Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

Hey, when you don't have engineering talent like you, Ogre, you have to resort to something else! Thanks, guy. (At least I'm not going to scuff & buff the clear...)

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

That is one nice looking frame.
Kim

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

Thanks Kim. I'm working on the rear end housing now. I'm glad I got used to wearing Thickster gloves when I wet sand. It really saves on the fingers.

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

I am guessing that you were sitting on quite a few progress pictures then. I love the work on the frame.

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

I never seem to take the right pictures. I do take quite a few for documentation purposes, but I seem to miss the ones that might be interesting to other builders.

This is an early shot of the surgery in prep for boxing the frame:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...3C679345nu0mrj

The boxing itself was a breeze, thanks to my local scrap yard. They had nominal 6"x3/16" strapping that was the exact dimension needed. I just had to trim it where the frame narrowed at the front:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...97675345nu0mrj

Here are a couple of pictures cutting the C-notches for the rack & pinion. Note that I don't have a plasma cutter, so the ol' acetylene has to do:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...5%3C8345nu0mrj

Here's the insert, half welded in. The slag cleaned up really quickly with the edge of a worn 4" grinding wheel:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...4%3C7345nu0mrj

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

WOW! Don't know how I missed this one. Frame looks great!

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

Thanks Chuck! Just some old fart acting like a kid. The frame and all of the chassis parts are painted and we're half assembled. I'll post a pic when it's sitting on the tires.

Right now though, while the weather is holding I'm sand blasting panels. The driver's door was yesterday and the other will be tomorrow if things dry up here. I primered the one door today before the wife socialized me for a few hours.

I'm home now, cruisin' Ebay for 3M PPS cups and such. I recently scored a Sata Jet 3000 B HVLP (1.3 tip) for a great price, so cups are next. Has anyone tried that PPS system? I can't imagine how it will be with shooting paint with the gun completely inverted!

Here's a 3M video to show how they work:

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

I got a fair amount done during the last month, but it's going to be 7 degrees in the morning so progress has stopped. (It actually stopped about 10 days ago when the snow started flying.) The chassis is now assembled enough to roll around. Planning and pre-assembly really paid off and allowed me to have all the holes drilled before paint. The only (known) mistake involved the e-brake rear cables. They were good to go until I boxed the frame. During assembly I had to notch the boxing to give them access. That's what they make touch-up brushes for!

Here's the chassis, ready to "land" for the final time. The rusty Cragars and 30-year-old bias-ply tires are just to roll it around:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...B%3B4254ot1lsi

And finally on the ground:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...A8%3B254ot1lsi

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

The screamin' zonker yellow fenders I bought from my buddy also got a little TLC. These had been painted yellow both sides and looked like they were ready to bolt on if my truck was going to be yellow. They definitely had no patch panels. I blasted the inside first in hopes of just a scuff and shoot on the outside. As I did I noticed that the PO (or more likely his/her painter) had painted over a lot of grease and rust. Hmmm...

As I progressed, I noticed the filled holes had been brazed, so that had to go as well. I primered the underside:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...7%3B8254ot1lsi

...and began to remove the yellow on the outside, 80 grit to start...
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...%3C28254ot1lsi

Then 180 grit:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...3A%3B254ot1lsi

But as I progressed I noticed crud under the paint there as well, first at the antenna hole, then at the park light, then everywhere:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...99%3C254ot1lsi

It was time to sandblast to bare metal. I'm glad I did, because there was a lot of bondo material -- a few places where the bulild-up was 1/4", but the bare fender appeared fine.

Then the braze was drilled out with a uni-bit (step drill)...
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...47858254ot1lsi

...and welded. Here's how I use washers to minimize the work:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...76%3B345nu0mrj

http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...9%3A4254ot1lsi

http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...47865254ot1lsi

(Oops. forgot to take a pic of the 1/4" hole after filling, but you get the idea.)

...and the filled holes:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...8%3B5254ot1lsi

Next will be primer. Waiting for higher temps, and the garage is bone dry.

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

While waiting for a really late indian summer (native American summer?), I decided to scrape the crud off of the underside of the cab. Up on the rotisserie it went, and I got out the Harbor Freight power scraper again. I don't know why I can't find the picture of the crud. I know I too it.

Anyway, here's the 'blasted underbelly:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...47877254ot1lsi

This really cleaned things up for final welding. Here's the big slot for the steering column, dressed for a dedicated install:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...77%3A345nu0mrj

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

Nice work Bob!!

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

The frame came out real nice.
Everything else looks good also.
What is this harbor freight scraper that did such a nice job on the cab bottom?
Kim

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

Thanks CD. If I can stay off the computer and in the garage it'll keep moving!

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

Thanks for the compliments, Kim. The scraper is this beast:

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-piece...kit-95826.html

It goes on sale, and the 25% coupons (for any one item) are floating around. I used it on the frame too. It makes short work of old undercoating too as long as it's not gooey.

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

i don't see the problem, the zen of the moment says paint your truck yellow.
resistance is futile :D

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

I feel a sudden urge to go to the paint store...the paint store...the paint store...gotothepaintstore... :uhmk:

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

Thanks.
I may have to pick one of those up for the bottom of my cab.
Kim

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

Loving the build

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

Thanks SCHRUMGMC. I've been told I'm fun to watch. :)

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

Nice work

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

Thanks, JML. Progress stopped yesterday in the middle of a sand blast session. My 5 HP Doerr electric motor on my compressor went ka-flooey (33 years old). I was told by a friend of mine that Grainger had best prices... $726.20!!! I bought a Leeson on Ebay for $330, free shipping.

I can't believe how wounded I am without the compressor. I want to grind some welds but... I want to polish the intake but... I want to power scrape the gunk off of the underside of the roof but... I want to do a little body fill but... I'd like to shoot a little primer on the bare fenders but... It's depressing!

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

I fixed my compressor about 3 weeks ago. The Leeson motor appears to be great! American-made!

Had another use for that HF power scraper - the roof interior:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...72683254ot1lsi
With that done I'm ready for final blast of the cab. If only the weather would cooperate.

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

I guess I'll put this segment in here. I'm not sure this will end up as part of the truck. When I started this mini-project I was planning to hang the finished product in the basement as a decoration. Since it may actually go on the truck, here we go...

I bought a 6-deuce manifold with 2 Holley 94 carbs in 1981. That same year I bought 7 more Holley 94s, mostly at the old Indianapolis Motor Speedway infield swap meet - for 5 bucks each. I'd find them, then tell the vendor I was paying 5 bucks. Some vendors bit and some didn't.

Since I finally found a pretty effective way to "home-brew" the buffing, I thought I'd share it. I'm holed up in the basement due to the weather so I thought I'd pull this thing out again.

2 years ago I started fiddling with the manifold. After sandblast I started grinding on it with carbide bits and 80-grit sanding rolls - to the extent that I completely removed the "Offenhauser" and logo off of it because they would be hard to buff. Care had to be taken to avoid grooves and gouges, particularly near areas like where the carbs bolt on.

Here's the manifold in early January, after about 40 hours of work over the years:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...%3B87254ot1lsi

I must have quit on it 5 times, each time ending in disappointment. There are a lot of nooks and crannies in this beast, and I wasn't sure how to polish all the nooks (or the crannies! :)). Then I made this wonderful tool for the pockets, that I call the "Flapper":
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...66%3B254ot1lsi

It's just a piece of 1/4" rod with a slot. I used a very thin abrasive wheel to cut the slot.

It will hold about any grit wet-or-dry paper, like this:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...A3%3C254ot1lsi

I cut the paper about 1/2" longer than the slot, double it if it's too thin for the slot, put the rod in my die grinder, spin slowly to roll the paper, dip it in water, then have at it. The cool part is that the paper wads up on the tip, protecting the aluminum from the rod (until the paper wears out) while massaging the nooks of the manifold. I would block the flat surfaces using a tongue depressor or popsicle stick.

I used 100 grit, then 220, 320, 400, 600, 800, 1000. It takes a long time with the 100 grit, to get the 80-grit scratches and other imperfections out. By the time you get to 600 you're spending about 4-6 hours with each grit to hit the whole manifold.

After the 1000 grit I switched to buffing compounds. Emery (black), then Tripoli (brown), then white rouge buffing compounds using a variety of buffs:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...%3A39254ot1lsi

The primary tool with compounding was the felt bob. You can see 2 of them nearest the Dremel tool in the pic above. They start out barrel-shaped and I form the point by spinning them against a coarse grinding wheel. I bought 14 of them for about a buck apiece on the web.

Unfortunately, the felt bobs leave swirls in the finish.

After compounding I tried several things but just couldn't get the mirror finish. Then I went to Simichrome...
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...%3A43254ot1lsi

...and used an old t-shirt in the flapper. I doubled the fabric, and used the edge (hem?) of the shirt on the point of the rod because it was thicker and it held in the slot:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...66%3C254ot1lsi

Here's the t-shirt setup after about an hour of use. It really holds up:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...A3%3B254ot1lsi

I combined the flapper work with a 3" cloth wheel (shown above), and a soft cotton mushroom buff (also shown earlier). The final touch is a hand buff with Simichrome and the t-shirt. The shirt works better than my microfiber towels, and once you use Simichrome on anything, you'll never go back to Meguire's or Mothers. Simichrome isn't cheap at $8 a small tube, or just under $60 for the 60-oz. can in the pic, but it's worth it. Those Germans know what they're doing!

During the final buffing steps you'll find scratches that need a touch-up. I went to the 1000 grit to take them out, then straight to the Simichrome, which will remove the 1000-grit scratches in a small area.

Here's where I am now:
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...75668254ot1lsi

I'll post a finished pic when I get the carbs on there. Also, if someone has better tips, please help out - even if I did something wrong or wasted my time. I searched the web for days trying to find pointers on doing nooks and crannies, and all of the YouTube stuff, etc., worked on nice flat pieces.

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

Very nice work.
Kim

Re: Bob's Retirement Build - My '55 TF
 

I would say your labor paid off very nice.
Rich
my build'
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...1&d=1378859745