1969 highboy boxwood green

[Lone Ranger]

I'm interested in what you used to restore your steering wheel. Can you take us through that process?

I used a quick set epoxy. Took some 120 grit sand paper and cleaned out all the cracks in the steering wheel then filled with the epoxy. After it was dry I sanded it down then painted it. If I had it to do again I would have found an epoxy that dries black and not painted the whole steering wheel. I don't imagine the paint will bond forever. Plus I like the look of the original steering wheels how they get super smooth and shiny.

[Bullitt74]

Thanks for that - the process seems fairly simple! I dyed a wheel from a 67 Cougar a long time ago with a good quality SEM plastic dye. It held up very well!

[Lone Ranger]

Thanks for that - the process seems fairly simple! I dyed a wheel from a 67 Cougar a long time ago with a good quality SEM plastic dye. It held up very well!

I never thought about dying plastic. I thought about trying to dye my seat fabric though...not sure how it would turn out...might look awful so I'm nervous

[hfdco4]

Nice work Ranger, good to see progress being made.

[Lone Ranger]

We'll I finally found a welder to borrow so I started on my floor pans today. I got the drivers side all done now I need to pull the front fender and do some repair in the door corner. I think I'll have to fab up the corner. Then I can do passenger floors and start putting the interior back together. I'm hoping to have it all put back together and driving in a few weeks.

It didn't turn out pretty but it will be covered by rubber. Once I'm done welding I'll seal all the welds up. I think underneath I'll seal the welds with roofing tar. Then primer and undercoating inside and out.

[Bullitt74]

I'd recommend etch primer after cleaning the welds up, followed by seam-sealer. Seam sealer is relatively inexpensive. You can smooth out the sealer with a thinner on a rag.

http://www.jegs.com/i/3M-Products/133/08656/10002/-1

It will keep out moisture and other gribblies, and you can paint over it.

[Lone Ranger]

Hey thanks Steve! I cleaned the welds up some with a grinder and cats paw. I bought some stuff in a tube to seal up the welds but I'm not sure if it's paintable. I'll check out the 3M stuff.

[Bullitt74]

I try to buy semi-pro or pro supplies if I can.

If you lived closer, I'd have loaned you my Miller 211...at least it would be getting some use!

Good work on the welds by the way. Best place to learn is on floors!

[Lone Ranger]

I'd love to have a miller 211! Yeah the floors are pretty rough. I'm using a cheap 110 mig unit and the arc isn't smooth. It flickers so I end up with little beads instead of being able to make a nice puddle to "drag". I'm used to stick welding so maybe I'm doing it wrong. Welding the underside worked terrible and I ended up catching my hoodie on fire without knowing it. Burned a giant hole in the shoulder.

[Bullitt74]

If you have a vise, or even consider putting together a 'welding tree', we were taught to "dial in" the welder with scrap pieces of same gauge sheet metal before going in on your project. Are your heat and wire speed adjustable, or are they presets (only 4 settings for each)?

The issue with the 110 welders is they are more prone to other usage on your grid. If everyone decides to bake cookies on your block the night you weld, your heat might suffer, hence having to dial it in. The 220v welders have more consistency, but the 110 welders perform fine if you're willing to play with them a bit.

[Lone Ranger]

Yeah this little welder I'm borrowing only has high and low with wire speed adjustability. I'll make it work though at least the floors will be solid again. I'm happy to be able to borrow any welder right now.

[Lone Ranger]

I didn't get to work on the truck to long cause I had plans to go skiing but I feel like I got quite a bit done. This is what I started with today:

So I started doing some fabbing

[Lone Ranger]

Then I had to remove the front quarter panel. Hopefully I can get it back on with no scuffs in the paint. After that started cutting the rot out and wire wheeled everything. I need to make two more pieces for this side. A bit more clean up then some weld thru primer and I can get it all welded up. Hopefully tomorrow have the whole drivers side done.

[Lone Ranger]

Well I was making good progress today and did something really stupid without thinking. I had the music cranked up hurrying trying to get done and set a can of weld thru primer on my wood stove after painting a part I fabbed. When I picked the can up and shook it to paint another part it exploded into a fireball. Paint got all over me on fire. I tried patting myself out but the paint kept reigniting. Tore my hoodie off and dove under the garage door and stuck my hands in the snow. I burnt my arms my neck and my belly pretty good; also all my hair. I'll be alright it'll just take me a while to heal up. I don't image much truck progress for a while. You can see I had the sleeves of my hoodie pulled up, I'm glad I had it on though.

[67mann]

I guess you could say you got lucky and didn't get in the face but,holy chit that sucks. No fun at all dealing with a burn for a speedy recovery