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Re: Mills Skyscraper

PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 3:19 pm
by YourBestBet
altort wrote:Did you have the castings off of the cabinet when you stripped the paint? I assume you used paint stripper, I like to use a bead blasting cabinet with glass beads nothing to abrasive or it will pit the aluminum castings, you can get most of the scratches and gouges off, it takes time and patience, start with a coarse sand paper like a 150 grit to get the deep scratches off but be sure to work the entire length not just were the scratch his or it will leave a low area that will show once polished, note that there will be some small pitting that you wont be able to get out. Once you are done with the initial sanding, switch to a finer sand paper, keep going to finer sand paper once you get the scratches of the previous grit out, I start usually with a 150 paper and I go all the way up to a 800, switching to a wet sand at 600 grit, this will minimize time on the wheel.
Once on the wheel start with a tight stitched wheel with a fast cut compound, just like sanding keep going to a finer compound and a looser wheel in steps, I have two buffers with four different stitched wheel so I don't need to keep swapping wheels.
You need to be careful on the wheel or it will rip the casting out of your hands, take extra care with the upper casting as it can brake around the goose neck by the back lip.
Before you paint you will need to clean all the compound form the castings with lacquer thinner or your paint wont take.
Take your time.


Thanks altort for the input! Yes, I removed both castings from the cabinet before stripping off the paint. I used a product called "Citri Strip", which worked great and didn't have the bad fumes. I then used a nylon brush, scotch brite pad and toothpick to remove the paint. We'll see how the sanding and polishing goes next!
Collin

Re: Mills Skyscraper

PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 3:21 pm
by YourBestBet
altort wrote:I also wanted to mention that it would be a good idea to remove the security bar from the upper casting, much cleaner and easier job with it off, and a good time to get it re plated.


It appears my security bar is rivetted. Are security bars typically this way?

Re: Mills Skyscraper

PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 5:11 pm
by altort
Yes they are riveted, drill the rivets out from the under side, only drill enough to remove the pined over part and not in to the casting, then using a punch carefully knock them out, place a solid object under the bar with a hole in it for the rivet to go through.
Dave Berten has the replacement rivets to re install.

Re: Mills Skyscraper

PostPosted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 1:22 pm
by fast_in_muskoka
How is the restoration of your Skyscraper going ?

YourBestBet wrote:
altort wrote:I also wanted to mention that it would be a good idea to remove the security bar from the upper casting, much cleaner and easier job with it off, and a good time to get it re plated.


It appears my security bar is rivetted. Are security bars typically this way?

Re: Mills Skyscraper

PostPosted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 2:17 pm
by YourBestBet
Slowly but surely!

I haven't touched it in a few weeks. Been busy with work. I hope to have it done in the next month and will post final pics.

Thanks for asking!

Re: Mills Skyscraper

PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 5:01 pm
by fast_in_muskoka
YourBestBet wrote:Slowly but surely!

I haven't touched it in a few weeks. Been busy with work. I hope to have it done in the next month and will post final pics.

Thanks for asking!


well how does she look now ?

regards,

Steve

Re: Mills Skyscraper

PostPosted: Sat Nov 22, 2014 9:32 am
by YourBestBet
I finished it a couple months ago but haven't gotten around to posting a picture. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. It was beyond rough!

Re: Mills Skyscraper

PostPosted: Sat Nov 22, 2014 3:23 pm
by Midcoast Vintage
VERY NICE!

Re: Mills Skyscraper

PostPosted: Sat Nov 22, 2014 6:40 pm
by sam2002
SWEET !!!

Re: Mills Skyscraper

PostPosted: Sat Nov 22, 2014 7:10 pm
by TheFatman
Awesome job.... loving the restore...Is this the one from NY area? I saw it and almost bought it but let it go ... yes very rough, if it is that one.
Dave F