Saving Old Seagulls

5 hairs finished the details! Now I have to take care of the rest of the tank but that's nothing compared to the deecal.

Why not just replace it with a new one.

Imagine that I have one new from John..! Because I like the original gull and and since it was in nice condition I decided to do my tricks.

I admire your determination Stelios. (and H-A)
Very nice work so far.
Dont go rushings things now, take your time to cover over what you've done so far with some thick paper and go easy with the masking tape,as when you come to remove the tape it will probably peel up the fresh paint!
Will you be repainting the rest of the tank and then lacquering/varnishing?

jon

I really admire your talent for a good paint job guys, but I have difficulty painting a barn door. The upshot is that most of my tanks are left unchanged particularly if there is a bit of the original decal left. If not, then I usually give them a few coats of engine black enamel and leave it at that.

I keep threatening to do a full restoration, but some of the times being quoted for painting, drying, rubbing down, applying transfers, drying in airing cupboards, pricking said transfer to rid air, lacquering again and again more drying ... makes my eyes water. And then what happens when fuel spills or dribbles from the tank vent??

AJ

You also need to spend a few minutes polishing the carb.

How did you do that Hugz? Amazing!!

The insides of that one must look like Rolex built it, if it's not just an ornament.

Hugo I've worked out how you can pay your rent if your coming over here, must order a couple of pallets of polishing soap!

Very impressive but do I detect a spot of dust on the top of the inlet cowl!!!

AJ

A-J
i reckon if i knuckled down to it, i could renovate a fuel tank within a week. (as long as it's not too badly dented)
UNFORTUNATELY (for me anyway) work seems to get in the way a lot and prevents me from playing!

Nice job Hugz (I LIKE THAT A LOT) sweeeeet

With anything paint related just remember the 6 P's
Perfect Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Presentation.

Which basically breaks down into the more time you spend on the primer and filling dents etc. the final coats of paint/tranfers (very tricky to do sometimes) and final top coats will be a lot easier. Take your time and dont rush things.
Little tip here, practice on something that doesn't matter if you get paint runs in, alternatively have a go at putting decals on model planes (airfix kits--- do they still make them?) as this will give you some practice with decals.
Sounds simple i know, but practice makes perfect.

jon

as I generally keep existing decals with out disturbing them does this mean I can get away with out touching this tank!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (off LS24747) I know its faint but if search a bit to the right of the filler cap wallah a faint shadowy line.posting.php?mode=edit&f=2&p=43827#

A-J
that tank is an ideal candidate for a "refurb".
Strip what paint is left and re-paint with a good quality primer.
Then check to see which dents you can reasonably fill with body filler (the cheats way but also the easier way)
Prime the tank again and re-check for any more dents,repeat as required.
2-3 coats of black and leave to dry for a day or two.
Then see how it looks when it's fitted back on the motor? (at this point you need to decide whether or not to apply a decal or leave as is)

Go on ,give it a go, you might surprise yourself.


jon

headdownarseup wrote: Go on ,give it a go, you might surprise yourself.jon

Have you taken the ends off a tank yet Jon ?

H-A

I have not tried touching in an original decal, but have teken the damaged end off one tank and replaced it with a good taken off another tank. Golden rule when removing use a large propane torch and apply loads of heat, and let the end fall off. DO NOT try and prise it off the flange will be ruined. Heres a few pics. H-A is the master of these! Check out his video on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmyQMwxeXK8

I sold this one (SJM310)onto thin down my collection and the buyer assured me he would look after it. A couple of months later it was back on the bay with a stoved in tank end, yes the one I spent many hours making like new

H-A
Yes i have taken an end off a tank before and screwed it up good and proper.
Taking it off was the easy bit, getting it to stay in place was something else? (havn't found the right solder yet)
Gas torch not a problem as i have one at work that easily does the job (makes it look silly really)

jon