Slick 60's

It's now in color and three coats clear.


I somehow melted the color on my third coat of clear.

Thankfully it's on the stake pocket!
I can mask, sand and paint that again easily.

Sunday night chat: I'm struggles McGee when it comes to this late in the evening. I'm mostly on a morning shift so I have to be at work by 0515 to get the children up for their training day. I'm so tired-

If I don't catch you, I'm sorry. Two warm terrors cuddled up tome put me out faster than anything these days.

Spent yesterday off working on some things. Knew I was running out of epoxy primer but didn't realize I was completely out of it. So that ruined my plan for the day of getting the rear fenders in epoxy. So shifted to fixing the stake pockets.

Sanded them down, worked on if for a few hours and sprayed the grey on. All looked good.

Then when I put on first coat of clear, it striped! Ugh. I stopped and waiting for it to dry before I sand it off again. And here we are going to try again this morning.



Once it looks right, I can move the bed outside and get the tailgate done and the fenders done. Side steps next too then the hood. A year of body and paint by myself in my "free time" has been a bear.

I have overnight duty tonight so there goes another chance- however I will be off work tomorrow at 0900. Maybe the epoxy will be in by then? Maybe I can just do the welding on the hood? Maybe I should build the engine? Maybe I should get another tatttoo?. Yeah, tattoo sounds good!

Been busy at work like usual. We are less than two weeks till grad so I will have a week off after.

Here is what I've done.
I painted the stake pockets twice! I still have a run in the front driver side but what ever... I can't be so picky.



They look pretty good.



It's going to be 90 degrees today so I'm setting the bed outside to dry even more.


I've also put high build primer on the rear fenders. They have been out drying for two days. I will get sanding on those this morning and then hope to get the lows filled.

I still need to finish sanding the rear steps and get in epoxy again.

So the tailgate- I have it in high build primer and what a pain in the butt! I'm probably going to just sand and coat... the lows where the spot welds were I may just leave... depend solely on my level of energy.

Moving along.

A bed has always been the hardest thing about a step side truck to make look good. It's single panel metal, so whatever you fix on the outside can usually be seen on the inside. Like you said, if you plan to drive it, don't get too picky. Besides..... it's just my personal opinion but I have enjoyed your build, and I think you've done an outstanding job.

It's also hard to build anything, when WORK gets in the way. You can't stay focused..... You're doing much better than I could.

When I built my 56 30 years ago, i had to put it away for 3 years because of my cancer, then 2 more years while I caught up on bills, then worked on it hot & heavy for 9 months, then had to put it away for another year because money ran out. All in all, it took 12 years to finish it.

It looks to me like you are ZOOMING along on yours.

Spent my day off doing errands and getting my hopes crushed again. This year at work has been extremely tough since last July and it's starting to just crush me physically and emotionally. The latest blow is I was place 43 on a list of 60 candidates for a promotion and they predict to make only the top 15. So I start the process all over again in December. It's a two year process from start to finish.

I have applied4 times,and if I don't get advanced in the next two years I am on the chipping block for force retirement despite all the shit I've done for the CG.

As my hopes and dreams for the coming year were crushed I spent the 90 degree day working on this.

April, that bed looks fantastic. Your dedication to finishing this truck is awesome. Sorry to hear about the work/promotion problems...been there, done that. Company politics can wreck havoc on a persons career. Keep on keeping on....we're all watching and cheering you on.

Did a little. Not bolted down.

Looking great!

Friend played with a photo edit from last nights quick update.



Tonight's project was sanding rear fender... putting dry guide coat on and sanding is like being on CSI and dusting for fingerprints. We just dusting for lows.


Remember I may have mentioned somewhere about a recruit I had in company I thought was a sociopath? numnuts drew on sideburns on his face with a black sharpie marker...
I can't believe this kid is walking around without being locked in a loony bin.

Sanded the rear fenders to 400. Ready for sealer and then paint color.



Took the hood down off the wall too so I could figure out what I need to do to it.



6 more days till I get a day off!

Yesterday before work, I build a horse and put the fenders on it. It's actually the same cart the truck bed was on, but added some more to fit fenders.

Sealer ready



In sealer




There are a few dents in the hood to deal with.



Today I will paint the rear fenders. Maybe even work on the hood!

Had some problems with the paint and clear on those rear fenders... looked like this in a few spots.





I sanded them down again yesterday in prep to paint... I'm almost out of sand paper and waiting on that order to come in from Eastwood.


Another storm like we had exactly a year ago just rolled thru here. Fire department is on standby and no damage it seems in my area. Nice and quiet in town.

Friday next week is my drop dead day for the truck. If it isn't finished by next Friday, it will be loaded onto my trailer in that fashion and finished in Virginia.


I have the hood on the table now for some welding work to be done.

Having problems with my clear coat this week.

The base and first coat of clear.





Then second coat of clear did this.




I did not put a second clear coat on the other fender cause I can save that one. Let it cure- lightly sand then recoat clear. But this fender I have to take down and recital the base and clear. Frustrating!

Yesterday is day two of major side pain so I'm moving a bit slower and trying not to agrivate the issue I have.

I originally started wet sanding the driver fender and stopped... I have to take it back down to baseit and the. Re-clear.

Instead I started welding the hood. It's a pain in the ass- i was welding in a patch and burned hole here and there due to it being weak.its a good hood and rust typical for where you all have it - at the front lip.


Of course a piece of slag got me on the foot.. this hole burned thru the top of my shoe, into my sock, between my toes and into the sole.

After welding, I put some short strand fiberglass filler in there.


Put some seem sealer along the lips of the hood when I was done welding.shoved this foam rubber in between the braces and the hood skin since the old felt stuff died many years ago.

Primed underside of hood.



Foot print or farm equipment?



Lots of pounding, lots of elbow grease.


Got the center line raised.



Got it in high build primer 3 coats is all I had left in the gallon can

Did get started by 0800 though....

First up was the center ridge.



After hours and hours of sanding I reached the point of no return. I used the last 4 oz of epoxy I had to seal this thing.

I need to buy more tonight so I can sand down and reseal the rear fenders.




The lines are straight- it's good enough to paint!


Up next for Wednesday- sand the tailgate and side steps. Those are small enough they will take me up to the time I need to go to work. I have a short 6 hour day where I have a 30 minute meeting and an hour urinalysis test book ending 4.5 hours of free time. So I bought me some motor craft for the F150 and got a little sandblasting to do in the shop cabinet. It should he an okay day.

Long work day and I came home to this project. 2 hours later it's drying and I'm going to bed!

uhh ohhh

Photobucket is holding me hostage for 400$ now.

I refuse to pay that and will figure a way to make this thread viewable. I have. YouTube account and will just link the video of my progress for now.

https://youtu.be/5yqQ1CBRwio