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Post by atouchofglass on Sept 9, 2008 9:28:11 GMT 10
Well after three days of wirebrush/grinding, rust converting and priming..... Still not finished Why? Rain!!!!!!! Forecast for Cairns Sunday fine.... Monday possibly showers.... Tuesday Showers Reality in Cairns Sunday Showers... Monday Showers in morning and afternoon Tuesday Showers all morning .....  It's under the van so who cares ..... Paint doesn't dry real fast in high humidity..  Slightly uncomfortable with a torrent of water running down your back as you lay upside down on a tarp that catches every drip of water .....  Ah summer is upon us in Far Nth Qld again....  OH for a shed !!!!!!!! Keep going Atog, keep going Hopefully by the end of the week it will be finished .... Let you all know how it is going later in the week Atog The less than impressed with progress on the van |
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Post by atouchofglass on Sept 10, 2008 15:50:51 GMT 10
So now Wednesday is over and the chassis painting is nearly there. Still raining on and off.... me Primed it with Killrust Heavy Duty Primer... an off green stuff that sticks like the proverbial to a blanket All over the hands and other various bits of me..... No worries now though...... It's mostly covered in silverfrost !!!!   ;D Silverfrost..... hasn't been called that in years, - how do I know? Went into a paint store last week to buy a tin of silverfrost.... The young bloke behind the counter had never heard of it.... I gave him a clue when I said it was for the chassis of the caravan... Didn't give him too much information.... He can earn his $1.50 an hour Teach him for being young  After several phone calls to other stores to find this mysterious "Silverfrost" Finally the penny dropped ...... sort of We can sell you this Killrust Aluminium paint .... is that close enough? That will have to do I said ..... bl**dy kids.... Nice enough though .... he gave me a discount... ;D ;D ;D So now there is only the front section and the A frame to paint in "Aluminium" paint Cheers Atog Grumpy old men candidate |
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Post by keelz on Sept 10, 2008 17:21:13 GMT 10
Atog I can sympathise with you, i'm 1/3rd of the way underneath my van at the moment. The rainy weather on weekends doesn't help and it's just too darn cold to be working via floodlight during winter lying on my back on an old blanket working upside down! I've used White Knight rust converter, White knight metal primer (the good red stuff in an oil base) then i'm using White knight water based epoxy, in .... you guessed it..... "ALUMINIUM". The water based tends to get the brush marks in it however the clean-up factor is much easier - my arms, hands, hair and clothes and the brushes are thanking me! Gotta watch out when priming with the red stuff it leaves hair streaks that are hard to wash out!  There must be an easier way!! Unfortunately if you want it done right there is no other option...... If only i had a mechanics hoist and warehouse spare for a few weekends! keep up the good work - i'll share some chassis photos in due course! My chassis repair programme has been interrupted - Latest Sydney weather over last week has uncovered another leak at my corner windows despite recent re-beading works.......DOH! Tarp time again and back up on the ladder next weekend   cheers Keelz |
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Post by millard1399 on Sept 10, 2008 21:58:43 GMT 10
I used a red enamel metal primer (from a smaller independent-named brand) on the Millard and then Aluminium colour Dulux Quit Rust enamel topcoat. The red primer was quite thick but the Dulux paint is thin and runny compared with the normal Dulux enamels you would use around the house. However, the Quit Rust has very good flow, and covers well for such a "thin" paint. Not sure what it's going to be like for wear-and-tear down the track. As you guys mention, painting the chassis is NOT a job I'd like to be doing every few years!! cheers, Al. |
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Post by atouchofglass on Sept 11, 2008 7:10:59 GMT 10
Hey Guys Looks like we all have our work cut out for us.... Glad to know I'm not the only one suffering for the art... The Green primer I'm using is a Metho based stuff... and the Aluminium paint is turps based I've still got green fingers and it's not cause I'm a gardener ;D ;D ;D Best to you both on your chassis painting and leak proofing Well it is now Thursday afternoon and the rain is still at it.... Couldn't beat it so washed the van instead.... I know what you are thinking ... washed the van .... Big Deal.. One of the previous owners thought it a good idea to silicone everything.... including the aluminium strip that runs around the middle of the van .... So from 8am until 3pm it was scrap, wash, sand, wash, etc until the silicone was gone and the aluminium is now lovely and shiny. Being the first anniversary she also got her ...uummm first bath.. Not saying it has been wet here but the roof hatch had lichen growing on it... Looks so much better now ;D ;D ;D Cheers Atog |
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Post by atouchofglass on Sept 11, 2008 16:14:40 GMT 10
The silicone saga removed  Under the aluminium cover strip is rivetted.... no need to drown the poor thing in silicone... it did nothing to help it  The ol' dear looks so much better after a good scrub up   Hope to finish the chassis before the end of the weekend..... But with the rain about .... who knows Cheers Atog |
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Post by mike on Sept 11, 2008 20:11:18 GMT 10
Atog, what a great job on your van. Looks as new! Needed my sunnies to view the photos.
Now, if you're like me, every time you go on a trip, take a can of spray paint (Silverfros?) and just cover anything that looks like it needs it on the A frame and underneath: don't bother to clean it up beforehand (unless its sandy or muddy). I've done this for years. Keeps the van looking good, takes 5 mins. Graffiti vandals don't clean their target walls before painting, and they're quick!
Cheers and beers
Mike
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Post by millard1399 on Sept 11, 2008 22:19:39 GMT 10
Atog, a really, really nice job you've done there, considering you're busting your gut out in all the elements!! You should be rightly proud of the job you've done. You get to be the Class Monitor all next week as your reward! ;D ;D Well done, oh loyal member of the Fibreglass Fraternity!! cheers, Al. |
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Post by atouchofglass on Sept 14, 2008 6:57:38 GMT 10
It's stopped raining Wait Todays Sunday  Brilliant a week off.... 9 days to work on the van and on the last two days ..... it stops raining... Yesterday Her indoors and I took the day off and went for a drive to the Atherton tablelands.. top trip .... love the tablelands And today .... more work on the van Does life get any better??? eeerrr wtf?  You're not well Atog ;D Cheers Atog |
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Post by keelz on Sept 15, 2008 19:33:55 GMT 10
top work removing that Silly-cone stuff Atog! ;D You've inspired me to recommence silicon removal on my van.....everywhere i turn the Silly-cone monster has been with his big smeary thumb of silicon! The olympic is really starting to take shape and after a bath is looking crispy clean I think there should be a new day of the calendar week called "Vanday"... somewhere before Saturday or after Sunday would be fine with me! ;D ;D ;D Now... back to reality.......Where's that pop rivet gun? cheers Keelz |
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Post by atouchofglass on Sept 18, 2008 7:09:06 GMT 10
Hey Keelz Well still got more silicone to remove.. Better than half the windows are siliconed in.... All they needed to do was use a bit of rubber.... total cost to do the lot.... about $70 It now means I've got a couple of days solid work to remove the stuff and fit rubber Very frustrating But I guess I asked for it ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Cheers Atog |
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Post by atouchofglass on Sept 21, 2008 17:03:19 GMT 10
Well here it is .... another weekend come and gone with little to show for it.. Thought the Stainless steel hinges would be ready this weekend and would have them fitted up in no time.... not likely Atog Need a few fine tuning and adjustments before they are ready yet... possibly next week but I'm not holding my breath Finally finished the front shade and fitted it Sunday lunchtime... Repainted, cleaned up the ally edges, removed and fitted new screws were needed .... Doesn't look much so am not posting any photos  OK I lied here is a photo Painted it at night through the week so the bush bees don't try to use it as a landing strip or just roll in it for fun The clip on the left hand front is made of s/steel so I polished it up and fitted it.... Right hand side..... steel.... Someone had replaced it So I threw it away and went and ordered four new clips from caravansplus... The clip and catch total cost each.... under $12.... all stainless steel.... Now that is a bargain... I was going to handmake them!!! Should be about 7days away All I need now is four stays for the front and back shades.... stainless ??.... doubt I'll find that... Had a look at various caravan parts suppliers.... not good The stuff on the market at the moment is pure yuk ..... Guess I'll put on my fabricators hat and start on them.... Along with the hatch hinges.... hmmmm Maybe next week Cheers Atouchofglass |
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Post by atouchofglass on Oct 2, 2008 6:44:26 GMT 10
Time for an update Last weekend was a bit of a slow one so decided it was time to finish off getting rid of the ever present silicone menace Removed the windows that had been siliconed in one by one and replaced the rubbers..... Time to remove silicone per window .... about an hour Time to replace the rubber per window... about ten minutes.. or less.. Seriously folks use rubber made for the window it is easier faster and neater than any silicone job you could do. When the rubber is worn out it takes no time to replace and costs not a lot.. To replace all the rubbers on my 16foot van... under $70... if there was no silicone to remove it would have been about an hour and a half job from start to finish Also replaced a perspex window with glass and the kitchen window cracked while removing it so it was replace with new slightly thicker glass.... (they ran out of 3mm so 4mm went in instead) Polished up some stainless steel fittings that came from caravansplus this week and fitted these to the van Most of the work was Saturday and took Sunday off.... Was getting a little tired of working every weekend on the van Too much of a good thing ;D Hinges still not right had to take them back to the bloke that is making them with some small modifications..... Hopefully this weekend they will be OK and I'll fit them Saturday Photos to follow if they are right Cheers Atog |
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Post by atouchofglass on Oct 8, 2008 6:59:15 GMT 10
For those that are looking for a s/steel niceties try caravansplus bought these clips for $12.00 plus postage... or about that much polished them up and fitted two not too shabby ay?  Cheers Atog |
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Post by keelz on Oct 8, 2008 13:38:41 GMT 10
i like it - they'll last longer than the plastic sliding clip version. yep Caravansplus are a good place for the bits and pieces, they usually deliver stuff really fast in the mail - sometimes overnight to me great service.  |
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Post by atouchofglass on Oct 9, 2008 17:52:29 GMT 10
Remember in September I posted a photo of the side of the Olympic? Same side 4 weeks later   The water tank is back in  And the old dear is now up on stands to keep the tyres round... picture taken before painting the chassis  Cheers Atog |
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Post by millard1399 on Oct 9, 2008 20:22:34 GMT 10
Hi Atog, very pretty picture of the garden. That'd be no good for me because I'd always be "stopping to smell the flowers" Are you the chief gardener as well as the chief van restorer? I reckon the garden shows definite signs of your superior handywork Oh, and whatever that caravan-type thing is beside the garden, that's looking pretty spiffy in the Springtime as well!! ;D ;D cheers, Al. |
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Post by atouchofglass on Oct 9, 2008 22:24:29 GMT 10
Hey Al If you call hack and slash a gardener... than I'm it ;D ;D ;D The other half is the gardener I'm the destroyer... pruner Have clippers will hack ;D ;D Only cut the"yesterday, today and tomorrow" back cause it was scratching against the van The benefits of being rough ...... lovely flowers to smell |
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Post by atouchofglass on Oct 13, 2008 7:01:45 GMT 10
Well another weekend is done and dusted Thought you all might like to see the results of the hinge fiasco After much changing and modifying the hinges look like this   Cost a fair bit but the alternative of rechroming the originals wasn't much different Still need a final polish so most likely won't be fitted until next weekend Poor old van won't know what happened.... The door is currently being held on by a stick proped agained it and the house wall... Has fallen off twice.... so far Atog |
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Post by millard1399 on Oct 13, 2008 20:19:21 GMT 10
Crikey atog, all these shiny bits that are going on your van will give you a severe case of sunburn with the reflection!! You might have to carry a welder's screen around with you so that people don't get flashed in their eyes... Looking real good, mate! cheers, Al. |
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Post by atouchofglass on Oct 18, 2008 17:50:44 GMT 10
Hey everyone Had a few frustrating days this week with the hinges Being new they were close but not exactly the same So had to drill new holes The door fits quite well after many hours of adjusting and fiddling to get it as close as possible Still not finished as it needs to be cleaned up and a line of matrix run around each hinge   Cheers Atog |
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Post by kiwijim on Oct 18, 2008 18:32:43 GMT 10
Hey ATOG, Whose the clever boy then? ? ;D ;D ;D those hinges sure look perrrrrty, it just shows you... an old f##t like me can still learn something new, in all the years of working on caravan repairs (40yrs) I never knew until looking at your photo's that it was possible to get wood worm in fiberglass, " he he he" ( just joking ) "come on Mate" get it finished, the beer is getting warm over here and Summer is just around the corner, don't forget to fit the air-con before you leave kiwijim ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by atouchofglass on Oct 18, 2008 22:24:23 GMT 10
Hey Kiwijim Who's full of .... and wind now his van is finished ;D ;D Also joking ;D ;Dyep they's a littl nown borer of fibreglaaass Usually made by the very common dum-as Full name Dumasdogchit They bore holes into things without thinking Seems my van was a victim of at least one such dumass Some repair resin, undercoat and top coat will eventually cure it Is that an offer to come over to the West? Might just take you up on it in a couple of years After the van is finished and there is a panelvan pulling it Cheers Atog Still working on the van |
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Post by atouchofglass on Nov 16, 2008 7:05:02 GMT 10
Well it's been close on a month since posting anything about the Olympic project (Olympic by name Olympic by proportion)Thought it might be time to give a bit of an update.... So here's some of the recent progress on the van... Or should I say Here's what will be in the van eventually... In the making - tapered backs  These five finished plus five similar but tapered still being done   These two now almost finished  Plus a lot more work to fit them Would have fitted the pantry and wardrobe doors this weekend except ..... Today is clean the yard day So no real progress will be made..... bummer Stay tuned Atog |
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Post by millard1399 on Nov 16, 2008 14:03:19 GMT 10
G'day Atog, are you doing your own joinery??...those lapped joints at the corners of the frames are certainly no amateur job!! Now to the big question from this 'dummy'...What exactly is it that you are making? I can see the tapered frames on the bench, and I can see the doors with the piano hinges, but my brain won't join the two pictures together so I can make out what it will look like. Can you give me a bit more of an explanation please? (...help the Old Fellas out ) Forget about spending time cleaning the yard up. Focus on the van! The first cyclone you guys get up there this Summer will clean the yard up for you!! Your photos you've listed throughout this renovation thread suggest to me that this van will eventually come complete with a Butler and a Maid . Certainly the van looks like it is heading for a definite 5-star rating in fit-out. I can only hope cheap Millards from the poor side of town are welcome for a visit one day... One last thing...who stole the wineglass shaped bits out of your benchtop? cheers, Al. |
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;D 
