Slawnski Posted August 11 Author Share Posted August 11 (edited) I put the parts car lot wheel back in the blast cabinet and finished up the wood in there. Then mixed 2 oz of epoxy and gave it a couple coats to see if there was a difference. This wood is darker but I don’t see much else different. I could have spent a couple more minutes in the blast cabinet and saved several hours sanding. These are a little “splotchy” so perhaps the extra sanding was worth the time. Edited August 11 by Slawnski Spelling (see edit history) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 11 Author Share Posted August 11 Received flaps, tubes, and a small bucket of talc today- The clear coat I have left has a bit of age to it so I’ll get another set Monday for the wood spokes- then primer and color on the metal parts of the wheel. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 12 Author Share Posted August 12 Took some time to straighten up the shop a bit and started on the fuel tank (s) I removed the one baffle from both the parts and keeper tank Cut the top off the parts car tank. Then worked on heating up and removing the tank ends and the joint removed the lap seam on the keeper tank 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 12 Author Share Posted August 12 I used a hammer and dolly, small prybar to open the flange of the new tank top ( removed from parts tank) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 12 Author Share Posted August 12 Test fit the new tank top- the joint in the tank will be reused and the tank ends will be recrimped like original 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 12 Author Share Posted August 12 Still noodling on the best approach for the other seam. But I’m happy with how things went so far. I’ll weld the baffle and solder it in before I solder the tank top on. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 12 Author Share Posted August 12 (edited) Little tough to make out in the photos. I removed the good section of parts tank and heated up the seams to de-solder them. Did the same for the keeper tank. Now I’ll be able to clean and tin the original seam at the back of the tank as well as the seams on the ends. I’ll re-crimp the sides and heat up the seams- hopefully flowing the lead. I’ll still use a tank sealer after I’m done. Edited August 12 by Slawnski Spelling (see edit history) 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 12 Author Share Posted August 12 Here’s the carnage that’s left- 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1lark Posted August 12 Share Posted August 12 Wow, you are a lot braver than I am............and a lot more skilled too! Good work on the fuel tank. 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod P Posted August 12 Share Posted August 12 Exactly what r1lark says. And shows the need and importance of spare parts or a parts car. Thank you for showing us the steps involved. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 12 Author Share Posted August 12 Picked up a quart of fresh clear / hardener and some 3m bendy masking tape for masking around the spokes and hub. Hoping to mask tonight and clear the spokes tomorrow. Then prime and paint the metal bits on the wheels. As well as the wheel to rim hardware that I still need to blast. I couldn’t think of anything else I’m going to clear on this car. The body will be single stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 13 Author Share Posted August 13 Clear coat for the spokes. I picked up some narrow 3M tape as well to contour around the spokes so there is only 1 layer of tape at the spokes. Going to take a couple nights to mast. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 14 Author Share Posted August 14 Quick Buick break- another family members car in the shop. Parts arrive Friday - so we’ll be back to full force Buick wheel shenanigans Friday night. I might pull out the wheels and go back to masking tomorrow. For tonight I have a car in a couple pieces in the place my wheels and stuff were. So as to not have a total non-Buick evening here are photos from when I slid the rear tub on the parts car forward after I pulled the gas tank - just puttering with options / aesthetics. It looks too wide at the back of the tub but I like that the body line detail continues around. I’d need doors if the tub sides stay this high. Fenders and the side covers (covering the frame) would be removed in most renditions of possibilities. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 14 Author Share Posted August 14 Back to wheels! Masking begins with painters tape followed by the bendy fine line tape. After clear- after I’ve sprayed all the spokes I’ll remove the bendy tape. Once the clear sets completely I’ll remove all the tape and mask off the wood- I’ll install the carriage bolts then prime and paint the hubs and rims. That paint is single stage so once the color goes on the hubs and rims I’ll put the brake drums back on. Each drum has stayed with its wheel the whole process and the are marked to be installed in the same orientation that they were in when they came off the car. I wouldn’t have guessed these 4 wheels would have taken as long as they are going to take! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS25 Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 (edited) I like what you are doing with your fuel tank. And the rest of the car for that matter, I did something similar with my Hudson tank but I didn’t coat the inside when I was finished. Leading it back together was the fun part and very satisfying when finished Edited August 16 by JohnS25 (see edit history) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 15 Author Share Posted August 15 6 hours ago, JohnS25 said: I like what you are doing with your fuel tank. And the rest of the car for that matter, I did something similar with my Hudson tank but I didn’t coat the inside when I was finished. Ledding it back together was the fun part and very satisfying when finished Nice work John! Looks great! What material did you use for the ledding? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drhach Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 (edited) I'm still pretty new to the Buick scene. While reading the "70 Years of Buick" book, I was surprised at how long they stuck with the wooden spoked wheels. Ford was already past it. I wonder what the motivation was to keep with it; at least as an option. Edited August 15 by drhach (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 16 Author Share Posted August 16 3 hours ago, drhach said: I'm still pretty new to the Buick scene. While reading the "70 Years of Buick" book, I was surprised at how long they stuck with the wooden spoked wheels. Ford was already past it. I wonder what the motivation was to keep with it; at least as an option. Good question. I’d think if you had experience with wooden wheels or had seen wood wheels your whole life and those flimsy metal spoked wheels came along you would think the metal spokes were far less dependable or just cheap? Just a thought. Most of the time change takes time to catch on and prove itself to be better than the tried and true. I had a 27 ford with wooden wheels- I will say these Buick wheels are far more stout; that might have something to do with it too- Buick wheels being more substantial could be the reason they were produced for much longer. They simply didn’t need to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 16 Author Share Posted August 16 (edited) Here are the 27 Ford wheels versus the 27 Buick wheels- the Buick wheel just screams quality over the Ford ( IMHO) Edited August 16 by Slawnski (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 16 Author Share Posted August 16 (edited) The gentleman I sold the Tudor to changed the wood wheels to wire wheels. So I can’t show restored Ford wood wheels in relation. He did an amazing job on the restoration! Comparing Ford wire wheels to Buick wood wheels you can see where people might not trust them when they came out. Edited August 16 by Slawnski (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS25 Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 15 hours ago, Slawnski said: Nice work John! Looks great! What material did you use for the ledding? Thanks I bought most of my leading supplies from Eastwood. I made my own paddles. My dad taught me the basics when I was a kid. I watched a couple of videos from Gene Winfield as a refresher course and went at it. The key is proper prep and temperature control, I probably had as much on the floor as I did on the tank. But it was very satisfying when finished. I now buy old lead when I find it at yard sales, swap meets, and the flee market. I’m not sure you can buy the same stuff that was made back in the day. Keep up the good work and let us know how you tank turns out. John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 16 Author Share Posted August 16 Thank You John! Will do 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 Wheels, their history, their engineering, is a fascinating subject. People tend to fear what they don't understand. It was true in this country when automakers were slowly switching over from wooden spoke wheels to some type of metal wheels. Many buyers trusted the wooden wheels more than they did the metal wheels. For three decades, far and away most automobiles had had wooden spoke wheels. They were what people knew, and trusted. The simple fact is, that wooden spoke wheels are a lot stronger than most people are willing to believe. The structural engineering reasons are long and complicated. the most critical issue, is that the wood must be tight! Any looseness is the enemy of a good wheel. Any motion between the wood and metal parts will result in wear, which in turn causes more looseness which in turn causes faster wear etc etc etc. Once a wheel becomes loose, even a very little bit, it doesn't take a lot of miles to destroy that wheel. A good wooden spoke wheel requires a proper balance of strength, wear characteristics, and flexibility. Oak should not be used on automobile wheels. Oak, although very hard, is way too brittle. Under certain conditions, like a collision, clipping a curb, or maybe a pot hole, oak can almost literally shatter, almost like glass. It was back in the era sometimes used on heavy duty trucks which would never exceed about fifteen miles per hour speed. Higher speeds makes the likelihood of catastrophic shattering much more likely. Quite a few people not knowing better have used oak restoring antique automobile wheels over the years. More than a few found out the hard way when oak wheels failed. That of course added to modern day fears of wooden spoke wheels. Historically, Europe and England went with metal wheels of various types much earlier than did the United States. The reason was not because the metal wheels were better. To the contrary, in the earlier days of the automobile, while many smaller and cheaper cars were being sold to the common folk with steel wire and metal disc wheels, many of the most expensive cars including Rolls Royce were being sold with wooden spoke wheels. Whereas the United States had a couple million acres of hickory forests, one of the best woods in the entire world for making automobile wheels. Hickory is moderately hard, relatively easy to work with, and most of all extremely resilient. It can take a much greater amount of punishment than can most other hardwoods, which makes it much less likely to break under stress. Good wooden spoke wheels can of course be broken. Hit any steel wheel hard enough from certain directions and they too will bend or collapse. Good wooden wheels can and often do break due to accidents or collisions. Good wooden wheels rarely ever cause an accident because they broke. I have in fact known of several wooden spoke wheels that broke due to very bad repairs that were painted over very nicely. Fortunately, most such incidences did not result in a serious accident. Wooden wheels should be routinely inspected for any signs of looseness developing. How often depends on how much one is driven. If only driven a little bit, a once a year visual walk around should be enough. Mostly, look for any signs of rust dust around the hubs and spokes and the felloes. Rust dust indicates that space has formed, and things are moving more than they should. Also look for wood dust where it shouldn't be. That could indicate other potentially serious issues. Cars that get driven a lot should get visual inspections several times per year. Don't make wooden wheels a major worry. They are a lot tougher and harder to break than most people think they are. 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drhach Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 Wow, thanks for the insights guys. What a great discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 17 Author Share Posted August 17 10 hours ago, drhach said: Wow, thanks for the insights guys. What a great discussion. That what make this site/ forum such a great resource. Awesome community. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 17 Author Share Posted August 17 All the masking was completed this morning. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 17 Author Share Posted August 17 4 coats of clear applied. After 2 coats I flipped the wheels over so they hang from the opposite side-hoping to avoid missed or under sprayed sections that way. I had an issue with my detail gun gumming up after the second coat. Switched to another small gun mid stream. The activator is medium- and I mixed two small batches of clear - that could be the reason. The needle on the devil guns are smaller than the data sheet suggests- that could’ve been it too. In any case I pulled some of the masking that was close to the spokes and pulled the tape off the hubs. I’ll wait a few hours possibly overnight to remove the rest of the masking - then mask again for primer and color on the rims. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 17 Author Share Posted August 17 (edited) Pulled the tape- I’m pretty happy with the results- I’ll wait until tomorrow to mask the spokes and start prepping the hub and rim for primer/paint. Still can’t believe I missed priming that one hub… Edited August 17 by Slawnski Added text (see edit history) 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 17 Author Share Posted August 17 I will say that I’ll never look at another restored set of wheels without an immense amount of respect for the person that did it. It ain’t easy- kind of all downhill from here for me on these now. After this week I’ll be waiting on the powder-coaters call. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted August 18 Share Posted August 18 Looking good! You might want to wait a day or so before you start masking the spokes up. Ya don’t want to mess up the clear up and have to start over. Mike 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted August 18 Share Posted August 18 1 hour ago, Mike "Hubbie" Stearns said: Looking good! You might want to wait a day or so before you start masking the spokes up. Ya don’t want to mess up the clear up and have to start over. Mike Excellent advice! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 18 Author Share Posted August 18 2 hours ago, Mike "Hubbie" Stearns said: Looking good! You might want to wait a day or so before you start masking the spokes up. Ya don’t want to mess up the clear up and have to start over. Mike Good point. I do have other things I can do while I wait… I should find the steering shaft assembly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted August 18 Share Posted August 18 8 hours ago, Mike "Hubbie" Stearns said: Looking good! You might want to wait a day or so before you start masking the spokes up. Is that enough? I would wait myself a week or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted August 18 Share Posted August 18 1 hour ago, Roger Zimmermann said: Is that enough? I would wait myself a week or two. It all depends on what the clear coat cure time is. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 18 Author Share Posted August 18 7 hours ago, Mike "Hubbie" Stearns said: It all depends on what the clear coat cure time is. Mike Hardener JH6370 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 18 Author Share Posted August 18 As of this morning I couldn’t dent the clear with a thumbnail. I think I’m good. this will be the only clear coat on the car if I’m not mistaken. Body paint will be single stage. ( not base/clear ) Catching up on yard work- so I won’t be back in the shed until tonight/tomorrow. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 18 Author Share Posted August 18 Took some time to clean up the wheel hardware. I was short one bolt/nut/(?) Parts car parts pile to the rescue. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 18 Author Share Posted August 18 Bolts and nuts were hit with bench grinder/wire wheel 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 18 Author Share Posted August 18 (edited) The other pieces received some love in the blast cabinet. These were all body color. I’m assuming that’s how they’ll be finished this go around. Edited August 18 by Slawnski Phraseology (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slawnski Posted August 18 Author Share Posted August 18 (edited) I took two magnetic tool holders, added painters tape and stuck the carrage bolts to them in preparation to prime. I’ll drive these in the hubs before finish painting. I can probably bolt the brake drums on before finish paint so they are torqued in place and won’t move Edited August 18 by Slawnski (see edit history) 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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