So the black finish has set up and I think it looks far better than the grey. So, again, as long as there’s no uproarious outcry, I’ll be going with the black. I think this finish ties the whole project together much better than the grey would have done.

The black goes better with the transformer color and it really complements the various hues in the chassis wood. Also, by serving as a nice separator between the chassis and the Gentian Blue transformers, it keeps the pop of color from detracting from the chassis tones. The whole package just “feels” right in a way that the grey didn’t. But don’t just take my word for it, have a look.

First, here is the chassis and black metal together without the transformer:

And here it is with the transformer:

I think the black is definitely the way to go. There were a couple of finish blemishes which needed to be corrected. I accomplished that shortly after the above pictures were taken. Now the finish needs a couple of days to really set before I start to install the mounted components.

The weather here is fairly warm right now with daily highs of ≈95°F (≈35°C) (my shop seems to stay a little cooler) so the paint should set up well in the next couple of days. I’ll post more as the assembly gets underway.

As always, questions and comments are welcome.