Body Skin 2.3 - Spraying up Rear Hatch

Went to The Range (a UK based 'budget' type store) and picked up some more spray cans. Primer and White Satin, not bad at £4.99 each for large cans.
Normally around £7 in DIY stores.

Update, pics of Rear Hatch in grey primer. First coat.

Applied more wood filler to hide screws and panel pin heads. Started scoring and grooving out main body panels! Noticed a difference in the hardboard, its more 'fibery' than the board used for the hatch.

Next I sorted out the rear hatch catch.

Finally, sanded the wood filler smooth and then sprayed a few more coats of grey primer.

Body Skin 2.2 - GROOVES & primer

On my lunchtime I managed to get another two panels 'grooved'. Then at home spent another 2 & a half hour's doing the rest, plus going over the previous grooves and sanding over the skin. Next I re-counter sunk the screws and then used wood filler to fill them in. Once all that was done I mixed up some PVA glue with water and 'painted' it into the grooves (credit for this has to go to Mr A.Strawson). This is soaked into the wood and helps 'seal' the cut groove edges and makes the spray adhere.

Once it was all dried I gave it a light coat of grey primer.

1st coat of primer

Body Skin 2.1 Rear Hatch upgrade - GROOVES

Trimmed the Coin Returns with the Dremel & a file to square off the edges.

Then used P40 resin to fill the gaps I'd made for the hinges.

Once dried, I filed them flat and square.

Also filled in a few of the countersunk screw holes with wood filler.

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Then marked out in pencil, the rest of the rear panels for where the grooves will go.
Then with a steel rule and my trusty Stanley knife, I scored lightly along the lines to create the grooves, next I found a lath tip tool in work with the right width to be able to 'chisel' out the grooves to depth. And carefully scooped them out.


The first attempt is on the Coin Return....... 

This shows the grooves in a poor light 

It just takes off a thin layer of the hardboard to the depth of the score line. The scoreing and 'chiselling' out on these two panels has taken me over half an hour, well, I don't want to rush.
This is going to be a long job lol

Body Skin 2.0 Rear Hatch upgrade

Drilled out area for Power Coupler & Coin Returns, roughly.


Tested the second catch, but it wouldn't let the top of the hatch line up. Probably due to frame/skin/hatch misalignment. So took it off. I did add an inside depth stop. This & the spacer i fitted on the other side, helped with alignment.



I cleaned up the Power Coupler hole in the skin. I then bent up a strip of metal. Marked hole positions & drilled holes for securing to frame & backside of Power Coupler. 

Threading the rear Power Coupler for fixing to metal bracket

Rear Power Coupler fixed in place with the metal bracket

This then makes it easier and gives clear access to the insides of R5...... erm once he's filled up with stuff :)


Next is to do the two Coin Returns.

Body Skin 1.9 Rear Hatch upgrade

bought some catch's and magnetic holders and some angle brackets from Wickes. These are intended for the rear hatch.


Had an idea on how to secure the rear hatch (lol, yeah buy stuff, THEN figure out how to use it!)


I used some blocks out of wood off-cut. Then after smoothing the edges, I drilled & screwed them to the inside edge of the uprights. I then screwed the metal plates onto them. Except I ran out of screws. The ones they came with were a waste of someones time!! Once new screws were bought, they were all screwed into place........... see below Plan B.


This fist idea didn't pan out to well. So went onto plan B. After cutting two small lengths of wood, these were fitted to the lower inside hatch frame. These support the skin. They also now have the catches fitted. The contact clip was screwed to the base.