Old Pond publishing days

Tractor Restoration: paintwork. New DVD advance information

Alan Davies shows how he sets about preparing and spraying a tractor. Hopefully, if you follow his guidance you will be able to reach concourse standard.

Tractor Restoration: paintwork by Alan Davies. Double-DVD set, approx 2 hours 22 minutes. IN STOCK at Old Pond Publishing at £19.95.

The blogs of 26 February 2008 and 24 March 2009 have shown some of the progress on this programme. The work has taken nearly three years.

 Alan Davies shows how he sets about preparing and spraying a tractor. Hopefully, if you follow his guidance you will be able to reach concourse standard.

Alan starts with assessing the problems posed by an individual job and then, after dis-assembly, goes meticulously through preparation. He shows how he repairs light damage to tinwork; how he fills, sands and stops. He uses simple aids so that bonnets and other items can be handled and worked on easily.

Throughout the demonstrations Alan tells you why he is doing jobs in a particular way, drawing on his long experience as a professional restorer.

In Part 2 Alan moves on to the techniques of spraying, starting with the some principles: the spray booth, choice of paints, types of spray gun and how to mix paint. We watch while he cleans and de-greases the tinwork, sprays primer and then flats it down.

Alan goes on to mask an assembled bonnet before applying the colour coats. He gives fault-finding tips and demonstrates how he polishes out minor blemishes. Even when he applies decals Alan has some useful advice for the amateur restorer.

In the last part of the  programme Alan shows how he brings wheels to perfection and deals with the chassis. 

Contents list

Disk 1
Introduction
Panels
  -modifying new panels (brazing-in the correct shaped hole)
  -beating out damage
  -filling
  -stopping

Disk 2. Spraying the panels.
 Wheels and castings.
Spray guns
Paint
Spray booth
Cleaning and degreasing
Spray gun techniques
Mixing primer
Spraying primer - panels
Assembling panels
Colour coat inside/primer outside
Flatting primer
Masking
Mixing colour coat (3M System)
Spraying colour - panels
Spraying small items
Polishing out minor scratches
Decals

Wheels
  -filling
  -stopping
  -flatting primer
  -spraying colour

Chassis
  -cleaning
  -flatting primer
  -spraying colour
 

Peter Boulton's photograph book launch

David Kindred’s book Hadleigh: the portrait of a Suffolk town – the photographs of Peter Boulton was recently launched at Hadleigh library under the auspices of the Idler bookshop.

We were fortunate that members of Peter Boulton’s family were able to attend. In the photograph, from left to right, are Rona Dyer, Nigel Rea, Marie Boulton, Anne and Clare Rea and author David Kindred.  Marie Boulton is Peter’s widow; Anne and Clare are his daughter and grand-daughter.

Rona Dyer worked for Boulton-Hawker Films for forty-eight years when they were based in Hadleigh. Nigel Rea (married to Anne) continues to run Boulton-Hawker Films  with Peter’s son David. B-HF, now based near Stowmarket, is a major supplier of DVD teaching programmes for schools and similar institutions. Nigel also runs Ibis Multimedia.

The new book contains an Appreciation of Peter Boulton by his son David and daughter Anne. An extensive review of the book based on this Appreciation appeared in the East Anglian Daily Times on Saturday 3 October.

More information about this book is in the blog of 5 June. You can buy a copy online at Old Pond.

King poacher, steam railways, Suffolk photos - new books in stock at Old Pond

Now in stock at Old Pond Publishing:

The King of the Norfolk Poachers, Charlotte Paton, hardback £19.95. Details: blog 22 August.

Suffolk Steam Railways, David Kindred, paperback £12.95. Details: blog 5 August.

Bells Beneath the the Sea: photographs of the Suffolk Heritage Coast, Carl White, paperback £19.95. Details: blog 28 August. 

In the Driving Seat - new book advance information

Forty-four years driving for a living have given Alex Heymer a wealth of stories ...

In the Driving Seat by Alex Heymer. Paperback book, 264 pages including 8 pages photographs. ISBN 978-1-905523-96-2. IN STOCK at Old Pond at £9.95.

Alex always wanted to be a driver, like his father, and learned at a very young age. During his national service he drove for the RAF, and then went on to trolleybuses for London Transport. He returned to London Transport later to drive RTs and Routemasters. He has lots of tales about driver shenanigans on the trolleybusus and buses.

Seasonal coach tours were another important part of Alex’s career. With Galleon he took parties to Scotland, Wales and the west of England, entertaining his passengers with light-hearted banter and a few historical facts. Misadventures included a nasty slide off a collapsing road.

For nearly thirty years Alex drove tankers for Gulf Oil. This was a period rich with anecdote including scams, spillages and oil-drenchings. Even in retirement Alex has kept his hand in with casual driving work.

Once a driver always a driver – at least, when you love the profession as much as Alex Heymer does.

Alex with his Dad – and his International truck - outside their house in Stratford, east London, in about 1937.

Alex drove for London Transport when RTs were giving way to Routemasters.

Seasonal coach tours brought Alex a lot of fum - as well as some mishaps. He covered Scotland, Wales and the West of England.

For nearly thirty years Alex drove for Gulf Oil.