Thanks chaps for the offers and the suggestions - much appreciated but I've decided on Hank Bushes as I have the kit to fit them.
This morning I set too replacing the eight anti-vibration rubber bobbins that secure the main cabinet to the chassis. Originals were 3/8" UNF x 32 mm tall male male. My replacements are M8 20 mm tall and male female. I saw this as a potential advantage when it comes to fitting, but obviously I needed spacers to make up the 12 mm shortfall. I made eight delrin spacers and 'set too'. It was only then that I discovered that five of the eight originals had been screwed into tapped holes in the chassis rather than held by nuts from below - this necessitated not only unscrewing them but lifting the cabinet even further and drilling out the threaded holes to 8 mm clearance. I got there in the end
![:thumbup:](https://madmodder.net/Smileys/default/happy0034.gif)
In the process of replacing the rubber bobbins I also removed the cabinet heater, that actually is a green house heater if I'm not mistaken - it doesn't work but I think it's probably a good idea keeping the cabinet dry so will get a replacement.
Then I wanted to sort out the main output terminals as they were flopping about unfixed at one end, not good with this sort of power behind them
![:bugeye:](https://madmodder.net/Smileys/default/confused0068.gif)
To my horror I then found that they had only been fixed with self tapping screws one of which had pulled out - the cables attached to these terminals are massively heavy and self tappers are in my opinion definitely NOT correct in this situation. I drilled them out, fitted hank bushes and bolted it back securely.
So, no excuse, get ready for painting. A last go over with a wire brush, a bit of masking of things not to be sprayed, and an acceptance that it's not going to be a perfect job, as the more I look the more bits of flaking paint I see !
So a wipe down with a rag soaked in the 'Universal Thinners' that the paint uses, drag the machine out on the fork lift, spread a tarpaulin to limit the mess on the floor, plonk the machine back on bearers and mix up some paint.
This is when things started to go wrong - I pour paint into a mixing cup through a paint filter funnel but this time I succeeded in overbalancing the cup and funnel dropping a fair amount of paint in the process
![:bang:](https://madmodder.net/Smileys/default/BangHead.gif)
Clearing up the mess I started spraying and it went quite well - first gun load of paint went on nicely. Diluting the second batch I messed up somewhere as initially it was far too viscous, and when I added a bit of thinners I went too far in the other direction and ended up with some runs. Still this is only the first coat - at least one more to follow and an opportunity to rub down in between.
Still it definitely looks far 'bluer'
![:clap:](https://madmodder.net/Smileys/default/happy0065.gif)