Harrison L5 lathe rebuild

[Micktoon]

Thanks for the comments lads glad to see people are thinking its worth the effort . Tom I am using self etching primer first so it bites into the alloy and bare metal, then this primer filler is two pack catalyst type, really good stuff its like paste but you can thin it as much as you want, it goes on real thick where needed with out runs but can also spray on quite thin but covers great and goes on wet , that is not loads of overspray hanging in the air. The top coat I am using is fast dry air finish made by international paints, its single pack mixed with thinner type paint but I would say its in effect like a cross between cellulose and two pack paint. It covers great , has high gloss , dries in an hour , the over spray is dry in the air so lands as dust not wet particles and what you have left over just goes back in the tin for another day. It is also really hard wearing but unlike two pack not too brittle, I think its what Komatsu etc paint their excavators with.

Well after another day of none stop masking last minute rubbing down and general cleaning spray guns etc etc , I have made some more progress.

A bit more masking off of machined surfaces and a general sort out and sweep up, panels arranged upside down to do the etch primer underside then once dry turn them over and do the side that matters.





All coated in self etch primer , no nasty surprises and it always looks better when things become one colour , you fell like you are finally getting somewhere. I fitted the one door back onto the cabinet but the other needs a good go over so the primer would not have got done today if I had got the cast door ready too so will do that in with the next batch of parts. It took a bit of messing about to do one side then the other then move some parts so there was room for the other bits but got there in the end.







As I was doing the etch primer I could hear screaching from the compressor belt and the rate at which the pump going was varied, as the etch was drying I truied to tighten up the belt but the motor was already as far as it would go so I had to drill four holes in about 10mm plate where the motor mounts and file them into slots joining the exhisting holes , the compressor if in a cupboard so not an easy task took about two hours but did the job. I then sprayed three coates of high build two pack primer, the castings etc got a bit more so they will flat down nice and smooth, all went well and no reactions of paint so as long as its dried without a hitch its almost ready for the gray top coat. These last shots were taken with the primer still wet.









Cheers Mick