Cabin Fever Expo 2018 is coming up fast!

 

 

Cover

A Painting Prep Tip
by Rex Burkheimer

For many of us, the appeal of this hobby is in finding interesting, old iron and restoring it. That includes cleaning, repairing, and painting the machinery. One required step in Photopreparing for paint is to mask off the machined areas that don’t need paint.

Instead of covering things with tape and then cutting around the edges with a razor, I use two tools to cut away the excess tape: a fine tooth file, Photopreferably well-worn and dull, and a hardened pin punch. Actually, most any round piece of steel will do in place of the punch, as long as it’s hard or chrome plated.

I trim the excess tape by rubbing the tools along the sharp edges between the machined and cast areas of the part. I use both tools interchangeably, as needed.

PhotoThe file works best when you have good access. Just drag it lightly along the edge at a shallow angle. You aren’t trying to file, just breaking the edge of the tape. Sometimes it works better dragging the file the wrong way, so the back of the teeth do the cutting.

The punch works better when you are working something with a shallow drop-off, Photosuch as the large round boss pictured. Just rubbing the punch along the edge will separate the tape.

Using the two methods, the trimming is fast and easy and you can quickly get on with the fun part – making the parts pretty!

 

Was this email forwarded to you from a friend?

Sign up now to get Pass-Along Emails from

The Home Shop Machinist magazine!

No Obligation Issue

Our tips and newsletters come from subscribers like you!
Have something of your own to share?
Click Here to Send It In!
or Reply to this email.

Village Press Publications; 2779 Aero Park Drive; Traverse City, MI 49686; 1-800-447-7367