ModelWorks Foden 
Builder's Diary

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Painting - Session 2
Front axle, Rear Axleboxes and Springs (kits 2 & 3)

Painting Session 1

Session 3

All the parts finally ready for spraying

The freshly primed parts drying in my clean area

Saturday 9 September:  I have spent most of the past week preparing the front axle, Rear Axleboxes and springs for painting.   Quite a lot of masking off was required and I had to think hard to find ways to hold some of the parts.  Rather that describe how I have approached each component I have included the picture right in high resolution.  However it is worth say a few words on the back springs.  While the spring appear very stiff I am sure that when the Foden is loaded they will want to flex.  This will not happen if the leaves get stuck together with paint.  To ensure they are free to slide my plan is to painting them clamped together and then separate and grease them before final assembly.

As there was so much to paint I applied the primer using my Kite spray gun.   This was almost a good for the smaller parts as my airbrush since it can be throttled back to a fine pattern.  My holding arrangements worked well and I was particularly pleased with the bars holding the front axle.  By resting these on wooden blocks I avoided the need to support the weight of the axle.  I was able to roll the axle around my supports to enable me to get at all areas with satisfactory spray angles.

I shall leave things to dry until at least Monday before applying the gloss coat.

Wednesday 20 Sept: 

I painted the rear springs assembled so that paint would not go between the leaves.  Today I dismantled the spring stacks and smeared grease between the leaves.

Now that ModelWorks have supplied longer bolts I found that I could fit the stack to the axle box without using G clamps to compress the springs. A small hiccup on the first I assembled was that I forgot to trim the bolt to the correct length prior to starting assembly.  This was soon rectified and I used it as a pattern to cut the second bolt to length. 

I have been busy all week painting a large collection of bits so that when the time comes I will be able to complete assembly of the front and back axles and get my Foden on its wheels.
 

Axle Components after painting

After talking to club members I have finally tracked down a local paint supplier.  My initial need was synthetic primer but I will also be able to source synthetic gloss when I have chosen my main body colour.  Painting the Foden will uses several litres and and a trade supplied will work out much cheaper than my usual source - why has it taken me so long?

Painting was relatively straight forward and rather than give an extensive account the picture right may be clicked for a higher resolution image showing how I held each component for painting.

Painting Session 1

Session 3