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MikesWoodieWorld

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Everything posted by MikesWoodieWorld

  1. Actually, nothing!! I am still eagerly awaiting it, which should happen in the next month or so. I will definately keep you posted on it when it finally arrives...about a year in transit!! Actual time frame guessed, but not far off!! I tried to add some pics of it loaded on a trailer, headed to Indiana, where it was when winter set in! So there it still is, as of now. Didn't want to take the pics, sorry, I tried several times, to no avail. I can easily email them to you if you contact me at: mikeswoodieworld@hotmail.com This is a new email address and is great for sending pics!! Thanks for the input, Mike
  2. Well, the last post on our project showed a red 1952 Super in progress. Alex's wife was due to have their first baby about then, and of course Alex wanted to be there... So... Alex & Hannah had a bouncing baby girl, Daisy, and they are thrilled...all went well! He was only away for a couple of weeks, that changed their whole lives!! The red Buick owner didn't want to wait indefinately (not very understanding at all!), so he pulled the wagon from here. That's OK, since now we are working on a 53 that has been here way too long!! We have made most of the wood, the right rear corner post was our last carving feat. The driver's side rear quarter is all fitted up, first pic. The door wood is close just held with spring clamps, 2nd pic. The 3rd pic shows the passenger side rear corner post blank all glued up. It takes 3 pieces of ash, 2.5" thick to make the blank. We have already carved it, but I couldn't seem to add the pic of it carved...not sure why!! But I'll post it later. Mike
  3. Hey Bernie, your last post, the picture never showed up here, but I knew you are good anyways!! Mike
  4. I went through a phase, where I sandblasted my parts...horrible task, if done right, even if done wrong! Since then, I found an outfit that does it specially, and reasonably, with good experience, and I will never do it myself again. I remember being bundled up with all my parts covered, and sweating bullets, most sweat dripping over my eyes, so that I cannot see what I am trying to do!! So I don't envy you guys for a second!! I took my car trailer there, since it had remnants of 6 previous paint jobs, all showing through at once, everywhere. Hey it is a good one, but still 30 years old!! They blasted all the old paint off, primed it & painted it red...bright red, no less!! All for the paltry sum of $500! And, now the diamond plate has actually got the proper texture!! They even removed the wheels and did the fenders underneath, and the wheels, both sides, something I was not expecting The downside is, I am reluctant to use it since!! But I did need a break from it, so all is good!! I have taken Buick Woodie frames, Buick Woodie bodies, and many miscellaneous parts there, with consistent great results. And no sweat off my brows, thankfully!! Well, sometimes the drive there is tiring!! LOL No, not ever!! Mike
  5. Bernie, That wave of brake lights was from a couple of decades ago... Any idea just how much it has changed since then??? Mike
  6. Hi Pat, I think I was derelict to not respond to you, my bad!! Or perhaps I did respond and don't remember, also my bad!! (Hey I am an old guy, with a poor memory!!...I think?? LOL) Anyway, i hear what you say about too many projects, I firmly believe us car nuts, oops, I mean Woodie nuts have a propensity to acquire way more projects that would be possible to restore in any given lifetime. I am currently looking at my projects in a different light, after getting my feet on the ground! Wishing is one thing, reality is another, and guess which one is the truth!! I only hope we can get together at some time and make your dream a reality. Cheers, Mike
  7. Well. as long as you cast it out of bronze, the copper plating can be omitted, since bronze has enough copper in it. Going straight to nickle plating would save some bucks. But if your casting has flaws, copper plating will fill them in, raising the price. I think the finished product would last much longer than a pot metal one. And it would look strictly like an original one, to boot! Mike
  8. I have both kinds, but I am not familiar which were used each given year, do you know? I have several of the chrome ones, all nice, and also some of the plastic ones. If any interest, please don't PM me, since I am an idiot in this category!! Just email me at: mikesoldecars@yahoo.com Or phone me at: 661 766 9141, anytime. If you want a pair of chrome ones I would consider a trade for your then useless plastic one as partial payment, if you like Cheers, Mike.
  9. What does "bump" mean??? And while we are asking, what does "btt" mean??? Please enlighten us, Mike
  10. Brad, I got really excited when I first read this... Then, I got real!! Bronze would be a great improvement over pot metal, and any offerings would probably stand up forever now that our Buicks are not used for everyday mundane things, that they were subjected to when new. They are now showed off, as opposed to driven to the local store for shopping, or a getaway cars, or whatever... But, even a great bronze replica still needs to be chrome plated, which is the kicker! I think, even if you were to get many cast, presumably to lower the cost, it would take much time & effort to recoup your investment, which may be a lot. Getting them chromed will still be costly, due to the length. You may be getting very great quality parts, but the average buyer doesn't know this, and it is hard to get that across without a face to face conversation. And our precious internet doesn't present this particular forum!! But there is another aspect: What if you were to get some chromed? Perhaps someone wanted a finished product...and the list just goes on & on!!! Just be grateful you have a local foundry that can replicate the stuff you need, most of us don't have that pleasure. And, Kudos to you for even offering their service, on your back. By the way, my 1951 Super original repaired and chromed bar has stayed in gorgeous shape for two years, though never being outside much, but has endured many hood openings & closings! Although, as I look at it, it is quite dusty at this time!! (OK, it is almost summer, and our local farmers make sure the dust level is extreme, whenever possible...OK, they produce our food, so they can do no bad!!) I go with the punches, and trust not too many...I am an oldster with too many experiences, some good, some not so good, but always learning. But I stil love life, and especially Woodie Wagons! Go for it if you can handle it, Mike
  11. If one was to invest in remaking old cast Buick parts, I would recommend doing it in brass, not pot metal, or anything else. Brass takes chroming easily, is soft, easy to work, and the chromed parts hold up over time way better than any other metals. Just my opinion & experience. Only exception is stainless, but only if the correct alloy. Extremely harder metal, due to the nickle, but only needs polishing to be gorgeous!!
  12. Well, to throw my 5 eggs in... Pot metal got its name from being the pot that various reclaimed scraps of excess metal from tha casting process were thrown into. The originals were zinc castings that needed to be pure. But with castings there is a lot of waste, extra pieces that were necessary for manufacture, but mostly band sawed off after. These included risers & runners to allow the metal to flow through the mold without any air pockets, etc., an engineering feat in itself, but nonetheless, waste after the piece is made. Often these were military, or high quality manufacturing production parts making this excess scrap, needing to be made of virgin alloys. However, their scrap extra parts were thrown into a POT, making pot metal, strife with many contaminants that make it less than virgin. So this stuff couldn't be reused for the virgin needing parts, but it could be used for decortive car parts...they don't need to be virgins!! As long as chrome plating would stick, all is OK! So we are left with old pot metal to restore, with varying makeup. After all when the stuff was molded or cast there was more slag, or unneeded stuff sawed off. It also got thrown into the POT again, for the next lot!! And so on, and so on, each time with more contaminants. Probably other metals were thrown in too, cannot waste anything, you know!! So nowadays, it is not easy to repair this stuff because the initial makeup varies tremendously. Every time it got reused, it had more contaminants... I tried heating up old pot metal, with the idea that any metals will melt at some degree, and if one adds something similar, it will flow together, as in a weld. I found there is a very small difference between the pot metal softening like butter (the adding point) to it dripping like melted butter (like wasted). After acquiring the feel to heat it stopping before it drips away, I tried adding some similar metal. The metal I added was a 1/8" diameter rod that I had bought at the Pomona swap meet that was advertised as a rod that would "weld" two aluminum beer cans together, along with a demonstration of the same. After speaking to the illustrious performer, he conceded it was more like a solder joint than a weld on the aluminum cans. But he described it to where it sounded like it may work for pot metal, in my sorry mind! So I bought a few, and it did work, melting and blending into the original pot metal, after getting the temp right. I think he was selling virgin pot metal sticks, which would rejoin their contaminated ancestors since they were virgin. But it was really tricky to make a good repair, it takes very much practice. The good part is that it will take chrome plating well. Or if there are any flaws in the repair, the chrome will highlight them!! I think there would be a problem here if some "putty" was used, as far as chrome plating working properly. And I have found the parts done years ago with this "welding" process hold up over at least 15 years with my immediate knowledge, perhaps more. Time will tell. My repairs were done about 15 years ago, so that is my experience, and we have many temperature changes here, only not much rain!! To me, this is as close as one can get to "welding" pot metal. Mike
  13. No pockets at all, so no depth possible!! And I'm in the middle of nowhere! California, as far away as is possible, but still in the US, kinda sorta!! Well, I am sitting down already...pray tell us the price!! And condition, please! It all helps, especially if you follow up on its selling or not, if possible. Thanks, Mike
  14. The biggest problem with getting these plated is the length. The ends are no problem, but the center is about 5 feet long, and usually cracked. To work these, first they are cumbersome to polish, a step required several times through the process. Each time they are dipped in a tank, (copper, nickle, chrome..at least 3 times, they may have to repeat a step) they take up a lot of room = pricey!! Only so much will fit in the tanks, and if overcrowded, they turn out bad, so not much in the way of shortcuts. Bottom line is they are pricey to plate, even with a great core. Add in a rough core, it may not even make. I have noticed some rust marks on them where the hood meets the fenders. Pot metal doesn't rust, so the rust is from the steel, but the rust makes the pot metal rot. Or perhaps, what made the rust stains contributes to the rotting of the pot metal. Two of the three I had plated had those rust marks, and the plater wouldn't even attempt them until he ground the marks away, thereby removing the surface rot, and was satisfied they would make. Part of the problem is many pot metal parts are not very thick, and they rot from both sides--inside & outside. I used to prep my own pot metal parts, and as I dressed them down, removing pits, the pits would get smaller. But, sometimes as they got smaller, others would appear, and with subsequent dressing, got larger! They were coming through from the backside! So I understand this process, and my fingers (and toes!) were crossed big time when I left those three with him!! But they all turned out show quality, much to my delight, Mike
  15. Thanks, Keith, We will be feverishly starting a 1953 Super, hopefully later this week. We want to complete it in the next 2 months. The paint is the original factory paint, so it is not so pretty, but it appears to have no damage or repairs, and the doors fit well. The owner wants to redo all but the wood, so we will make, fit & varnish the all new wood, then ship it with the wood off. A new venture!! But looking forward to it!! We will post pics as it progresses, Mike
  16. Well we finished the 49, and it is home now. Here are some pics of it with varnish, Mike
  17. I am reluctant to send you the info, simply because I do not know you. I have referred folks in the past to some of my connections, with bad results, so please bear with me. I am in my late 60's, so I have much experience, some good, some not so good. I enjoy getting these old Buicks up & running, for me or for others, so my motivation is to help as much as possible. Feel free to call me at 661 766 9141, we can work this out. I am just a few hours drive from you, so is the plater, but he is a good friend. I hope you understand, Mike 661 766 9141, anytime. PS: Hope there aren't any fires near you!! Mike
  18. I do fully realize that pot metal cannot be welded, but for the sake of argument, it can be repaired. I use the term "welded" to denote this, since most folks understand the term. After it deals with metals, usually...I am into wood...Woodies that is...no welding there!! The process of repairing pot metal is actually quite horrendous. I know since I spent many hours...days...weeks trying it myself!! At one point, the pot metal starts to get a nice "buttery" feel...next thing you know it is dripping on the floor!! After trying it for more time than I would care to mention, with paltry results, I have the most admiration for anybody that is accomplished in this feat. Mike
  19. I have a 53 Super Estate Wagon I have been contemplating selling. I would love to keep it, but as I get older, too many projects, not enough time!! It is a solid wagon with very minimal front floor rust...actually the best I have seen for a long time as far as floor rust. It needs all new wood, which I could produce, since I do that, or go elsewhere, either way. But it needs a total restoration besides the wood. I also have a 53 parts wagon for any extras that may be missing. Contact me at: mikesoldecars@yahoo.com or call: 661 766 9141 anytime I don't want to add pics of the 53 here (I need to take some!!), but I can send you some when I do. I am in CA, about 2-3 hours NW of Los Angeles. I have some other 1947-1953 Buick Woodies in various stages that you may be able to pry off me!! The posted pics show some of them. Cheers, Mike
  20. I can make a pair for you, if you would be willing to work with me. I know we had a falling out over a car I was supposed to transport to you years ago, but a tornado hit the town I had to pick your car up from, and I got cold feet!! Hey, I am in CA, earthquakes I can deal with, and have gone through some big ones, but tornados?? No way!! Scary stuff to this guy!! I was going to deliver you yours and pick up one that I had bought in Vermont... Ended up having mine hauled here, due to an extremely hard to work with seller...and the delivered wagon was way less than expected...typical!! All that made for a bad time for us to be trying to accommodate ourselves. I truly apologize for any inconvenience I caused you, we had good conversations before. I would truly like to make it up to you, you seemed to be a good guy and we have similar interests. I have the capability to carve your corner posts, or any other similar Buick Woodie parts, I have all the patterns. That is what I do!! (I got out of the hauling business!!) I have added some shots of my own 1951 Ivory Super, which sports mostly original wood, with the exception of the rear corner posts, the lower rear quarter belt wood, and the wood below the tailgate, which is new wood all painstakingly made to look like the original stuff!! Also, there are some pics of the blue 1952 Roady with all new wood. Somewhere there is a pic of my 1950 Roady with some wood, for fitting...kinda the oddball pic in the middle! All this new wood was made here, by me. At the very least, respond, good or bad, I will listen, and do the same, but only good replies from me, regardless!! Regards, Mike 661 766 9141 anytime
  21. I have a 53 parts car, don't know how good the core is, but it has one. Mike
  22. I have a few unneeded steering wheels from 1950-53 Buicks, Supers & roadmasters in not too bad a condition. Let me know if there is any interest...I will dig them up & post pics, Mike
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