Painting

Today got to do some real spraying.  Having last week sprayed water based paint onto cardboard this week moved up a gear to use proper mask with an air supply and to spray etch primer followed by, after lunch, 2 coats of primer.  Wonder what it will look like in a couple of weeks when I get back after half term?

Subjects covered: How to mix paint.  Cleaning a spray gun.  

Welding

Today got hands on with the college MIG welding gear.  Big machines used in purpose build booths.  Must get some TIG gloves.  Have got some ordinary chrome leather welding gauntlets at home but the TIG ones are better having thinner leather of the hands and fingers makes holding stuff much easier.

Brake system components

Just spent a day investigating, dismantling and rebuilding various brake parts.  Interesting how many different designs there are.

Paul had brought in calipers off one of his cars.  There were dirty see below.

body filler

 Working on a bench using a sanding block connected to a dust extractor.

 A small scratch filled.

Pad Saw handle

Been working on making a pad saw handle.  This has involved starting from a a piece of steel plate and then forming the handle using various different techniques.

Making out on the steel and using engineers blue to make the lines etc easier to see.

Pad Saw handle - work in progress

Brakes

Monday is mechanical repair day.  Today we dealt with drum brakes.  Here is course tutor Steve Gilbertson helping us put it back together,

Video also on YouTube:

Spitfire bits wanted

One of the cars I will working on is Spitfire.  The car is incomplete - no interior stuff.  Some repairs have been done but before we can build up a rolling chassis we need some parts. Here is a provisional list.

1*Dolomite Sprint alloy
2*seats
Other interior such as carpets, dashboard.

Has anybody got a free wreck we can strip out the interior out from.

Please bring your donations to the Leeds City College stand at the NEC Classic Car Show 16, 17, 18 November

Would be great if a local business could help out.  Will ask the Spitfire Graveyard and Yorkshire Triumphs

Read more about the course here

Jenny calipers - more tools

A quick google and I found these for only £3.49 delivered. Bargain.

Body Repair

One third of the course each Tuesday is about body repair. We have started with a couple of exercises setting out and making things.

Introduced to how to measure with calipers, rules etc. Use of pillar drill, guillotine, hole punch, centre punch, shears etc. Already had many of the tools at home, now I have been shown how to use them properly. Decided to buy a scriber and an engineers square to add to my collection.