Finding things to do during lockdown

[Pops]

Have to keep looking for things to do to keep boredom away, can't think of anything to do with the mx5 but the slk needs a couple of things done even though I intended to just use it as is.
The main thing that was annoying me was the condition of the wheels so that's where I started yesterday. Sometime in the past the wheels were powder coated but it looks like it was a very poor job done on them,

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serious problems trying to get the brake dust off the inside of the rims

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, tried every household cleaner I could find, oven cleaner was about the best until I rembered that I had a lidl sand blaster

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[Pops]

Pity I didn't think of the sand blaster before wasting time trying to clean the rims, sand blaster took only a few minutes for each rim

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Also found out that the rims are for slk only

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[Pops]

Due to the terrible outbreak of sunshine I had to do all the work outside
After spending most of the day trying to clean the rims I only managed to get the front of one of them sanded

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but there's no hurry, there's going to be plenty of time yet before things get better.

I'm hoping that the 2pack primer will be OK to use, the intention is to sand back as much of the cracked /destroyed powder coat and give it a few coats of primer and use a 2pack silver paint & laquer

[Pops]

Another day of sunshine, got the rest of the sanding done

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Masked up ready for the primer

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After a couple of coats, now to let it harden up before prepping for paint

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[Steve]

I need to do this job again soon, how long do you let the primer dry yourself?

[Pops]

Hi Steve, the primer I had was 2 pack, I thought I had plenty of it but it turned out there was only a bit in the tin, still, with probably a bit more hardener than recommended I had just enough for 3 coats. I left them until the following day before sanding them for paint, the primer was totally dry and sanded very easily

[Pops]

After 4 coats of basecoat and as many again of lacquer

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This is the colour I'd picked out about 6 months ago, big change from the standard silver but worth trying something different

[Pops]

Baking in the sunshine, also fitted the Chinese center caps, I have them since last year along with the paint but only getting around to them now

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Must say that the center caps are up to the usual Chinese standard but for €8 including delivery they will do perfectly

[Pops]

All done now, even the wheel studs

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Now I have to find something else to do

[Pops]

Must be getting desperate now, bike was left in the old shed for about 10years until I got the new steel shed and was left outside for over 3 years since, spent the whole day trying to un seize the chain and cables etc in the vain hope that it could be returned to full working order so that it could be handed down to a younger grandson, ideally it needs new cables for the gears but they'll have to wait until things get back to normal

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[Pops]

A happy kid now, everything working except for the gears, new cables needed after lockdown

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[Steve]

missed your follow ups to this thread somehow... those wheels look great, how long did you leave between final paint coat and lacquer coat?
Nice work on the bike too

[Pops]

Hi Steve,I've already forgotten the amount of work that went into them but about 4 coats of basecoat, didn't take long to dry but I'd imagine I left them about an hour to dry, then hit them with about 4 coats of lacquer and left them till the following day

[Steve]

nice one thanks!
I've done nothing with the fleet since lockdown... nothing. I've lots to do but have been too distracted by building stuff in the garden/shed

[Pops]

I'm sure that with the fine weather the building and outdoor work comes first