Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk

I started work on a Bennett 756 this week, and this pump was bad… It is the pump I am leaving the guts in because it was never messed with before.

I took this pump apart, banged the panels somewhat straight, then rolled in the English wheel to smooth down, sandblasted, and then started the bondo work. As I put the bondo down, then started sanding with the in-line using 36 grit I would stop and pin down high spots and at the same time I smacked up low spots, reapply in an attempt to try and keep the bondo less then the thickness of a quarter. I finally finished up the bondo work tonight and realized that I have now gone through one gallon of bondo on these panels and it looks like snow in the driveway. I bet I have sanded off ¼ of that bondo but dang… One gallon, that seems like a lot and I have never used that much on a pump before. Even my neighbor came over and pointed out that I am doing more bondo work then he has ever seen me do on a pump before.

My QUESTION:
Have any of you ever ended up using that much “or more” bondo on a pump before?








Travis
Topeka, Kansas

Greetings. Im kind of a new kid on the block and hoping to figure out how to get some of my own restoration images on this sight without the help of my supporters who have helped me in the past. Anyway Ive done 10 pumps from the ground up as well as a few street rods and a Harley, I dont farm out my pieces. I have also chased divets, dents, creases, convexs and concaves. Sometimes you just have to trowel it in. I did just that on my Erie 748 that Im about done with and hope to show it on this sight. You most likely did sand a lot off and take into consideration the waste you wipe off your spreading tools, and the exsess you drag around thru those valleys just to throw away. I like Evercoat, followed with a glazing putty and shoot everything with a good high build sanding primer. There's no shame in using fillers, when you think about it there is a fair amount of area on a pump, and if its in dire straights of a face lift you have no choice. I had a really bad rotted door on my Wayne 70 and saved it by fiberglassing it and the end product was flawless! Roger

Use this thread for doing TEST on posting pictures
http://www.oldgas.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=11&page=1

Travis,
a gallon sure seems like alot, I'm interested on how you are smoothing with an Ewheel, have you tried a shrinking disk or other type of shrinkers? Take care! tt

A gallon does not sound like too much. You may have put a gallon on it, but you probably sanded the majority of it off and it is probably laying on the floor.

Actually yes as the general manager of a towing company told me to do it . He didn't want the dents removed and then he had one of the guys shoot " Gravel Coat " over the paint job as he then presented them to the company to put out in front of his stations - ECCH ! Ed Shaver

Gravel guard for piant??? I bet that looks good. lol

Like playing Poker, ya got to know when to Fold ! LOL

Well, I went back out today and looked over the panels. They look and feel great - very smooth and not a dent or wave anywhere. I will put 5 wet coats of euro-fill primer with some guide coat on them over an acid etch pre-primer and sand that down with 220 filling any areas that pop out at me with glazing putty. Boy I hope these turn out ok? I bet I sanded on these for 20 hours or so using everything from an angle sander with 50 grit, to a 3' and 17" hand in-line and a 17" air powered in-line with 36 grit. My wife said I was getting one heck of a work out with this pump, it has to be the worst shape pump I have ever tried to restore...

OLDGOALY:
I do have a shrinking disc that I bought on ebay and I love it - mine is the 4 1/2" inch used with a small Dewalt angle grinder. After I smack everything into rough shape I use the shrinking disc on it with a spray bottle of water - in about 3 minutes you can get those little bump-ups to come right out. I then put it through my bench top “American Made” English wheel with a flat roller on it – “do not even try this with harbor freights little toy but their big one would work for this” - it really brings the panels into shape and helps to stop any of those springy pop-in's that are common on the doors.




On a lighter note - the computer was not broken and it cleaned up nicely and resets like new and the frame was easy to restore and finish. The pump works cleaned up nicely and is working again, and I got the original light switch to work again! YEA…




Travis
Topeka, Kansas

a gallon that childs play ...

is that suppose to mean you would have used much more bondo for this project??
i personally like less bondo on anything i buy

your pump skins & the rest look great Travis

At the very least it wasn't a TALL pump! I try very hard to remove all the dents the best I can. Then I give them a light coat all over and sand them down flat. I use evercoat rage for filling and evercoat metalcoat for glazing. I have yet to try "wheeling" them out on my english wheel. Normally a little hammer/dolly work will get it done for me. As far as fiberglassing one because of rust or damage, I would make a new piece out of steel and weld it in. My .02 cents.

Given the number of projects that Dice gets and the quality of his restorations I bet the CEO of Bondo sends him a gift basket every Christmas for most product purchased.

Thats funny.

My arms are tired just hearing about that 20 hours of sanding.