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The tailgate coffee table project


maybe i ought to cancel that road trip.

lagunitas makes it
 
UPDATE!


So I ended up having to grind the bolt heads off the back, not a huge deal.

I took some of Gwaii's advice about grinding from his build thread, how if you avoid being in the plane of the grinding wheel you don't need the guard. He was dead on. With a little bit of grinder yoga I barely got hit by any sparks and the grinder was MUCH more maneuverable and able to go where I needed it.

So here's the peekature of what was underneath that cover.


FORD.jpg



This was as far as I got with the paint removal before I was told to stop the noise :D


The bare metal is actually REALLY growing on me. I'm starting to think about maybe leaving the metal on the tailgate bare and then taking the paint off the drawers for the toolboxes to make them match, and leave the case on them black for a little accent.


What do you guys think?
 
Use the holes from the panel for your lights, sand and polish the bare metal. I love the bare metal idea and the black box frames just for a little contrast!
 
This was as far as I got with the paint removal before I was told to stop the noise :D

Who told you to stop? I thought you didn't have a "warden" anymore?

If you keep it bare metal, are you going to coat it with something clear? It might rust if you spill your party punch on it =).
 
Who told you to stop? I thought you didn't have a "warden" anymore?

If you keep it bare metal, are you going to coat it with something clear? It might rust if you spill your party punch on it =).


Clear would definitely be part of the equation if I keep it bare, do I need a special paint that doesn't need primer or something for that?


As far as stopping...I still live with the mother figure since the economy is doing so well.
 
Clear would definitely be part of the equation if I keep it bare, do I need a special paint that doesn't need primer or something for that?


As far as stopping...I still live with the mother figure since the economy is doing so well.

Ah....gotcha! :icon_thumby:
 
Clear would definitely be part of the equation if I keep it bare, do I need a special paint that doesn't need primer or something for that?

clear over bare metal would look great,if you sand the metal in one direction with some 320 it will give it a nice brushed look.an automotive grade clearcoat can be used without priming on that.

it would be hard to get a good pattern around the letters,but if you paint the area around the letters and go metal on the outer section and the letters,that would look cool too.

as for the clear,i'm sure if you have all the prep done and take it to a body shop,they'll spray on a coat for a reasonable price.short of having the facilities to spray it yourself,this would be the best bet-i don't recommend spray paint for this.
 
clear over bare metal would look great,if you sand the metal in one direction with some 320 it will give it a nice brushed look.an automotive grade clearcoat can be used without priming on that.

it would be hard to get a good pattern around the letters,but if you paint the area around the letters and go metal on the outer section and the letters,that would look cool too.

as for the clear,i'm sure if you have all the prep done and take it to a body shop,they'll spray on a coat for a reasonable price.short of having the facilities to spray it yourself,this would be the best bet-i don't recommend spray paint for this.

Thanks for the tip.

I think for the letters I could simply spray the whole lower section they're in and run some sand paper on a block over the top of the letters to get the paint off only the top of them.


That's a neat idea.
 
Clear would definitely be part of the equation if I keep it bare, do I need a special paint that doesn't need primer or something for that?


As far as stopping...I still live with the mother figure since the economy is doing so well.

Use "Klean Strip" metal treat to etch it or self etching primer, also I would have used MAR-HYDE tal-strip II aircraft coating remover and made short work of making the paint go away. All the parts stores should have it i know napa has all this stuff.
 
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I'll give it a try. How caustic is the stuff, something I could use in a cluttered garage with a closed door?
 
I'll give it a try. How caustic is the stuff, something I could use in a cluttered garage with a closed door?

Its pretty caustic i use it alot you need rubber gloves, eye protection and at least some ventilation till you rinse it off. You just brush it on and the paint starts to blister right away.
 
Maybe I can open the garage on a day it isn't snowing or something. Definitely worth a shot.
 
Use the holes from the panel for your lights, sand and polish the bare metal. I love the bare metal idea and the black box frames just for a little contrast!

Holy crap, you responded so fast I didn't even see this post earlier.

Thanks man! :headbang:
 

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