825 replies to this topic

[FTodaro]

Jason, quit playing with the thermostats and Get A Going, you have a month before the NASA Mid O event. Do you want me to get up there and turn a wrench? 

[Dave D.]

Jason, I paint all my cars in my shop and found that gloss coats( either clear or single stage) make the most mess as they seem to hang in the air and drift/settle on everything and make a huge mess to clean up. What I do is make a temporary "booth". At each end of the shop's "play Area" I installed 2 hooks about 8 feet off the floor. I string clothesline in parallel lines ( I set them so I have a few feet of extra width than a Miata), and hang some cheap plastic drop cloth(Home Depot-forget which thickness) with clothespins. I have  a couple of cheap box fans that I put in the garage door opening(cracked open just enough for the fans). I leave the hooks permanently, roll up the set of made up lengths of clotheslines and dropcloth so I can set it all up again fairly quickly. Also, it doesn't hurt to keep the floor damp or wet so the over spray doesn't get a chance to stick to the floor.

[speedengineer]

So when is your first planed event?

First race will be Pitt majors May 14th.  Hope to have car done in time to get out to a local track day for test n tune first. 

 

 

Jason, quit playing with the thermostats and Get A Going, you have a month before the NASA Mid O event. Do you want me to get up there and turn a wrench? 

Either I am the slowest worker ever, or I pay too much attention to detail. Or both haha.  No NASA event for me, but I do need to get moving!  But I'm in the garage typically 6 days a week.  But full time day job...so maybe 35 hours a week in the garage?  You know as well as I do that two people in the garage results in less work being accomplished that one person!  Too much beer drinking and chit chat.  But you're still welcome to come hang out Frank! 

 

Jason, I paint all my cars in my shop and found that gloss coats( either clear or single stage) make the most mess as they seem to hang in the air and drift/settle on everything and make a huge mess to clean up. What I do is make a temporary "booth". At each end of the shop's "play Area" I installed 2 hooks about 8 feet off the floor. I string clothesline in parallel lines ( I set them so I have a few feet of extra width than a Miata), and hang some cheap plastic drop cloth(Home Depot-forget which thickness) with clothespins. I have  a couple of cheap box fans that I put in the garage door opening(cracked open just enough for the fans). I leave the hooks permanently, roll up the set of made up lengths of clotheslines and dropcloth so I can set it all up again fairly quickly. Also, it doesn't hurt to keep the floor damp or wet so the over spray doesn't get a chance to stick to the floor.

Thanks for the input.  I like the clothesline idea, I was considering hanging the plastic off the garage door tracks, but they are too high, 12 foot off the floor.

 

When you make the paint booth, I assume that you completely close it off, air-tight, ceiling and everything? 

[Bench Racer]

Referencing your speed of work, not slow, anal and enjoying the perfection when complete along with sharing said perfection. Hang the plastic wall.

[Dave D.]

No, just need to corral the overspray "cloud" and evacuate out the garage door via the box fans.

[M.Tanz]

Awesome, we will look forward to meeting you and seeing your hard work at PittRace.

 

Michael.

[mhiggins10]

Jason, quit playing with the thermostats and Get A Going, you have a month before the NASA Mid O event. Do you want me to get up there and turn a wrench? 

Top prep for 15k takes time, and we can't call it top prep unless we have picked the best thermostat, can we?  I can only assume a detailed flow analysis of all 3 were done to ensure the correct one got installed.

 

You're doing 6 coats of hand-buffed clear on that cage, right?

[dstevens]

Thanks for the input.  I like the clothesline idea, I was considering hanging the plastic off the garage door tracks, but they are too high, 12 foot off the floor.

 

When you make the paint booth, I assume that you completely close it off, air-tight, ceiling and everything? 

 

I've done the same thing he does except staple the plastic to the ceiling and lay some on the floor.  I exhaust with box fans and the HF blower and duct.  http://www.harborfre...ator-97762.html

 

The first time I accidentally left a portable swamp cooler in the bagged area (my dad and his pals called it "bagging" the garage back in the day) it was great at getting overspray ventilated though you'll have to change the pads after.  The plastic is 1.5 mil, it comes in a 12' x 50' roll.

 

The Miata I've done mostly with an EZ Up outside with tarps hung from it and misted the concrete pad with water.  

 

Referencing your speed of work, not slow, anal and enjoying the perfection when complete along with sharing said perfection. Hang the plastic wall.

 

When the work gets anal it's best to go slow...

[LarryKing]

When may we expect the expense report?

[speedengineer]

When may we expect the expense report?

Oh oh.  You used a naughty word!  We don't use that word around here anymore. 

 

But don't worry, when the car is done, I'll open that back up for discussion. 

[speedengineer]

Made a new tool today - depth gauge.  I made it for a more accurate method to measure piston-to-deck height, though I'm sure it'll come in handy for a variety of other tasks. 

 

 

Hille came over this weekend to hang out.  Did some bbq.  Brisket.  One goal for this season is to do more bbq at the track.  I used to grill at the track all the time with my friend Nathan and others, but last season the grill only made it to the track a couple of times, unfortunately.

 

 

 

Created paint booth.  Lots of masking and cleaning.  Then sprayed a light coat of primer.  Then sprayed first coat of roll cage red.  The cage will need a second coat.  After it dries well, mask the cage off, and paint the interior sheet metal with two separate coats. 

 

 

 

[38bfast]

Good thing prepping / making for paint is such a easy quick job.

[FTodaro]

I like the depth gauge I think its difficult to do it with the stand and dial indicator, at least with mine. 

 

BTW I have had to feed the HIlle kid too

[Bench Racer]

S.H.C.S fine thread would have looked great in the gauge.

The brisket looked GREAT.

[speedengineer]

Good thing prepping / making for paint is such a easy quick job.

Haha.  Yup, good thing!

 

 

I like the depth gauge I think its difficult to do it with the stand and dial indicator, at least with mine. 

 

BTW I have had to feed the HIlle kid too

Thanks.  Yeah, that kid just keeps coming around.   He bought most of the food this weekend, actually!  I may not be as talented a race car driver as Justin is, but I can win in foosball every time! 

 

 

S.H.C.S fine thread would have looked great in the gauge.

The brisket looked GREAT.

I didn't have any cap screws on hand, but I was thinking the same thing!  Ideally, it'd actually have a screw with a knob for hand tightening, but the 1/4-20 hex was large enough diameter to tighten sufficiently by hand. 

 

Brisket had some great flavor to it.  Unfortunately smoking at low temp for 4 hours wasn't long enough to make it super tender, but it was still delicious. 

[Dave D.]

I have found that it is easier to paint the flat floor and package tray first. Then go back next day to do the cage as I think it is easier to mask off the flat floor with plastic and just tape off around the welds at the base of the cage. I do this to keep the overspray from the cage from falling on the flat floor and wrecking the smooth finish. Either way, you're gonna get paint in the hair on the back of your head from bumping into the forward bars !! I just did a cage/interior on a friend's SM this past weekend.

[speedengineer]

I have found that it is easier to paint the flat floor and package tray first. Then go back next day to do the cage as I think it is easier to mask off the flat floor with plastic and just tape off around the welds at the base of the cage. I do this to keep the overspray from the cage from falling on the flat floor and wrecking the smooth finish. Either way, you're gonna get paint in the hair on the back of your head from bumping into the forward bars !! I just did a cage/interior on a friend's SM this past weekend.

 

Ha.  I may have some gray hair starting on the back of my head, first noticed shortly after spraying the white primer!  I got smart, and wore a hat when I did the red. 

[Dave D.]

I've tried wearing hats, but then  the brim of the hat bumps into something it seems. Next time I'll revert to the college hippie look and wear a bandana!!  I suppose we should be wearing Tyvek suits and hair nets, but I'm not that hardcore,at least I do wear a respirator with all the Isocynates in the paint these days.

[speedengineer]

Can't wait to remove the plastic tomorrow. 

 

[38bfast]

Well Jason you have out done me. My cages and interiors are always the same color, light gray. I did one car with a different color cage and said to myself "we are never going to do that again".