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Author Topic: A quick update on the Circus Wagon  (Read 4098 times)

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OldKooT

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A quick update on the Circus Wagon
« on: June 01, 2016, 03:24:13 PM »
So some of you know this but.... the new "Not crew Cab plan" is kind of simple. I fished a old 1990 ish vintage standard cab frame from the weed patch storage and we sand blasted it and spent two hours going over it with a magnifying glass (literally) looking for stress cracks, or any other reason to not use it. I then removed not needed cross-members and brackets....

Since it passed inspection and measured straight, I cut my wife lose on it and she did what she does. After blasting, she prepped the frame to almost shiny with a air grinder and assorted grits. I will call this phase stress relieving LoL  She then, when it was all glass like, went back and roughed it back up with 80 grit on the DA. I then sprayed it with 2 coats of epoxy between rain storms outside.



So at this point we have the front 2/3 of the frame in epoxy and I got busy enlarging the shackle pivot holes for the new HD shackle weldments.



After some more cure time for the epoxy my wife then wet sanded the frame and declared it ready for paint. I then sprayed it with 3 coats of semi gloss Imron. So this is where we are at today after it's dried and ready for reassembly Of the front half.





I suppose building some form of front spring mount is next...and I should probably find a cab laying around I have paperwork for and start tearing that down...So far I figure it will have parts from a minimal of 6 trucks...maybe more as it progresses. But we shall see what we can toss together quickly with junk we were going to scrap anyway. And yes TRN.... I am buying new parts also LoL



 


Offline KensAuto

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Re: A quick update on the Circus Wagon
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2016, 05:03:18 PM »
That sure is purdy Norm!
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Offline Flyin6

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Re: A quick update on the Circus Wagon
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2016, 09:33:47 PM »
WOW!
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Offline Dustoff35

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Re: A quick update on the Circus Wagon
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2016, 06:09:03 AM »
Looks great!

Offline swbhobie16

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Re: A quick update on the Circus Wagon
« Reply #4 on: June 02, 2016, 07:10:19 AM »
looks like you'll have a running/driving truck by the end of the weekend! hahah

Offline cruizng

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Re: A quick update on the Circus Wagon
« Reply #5 on: June 02, 2016, 08:53:58 AM »
Norm,

Looks really good. Since I am haven't painted but would like to get started would you mind sharing what paint gun you use and pressure / mixes you use.

I like that you use Imron! Old school that has worked great for years.  :)
Mike
Sold the DMax in MN and am currently vehicle less.

Offline cj7ox

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Re: A quick update on the Circus Wagon
« Reply #6 on: June 02, 2016, 10:15:16 AM »
Nice, Koot!
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OldKooT

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Re: A quick update on the Circus Wagon
« Reply #7 on: June 02, 2016, 11:42:17 AM »
Thanks guys for the compliments....

The gun we use for the Epoxy is a inexpensive Harbor freight HVLP gun... tip size is dependent on the primer but usually for areas such as a frame, I use 1.4

The color/clear gun we use is a Devilbiss GFG/670 which just seems to spray anything you pour into it happily. That said my wife won a best paint award on a antique tractor she painted with the HF gun....so it's not a bad gun at all.

The Imron I sprayed is the last of a 5 gallon can from no kidding 2002. It's tough to spray "wet" looking from a HVLP gun and comes out smooth but just a little flat. Which for a frame is exactly what I was looking for. It's mixed per Dupont's directions and I sprayed it with 42psi at the gun and 14psi at the tip. *this is useless info as the new Imron is not the same as this old paint.

The Epoxy is from Southern Polyurethanes Inc. It's also mixed as per their recommendations, and I sprayed it 28psi at the gun and 12 psi at the tip. This is the flat best Epoxy primer I have ever used. It can be sanded *very handy, and it flows onto the surface smooth. It's also tough as nails....I have used it to replace the John Deer blitz black on farm equipment, and it holds up like iron with no top coat.

i would have sprayed the frame in black SPI epoxy and left it like that with no need for a color coat. But I only had Grey SPI primer so....well I could have waited, but I thought some antique junk paint was fitting for this truck LoL Material costs so far for paint....almost zilch.

The sandblaster is a modified Harbor Freight unit...the largest they sell. I use Black Diamond media and usually a 1/4 tip. This combination along with my 7hp dual stage compressor with a 1/4mile of steel 1" air line with drops supplies me with dry air, and the compressor keeps up to the blaster no problem.

We blasted/painted 3/4 of the frame and used the following.
4 50lb bags of media.
30oz of epoxy/activater
30oz of Imron mixed

12 sheets of 80 grit DA paper
1 worn unknown grit metal finishing disk on the air grinder.
2 3m 320 grit hook and loop pads for the DA to wet sand...one 600 grit as well.

I sprayed it outside on a damp gravel lime stone driveway with a 5mph breeze. I always use a 3m respirator as well. In other words I pretty much broke most all the rules of paint application...but after years of painting stuff on gravel I am uniquely talented in such regards.

I found one dust nib that looks like it may have been a small spider...but it scuffed out with a 3m pad.

I don't like to paint honestly. I let my wife mix everything and usually she sprays stuff as well. In this case she was chasing grand kids around, so she mixed the materials and I sprayed.

She did however do a large part of the sandblasting and all of the finish metal work as she really enjoys that. So most the credit in so far as the finish goes to her.







Offline cruizng

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Re: A quick update on the Circus Wagon
« Reply #8 on: June 02, 2016, 02:28:13 PM »
As usual.... great information!

Thank you very much. I will have to go Craigslist shopping or break down and buy a DeVilbiss gun. Just didn't know if they were worth the $300.00. I tend to spend more on tools than I have in skill that way I can't blame the tools.

I might also have to evaluate my compressor.

Thanks again!
Mike
Sold the DMax in MN and am currently vehicle less.

Offline Flyin6

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Re: A quick update on the Circus Wagon
« Reply #9 on: June 02, 2016, 10:15:47 PM »
As usual.... great information!

Thank you very much. I will have to go Craigslist shopping or break down and buy a DeVilbiss gun. Just didn't know if they were worth the $300.00. I tend to spend more on tools than I have in skill that way I can't blame the tools.

I might also have to evaluate my compressor.

Thanks again!
Another plug for the old devilbiss guns. Mine is circa 1960's and amongst my best guns. Remember the rear bumper I built for the D-Max? Used that gun on that bumper spraying the Blitz black JD paint
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Offline JR

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Re: A quick update on the Circus Wagon
« Reply #10 on: June 03, 2016, 01:48:03 AM »
Very nice work. I to like my HF guns but I also picked up a nice HVLP from Summit a I need to try.

Imron can be nasty stuff, but not what it used to be. The frame looks better than some trucks!

Talking about your little project. I came across a Dodge crew cab with a 6bt in it on CL. Didn't link it as that goes away to fast. In Kali they wanted almost 10k for it, an 85 I believe.
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OldKooT

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Re: A quick update on the Circus Wagon
« Reply #11 on: June 10, 2016, 10:59:15 AM »
this weeks update... not much has happened due to me spending half the week running large farm sprinklers, and the other half the week fixing my Moms car.

I did fish out a old truck with a sorta usable cab on it. My wife and I spent about a hour and removed all the parts required to lift the cab off. This cab has perfect rockers, a nice solid roof despite the rust patina and in general is usable.

The down side it has a nasty bent section behind the passengers door and the drivers side floor is shot. I suppose I could source a nicer cab...but I'd have to spend more money and the $800 cold hard cash  I have into this thing already is starting to bother me.

So after prying out all the rusty floor pieces on the drivers side, turns out the cab supports and such still have paint on them and are cherry. The floor rust must have been from the topside and was confined to just the floor sheet-metal. So I will likely just use this cab and repair the floor and creases.

So... next on the agenda is mounting some front springs...so I can then build some spring mounts for the rear 63" Chebbie Springs and toss in a engine and stuff. I should be able to get a lot of that done this coming weekend if I can stand the hot weather.


Offline swbhobie16

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Re: A quick update on the Circus Wagon
« Reply #12 on: June 10, 2016, 11:44:23 AM »
hot weather. HA!  it's gonna be 90ish here this weekend with a bagillion % humidity. I'd take 70* and 25% humidity any day..

Offline JR

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Re: A quick update on the Circus Wagon
« Reply #13 on: June 10, 2016, 12:07:46 PM »
103-104 here last week. Went down to 100, then the humidity went to around 40%. Now its just a nice 90, hot weather still to come.

Nice work Norm, as is the Norm. I think maybe Kate should get more kuddos too. Wet sanding the frame?

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OldKooT

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Re: A quick update on the Circus Wagon
« Reply #14 on: June 12, 2016, 08:52:49 AM »
The temp has been hovering at 95 ish or more for days now....not good wrenching weather when you have a steel roofed shed. It was 122 degrees yesterday in the shed at 1pm. So I went to an auction...seemed sensible.

I started this morning again... I will just keep at it tell it gets too hot.

Offline swbhobie16

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Re: A quick update on the Circus Wagon
« Reply #15 on: June 12, 2016, 10:12:39 AM »
ok ok.. acceptable heat limitations. can't wait to see what you whip up today

 

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