'55 International Metal/Body/Paint Work

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by duallyjams

Sounds like you need to have a talk with the owner of the company you are using to spray the bed lining and express if they would like to keep your business.

Definitely, and I might contact Line-X directly to let them know that he's not giving the customer what they're paying for. If it was something our shop paid to have done then it would be stripped and redone, and any damage to the bed's body/paint work would be taken care of as well by the shop that sprayed it. The owner arranged to have the liner sprayed himself and paid them directly, so it's not our place to complain, the owner would have to do that. He hasn't seen it in person yet since we picked it up for him. If we were the paying customer then we probably wouldn't have loaded it up and brought it back to the shop, we'd be working out the details of having it stripped and resprayed properly.

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by Bomp

Truck looks great. Don't think the owner is going to haul fire wood in the bed. Should be okay.
The work you did on the truck is 110% that should cover you.
Spray in bed liner guy not gettin my business.

Thanks Greg, most people that look at the bed will probably never look close enough to notice. He actually does want to lightly use the truck, that's why he wanted a spray in liner instead of paint.

I do want to say that I'm not against Line-X in any way; I'll just find another dealer to have future work done. They have the best looking liners IMO.

[theastronaut]

Bed and fenders are sanded/buffed and mounted.

Guide coated with sharpie marks.






After blocking with 1000 grit, marked some areas to go over again.




Guide coated with powdered charcoal before wetsanding with 2000.




Fenderwells shot with bed liner after sanding with 2000, 2500, and buffing.




Fenders bolted on.

[Bomp]

Is there any way you might do a video on applying the powered charcoal and sanding process? Man if that question doesn't make me out to sound like a total newbie.....


Best paint and body work out there. Finish to perfection.

[MP&C]

We're talking car show quality here comparable to something that only gets driven out of the trailer into the event... and he will be hauling with it

Can't blame him, I'd be showing it off too... As always, awesome work!

[Low Elco]

Originally Posted by Bomp

Is there any way you might do a video on applying the powered charcoal and sanding process? Man if that question doesn't make me out to sound like a total newbie.....


Best paint and body work out there. Finish to perfection.

Here ya go- it's easy peasy, you just flip the can up to get some on to the rub pad, then rub the whole thing down, recharging the pad as needed. Kinda like waxing a car.


3M 05861 Dry Guide Coat Cartridge and Applicator...

I've been using it for everything. Even the SEM guide coat will clog a bit, especially in finer grits, this stuff doesn't. Plus which, the first thing I do is drop my new can of SEM guide coat and snap the ^%$@$%^ newfangled non-replaceable spray tips off, leaving me with a useless can of guide coat. I have three in stock now, I think. I can drop the 3m stuff, pick it up and keep right on truckin. It's good stuff.

Beautiful work, BTW. Something for us all to aspire to.

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by Bomp

Is there any way you might do a video on applying the powered charcoal and sanding process? Man if that question doesn't make me out to sound like a total newbie.....


Best paint and body work out there. Finish to perfection.

Thanks Greg, the wetsanding is the same as the "How-to" I posted awhile back, just with 1000 grit. Then I switch to 2000 grit with a 3M foam sanding pad, then 2500. For 2000 and 2500 I use Meguiar's Unigrit sandpaper, I had trouble with uneven grit causing scratches that wouldn't buff out when I was using 3M sandpaper. Soak the paper overnight in a bucket of water with a little dish soap added in.



Here's a vid that shows dry guide coat in action.

Car Primer Sanding by 3M [Step 6] : 3M Automotive...

Originally Posted by MP&C

We're talking car show quality here comparable to something that only gets driven out of the trailer into the event... and he will be hauling with it

Can't blame him, I'd be showing it off too... As always, awesome work!

Thanks Robert! Yeah, he wanted the Line-X all along so he could lightly use the truck. He's going to drive it home to Washington state from our shop in Anderson SC. Definitely not afraid to use it! We'll be covering the front end, fender edges, and other high-wear areas with 3M paint protection film before it leaves.

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Here ya go- it's easy peasy, you just flip the can up to get some on to the rub pad, then rub the whole thing down, recharging the pad as needed. Kinda like waxing a car.


3M 05861 Dry Guide Coat Cartridge and Applicator Kit - 50 g : Amazon.com : Automotive


I've been using it for everything. Even the SEM guide coat will clog a bit, especially in finer grits, this stuff doesn't. Plus which, the first thing I do is drop my new can of SEM guide coat and snap the ^%$@$%^ newfangled non-replaceable spray tips off, leaving me with a useless can of guide coat. I have three in stock now, I think. I can drop the 3m stuff, pick it up and keep right on truckin. It's good stuff.

Beautiful work, BTW. Something for us all to aspire to.

Yep, it's great stuff. I haven't tried 3M brand yet since the homemade stuff works so well for way less money. It won't clog 2000 or 2500, can't say that about spray on guide coat.

[theastronaut]

First drive out to the exhaust shop to have the tail pipe finished up now that the bed is on. The owner dropped off a tailgate and front bumper; those and tail lights are just about the last things it needs.

[flashed]

That is a very sharp truck .

[Ol Blue K20]

Nice....extremely nice

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by flashed

That is a very sharp truck .

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

Nice....extremely nice

Thanks!!

[theastronaut]

I'm working on making a tailgate for it, nearly have it finished.


Center section made on our bead roller.




Section of the old upper tube. Has sheetmetal wrapped around it in a "p" shape. Couldn't get any of the local fab shops to make this for us so we did it ourselves.




Making the wrap in three sections so it would bend easier. I broke the edge 90* then lined up the three panels with a piece of square tubing.




Tubing and sheetmetal cleaned and shot with weld-thru primer.





Tubing and panels aligned and tacked in place.




Used one of our carts to help hold the tube while we rolled the metal around it. Had to reposition the tube halfway through the roll. I made the sheetmetal sections about a foot longer to give us more leverage and have room to drill holes for the ratchet straps.




Once the first section was rolled tightly we clamped it and cut a few slots through the sheetmetal so we could plug weld the pieces together. That kept the sheetmetal tightly wrapped after we took the clamps off.




Front side after finishing the first section.



Second section wrapped. The panels are still aligned perfectly.






All three sections wrapped. Ready for trimming.

[theastronaut]

We took the old section with letters to a local fab shop and had them laser cut new letters. I beveled the edges so they look stamped and glued them on the tailgate with SEM Panel Bond.


Laid out the spacing.




Tailgate and letters prepped by grinding with 36 grit.







Thinly spread out the adhesive on my mixing board and stuck the letters into the adhesive. Left just enough to make it stick without squishing out of the edges and making a mess.




Letters in place, adhesive curing in the sun. Once we prime it with epoxy and high build it'll be hard to tell that it's not stamped. Of course the back side will be flat, no way around that using the glue-on letters.

[Bomp]

What can I say???
There isn't anything you can't build/fabricate on that truck. Awesome!
Inspired me once again to give an idea a try.

[tune_1]

Great work, Thank you for posting. Be sure and do a thread on your next project there is much to learn from your process.

Thanks
Dwight

[Ol Blue K20]

Wow!! Is the first thing to say . Thanks again for sharing

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by Bomp

What can I say???
There isn't anything you can't build/fabricate on that truck. Awesome!
Inspired me once again to give an idea a try.

Thanks Greg!! Checked out your build last night... I'm always amazed at how much you're able to accomplish as busy as you are!!

Originally Posted by tune_1

Great work, Thank you for posting. Be sure and do a thread on your next project there is much to learn from your process.

Thanks
Dwight

Thanks Dwight, we'll be starting a '40 Packard Convertible next week, the owner is delivering it from Connecticut this Saturday. Owner has the rolling frame and finished, we have to do the metal/body/paint work and assemble it. From pictures it'll need a good bit of metal work.

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

Wow!! Is the first thing to say . Thanks again for sharing

Thanks!

[theastronaut]

The tailgate is now ready for epoxy and bodywork. Finished up the corner brackets and top hooks this morning.

Corner brackets.




I drilled through the tailgate tube top and bottom to plug weld the hooks in places. Then drilled and tapped the hook for a stainless button head screw to replicate the original rivet. I'll weld the socket up and smooth the screw head so it looks 100% factory.





Short upper corner brace and clevis pin added on the bottom of the tube to replicate the rivet. These were glued in place with SEM panel bond.

[GMCPerson]

I tried the marker before wet sanding trick last night. Worked great. Thanks for the tips and showing us all the work that you accomplish.

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by GMCPerson

I tried the marker before wet sanding trick last night. Worked great. Thanks for the tips and showing us all the work that you accomplish.

No problem, glad it helped!

[theastronaut]

Tailgate is in final primer and I've started wetsanding it. I took the letters back off so I could skim coat and block, then prime and block the center panel. That way the panel is straight behind the letters; one of my pet peeves is tailgates that are distorted around the letters. I sprayed epoxy over the slick sand so the SEM panel bond would stick (its not recommended over polyester primers) and re-glued the letters on. I also dimpled the flanges to replicate the original spot welds.


Sprayed with tinted K36.






Made a set of blocks to detail sand around the letters.

[theastronaut]

Tailgate and front bumper are painted. Need to buff the tailgate and have it shot with Line-X before I can install it. It almost doesn't need buffing, changed from DCX61 high solids hardener to DU5 normal solids hardener and a slower reducer to get the paint to lay out better. Need to get a set of tail lights and brackets, dad has to do the headliner and seat; not much more and it'll be ready to go home.













Front bumper finished and installed with smoothed and polished bolts.

[flashed]

That is hands down the best looking International truck I have ever seen ,amazing workmanship you do.

[plainred65]

Love this truck, sorry to see this thread come to an end but I know you'll provide more excellent work to follow. Thanks!

[Bomp]

The top notch quality of work that you do. Its totally amazing how crisp everything looks.
Thanks for all the tips you give out during the build.