sanding process. The pics could get boring, but not nearly as boring as the block sanding itself.

One place I can not block sand is where the gills are. Thinking back, I had to weld in a filler piece for where the old turn signals were. Now I not only have to smooth the weld of the turn signal fill but also the gill welds.

This is mainly done by feel since no block can fit into this area. A little extra time is involved, but they've blended in nicely.

Just joking, but, for some reason the first picture looks like a fish laying on it's side. lol

[Kim57]

Looking good.
I'll be starting on my body work in a few days myself.
Kim

[Kim57]

Looking good.
You may try a hobby shop for some small blocks. I have one from when I was messing with RC planes.
Kim

[Stepside Jim]

Originally Posted by Kim57

Looking good.
You may try a hobby shop for some small blocks. I have one from when I was messing with RC planes.
Kim

Small block, oh no we're using a Big block in this truck....... Ohhhhhhh, you mean a small sanding block. Usually in a small tight area such as the gills I will fold the paper over about 4 layers, this will usually keep the paper strong enough as to not drop into the low spots. Thanks Kim.

I've dealt with the long, enduring process of block sandig all the panels before. There are times when you need something to keep you motivated.

So far I've taken a couple hundred pictures of this project. It's good to sit down and go through them to remind myself how far I've gotten so far.

In my last set of pictures I lifted the sheet off the engine and took a picture to remind myself as to where I'm heading. Yup, ok, my mind is back on track again.

[Kim57]

Nice looking engine.
Kim

[dug224]

Thanks for taking the time to explain what you are doing on the paint. It really helps. Great project. dug