Refurbishing my bike trailer

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Gareth

Gareth

Guru
Tharg2007 said:
:bicycle:Bump!! any updates?


Alas nothing done to the bike trailer in the last week or so. Well, apart from making a couple of Aluminium, 6 mm threaded hand knobs on the CNC milling machine at work.

I have four more welds to do on the drawbar fixing bolt bosses, and then there will be no stopping me regarding the repainting.

I shall be going for it this coming weekend, as I am fast approaching another large monthly shopping trip again.

After the success using the bike trailer last month, prior to beginning the refurbishment. I am determined not to use the car for this months major shopping trip.
 

Tharg2007

Veteran
Location
Manchester
great idea ditching the car for the shopping trip. How you going to paint it? hammerite or will you splash out on a powdercoat?
 
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Gareth

Gareth

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Brushed on Hammerite throughout;

Hammerite Non-ferrous special primer over everything, and then Dark hammered Blue on the frame, Hammered Gold over the Galvanised Mudguards (some of the hot spray galvanise has deteriorate due to pigeon poop), and Hammered Silver on the wheel rims to hid the mess after the surface rust has been removed.

The original coat of Dark hammered blue stayed on the galvanised hydraulic pipes used to make the frame without the use of a primer for 9 years. I am hoping that it will be another 9 years before I have to repaint again.
 

Tharg2007

Veteran
Location
Manchester
wow 9 years is good. I was going to say if the last lot hadnt been on that long maybe a different method would be in order, I recon with the primer it will last longer. Maybe a spray with some lacquer after too.
 
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Gareth

Gareth

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A brief update on the bike trailer refurbishment.

Although I removed the mudguards several weeks ago, before beginning the welding work on the main frame. It was only today that I got around to removing the reflectors prior to doing the paint prep work.

The mudguards are made from 1 mm thick mild steel, and the exterior was coated with hot spray galvanising, a bird had pooped upon the mudguards while they were in storage resulting in rust and corrosion starting to show in one or two places, including the build up of dried road salt behind the two rear reflectors. The interior of the mudguards were just plain mild steel coated with Finnigan's' waxoyl. This has given nine years of faultless service, through; rain, snow, slush, mud and road salt. The waxoyl coating has remained intact, and the original brushstrokes are still visible.

Currently, I am sub-contracting into a specialist hydraulic engineering company, and so I have the opportunity to drop the steel mudguards into a bath of part's washing fluid. The idea being to remove the waxoyl coating prior to repainting. This will give me the chance to paint the inside of the mudguards with the primer, and the Hammered Gold topcoat, I will allow the Hammerite paint to dry for at least two weeks, I'll then give the inside of the mudguards a new coat of waxoyl over the Hammerite, which I hope will last for the next nine years.


Pictures of the work in progress on the mudguards to follow during Friday evening.
 
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Gareth

Gareth

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With the Tricycle now gone and the cash "resting" in my bank account, I really haven't got an excuse not to complete my bike trailer's refurbishment.
I have wasted most of today; I was supposed to go out with the 3m's metal detecting, but the weather was appalling. However, this evening I have completed the rubbing down and painting a of coat of Hammerite special primer on to the mudguards.
The rust was whipped off with a twisted wire wheel fitted into my cordless angle grinder, and then the remaining glaze on the hot spray galvanising was busted with a Scotch bright abrasive pad (just like a very strong pan scourer).
Now, this is a serious bit of kit, and should only be used wth the additonal side handle fitted (OK!, OK!, I know I haven't got it fitted) and with the operator wearing full safety goggles (No problems there; I value my eyes too much!). Safety glasses are no good as odd pieces of wire wheel can fly anywhere.
Ryobicordlessanglegrinder001.jpg
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Here is a photo showng the internal section of one of the mudguards. Note; you can see the bare steel where the hot spray galvanise did not reach. Not bad condition for nine years with only a coating of Finnigans' Waxoyl to keep the mud, rain, slush, snow and road salt at bay.
Biketrailermudguards001.jpg
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The mudguards ready to be painted with the Hammerite special primer. I have already removed all of the rust with the wire wheel in the angle grinder, and have busted the surface of the galvansie and the surface corrosion with a scotch bright abrasive pad.
Biketrailermudguards007.jpg
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All followed with a good clean down with a rag soaked in cellulose "gun wash" thinners, so now I am ready to apply the coat of primer. Note the latex gloves ...... When I built the rowing boat last year, I learnt my lesson about the ladies not appreciating a man's hands covered with; glue, paint, rubber solution, etc.
Biketrailermudguards010.jpg
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30 minutes later, and the primer has been applied to both the internal, and the external sections of the mudguards. I word of caution here, as I have found out to my cost that cellulose thinners will not clean Hammerite special primer from paint brushes. The brush is now written off, and has been consigned to the bin. I bought 6 brushes for 99p, so there's no major expense or loss.
Biketrailermudguards014.jpg
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OP
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Gareth

Gareth

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I am a little disappointed with the rather expensive Hammerite Special primer for none-ferrous metals.

The coat on the exterior section of the mudguards is OK, but 95% of this area was hot sprayed galvanise, and 5% was where the rust had taken hold. The paint has taken, and it is quiet a good coverage,
The internal sections of the mudguards is a different story. The primer has not taken, and was flaking off. About 75% of this area was plain mild steel, and the primer is just not holding on.
However, I have a trick or two up my sleeve, and so this evening I have rubbed down the whole of the internal sections removing all of the paint. First with P60 emery cloth, and then I have acid etched ...... yes, acid etched the surface with some car battery acid, while rubbing down with P240 wet and dry silicone paper........ Don't try this out at home!. I have given it all a very good rinse with boiling water, stood the mudguards on top one of my room heaters to dry while I cooked dinner, and then washed the surfaces down with cellulose thinners again. 30 minutes next to the room heater, and I am absolutely certain all of the remaining thinners on the surfaces have evaporated, and so have repainted the insides of both mudguards again.
Tomorrow I will know if my little trick has worked or not. Hopefully I can get on and paint the hammered Gold top coat on to them.
A couple of photos showing the extent of the flaking and peeling paint. Note; that this coat of paint is only 48 hours old.

Biketrailermudguardsbadpaint002.jpg
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Biketrailermudguardsbadpaint001.jpg
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Tharg2007

Veteran
Location
Manchester
hope the new coat sticks! great shots.
Looking at your first post was thinking the trailer looks really heavy but at 10kg its only 1kg lighter than my bike. Carting the lurcher round sounds like great fun, I love lurchers.
 
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Gareth

Gareth

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Tharg2007 said:
hope the new coat sticks! great shots.
Looking at your first post was thinking the trailer looks really heavy but at 10kg its only 1kg lighter than my bike. Carting the lurcher round sounds like great fun, I love lurchers.


Greetings Tharg,

If you (or anyone else) is interested in Lurchers, or anything else countryside related, why not pay a visit to another set of boards that I frequent; http://www.overthegate.com

You can read and participate in many interesting subjects there, and see an awful lot of my exploits; Building the rowing boat, the ferret box, the garden archway. Including the many step-by-step photo recipes that have completed, including; Home-made Mead, Sourdough, Scotch eggs, Fruit vinegars and many, many more.
 
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Gareth

Gareth

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The little trick with the battery acid and wet & dry paper worked, the recoating of primer taking hold and doing what it was supposed to do.
BiketrailermudguardsGold003.jpg

With the primer now holding on to the steel and dry, it was time to have a go with the first coat of Hammered Gold top coat.

The hammered Gold topcoat is quiet a thick paint, and I found that the best method of applying with a brush was quickly. Slow and steady brush strokes felt like I was using thick treacle, but quick light strokes proved to be an efficient method of getting the paint on to the surfaces.

One mudguard completly done, and the second mudguard with the top coat applied to the internal surfaces only.

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Biketrailermudguardsgold001.jpg


Both Mudguards top coated and time for a cuppa.

Biketrailermudguardsgold002.jpg
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OP
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Gareth

Gareth

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Just to bring you all up to date.

The bike trailer refurbishment is still on going. I have done very little to it since the last post. Workng an average of 55 hours per week, commuting 6 hours per week, domestic chores, and chilling with my friends have curtaled this little project.

On the up side, my friends and I have; been metal detecting, glass painting, glass engraving, playing Backgammon and other board games.

I have some time this weekend. All of the mechanical and welding modifications have been completed, all I have to do is the rubbing down. repainting, and reassembly.

Me chilling with my 3 friends;

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Gareth

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And just show you the state that I have got myself in with my little arts and crafts projects; two photos of working progress on my dining table.

hobbywork001.jpg


The step-by-step process of making my matchstick covered pencil cases.

craftitems001.jpg


A finished pencil case.

matchstickcraftitems001.jpg


The current state my dining table is in, after glass and ceramic painting and glass engraving.

My3Ms009.jpg


The coffe grinders that I picked up from my local 99p shop: I have to get these painted by Christmas eve, or the three women in the photo above won't get their pressies from on time.
Coffegrinders003.jpg
 
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