VMC-44 starting to go back together!

[ld26]

nice!, hey Jim what did you use to get the rack clean?

[jholmgren]

Thanks Lonny,
I used Simple Green (...a lot of Simple Green) with a non-scratch (blue) scrub pad for the basic 'de-gunking' and followed that with some 120 grit sandpaper to remove some of the stains and give the surface a key... then a light coat of an acid-etch primer and rustoleum hammertone spray as a topcoat.

Here it is before and after with the door attached.  The outside is still original, I hit it with some SG to clean the worst of it, Flitz to remove some of the oxidized paint and then a light coat of cleaner-wax.   The concept was to leave the outside intact as it is a nice original that shows decently but get the inside clean, arrest any rust and make it safe to use.

Before:


After:


Jim

[ld26]

Awesome, I'm impressed man,  gonna use your method on the inside parts to the pepsi 81 I'm doing, thanks for the tips,

I think it's great that you kept the outside original too

[jholmgren]

It's all done guys!   

Had to finish a few touches tonight.  Somehow after all the parts and pieces I disassembled, I lost the hinge pins     I lost not one other nut or bolt.   A trip to the Home Despot for a piece of 3/8" steel rod and a few minutes with my angle grinder and I've got 2 new hinge pins. 

Also had to make some minor door latch adjustments and install the plexiglass shims I made.

I loaded it up with a case of 8oz Cokes and fired it up.  Went from 78* at 8:30 pm to 32* at 11:00 pm tonight when I got back home.  Runs smooth and quiet.  I am one happy camper.  Thanks all for putting up with my endless updates on this, it was a lot of fun. 

I have all of the photos I took on my website if anyone wants to check them out.
http://littlebluespitfire.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=9846

Here are some final pics:

[tkaz]

Really great job Jim, you got a lot of stuff done on that machine and the real gem was that you documented everything for the future here on SMC.  Now it's time to enjoy it!  I had a similar condition V44 a few years back and sold it as soon as I was done with the refurb, wish I held on to that one a little longer, they are such cool machines.