We have many folks visit this blog page to just see what’s happening….some want to learn how to do stuff and then there is the group that have a real vested interest to see what’s going on…..I’m talking about those with projects here. Its all about the Q isn’t it guys. I tell ya it’s hard to stay focused working so many projects at the same time. It sometimes feels like days all run together, it’s why we went to working 4 long days. Its recovery the rest of the time. And then a red letter day comes up. I wanted you to sort of stand in my shoes on this one. Its not a project completion…the Q does move a bit getting Ruby to this point.
A huge project doesn’t do it justice….. Don’t mean to hold back on the pics but I want to explain what you will see….in my shoes.
The Q moves because pushing one project to a point means we can finally free up labor to get on some other pretty cool projects so all of you guys with stuff in here know things are good.
So Ruby…..what can I say she has grown up before my eyes. Recently though she has …..taken shape. No pun but I’m so pumped from an 8 hour midnight shift…..the whole shop all to myself to put finish touches I’ve found I have a personal knack. First let me show you Ruby as she is right now……
BTW….THIS MAY B A LONG POST TODAY….JUST WANT TO SHOW RUBY OFF A BIT…..BUCKLE IN
Yep, I can play in the sand box but sometimes I just wanna get in to something…..Ruby now needs me…..here she is…..Don’t worry, she’s still under sidation.
The Space Coast Chrome bumpers are on with SS screws, body molding with LED superbright side marker lights. The RAMCO mirrors are working, wheels on and the 3 color paint is buffed to 3000 grit.
My job “Mr. Phelps” is refinishing the early side window frames and seal the window frame to the body. The 40 year old burly tape “sealant” has long sense turned to clay. PLUS doing a final trim finish on Ruby? Well…THIS is something to stay up all night for! I used to do that alone, not so much any more…..it just takes so much but hey, this is my chicken to pluck so here we go.
Now we have 6 windows in this GM floor plan coach….2 big, 2 medium and 2 small. Lets do the worst first…….I see it as downhill from there. So we’ll start with the biguns. 
Junior got buffing compound on everything! Gotta while that off…not totally clean, that happens at the end….you’ll see
So using magic green masking tape…..to me the finest tape ever contrived other than Scotch 33+ of course. It does not stick so hard it pulls of paint….a really good thing but it also lays out a pretty straight line! So we bag off the frame.
Don’t worry, the new felt section will be glued up… The tape is real close to the frame and splitting the tape makes the corners nice
.Now cut 6 pieces of bagging paper 36×8 ” and tape them around the window like this 
With small triangles tape the corners Like this.
Clean the frames with solvent and sand them to a bite finish……cleanm one more time the lay out a couple of layers of “foof” satin black lawyer based trim paint. Yep, the paint gets on the glass….remember that after the job cleanup? Glass cleans nice….A couple of coats for now to get a good bite. ..
The foof process shows up well on the bedroom window. So one after the next, bag off….clean, sand and foof all 6 windows using the same 6 sections of paper. Big ones first, these bedroom omen next then the door and galley smaller ones
.OK, we have 6 windows….taped off, bagged, cleaned,sanded and foofed 3 coated….1 last coat just before you pull the bags for the next one……..and now the magic………. Using the 3rd coolest tape on the planet…the Orange mask tape is very gentle….won’t even pull off FRESH paint! So now tape off the other side of the window frame to body crack .
That’s the trim black paint you see, look at the inner edge of the green tape now partially painted black…….Now with black RTV is fill that crack, while the access out with one motion all the way around the frame then pull the green and orange tape immediately……dang, I forgot to take pics of doing that……..I was a little busy and here I sit done…..but forgot to take pics for here! Can u believe it! Ill get some pics up later today and hey, watch tomorrow as we go….inside. ..
See ya then and thanks for stopping by….I’ll post window pics later today…
Can’t do anything about tomorrows teaser but man……that was bad bringing Ruby to completion and WHAM…. no pics. So a couple hours sleep and here’s Ruby, side windows finished and sealed..
and here’s a closeup of the refinished and sealed window frame….oh, and that’s the 3000 grit finish on Ruby’s black “Racoon” paint scheme and the ruby red…..and part of the shop!
.See ya tomorrow…..inside Ruby….. .
