K9 Diaries - The Beginnings Of A Pattern

K9 Build in Progress 01-Jun-2016

There are a surprising number of chamfers required before the body can be glued together and some of the bits needed supporting structures, just to make sure they were secure whilst the glue was drying.

Smooth Operator11-Jun-2016

After much taping and gluing I had a body shell shape, which would still need a fair bit of filling and sanding to be good enough to make the mould from. Fortunately the sun was shining.

After what seemed like an age, probably because it was. It was time for the primer, I had to seal the surface and make it smooth as any imperfections in the pattern will be replicated in the finished part.

This didn't go so well as I'd bought a cheap compressor and spray gun off eBay and I'd no experience of spraying, so initially I couldn't get it to spray even water.

In desperation I decided I'd have to apply the primer by brush and sand it smooth.

Smoothish Primer 04-Apr-2017

I soon realised my mistake when I saw the results, and decided to  have another look at the spray gun, and discovered that the second spray gun that came with the compressor worked.

So I mixed up a fresh batch of primer and was away, until I threw it on the a slab. I quickly wiped up most of it with acetone and tried again.

This was more successful but unfortunately I didn't clean the spray gun out well enough so it wouldn't work again. This was unfortunate as I'd rubber through the primer in places trying to smooth the surface.
 
A couple of days later, Debs said "Have you seen my scrubbing brush Hon?" an image of me scrubbing feverishly at the primer, on the still discoloured slab swam before my eyes, "Ummmm, no dear" I replied. Unfortunately I'd forgotten to dispose of the ruined scrubbing brush, and the incriminating evidence was found the next day.

It was now that I asked for help from my Brother-in-law Matt, a talented sprayer who could help me with my predicament. So off to Manchester we went to drop off K9 for his rejuvenation.