1974 Dolomite Sprint

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

How are you going to finish off the door shuts and pillars? They will need a skim of filler. I would skim them all, shape it up with 80 grit and brush some thick cellulose primer on. After a couple of weeks it’ll be rock hard and you can rub it down with 400 grit wet.

[SiC]

I'm no painter but less is more IYKWIM, a dusting as a key coat and build up a bit at a time, don't just blather it on and hope for the best. Same with filler, the more filler you put on means the more you have to sand off and as SOON as it starts to go off forget it, it's not just a case of diminishing returns like you hope it'll be it'll fuck the job. Too much, just like paint and it'll sag, layer it.

Blacksmiths-old-vintage-19-tall-anvil-bick-iron.jpg

Btw, I saw this photo in the Justy folder, sure I recommended one before? Find one, borrow one, steal* one (or make something to do the same job out of scrap) It was a game changer for me doing plates on the Justy. Anything a roughly similar shape will do I'm sure.

I'm the king of overdoing stuff. Welding? Keep layering it on and leaving a pile of grinding dust to level it back off. Paint? Quick spray over. Doesn't look very good, pokes/runs and then having to respray over again. I suspect I won't be much better with filler!

I remember you saying actually about an Anvil. Will keep a look out for one. Obviously a bit difficult to collect one in the current climate and I dread the cost to post something really heavy.

Great work and makes me want to get on with some of the welding jobs I have.
Did you buy a Lidl plasma cutter and if so do you use it much?

I did! Used it a couple of times but struggled to get on with it. It strikes an arc but then looses it after a second or two. If I do get a good run then I'm pretty wobbly, so need a decent thick straight edge to work with.

I think my compressor isn't up to snuff. It can just provide enough airflow when running continuously to give the minimum recommended pressure. I suspect also it's coming out too damp and I don't think they like damp air. It has a water trap with the regulator on the unit, but I think that's not enough. Probably need another trap at the compressor end too.

How are you going to finish off the door shuts and pillars? They will need a skim of filler. I would skim them all, shape it up with 80 grit and brush some thick cellulose primer on. After a couple of weeks it’ll be rock hard and you can rub it down with 400 grit wet.

Not figured paintwork yet. The zinc primer that's on there is mostly to stop rust coming through on the fresh metal. I also need to go with a scraper + heatgun on the front wheel arches (probably rear too) as there is still bits of underseal there. At the moment I just sprayed red oxide primer over the top to catch any small rust blebs that I wire brushed off.

Keep pondering about going at the whole external body with a wire wheel on the grinder and take the lot off. Will remove all the globs of filler that it has, but will mean a bigger respray job. Roof is vinyl and I'll keep that on there, so would save the roof area needing paint. Also will probably find even more stuff to fix...

I'm resisting hard to going too far. Otherwise I'll end up with a bare metal restoration and end up taking a few years longer.

My current thinking is to get the metal work done, spray in primer and possibly a few rattle cans of French Blue over that to make it look respectable. Then get the mechanicals mostly sorted (carb rebuild, brake calipers+master+discs are the main things) and interior back in. Plop it back into storage, which will be easier if it runs and drives. Get the E28 delivered here and done. By this point it'll be summer and I can get the Dolomite back out and figure what to do with the paint work properly. Can take all the protective paint off, then do it properly. Maybe filler first and then sent straight off to a body shop for a proper spray - depending on cost and how much budget I have to play with.

[christine]

I have a spare smoll anvil ..but i'm fookin miles away !

[christine]

Seventy quid... It has a terrible shocking tale to tell , that anvil... Looks big here but it ain't.. say about 1cwt or less . It's very old , wrought iron , with hardened face. (very hard ! )

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[SiC]

It has a terrible shocking tale to tell , that anvil...

Doesn't have ACME written on it, does it?

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How far is miles away?

[christine]

Tunbridge Wells ( Royal ),( cos we're hunting, shooting, fishing , posh down here innit ! )how far are you from Cirencester?

The old forge it came from ,at the top of our road , demolished now , had a fatal accident .. about 100 years ago . The smith had a striker helping , with a sledge hammer , doing double hammers .. The head of the sledge came off and embedded itself in the smiths forehead .. He didn't die for 3 days .. It wouldn't have involved this anvil though, it's too small for 2 men doing double hammers

[Drum]

Bargain

[christine]

Utter...

I just noticed in the first picture my big anvil is 100kg 2cwt ... Jesus christ no wonder i fucked my back .. i picked it up to set it on the tree stump on my own ... 3 times too , 3 forge moves in 40 years . I'm 6ft and skinny as fuck !

[SiC]

Tunbridge Wells ( Royal ),( cos we're hunting, shooting, fishing , posh down here innit ! )how far are you from Cirencester?

Definitely would like it. Cirencester is about an hour half away. But my in-laws live in Newbury, so easy enough to take a detour. Or we'd go past if we are going to explore the Cotswolds for the day.

Tunbridge Wells is 3hrs away, so do-able in a day if needed. Just the chances of getting a fine atm would be pretty high (in both cases).

[DodgeRover]

. He didn't die for 3 days ..

Poor bastard, you wouldn't let an animal suffer like that