So it's been a while since our last post. We had started the media blasting of the frame but my poor little compressor was having a hard time keeping up. The compressor was working non-stop tryng to pump out the required CFM to run our media blaster. My poor little compressor can only pump out 5.6 CFM at 90 psi. We were either going to run our compressor until it exploded or we needed to get another more powerful one. Bummer, an excuse to buy some more cool tools!
The old compressor.
The new compressor.
While shopping on Craigslist we found the answer. One "slightly" used Delta 80 gallon air compressor. Well so we thought. Ahhh the fun and excitement of buying used tools on Craigslist.
Well it turned out that the compressor we got for such a steal needed a little more work than we thought. We replaced the pressure switch and the check valve for the tank like we thought. But that's when the real fun started. Since the check valve was not working right it caused the entire pump assembly to go south. The compressor was blowing oil through the pump and into the tank. It turns out the crank shaft was broken and the pump needed to be replaced. Apparently this was all caused by a faulty check valve allowing moisture to get back into the pump when it was shut off. We took it into the nice folks at the Delta service center and they helped us replace all the parts to make it as good as new.
After some time at the shop they finally got all the parts together to make our compressor work again. Good as new! We are back in business. They originally said it would be out until February waiting on parts. Thank goodness they found them early.
Durring this down time we were able to find a few parts we needed for the project. One of the great finds on eBay was this original 1936 Oldsmobile gas tank. Like everything else it needs a little work but the price was right. The tank that came with this car was not the original.
My son Charlie got to work media blasting with our cabinet. It turns out he really enjoys restoring these old parts for this car, and he is quite good at it.
Here is a great example of what Charlie can do with 90 psi. and some sand in a blasting cabinet.
Great work Charlie!
This is the license plate bracket.
Wow, looks good as new!
More great work done by Charlie.
Who needs a rotiserie anyway. Just turn the frame on its side. (We won't be able to do this with the body but we are not working on that part yet.)
The new compressor provides 20.2 CFM at 90 psi. so it really powers through the rust and grime on the bottom of the frame. Our compressor was running the media blaster and the blasting cabinet at the same time with out any problem. Wow what a difference that made!
Some more progress (the part that looks white is what has already been blasted.)
Marc cleans up the rust from bottom of the frame here while I hold the light. (This was at about 11pm because we never work during normal hours!)
I can't let him have all the fun, so Marc took over the light. And no, that is not snow I am standing in. Our white Christmas is made from 300 pounds of sand! It takes a lot of media to get 73 years of rust and grime off of this thing.
The winter weather in Phoenix is the best time for this part anyway. Not too hot! The temp was around 72 degrees or so. We got most of the bottom finished but decided to call it quits around midnight. Media blasting can be quite loud and I don't want to keep the neighbors up just because we are. (Even if they were up singing bad karaoke in the middle of the night the past two nights!)
Well with the holidays coming and all the time to be spent with friends and family we will take another short break from our project. Merry Christmas to all of our fans. We will be back to work shortly after the new year.
