Pride Pays Dividends
Page 40
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in finishing
IN the preceding article method and layout for lettering and decorative work when painting a vehicle were discussed. We now enter the final stages of the work, which involves chassis cleaning-up, painting and final varnishing.
Cleaning-up includes removal of paint from glass, painting the cab the body floors with chassis black or lead colour, and removal of paint from chrome-plated fittings.
These are trivial details in themselves, but they make all the difference between careless, amateurish work and neat, professional work. Paint is best removed from glass by using a sponge and leather in conjunction with a razor blade scraper. Then the glass is polished to a sparkling cleanliness with methylated spirits and a soft cloth The cab floor and the inside of the body usually receive a coat of lead colour or chassis black, the former being preferable because it dries absolutely flat and has a pleasing appearance Chrome plate which has become tarnished as a result of standing about in the bodymaker's shop or yard can be cleaned effectively by gentle rubbing with a cloth and a dab of abrasive cutting compound used for polishing cellulose.
Unless the chassis frame and 136 wheels are brought up in colour with the remainder of the vehicle, it is usual to paint them with a coat of chassis black, or two coats if an aluminium primer is to be obscured.
Supervision is just as necessary for chassis painting as for the other operations. The construction of the chassis makes it easy to overlook portions, and nothing is more unsightly than a half-painted chassis.
Final inspection of all painting is best carried out in the open air in a good light. Wheels are then painted and replaced, and the tyres painted with a tyre black consisting of vegetable black bound with gold size and thinned with turps. This paint has no deterimental action on the rubber as it contains no oil.
Varnishing is the last and probably the most important of all the painting processes from the point of view of skill required, and the best men must be employed.
After the signwriting is completed and the work is in the varnishers' hands, procedure is as follows. All greasy spots, drops of paint, etc., are removed with a pumice pad. The whole job is then thoroughly washed off with plenty of clean water and a small brush, to remove any pumice that may be lodged in door shuts, hinges and other crevices.
Special varnish brushes are usually suspended in linseed oil in a keeper so constructed that they hang from wires passing through a hole drilled in the stock. The bristles are then about 11 in. from the bottom of the keeper and thus avoid contact with the sediment (see sketch). The routine before varnishing is to scrape out the brushes to be used against a putty knife in the manner shown.
This is to ensure complete removal of all linseed oil, as this oil is not compatible with synthetic varnish The same scraping out must take place after use and before replacement in the keeper so that no synthetic varnish comes into contact with the linseed oil. The pot which is to hold the varnish must be scrupulously clean and if previously opened the varnish must be strained before pouring into the pot.
A clean duster brush is necessary to dust away any dirt from the leathers immediately before varnishing. Varnish is applied carefully, but without fuss and undue brushing about on the panel. Synthetic varnish sets up rapidly and too much brushwork leads to brush marks. On the other hand, to apply the varnish in the old-fashioned coachpainters' way of flowing it on in copious
amounts leads to wrinkling when dry, a fault common to most synthetic varnishes Thus it will be seen that the technique required differs from that used with carriage varnishes. Precautions should be taken to prevent persons other than the varnishers from approaching the work, and it is vital that all rags should be banished from the place where the varnishing is
carried, out. If all the foregoing precautions be taken, the finished vehicle should be a source of pride.
Overnight drying is always to be recommended after varnishing; and in normal painting temperatures, synthetic varnishes set hard overnight. Fittings dismantled before painting may now be replaced and all nuts and bolts must be touched up. Small points such as this, if left unattended, mar the neatness of the work, apart from their importance from the protective angle.
Even the most conscientious man is likely to miss certain parts when painting, and so inspection by a person who has not worked on the
job is essential. His role will be to bring a fresh pair of eyes to the task of inspection and he will be likely to spot small errors and omissions in a way wh;-th those who have worked on the same vehiel3 for days are unable to imitate. If the inspec, tion be carried out in a tactful manner the painters will co-operate and possibly even welcome the idea.
Points to look for in inspection are paint on seats, door trimming, glass and plated parts. Paint on rubber sealing strips should be eliminated as their appearance is improved if they are blacked with tyre paint.
Common errors of omission usually encountered are the absence of paint under door edges and the wired edges of wings, etc. A sign of care is to ensure that on a two-colour vehicle the colours should come together neatly and not -in a ragged fashion.
An extra touch of painters' professional pride is to paint the exhaust pipe and silencer in aluminium paint,
(Left) Row to serape out a brush against a putty knife before starting to varnish a body.
and if this be done with special heatresisting aluminium paint, now available, the result will be of a lasting nature.
The sixth article in this series will discuss painting maintenance in the form of touch-up and varnish work.