Diy Hands On Projects

[Coss]

Friend just sent me this one yesterday, I was tempted, but too old to get this involved now. Looks like it was a pro job in the (distant) past though.
View attachment 24348

Trick rear wheels, I like it. But the front fender can use some improvement, see where it sticks out at the bottom.
And I like the paint on the bike, simple to do, but a PITA taping it off. I like it, nice, simple, just enough to make it stand out.
Did he forget the tank? Or was it a loaner?

 

[Johnny Acree]

Audi s4 ute
Today I had the first closing of the tailgate assembly.
I'm very happy with the fit with the taillights.
Still a lot of work to do on the gaps , but this had me worried.
Oh, on the K1200s. The silver "gas tank" is the correct color for that year.
The front fender is also silver, but I thought silver made it look to big, so I blacked out part of it.
I'm going to paint to hole ute yeller, then have a vinyl rap made for the silver and black parts.

 

[Johnny Acree]

S4 UPDATE, it's in primer!
Now It's sand, sand, sand,,,,

 

[Coss]

OOOOoooo sanding my favorite, NOT!!! Call us when your done sanding, and be careful around the edges, unless you brushed on the primer.
And what color is it going to be? (The darker the color, the more sanding you have to do, dark colors show flaws, where as light colors do a lot of good hiding flaws)

 

[Hog]

Now I am working on car-unrelated stuff, and have a question. I am trying to repair/restore this mid 1700's cabinet. It is pretty filthy, and I want to clean it, but there is no visible finish, so I have to be careful how I do it. I am going to remove the old leather hinges and replace the leather, but reusing all the original hand cut nails and hand filed screws. Does anyone know how to clean this without staining or raising the grain? Not really sure I would even want to take sandpaper to it.

 

[Coss]

Find an area not visible to work/experiment on, try using a alcohol on a cloth, and wipe it gently to see how it responds. If it doesn't react in a "bad" way, your set, if it does, back to square one. You very well may find whatever you use is going to do "something" you just want it minor.
Always remember, work in small areas, and go for consistency. Geez I wish I was closer so that I could come over and lend a hand. And speaking of hand, always make sure to wear gloves so you don't tear up your skin in the process. If anything, use a good glass cleaner that should just about do the trick if all you want to do is clean the surface. Something that has a good foam action. Matter of fact, if all you want to do is clean, the glass cleaner should be all you need, try it, and get back to me.

 

[Hog]

Ok, I know anything I do could damage it, so being as careful as I can. Will try something on the back.
I know replacing the leather will affect the value, but there really is no value if the door is not attached, so a necessary fix. Just trying to retain as much as possible. There have been clumsy attempt to "fix" loose sides and stuff over the years which have resulted in large flooring nails sticking through at odd angles, (see that last picture 'top cab') I will try to remove those as well. I originally thought of rubbing it down with walnut oil to give it a nice finish, but now am not so sure, depends how it cleans up I guess.

 

[Coss]

Happy working, and make sure to let us know how it turns out.
Best of Luck.

 

[Hog]

OK, tried the alcohol rub last night, some imported Jamaican Rum, (kidding), was slightly darker for awhile, but this morning seems almost invisible, so that may do the trick. Also got the remaining leather hinges off, but snapped one of the old handmade brads, will try to put a new head on it here at work. Not sure if the leather was glued to the wood or not, some was stuck on pretty well. Still thinking of Walnut oil to protect it from moisture, it will darken it a bit though. Unsure of what wood I am dealing with here also, very hard, but now brittle.

 

[Coss]

Well your doing it right, and remember if you stain a section, make sure you use the same number of coats everywhere your staining.Go slow, and stay constant through all areas. Staying consistent on all areas is very important, time can be a friend or your worst enemy.
Hang in there, and best of luck.