Vintage Martin T75 restoration

[Patrick Walsh]

I would loose my freaking mind if someone I paid someone to work on any motor of mine and it came back spray painted. Like loose my freaking mind. I’d walk out largely quietly but man I’d be furious..

That sounds like my kind of motor place. And also about the painting. I picked up a Baldor buffer I left with that kind of place here, and they had done a great job of getting it to run like a new one again, but had spray painted the whole thing with spray paint, not quite the right gray, including over the name badges.

[Patrick Walsh]

Thanks so much for saying so. I think it’s turning out alright thus far based on the pictures above. I’m still nervous it will turn out to my expectation but I have a good feeling.

The gun I purchased is linked bellow. It’s the top of the top of the line. People are probably figuring out by now that’s pretty much all I buy when o am buying something to perform. Another gun could do the job I suppose as it’s all just getting sanded out but man did the material just flow out of this gu .

As with any spray gun I always take it fully apart after use and clean it as good as brand new when I’m done. Until this project I have not owned a spray gun in years but I used one weekly for the better part of a decade and it was always my practice to stop work a hour before quitting time and fully clean my rig so I would be good to go the next day and not fight spits on account of being lazy.

https://www.autobodytoolmart.com/sat...r-p-15578.aspx

Patrick, Looks spectacular from here! What type of gun did you get for the polyester? I bought one of the cheap 2.5 ones once, for epoxy primer, and just tossed the gun after that job. I expect the one you used is better than that one I used, but it was just for cast aluminum gutter brackets.

[Patrick Walsh]

Only a few pictures tonight. To be honest I’m not sure how much different they will look to most than last nights pictures.

I was not able to find much time today to work on the project. Just a couple hours after work spent sanding the rest of the parts to 220 in preparation for polyester.

I did spend a good amount of that time sanding one part that was sprayed with polysester last night because I just couldn’t help but wonder how that was gonna work out.

I think it came out pretty freaking good. I’d say the polyester is as I planned gonna be the secret ingredient to getting me the finished product I expect. I will have to spot putty the most minute itty bitty little misses vrs apply more polyester thus forcing me to sand again to 400 grit. Things should come out smooth as a baby bottom.

But man this is sooooooooo much work. I’m kind a enjoying it all that much more through on account of I like getting into anything way over my head. It has a way of keeping me committed. I tend to loose interest when things are easy.

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That one piece took a good 30-40 minutes to sand. I suspect just the parts in primer now and soon to be in polyester will take me a good 20hrs to sand to my satisfaction.

The fact is the sanding after polyester is the finished product as sealer gets shot over the polyesternthen almost immediately the finish. If anything is not to my satisfaction after the first coat of finish it will mean repriming filler spot prime sand then coat again. Point is it’s pretty imperative I take my time sanding the polyester.

[Tom M King]

I always wondered about that gun, but never met anyone who owns one. A lot of guys use the 100 F, but if I was buying one to do what you did with it, the B (now looks like it's BP) model would have been the one I would have bought too.

All my good guns are cleaned like you do yours too. The one I tossed cost 30 bucks, and was sort of a coin flip for someone to pay me to clean it, or just toss it, and write it off as a cost of the job. I still use, once in a while, a couple of conventional guns I bought when I was a teenager in the '60's. A Binks 18, and 15. They were the best there was back then, but I have some more modern guns now for other things.

[Mark Hennebury]

Your'e supposed to clean spay guns?

[Patrick Walsh]

A couple decades ago now when I was a painter, largely very high end interior, I would use a new brush when running oil trim for the two finsh coats. I wouldn’t ever bother cleaning them, just open the new package in the morning and throw it in the trash as the end of the day. I’d still do the same today if I was a painter.

Your thinking primer brush patrick why not save it as a primer or dust brush. And I’d tell you because when your throw away a few brushes a week they add up pretty fast.

It really really really made all the difference though.

Wasteful yes, practical not even close. Perfect finish you bet yah.

I always wondered about that gun, but never met anyone who owns one. A lot of guys use the 100 F, but if I was buying one to do what you did with it, the B (now looks like it's BP) model would have been the one I would have bought too.

All my good guns are cleaned like you do yours too. The one I tossed cost 30 bucks, and was sort of a coin flip for someone to pay me to clean it, or just toss it, and write it off as a cost of the job. I still use, once in a while, a couple of conventional guns I bought when I was a teenager in the '60's. A Binks 18, and 15. They were the best there was back then, but I have some more modern guns now for other things.

[Patrick Walsh]

I should snap some pictures of the crap I find in the spray booth at work from the guy that does our finish work. I walked into his shop this week and there was pressure pot filled with slop fully hardened off.

Last weekend he left a fairly nice Devilbliss gun full of clear conversion varnish just sitting there. He has a kremlin sitting in the corner that he can’t use because he treated it the same way and now it’s junk. And the guy has been painting 30-40 years.

Blows my freaking mind. Kinda upsets me to see people care so little to be perfectly honest.

Your'e supposed to clean spay guns?

[Mark Hennebury]

My Friend once told me i was weird, because most people who are nut-jobs about perfection are nut-jobs about everything being perfect, he didn't understand how i could care so much about my woodwork and so little about everything else. To care that intensely about everything will wear you out, the trick is not to make everything important, but being able to focus on what is important, when its important. I don't care if my peanut butter evenly covers my toast, but every line i scribe while marking out my joints must be perfect. Choose your battles.

I should snap some pictures of the crap I find in the spray booth at work form the guy that does out finsh work. I walked into his shop this week and there was pressure pot filled with slop fully hardened off.

Last weekend he left a fairly nice Devilbliss gun full of clear conversion varnish just sitting there. He has a kremlin sitting in the corner that he can’t use because he treated it the same way and now it’s junk. And the guy has been painting 30-40 years.

Blows my freaking mind. Kinda upsets me to see people care so little to be perfectly honest.

[Patrick Walsh]

Yeah I don’t take this approach to anything but work I’m doing for myself. You know on my own house or for a piece for me or a family member or friend or machine like say this.

I have gotten real good at saying good enough is good enough when on the clock and spreading my jam as some things will just never be realized by the recipients and if I didn’t I’d be unemployable as my employer couldn’t make money off me.

There is sweet spot and I’ll be damened if this saw doesn’t give that sweet spot a double handed bird lol..

My trucks a mess, my wardrobe doesn’t exist, and my bank account laughable. So you know I don’t do everything perfect. My house is pretty darn tidy though but I have help that.

Oh and my dog would love me to take him for a walk as apposed to huff chemicals for a few hours at days end.

What I’m trying to say is I’m a nut job about most verythung but not everything. I have been getting on this way my whole life and so far so good I guess. It did take me a few years to figure out how to not let it ruin me as you suggest.

After all these years I’m not fighting it, i am what I am..

My Friend once told me i was weird, because most people who are nut-jobs about perfection are nut-jobs about everything being perfect, he didn't understand how i could care so much about my woodwork and so little about everything else. To care that intensely about everything will wear you out, the trick is not to make everything important, but being able to focus on what is important, when its important. I don't care if my peanut butter evenly covers my toast, but every line i scribe while marking out my joints must be perfect. Choose your battles.

[Jim Becker]

I kinda like that color...

[Carl Beckett]

Jeff very nice of you to help.

I actually called and spoke with a shop in Woburn today. Now the trick is getting there durning normal business hours considering I work during normal business hours.

I’ll look into the place you suggested also. It’s funny I mentioned painting and I think they mentioned whatever they do may not match my project exactly but it’s a motor was their oppinion. I asked if I supplied the paint if they would use it. They said yes but I’m thinking they probably are not setup to spray autobody paint. Who knows maybe they are.

I’m still half inclined to tear the motor apart myself. I ordered a slide hammer per Darcy’s suggestion with wise grips that screw onto it. I have a feeling the next tool I’m gonna need is some kind of puller to remove bearings.

I work in Woburn and stopped in at a motor shop off Olympia Ave once. Super nice and helpful. They only do larger motors but were willing to give pointers.

I might be inclined to bead blast (glass beads or walnut shells) to clean up the surface finish. There is a shop up the road in Lowell that does it, but I bet you can find some guys on CL doing powder coating that would be economical to bead blast for you. (I would not sandblast - too aggressive)

You are handy enough, there isnt much in an induction motor to mess up so with some care I bet you can pull it apart on your own with no problems.

[Brian Holcombe]

Just break the motor down and paint it yourself, you can't expect a motor shop to put this level of detail into something they're tasked with repairing. Personally, I would repaint it and change the bearings then put it to use.

[Phil Mueller]

https://youtu.be/yzxDRyjyzV8

Patrick, is this you!!? Definitely looks like it. At least keep watching until the paint prep and paint.
Enjoying the restoration you’re doing...thanks for taking the time to share it.

[Patrick Walsh]

Oh boy what did you just do to me.

Once I get that dam key out I’m gonna be looking at gussying up that motor in a whole new light.

You might have just done me a huge favor as as I need ama good reason to stall while i recoup funds a while so I can buy everything I need to actually finish painting these parts.

I can go all ocd on the motor itself and probably buy myself a good week or two.

Plus now you got me wanting another tool for my tools. That parts washer.


Funny the first car I ever purchased “not my first car but my second” was a used 1988 BMW e30 325I

Someday I’m gonna get that e30 m3 someday I tell you..

https://youtu.be/yzxDRyjyzV8

Patrick, is this you!!? Definitely looks like it. At least keep watching until the paint prep and paint.
Enjoying the restoration you’re doing...thanks for taking the time to share it.

[Patrick Walsh]

Not many pictures tonight but I did get a heap of work done today after work. I was able to sand the last of the eurithane primed pieces and get polyester sprayed on all but a handful of pieces I have to hold off on as I slightly burnt through to the self etch again and had no eurithane primer to spot the areas.

Last trip to the autobody supply house I came back with a proper sandungbblock kit and rolls of sticky back paper. That block in the picture is like 30” long and I’m sanding the beam the sliding table travers on with it.

The beam was a mess and I never fit a minute thought I’d get it this flat and uniform. The unsanded or dark areas are low spots. They will be filled in when I shoot the polyester abdvthusvthing should be flat enough I can use a 10’ machinist straight edge to check it like s machine table.

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I was in this house again today. We built tus kitchen and various bits and pieces last year. It’s always so different to see a house lived in. I snapped these on the way out. I think it turned out pretty well. I get so sick of building shaker style pint grade kitchens. It’s really is so boring. I’ll take it over feeezing my bottom off on some job site though. Been a while since have done a fun job like this one. It’s time to do another Mr. Boss man

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Ok I gotta go to bed. I got home at 9:30mthsi evening and I plan to be to work at 6am yet again to get in a couple hours emptying the spray booth and sanding polyester..