Finishing up the Bulkhead!
I took a cue from Jim's web page, and really put some effort into making the bulkhead solid
as well as decent in appearance. I welded tiny patches all over the place (as well as some
big ones), and went thru an entire wheel on the angle grinder getting it all smooth and tidy. I
also ended up welding a reinforcement bar on the passnger panel, since I have dreams of mounting
a heater there, and wanted the extra strength.
I took lots of time sanding and scuffing to make sure that it was relatively smooth, and that
the primer was going to stick. Now, time for the fun stuff.
I did a double layer of primer, and sanded both a fair amount before scuffing.
Once again, I took a cue from Jim (I swear that I owe him royalties) and decided to treat some
of the areas of the bulkhead with a special coating. I settled on
Herculiner, and I am really pleased with the results. I only used a quart, and was able to
coat the front and back with two decent coats, only thinning slighly with xylene on the second
go. Now, ready for some paint!
I reached the decision point - I had to settle on the color of the truck. I appreciate all the
people that responded to the poll that I had posted, and I decided to stick with something close
to the original. But instead of the NATO green, I splurged and went with a Midnight Green Metallic.
Let me say up front - I was terrified of painting. I had never done it before, and was a
complete babe in the woods. The light in the darkness was a page from
David Walker
that I must have read 30 times. I decided to give it a shot.
I purchased a Sears HVLP gun using a combination of Christmas Gift Certificates and Craftsman Days
discounts, as well as a new filter and regulator. I went to a local auto body paint store (S&N Auto
Supply in Bladensburg, MD - top notch!) and bought an acrylic enamel with reducer, hardener, and
a million other chemicals for $100. Seemed like a deal to me!
I then made a quasi-booth in garage with the 2mil poly sheeting, a sort of cocoon around the
bulkhead to make it work. On with the respirator, and 3 coats later...voila! It turned out
better than any of my wildest dreams! Tough, shiny, smooth...aaaah. Now I am anxious to get
after the rest of the panels! But I have to focus, and keep things in order. Dammit.
Next up -- POR-15 on the chassis, and putting back on the axle
created and maintained by
Matt Atkins
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