tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67369129689350643622024-03-12T18:30:45.846-07:00A 1963 Airstream Overlander named MoonrakerA Blog of my restoration (and eventually travel!) of my 1963 Airstream.Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-76657566840368103092017-04-21T14:12:00.001-07:002017-04-21T14:12:20.788-07:00Not just a curtain!I have another post started with a bunch of fun details that are getting knocked off while I wait for cabinets to dry and such, but I thought this item was special enough that it deserved its own post.<br />
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Who'd u thunk that a shower curtain would evolve into a major project? ME! Raising my hand!! Because I don't do ordinary well..... OBVS. Hello, have you caught onto me yet? Yes, I could have thrown up the old shower curtain track, (I can't believe I actually held onto that grungy piece of plastic this long just in case my idea didn't work! You want it? It's yours for shipping....) and I also could have bought a ready made curtain and cut it down. However, I saw this curtain at Anthropologie a year ago and fell in love with it. </div>
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I pinned it ( Pinterest is soooooo evil, it makes me do things....) Here's my version. UGH I wish I had ironed it before I took this pic. Imagine it ironed folks!<br />
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Did I make all those tassels by hand? YEP! I used embroidery thread in the same colors as the pendleton blankets (cause matching counts, LOL). The fabric is just a duck type canvas. I added three rows of horizontal pleats so I'd have something sturdy to attach the tassels to and hide all the knots underneath.</div>
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The shower curtain rod I bent out of 1/2 inch copper pipe. I made a jig like this that followed the curve of the tub.<br />
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The first time I tried to bend the pipe, I filled the it with sand that was a maybe little too coarse and there were some voids (or I got a little too aggressive) and the pipe kinked. DANG!<br />
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The second time I filled it with salt (yes, I washed it out really well after) and it worked like a charm. The pipe actually bent pretty easily. I used <a href="https://www.lowes.com/pd/Cambridge-Resources-Pack-1-2-in-1-2-in-Dia-Copper-Plated-Steel-Bell-Hangers/3736657">copper bell hangers</a> to attach it to the wall . Where it attaches to my copper covered wood bulkhead wall I bolted it through with a fender washer on the other side. Attaching to the fiberglass endcap was a little trickier because I was afraid it would pull out. I ended up epoxying a circle of aluminum to the fiberglass, reinforcing it with a few rivets and then screwing the bell copper hanger through that.<br />
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I thought I might have to extend a support from the ceiling but with the three hangers it seems secure enough. No monkey bar swinging on it but ...<br />
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Rear mount with a 90 degree fitting and a small straight run of pipe<br />
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Front mount bolted thru wall. with a 45 degree fitting and another small straight return<br />
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I tried E6000 glue for the fittings but it didn't work. I then used some Gorilla Glue clear <a href="https://www.lowes.com/pd/GORILLA-Clear-Epoxy-Adhesive/3776015">5 minute epoxy</a> which did the trick! <br />
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The copper hooks were actually fun to make, I built another jig. Drew the basic shape I wanted with a sharpie on a scrap piece of wood, drilled two holes with a forstner bit, added a couple of pieces of a 1/2 inch wood dowel and voila! I bought 8 gauge copper grounding wire from a big box store for the actual hooks. Bolt cutters to cut, and a dremel with a grinding bit to burnish up the ends . Pretty simple and about $5 in materials. <br />
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I even figured out if a hang a few hooks backward they can be used as towel hangers! Sweeeet.<br />
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I liked this shower curtain so much I made a room divider just like it #totallysickofmakingtassels. It's on a spring curtain rod so we can use it to cordon off the bath area or use it up front when I want to read and my husband wants to sleep. I'm kinda a night owl! Yes, my tub is on the bed, its a work in progress, deal with it!<br />
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In other matters, my kitchen cabinet/counter is coming along nicely. And we've started the fresh water plumbing which is beyond exciting. A couple of fast questions for you all. How do I secure the fresh water tank to the floor? I have VERY limited space. <br />
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And where do I put the fresh water campground intake faucet? Point me to your pictures of such. I'm assuming in the back left belly pan area?<br />
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Lots more to come soon I promise! </div>
Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-6674943973709066732017-04-02T17:17:00.001-07:002017-04-02T17:17:57.310-07:00Bathroom Cabinet, check!Some downtime during an April Fool's Day snowstorm has resulted in another post! Good thing for snowstorms or this blog would never get updated!<br />
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Next on the list was the bathroom cabinet. Here's the fame I built out of 1x2 popular and the Kreg jig.<br />
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I wasn't super happy with the how blocky it felt. The original plan was to make the front left edge (next to the tub)<span id="goog_1785897860"></span><span id="goog_1785897861"></span> rounded but unfortunately the tub had a raw fiberglass edge that wouldn't have been covered. Instead I added this detail.<br />
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I'm in love with the rounded toe kick detail, hopefully I can do this on the kitchen cabinet also. All the seams will get covered up when I skin it with 1/4 inch BB.<br />
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The top was templated in luan and then cut with a jigsaw out of 1/2 inch plywood. <br />
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After much debate I centered the sink on the window and the light and blithely ignored the fact that it wouldn't be centered on the cabinet doors beneath. My husband and I disagreed on this but it's one of the perks of being the builder! I get to decide!<br />
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Because I wanted the counter top to appear thicker than it actually was, I ripped 1/2 inch strips off of the same piece of plywood I made the counter top from, and glued them to the front and side edge. Because the corner was rounded I needed to add a little more backing there. Every time I try to make something rounded it ends up adding hours to the plan and execution!!! Pfffffft.<br />
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The counter is covered with the same <a href="http://www.colorcopper.com/rojo-copper-sheet-light-36-gauge.html">copper</a> I used in the shower area. The copper went on using contact cement, thus LOTS of dowels. It actually is very easy to cut using regular scissors. While the company says you can roll out any creases in my experience this didn't really work very well. It definitely is a material that will show some dings and creases. If you bend it over a sharp edge the patina will crack off so I used an 1/8 inch roundover bit in the router to route the side and front edge. The counter surface is certainly not pristine, but in my mind it has charm and character. After installed, I hit it with a few coats of their <a href="http://www.colorcopper.com/copperlac-copper-lacquer-12oz-can-satin-gloss/">Copperlac</a> (lacquer) which dulled it a tiny bit but should improve durability. I did experiment with Minwax laquer but it didn't seem to go on as well as their proprietary product. <br />
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After cutting out the opening, wrapping the sides and stapling underneath.<br />
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The cabinet was covered with 1/4 inch BB (glued and brad nailed) and all the openings and edges trimmed with a flush cut bit in the router.<br />
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Dun dun dun dun duuuuuuuun! Sahhhweet!</div>
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And the finished cabinet........well, minus the doors and shelves. And faucet....Sigh<br />
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I'm getting really excited at being at the point where running water is in sight! Got the water tank in this past week from Vintage trailer supply. Quickly figured out that it should have been one of those things that went in BEFORE the bed. LOL.<br />
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Has anything around here even once gone the way I saw it happening in my head?<br />
(That's rhetorical. Obviously.)<br />
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Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-57089367028335544892017-02-05T12:31:00.000-08:002017-02-05T12:31:06.975-08:00We have TV!This all happened around Thanksgiving last year. I am woefully behind updating this blog but as I am currently stuck home in the middle of an ice storm, I decided that catching up a little would be a good thing! <br />
<br />
I know there are purists out there that turn their noses up at having a television in a vintage rig, but my husband and I LIKE watching movies in the Airstream. We are not content to just play cards or cribbage when the weather won't cooperate, so a TV was on the MUST list. When I built the front cabinet, I even made one bulkhead wall out of 1/2 inch baltic birch (all the other walls are 1/4 inch BB) to provide a more secure, stable mount for the TV. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0066AE4M8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1">This</a> is the TV we bought, it is both 12 volt and 110. It's LED and has both computer input and USB input. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.tvformyrv.com/morryde-tv1-087-extended-arm-articulating-wall-mount/">This</a> is the the MorRyde TV mount we bought which was frankly overkill. It can hold a TV of up to 25 pounds and the one above only weighs 6.61 pounds! However, it was the only one we found that that had an 24 inch reach and a 320 degree swivel that means we can watch it lying in bed....<br />
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from the front recliners....<br />
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and it can even swivel around and be pointed out the curbside window if someone needs to keep track of a certain sporting event! <br />
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We had a bit of an issue with the MorRyde mount. The unit was obviously heavy duty and well made, and the "snick" it makes when it locks into place is sweet....... but for the life of me I couldn't get it level.<br />
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The cabinet was level,<br />
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the TV when latched was level<br />
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<br />
the top of the bracket was level<br />
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but the first arm coming out of the bracket was drastically out of level so over the 24 inches the TV was drooping at least 3/4 of an inch. This wasn't super noticeable to the eye, but it definitely bugged me.<br />
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I was going to just live with it as I figured it was that was the nature of hanging a heavy item off of a long arm.... then I thought maybe I should just call the company and see what they say. I'm happy to report that my experience with this company was phenomenal. I called them and explained the issue I was having and then sent the above photos to their customer service representative..... who spoke English without an accent, and was in the US! And was super nice and understanding to boot!<br />
<br />
He agreed with me that this was not normal, sent me out a new unit very promptly and emailed a free shipping label for me to send this unit back. He sent me emails confirming his actions and offering any additional help. In short, one of the best customer experiences I've ever had! This company stands behind their product 100%.<br />
<br />
The new unit was installed and the issue was fixed. No more sag! I'm looking forward to many cozy nights curled up watching movies. The recliners ROCK!<br />
<br />
As a side note, we mounted it with bolts instead of the included
screws, and used fender washers to spread the load out a little (see the
second picture above).<br />
<br />
I added <a href="http://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/Winegard-Rayzar-Amplified-Antenna-p/vts-021.htm">this</a> antenna from VTS, it seems to work very well. I'm still on the hunt for one of the vintage antennas but for now we have TV!<br />
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And I just have to say this.... GO PATRIOTS!!!!<br />
<br />Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-31245504092692324442016-11-10T15:23:00.000-08:002016-11-10T15:46:57.190-08:00This is what happens.......This is what happens when you decide to downsize, sell the house that
you've lived in for sixteen years.... and have barely a month to pull
it off.<br />
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<br />
I think there were 22 boxes of Airstream related "stuff" that is either waiting to be installed or was supplies. Yikes! <br />
<br />
The summer went by in a blink of an eye! We are temporarily living in an apartment while searching for the next house.<br />
<br />
The good news is that Moonraker
has been relocated to a warehouse where I can actually work on her this
winter. Out of the snow and with heat even! The bad news is all my
stuff is in storage. So an average day of working on Moonraker
consists of four hours of looking for a darn tool/supply and 2 hours of
actually accomplishing something. It's quite evident at this point
that I should have taken the time to label the boxes better. <br />
<br />
Here's Moonraker in her new digs.....<br />
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At
this point I have all three closets built. The cabinets were all built
with 1/4 inch Baltic birch, except for the one panel that will hold the
future TV, that was 1/2 inch Baltic Birch. The face frames are all
maple: 1x2 sides with a 1x6 board at the top and 1x3 board at the
bottom. All assembled with the Kreg jig. The front long outside edges were then routed with a 1/2 inch round over bit.<br />
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<br />
The
old cabinet sides were used as patterns but there was quite a bit of
tweaking to do to get a good fit. I reused the old metal "F" frames but
the 1/4 inch baltic
birch is wider than what Airstream used, and even after widening the f
channel as much as I could I ended up rabbeting a layer or two of the baltic birch off the back edge<br />
<br />
And no they don't have doors yet! Muttering..... <br />
<br />
I wanted the shelving to be adjustable so I used something called a sawtooth shelving system. I purchased it <a href="http://www.sawtoothshelfsystem.com/">here</a>. It looks like this (from their website).<br />
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I
am happy with how it turned out but it was a lot of extra work! And
it meant the shelves had to be cut in a pretty funky pattern!<br />
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<br />
The
side rails with the "teeth" are glued and brad nailed on. The shelf
supports just wedge tightly in place. I was prepared to have to tack
them in place with some double sided tape but surprisingly enough they
stay in place as long as the shelf has something on it. The one time we
traveled with a closet empty everything had tumbled to the floor, thank
goodness I labeled the back of the supports!<br />
<br />
Some close ups of my cabinets. Note that I can even have a shelf in front of the fuse box as it can be removed in seconds.<br />
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<br />
And my favorite part, I used a patinated
copper for the side in the shower area! Love how it goes with the
aqua of the tub. It went on fairly easily with contact cement (ie
with only minor hyperventilating). I still have to figure out what to
trim the top edge of the tub with because I was missing a piece of the
original.<br />
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This
area at the bottom is going to be tricky, I can't rivet it up tight to
the wall, there just isn't that much give in the tub wall, the plan is
to fill it in with some custom cut PVC exterior trim board and then to
cover it with ....well something. Sounds like a stellar plan huh? Well maybe not so stellar, but it IS a plan!<br />
<br />
Other things to see... The cabinet is attached with aluminum brackets
at the top. Kreg jig screws at the bottom.. Solid as a rock.<br />
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Also
managed to finally wire these beauties in. They have the same star
pattern as the sconces up front . They are glass and have to be babied
but sooo worth it!<br />
<br />
Hubby: You mean we have to take those down every time we drive? Are you kidding me?<br />
Me : Yup, but aren't they beautiful?<br />
<br />
Another case of form over function lol! <br />
<br />
Ugggh, that white plastic knob is ugly, need to look for a metal ones! They each have two led bulbs from M4LED ( <a href="http://www.m4products.com/natural-white-dc12-volt-equivalent-to-50w-incandescent-with-samsung-5630-leds/">here ) </a>that
put out a surprising amount of light. I went with the natural light
rather than the warm light. There's enough yellow tones in this trailer
to make Big Bird happy, I didn't need to add more!! <br />
<br />
<br />
It really is nice to have a true workshop, think that can fit into a downsizing plan???????Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-4182747067619472522016-04-30T16:10:00.002-07:002016-04-30T16:10:50.284-07:00Here be dragons....Well it's been winter in New England, so I thought it was time to work on some projects that could be accomplished inside!<br />
<br />
Drapes!<br />
<br />
And that's where the "here be dragons" reference comes in! These drapes kicked my sorry self back to high school! Let me preface this by saying I consider myself an accomplished seamstress. I've made wedding dresses, prom dresses, I've made dresses where my daughter has handed me a picture of an actress wearing a dress and asked me to copy it. I can smock, embroider.. you name it, sewing doesn't scare me, I've even done a houseful of drapes. ..... BUT I've never done a pleated drape, and trust me.... There be dragons.<br />
<br />
My criteria for choosing a style of drape was as follows. <br />
<br />
Pleats not gathers, <br />
I wanted a clean, stream-lined look<br />
Modern, not old fashioned (that ruled out your typical single and triple pleated drapes)<br />
NO rings, as minimal a curtain rod as I could find.<br />
And absolutely NO curtain tracks which I find truly hideous.<br />
<br />
What I settled on was an inverse pleat like this:<br />
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<br />
I think I googled every curtain rod on the planet, I wanted to use a low profile wire system but very few of these exist, and they get lousy reviews about the ability to hold a heavy curtain without sagging. <br />
<br />
After testing several alternatives I settled on <a href="http://www.displays2go.com/P-14401/Angled-Cable-Mount-for-Wall-Application?utm_source=Displays2go&utm_medium=email.ecomm&utm_campaign=Order%20Confirmation%20|%20Purchased%20Items">these</a>. <br />
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They are made to handle artwork (ie heavy duty) and while typically used vertically, I didn't see any reason why they wouldn't work horizontally. Plus they had a tensioner built in so my drapes would be sag free.Cause sag free is important ya know!<br />
<br />
I'm not going into the minutiae of my thought process( you really don't want to get into my mind like that, trust me !) but in order to get these drapes to work I had to figure out how to hang them without using curtain rings. In a typical pleat, the fabric is in front of the rod, in inverse pleats it's behind, so to make the drapes stay close to the wall I installed metal grommets in each pleat.<br />
<br />
I used grommets with 1/2 inch holes on top, 1/4 inch holes on the bottom. The top ones needed to be larger in order to slip over the tensioner so the curtain can be pushed all the way to the sides.<br />
<br />
I'd like to say at this point that I will forever associate these drapes with the 2016 presidential debates..... Also any mistakes I made are wholly attributed to me yelling at the TV when I should have been paying better attention to what I was doing!!<br />
<br />
How the heck did I get this far without showing you the fabric! <br />
<br />
Here it is.... It's Richloom Rave indoor/outdoor fabric in cherry. It's a nice weight with a linen like weave.<br />
https://www.fabric.com/buy/un-817/richloom-solarium-outdoor-rave-cherry<br />
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I ordered 15 yards and used every bit of it! This fabric that was already pre-lined, but not light blocking, so I added blackout lining.<br />
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Here's one big drape that I was starting to mark the pleats on.<br />
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After pleating and installing grommets!<br />
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There's a lot of math that goes into doing pleated drapes! I didn't have any trouble actually sewing them, but figuring out how many pleats would fit on each window and adjusting a few of the pleat depths to make them all the windows look the same was extremely tedious. There's ten pages of this!<br />
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Here's a picture of the curtain grommets on the wire curtain rod.<br />
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And here's some pictures of completed drapes. <br />
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One of the nice things about this style of drape is that it stacks back really compactly for maximum window area.<br />
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On the bottom I used clear elastic cord that attaches to command hooks on either end. This snugs the curtain up to the walls and when the curtains are open you can barely see the cord. Actually, you can barely see it in this picture too!<br />
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For the snaps at all four corners, I found snaps that look like bullet casings!<br />
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I also sewed some of those tiny magnets into the inner edges of the curtains, so when I close them they stay closed!<br />
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I was able to sandwich the magnets between the inner lining and the blackout. <br />
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I even did a snap on cover for the skylight!<br />
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The last step was to "train" the drapes with strips of paper. I stacked them all to one side to do this but the drapes actually open in the middle, and stack back on both sides.<br />
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I also made these duffel bags that get hung under the bed from safety cup hooks. The idea is to be able to pack them in the house and just bring out to Moonraker and clip them in. LOTS of storage space, and they'll double as laundry bags. They actually were kinda fun to do after the drapes! They are lined in vinyl and the bottom is vinyl too. Aqua of course!<br />
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Work will resume shortly on cabinets! We've decided to put our house on the market in a couple a weeks (time to downsize), so I've been busy to get the house ready to go. We've got lots of camping trips planned for this summe,r so I need to get back to work on them!<br />
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Oh, and we ordered two leather recliners for the front of Moonraker . We may not have running water or a stove, but between the beds and the recliners we will be comfy!!Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-3272304560148558502015-11-20T18:00:00.001-08:002015-11-20T18:00:29.755-08:00Beds.....check!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There's no hope of starting this post with some super clever opening line because I just can't wait to show you guys something.... My beds are in! Back to the fifties, rounded corners goodness! Seriously. Just. Love. Them.<br />
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Look at the real estate below!<br />
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Yes, I left out the drawers....stop groaning ...there's a method to my
madness and I absolutely adore the sleek look. Not to mention all the
money I save on knobs! Allows me to splurge on these beauties.<br />
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By the way, that flush pull was a real bear to get in, because of the way it protrudes in the back it requires mortising the block of wood under it. Here's my template. I used a forstner bit to drill the hole and a chisel to square off the top. Lots of extra work, but I like how they look and function. <br />
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Anyway, this is what I started with of the old bed, yep, that's all I reused! The back rail and two sides....<br />
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I used a kreg jig to build my framework mostly out of 1x2's and a few 1x3's. A couple of things I did note ......You really need a corded drill, the battery ones just don't work as well and the kreg holes end up ragged. Second, spend sometime thinking about where you want your holes to end up. My completed frame looks like this.<br />
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See those center three horizontal sections? Well it turns out that the holes lined up with the hinge screws, so I had to fill them all with plugs. Of course I didn't discover this until after the bed was installed ....because I very easily could have flipped them over and screwed them from underneath. But once it was attached to the wall I wasn't taking it off again.<br />
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One last thing, I sprayed the whole frame with Poly to give it some protection. Which in turn makes the wood plugs very difficult to fit in the holes! I didn't think that one through. I did mask off all the surfaces I didn't want to get poly on (because glue won't adhere well to it) At least I remembered that!<br />
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I used birch bender board for the front. The radius on the plywood corners was 4 inches. Would have been tough to go any smaller. I finished the wood first, and that made bending it a little more difficult. Speaking of the finish, I used three coats of Zinsser amber shellac, cut with denatured alcohol (cut 5 parts shellac to two parts alcohol) and finished with three coats of the General Finishes Arm R Seal in gloss). The most time consuming of the whole project was waiting for that Arm R Seal to dry. <br />
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Come to find out that General Finishes don't really recommend using the Arm R Seal over waxed shellac, evidently it can cause adhesion problems. I did contact another person on Airforums (InsideOut) who used this same finish on her 56 Safari. She said they've had no problems and it's been five years so I think I'm okay. I had blue tape all over it with no lifting issues. I might throw on Zinsser Sanding Sealer over the shellac before putting on the Arm R Seal just to be safe on everything else.<br />
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I glued the front on with Titebond III and brad nailed it to the frame. Note to self; ask Santa for more clamps! . Poker sets are heavy but they don't make great clamps.<br />
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Yes, I'm working inside in my Living room, turns out a pool table is an
excellent place to build furniture! In my defense, I did put plastic
down! <br />
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Then the top was routed with a flush bit. <br />
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The tedious award goes to painting all the resulting edges with paint !<br />
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Some other favorite tools for this project:<br />
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I spent a lot of time getting the bed frame square. Love this little <a href="http://www.rockler.com/square-check-for-tape-measures">Doohickey</a>.<br />
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Also, you know when you are brad nailing and you miss the frame because you can't tell where it is? Super Annoying. Well this <a href="http://www.rockler.com/ez-mark-line-cords">little item</a> is great! Basically it's an elastic cord that tells you where you need to nail.<br />
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Can you tell I spent some time in a Rockler store recently? They'd be nice Stocking stuffers!<br />
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So the beds are done right as camping season is over! Anyone got a mattress recommendation ? They are bunk sized, not true twins. At one point, I put a twin size on just to try it out and I'm really happy with how the corners match the mattress corners!<br />
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No more sleeping on the floor, Yippee!!!!<br />
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Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-75952375086545787582015-09-28T18:04:00.000-07:002015-09-28T18:04:20.505-07:00So who wants to see my Zolatone?Well..... You can't , not really.....I mean... it photographs like a Yeti in a blizzard Okay you had to be in Boston for the Blizzard of 2015 to get that reference, but really it does not photograph well. That being said here you are!<br />
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Here's a closeup ... not that it shows up any better lol.<br />
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I like it! Way more than I thought I would. It's color number FLX-0032. Its a creamy yellow with caramel colored specks (they call it cracker crust!) The sample I got from <a href="http://zolatone.com/finishes/#/flex">Zolatone</a> had a lot of darker brown in it, but mine didn't come out exactly like the sample. There's far less brown which is what I was hoping for. It's also way lighter than these photos suggest.<br />
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My experience with Zolatone Flex was very positive. They recommended that bare metal be primed with a good primer. I used Benjamin Moore Fresh Start which I've talked about in my last post. Based on the fact that I was able to prime Moonraker with two coats in just a little under a gallon of primer, I ordered two gallons of the Zolatone basecoat ($27 each) and three gallons of the topcoat $110 each). Which by the way, is way less than the estimated coverage. By Zolatone's coverage estimate, I would have needed more like 5 gallons of the topcoat, for example.<br />
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The basecoat gives the surface its texture and the topcoat gives it the speckled appearance. I was able to do two coats of primer using up 1 2/3rds of the two gallons of base coat. The top coat was supposed to have less coverage and it did, I ended up using 2 3/4 gallons out of the three. I cut it kind of close and I didn't let anything go to waste, taking a spatula to the paint can (really kinda wish I hadn't used my Williams Sonoma spatula, as I had to chuck it, sigh ). And when I say I didn't waste much I mean it .... See?<br />
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I also did not paint the window frames or refrigerator flue (which I still need to build). So to keep my reserved paint for the refrigerator flue, I only did one coat of the topcoat on the wheel wells. So if you are ordering based on my experience, take that into account! <br />
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They send you one specialty foam roller and one sample card. When I ordered my sample cards originally they sent me a large (8x10) sample. I highly recommend you get samples because the colors on my monitor were very different from the real colors looked like. Also spend the money and order a second specialty foam roller. By the time I got through my second top coat, the roller was matting down and I wasn't getting a consistent speckle pattern. <br />
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Other tips?<br />
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TAPE OFF EVERYTHING. This stuff SPLATTERS!!! If you roll slowly you can mitigate some of it. I am an extremely neat painter and figured I didn't need to tape off the electrical wires, that was a mistake. And don't expect to go to a fancy dinner that night. I needed a couple of days for this to wear off, my camera and fitbit are still covered in splatters. <br />
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Also, take out your window screens, paint doesn't clean very well off of them. Yep, the queen of doing it again strikes! Thankfully I only had to re-screen one, before I wised up and removed them.<br />
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Overall though, I am really happy with the paint. Total cost was about $402 plus $68 shipping ( not including the $50 for the Benjamin Moore Primer). I think that's about half what the oil based spray-on Zolatone is, especially if you need to buy/rent a paint sprayer. <br />
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Speaking of which, I recently had a fellow Airstream visitor John (65CV) drop by. He has a true Zolatone finish (that is sprayed on). My impression was that the texture was very similar but my flecks were MUCH more subtle. Here is his Overlander having a reunion with Moonraker!<br />
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Remember my patched section where the refrigerator flue would be? It came out great! The texture really helped hide the patching job...<br />
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I also installed the lights...<br />
Two sconces on either side in the front (if you bid against me on Ebay for these I'm really sorry.....just saying.....) Love the tiny stars!<br />
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These have the LED bulbs from <a href="http://www.m4products.com/natural-white-dc12-volt-equivalent-to-50w-incandescent-with-samsung-5630-leds/">m4products.com</a>. They still honor the discount code from the VAP, (Vap5) will save you five percent. They aren't cheap at $19 a bulb but they won't drain your batteries and they are BRIGHT!<br />
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Overhead light is my favorite! Its casts little starbursts all over the ceiling...<br />
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I did got all my window frames cleaned up and spray painted. I used a hammered copper paint from rustoleum. Copper will be a recurring theme in Moonraker. I'm in love with the warmness of copper, Stay tuned for more on that front!<br />
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Now for the bad news... About a month ago I fell and injured not only my rotator cuff, but my deltoid in my right shoulder. I'd like to say it was doing something daring... like polishing and falling off my Airstream, or getting thrown from my horse, but nope, it was one of those garden variety getting up half asleep in the middle of the night and simply tripping and.... well I went over like a felled tree. <br />
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Xrays, numerous Dr. visits and mucho Physical therapy later..... I'm finally getting some use of my arm back. Thankfully, I'm improving enough that they are saying surgery isn't necessary. I still have very little strength though, can't even hang onto a screwdriver. <br />
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Which means that work on Moonraker is at a standstill. Just when I get to the fun part! <br />
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Meanwhile, I've got a Propride waiting to be installed.... NOT going to happen soon as it weighs a ton. The TPMS system I think I can handle (the little sensors are only a couple of ounces lol) <br />
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Anyway, as I couldn't work on her, we decided it was time to hit the road. We've spent the last couple of weekends at Greenfield State Park (NH), then Salisbury State Park (MA)... This past weekend we headed north to the Loon Mountain Area (NH).<br />
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Sleeping on the floor on mattresses has moved up the beds to the PRIORITY ONE<br />
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list !!! Just got a load of bending birch and Baltic birch.... itching to get started!!!<br />
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Oh, and I went to the Brimfield Antique show and picked up three of these aluminum riveted beauties. They have wooden slides on the bottom and we've been using them to store stuff in the truck bed ! Love them! They even have metal flanges on top (in the corners) so I can stack them or put a piece of wood on top to use as extra seating.<br />
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And one of my favorite pictures from our trips. Finn with the Airstream behind him!<br />
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<br />Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-11020585156723815812015-07-28T18:27:00.000-07:002015-07-28T17:18:03.823-07:00Paint prepPaint prep took forever..... <br />
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I was so eager to get to the Zolatone that I forgot my wheel wells should probably go in first. The plan was just to pull out the wheel wells from storage, give them a good sanding and install. Well you know how plans go..... I started to sand and they smelled awful, that same old "50 year old trailer that was used as a habitrail" kind of smell. Then looking closer, all the rivets had pulled through the fiberglass and there were holes and cracks in more than a couple of spots. Do it once and do it right, Right?<br />
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I stripped the paint off, repaired all the weak areas with fiberglass/ filler (particularly all around the bottom flange) and West System epoxy. Then I even gave the whole thing a coat of epoxy to stiffen it up and seal in any odors. Then I re-attached the aluminum top and sanded it all to prep for paint. <br />
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I installed it using butyl tape to seal it to the wall of the trailer. Of course after I had riveted it all in place, I realized I had never removed the paper backing on the butyl tape! So one of the wheel wells I actually installed twice. GRRRRRR... Then there was the gray water tank inlet (covered in blue tape below) that was blocked by the flange. My trusty rotozip took care of that! <br />
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I also buck riveted the door. I have a awesome hand puller that I was planning on using but of course the rivets were too close to the inner edge so I had break out the compressor and the gun. I have a really nice tungsten bucking bar that I love . Its very heavy and compact. I have small hands and I really hate how so many tools are hard to use because they are too big (like the hand riveters, they KILL my hands!) And yes, I know they make woman sized tools, but pink tools (or god forbid floral , shudder) are not a big fav of mine! Anyway, this <a href="http://www.averytools.com/prodinfo.asp?number=6008">bucking bar</a> is sized right and does an excellent job. <br />
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I also made a patch for the water filler. Back in the day Airstream just pop riveted random strips along side of it to close the gaps, Mine looks a whole lot better! No mice highway here!<br />
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I had this awful area where someone threw up a patch to cover the old refrigerator vent. The holes were very large and if I filled them with rivets it was going to look awful. I opted to patch them all with <a href="http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=21209376&KPID=15899163&kpid=15899163&pla=pla_15899163">Marine-tex</a>. Its a two part epoxy used to patch holes in aluminum boat hulls. It did a great job patching the rivet holes and was surprisingly easy to sand. Which was a good thing because their "sag free" formula was not exactly sag free. <br />
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I promise the next post will be about Zolatone!<br />
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We have managed to have some fun this summer, just back from a week on the Cape, Great fishing - mine was the smallest fish at 21 inches and had to be thrown back so I got to take the picture instead!<br />
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<br />Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com0Hollis, NH 03049, USA42.7272362 -71.59613279999996442.6339602 -71.757494299999962 42.8205122 -71.434771299999966tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-21461664441443551552015-07-01T18:05:00.000-07:002015-07-01T18:05:14.933-07:00Missing me?It's been a while!<br />
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I've been steadily working away on Moonraker, sometimes sidelined by life but c'est la vie!<br />
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Mostly I haven't posted because the things I've been working on are tedious and would make for some very unexciting posts.<br />
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I've
cleaned up and polished the window screens and reinstalled. Used my
old standby, Scotch brite pads and wd40 to clean and polished them with
3m compound. I used solar screening and it's very dark but has the
bonus of keeping some of the heat at bay and should reduce sun fading of
materials. I also stripped all the framing for the windows, Not sure
if I'm painting or polishing those but it's nice to know that I didn't
lose one! That was a heck of a job due to the previous owner gluing
velcro on with gorilla glue to hang the curtains! Then there was the one
that had ancient duct tape all around the edges holding the screening
in place? Seriously dude? not rocket science.....<br />
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This
is the window screen frame that is no longer made. Its got some nice
detail to it. I'm missing a couple so if anyone replaced theirs and
still have the
old ones hanging around I'd love to negotiate a fair price! <br />
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The
big news is the skins are in! There was a lot of fiddly stuff. I
expected having to trim a few panels at the floor because when<a href="http://63overlandermoonraker.blogspot.com/2013/01/for-real-this-time.html"> Colin did the shell off, he noticed it was not square and tweaked i</a><a href="http://t./">t.</a>
But I did not expect to have to trim the bottom of EVERY panel! Plus
there were outlets to be added and holes to patch. I think I put in
(and out ) every lower panel at least three times. I was pretty much
working by myself, so it took me two weeks to get them all back in . <br />
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On to Paint prep:<br />
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I
cleaned everything with Krud Cutter. I sanded all the surfaces with 150
grit and an orbital sander and cleaned again. When I stripped the
panels, I didn't know if I was going to polish or paint them. Paint won
out and I really wish I had sanded them when they were flat!
Hindsight, learn from my mistake!<br />
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Then
painted with a product new to me called Stix. It's a Benjamin Moore
product and claims to stick to glass and slick surfaces (including
aluminum).<br />
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It's cured now and absolutely cannot be scratched off so I'm guessing it will do it's job<br />
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I've finally decided on a paint color. Its <a href="http://www.zolatone.com/finishes/#/flex">Zolatone Flex</a>
paint in color 0032. Its a cream base with lots of caramel
overtones. It's a newer roll on product and has a more subtle fleck
than the original Zolatone. I ordered two gallons of the base and three
of the topcoat. I used a gallon of primer for two coats so hopefully
this will be enough. Cost? roughly $400 for the Zolatone and another
$50 for the primer.<br />
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My hands need a break!<br />
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Oh,
and I added a new accessory to Moonraker! A Silver GMC 2500 Sierra
fresh off the line! A whopping 2900 lbs in Payload which made me do a
happy dance. Pretty sure the dealer thought I was crazy to get so
excited about a door sticker. It's fun to drive but not so easy to
"bang a uey" in it! Or pahk it (sorry, only in Boston!)<br />
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<br />Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-48001067182800532852015-02-14T16:01:00.000-08:002015-02-14T16:01:50.291-08:00Digging out!Yesterday I needed to dig out Moonraker, as we are in the midst of yet another snowstorm with over a foot expected. Next year this trailer is either headed for warmer climates or it's going under cover! <br />
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Another foot and it would be over the windows!<br />
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At least after digging it out, the snowbanks are tall enough that snow shouldn't drift into the Airstream. That's called looking at the bright side LOL...<br />
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This was pretty, until I realized that these ice crystals were INSIDE my trailer!!<br />
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It was a gorgeous day, but bitter cold, How cold? Cold enough that whenever I touched the trailer, my gloves kept sticking to it! Brrrrrrr<br />
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All done for now! Good thing I opted for the manual jack and the higher angle on the axles!<br />
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It's snowing right now with blizzard conditions tonight and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thundersnow">Thundersnow</a> expected!. Yeah, cause we weren't having enough weird weather lately...... Jeezum crow.<br />
<br />Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-86368162335653718402015-02-09T13:30:00.002-08:002015-02-09T13:30:43.829-08:00Got Rust?Well, its no news to anyone that the Northeast is currently having yet another winter storm. This is the third major storm in two weeks including one official blizzard. To add insult to injury the groundhog not only saw his shadow but emerged in the middle of a snowstorm!<br />
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So what's a person to do?<br />
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Snowshoeing works! At least it does if you don't have a eager Border collie that's stepping all over the back of your shoeshoes!<br />
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There's a car under here somewhere....I think.<br />
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<br />Moonraker has seen more than its fair share of snow and because the skins aren't in yet (just the endcaps), we are continuing to remove snow from the roof. It's gotten pretty old, in fact the snow is so deep, just to get out to Moonraker is a major challenge. The snow is mid thigh and that was before the two feet we got yesterday and today! <br />
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As New Englanders are fond of saying.... ya can't get they-ahh from hee-yahhhh.<br />
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There's a bumper under here somewhere....I think.<br />
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Enough about snow! The topic for today is rust!<br />
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I picked up a couple of fixtures on Ebay recently and they were covered with a good coating of rust. <br />
I soaked them in a couple of quarts of water with a few tablespoons of Oxalic Acid,. And they came out beautifully. This isn't really a well known trick, so I thought I'd show you the results here.<br />
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First, this is Oxalic Acid, commonly known as wood bleach. It can be found at any decent hardware store (including the big box ones). I have always used the powdered stuff, but I guess it comes in liquid too. <br />
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I added a couple of tablespoons to a plastic bin of water and soaked the parts for a couple of hours. This isn't an exact science and some people leave really cruddy parts in overnight, I didn't need to do that as this surface rust dissolved pretty fast.<br />
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Before....<br />
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And After....<br />
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How many of you just tilted your head sideways! LOL Sorry about the orientation change!<br />
<br />Okay, if I'm being really honest, if you put your nose right up to it you can still see the remnants of the corrosion/pitting.<br />
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But from a foot away they look great! A little polish with some Wizards, and a coat of Jubilee wax and they are SHINY!<br />
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So go dig out that rusty stove top and clean it up! I'm off to play in the snow with my buddy Finn!<br />
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<br />Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-13668955181828675812015-01-08T12:49:00.002-08:002015-01-08T12:49:53.106-08:00Catch up time!Okay, the solar pre-wire is in, we unjacketed the 6 AWG wire and put it in two separate holes, running it from the refrigerator vent to the front end cap and down. <br />
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The air conditioner drain will be a pex line with sharkbite connectors to make the turns, no it isn't done yet, stop snickering. The holidays were busy and I have the supplies, I just kinda lost them. I refuse to buy those super expensive sharkbite connectors again, so until they surface that project is stalled. Its currently -7 degrees outside, with a windchill of close to -25 degrees. Its difficult to even think about air conditioning!<br />
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In the meantime I thought I'd catch up on other things:<br />
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The two LED wedding cake lights in the back had grounds that I pop riveted to the ribs. I've re-thought that (like nearly every other project I've done so far!) . They are buried in the walls , never to be seen again, so I've reattached them with stainless #8 panhead screws with lock nuts. I even hit them with a bit of Locktite and I'm fairly certainly they won't budge for the next millennium. If they do the ground wires are long enough to pull to the outside of the shell and figure out some sort of outside screw.<br />
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My insulation is complete, but there will be a few adjustments as I put panels in. the insulation was far more time consuming than I thought, especially when you have a helper (<i>not</i>!) like this! <br />
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I have covered all the ribs with 1/32 inch foam tape. This has already made a huge difference. I can touch the ribs where the tape is and it's not cold, the rest of the rib is freezing. I've also noticed when the snow starts to melt, usually where the ribs melts first, leaving this telltale crosshatching, that no longer happens! Is it going to mean a warmer trailer? Who knows... but it was easy and inexpensive. Plus it's a doublesided tape so I can not only rivet my interior panels in but they will be secured by the tape too!<br />
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This is the stuff I used. http://www.findtape.com/product153/Scapa-SR532V-Double-Coated-1-32-Foam-Tape.aspx?idx=0&tid=0. In case the link doesn't work for you, it is Scapa SR532V Double coated 1/32" x3/4"x 72 yards in white. It sells for $16.75 per roll. That's less than 34 dollars to insulate all the ribs! <br />
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A shout out to Capn Tom on Airforums, whom I got the idea from and who kindly sent me his excess tape! It took two rolls to do the Overlander. The only issue I had with using it was that it makes it really hard to find the rivet holes. After applying the tape, I used a bamboo skewer to punch them all out and then marked the holes with a black sharpie so i could match up the holes to the endcap/interior panels holes easier. <br />
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Which leads me to THE BIG NEWS..... which is the endcaps are in! I was really dreading them due to the experience of helping my sister put theirs in . Story found <a href="http://63overlandermoonraker.blogspot.com/2011/07/putting-end-cap-back-in.html"> here</a>, as I remember, it took 5 hours to get one end cap in. But I didn't have the same problems with ours, maybe because I had stripped all the paint off and the fiberglass endcap was surprisingly flexible? The back one went in in literally 15 minutes and I honestly think I could have done it alone!! The front one took a little longer <br />
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But I've jumped ahead in my ADD sort of way. There was alot of work in prepping the endcaps. I've posted previously about how I cut out the shelf in the front endcap. But I also had to do some cutting out and re-fiberglassing of the rear end cap There was this odd shelf protrusion that the light came off of that interfered with the clean curves of the end cap.<br />
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This is the piece I cut out of the back end cap. <br />
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I used a drill to drill holes in then four corners, then a jigsaw to cut the area out.<br />
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I put a piece of heavy plastic (so the West System wouldn't stick) then a piece of prodex taped in place behind it. I braced the whole area from behind with a piece of 4 inch thick foam and a 2x4 to get as close to the contour of the original shell as I could.<br />
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I then patched it with two layers of fiberglass and the <a href="http://www.westsystem.com/ss/205-fast-hardener/">West System fast cure</a> a couple of hours apart. . I then washed it down with water and sanded it to remove the amine blush. I added another layer of epoxy mixed with the <a href="http://www.westsystem.com/ss/410-microlight/">microlite filler beads</a> when the fiberglass had finished curing.<br />
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The completed patch... after lots of sanding. I can't believe I was doing this in my house the week before Christmas!.... but it was too cold outside for the expoxy to properly cure. <br />
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In place!<br />
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I doubt once its painted anyone would know that this is a patch. I keep waffling about the finish of this rear end cap. Originally I wanted to do it in copper, but it turns out that that would be about $4,000 in materials alone. Reality check! LOL <br />
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The truth is that I have this special talent for falling in love with expensive things, a gift for it really!. If you ever need someone to come with you to a store to choose the most expensive item, without looking at price tags, I'm your girl! Strangely enough, I have yet to find a use for this hidden gem of a talent....I did however pass the talent along to my daughter. LOL <br />
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Any hoo, I'll come up with some way to mimic copper, or I'll woodie it like I'm going to do in the front.<br />
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Also, for those who are wondering, this is how much Prodex I have left of two rolls after completing two full layers , I also cut 1 layer of insulation for all the windows to use in extreme cold boondocking that just will pressure fit into all the windows.<br />
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I also chose to insulate directly to the back of the end caps. There was already a layer of foam strips followed by Prodex, followed by more foam board strips on the shell itself..... so this makes two full layers of Prodex with foam strips to hold the insulation away from the shell and between the layers. <br />
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That's all for now, the plan is to try and get the interior skins in this winter/spring....we"ll see how that goes! Stay warm people!Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-23117964664278035972015-01-07T13:43:00.002-08:002015-01-07T13:43:32.821-08:00The devil in the details....Okay, so I have a two final details that need to take place before my skins go in. Our electrician was here last night and gave us the go ahead to proceed! So we are almost ready to cover it all up except for.....<br />
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<b>Solar</b><br />
We are prewiring for solar with #6AWG. The plan is for at least 200 watts in flex panels from AM Solar (assuming the tests Lewster is doing pan out) I know most people go thru the refrigerator vent, but then many people have their batteries in close proximity. My batteries on the other hand are up front under the window. This would require going through three ribs (mostly above the door with frankly HONKIN' big holes. I'm not even sure there is room to grommet after they are drilled because the flange on the rib gets in the way. I suppose I could "unjacket" the wire? I'm nervous about doing these holes in this area as alot of these ribs in the sixties trailers don't go all the way from one side to the other. I did brace the ribs to the stringers but its an inherently weak point in the structure. Here's the area in question<br />
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Alternatively, I could put the wire somewhere near the front astrodome (that would mean drilling through one rib) and running the wire down the endcap. This would require putting a combiner box on the roof and drilling a hole thru the roof :( which makes me hyperventilate.<br />
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I'm thinking the second option is a little better but could be persuaded differently. <br />
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<b>Air conditioner drain</b><br />
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<b> </b>In the unlikely event we ever put an air conditioner on the roof, I'm putting in a drain line just in case. Somewhere on the forum I read it should be 1/2 inch inner diameter. That is a really big hose! If I place it street side leading down to the wheel well if has to go through one rib and 4 stringers. I wish I could draw on these pictures but I don't have a way to do that!! Basically it would be through the stringer at the back of where the fantastic fan now, and then down through the stringers like the black pipe (the water tank vent).<br />
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Is it really necessary for it to be this big? Can I use a smaller tube and adapt it somehow to the tube at the air conditioner? <br />
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All this work for something that will probably never happen! Unless we move to Texas.....and I break my leg and am stuck in the trailer with a cast on.... and the planned air conditioner never works out..... yeah, get the picture? <br />
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So any suggestions? Other than to stop overthinking things and just get the interior skins in!!!!!Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-47963043692447837702014-10-16T15:17:00.000-07:002014-10-16T18:12:09.594-07:00Bug it!This is a leak free workplace. It has proudly been <b>ZERO</b> days since the last incident!<br />
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Yep, well ...yeah, another leak, sigh. A couple weeks back I sealed one long roof seam with Acryl R and the other long roof seam with Tempro 635. Just doing my best for you all in the name of research.... The plan was to check them in the spring to see which held up better.<br />
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Well the Acryl R seam was leaking in at least two areas.... and winter is coming (said in my very best Game of Thrones imitation). So I got up on the roof, removed the Acryl R and used Trempro 635. It rained last night and I was worried about whether it had cured. So I grabbed my camera and when I looked at the roof seam I see this. Ignore the morning dew, concentrate on the seam, this was about 6 inches of it.<br />
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Every mother-loving black fly left in the Northeast committed suicide on my roof seam. LITERALLY hundreds. It was like 40 degrees, there shouldn't have been ANY black flies with 100 miles of my roof!<br />
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Well they better "wear off" cause I'm not doing it again. Just saying.<br />
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Update, well it POURED 2 inches today, think I got this licked, the only thing that leaked was where the wind blew it in the refrigerator roof vent. Might have to think of someway to put a waterproof pan under the frig. <br />
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PS Yes, I checked, the bugs are still there :(Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-18452509946253242402014-10-13T19:36:00.000-07:002014-10-13T19:36:03.647-07:00A Eureka moment!!As in ....we have light! There probably are other things I should write about first, but tonight was very exciting! Peter finally wired the last light (the license plate light) and we have LIGHTS! YIPPEE!<br />
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Proof by picture...<br />
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As in all great epiphanies,there was a lot of work that led up to this moment. Here's Peter wiring in the last light, surrounded by a summers worth of insulation work, rib taping and electrical. And then there was the reworking of all the lights to make them LED, and installing them!<br />
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The batteries are going in the front of the trailer, so this is going to be my 12 volt Power central! The seven way wires come into a junction box. I know the truck would be fused but does anyone also add fuses to the junction box to protect the truck?<br />
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All the teardrop grounds are accessed from outside the trailer. The Stop/tail/turns are grounded to the inside ribs. If need be, I left enough wire so that they could get pulled and an outside ground added if there are issues. <br />
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We still don't have a truck (waiting on seeing the new aluminum Ford trucks) so we used one of these to test it<br />
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And following the instructions on this youtube video on how to test the Bargman plug, I'm sure some of you are snickering about needing instructions...YOU BE QUIET!<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-VYf5MltgI" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr></wbr>v=G-VYf5MltgI</a><br />
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Anyway, I'm as happy as a bird with a french fry! <br />
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On a side note, I found a new product that's really kinda cool, If you notice in the picture of the lights, my license plate light is installed way off to the left on a curved side section of metal. This is because I still intend to put the tire in a continental kit on the back bumper. But I needed a gasket that was bigger on one side than the other, and narrower in the center. Yes, I probably could have built up some buytl tape but I was looking for something a little more elegant. What I found was a moldable gasket material called Versimold.<br />
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This stuff is cool! This is the gap before I had a gasket.<br />
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Basically you mold it, shape it, then cure it in the oven (or with a heat gun) and it becomes a custom gasket. <br />
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The first time I tried to remove it from the light to cure it..... but it got stretched out and didn't fit nicely enough. The second time I left it on the light and put the whole thing in the oven with much better results. Sweet! Best of all I gave it the hose test and no leaks!<br />
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This light is grounded by the screws. But I did manage to find an LED bulb that fits. LED's don't like water but this is sealed in the little glass cylinder so hopefully it will be okay. I used <a href="http://www.led4rv.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=45">this one</a>.</div>
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That's all for now! I love my lights </div>
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Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-67522539287906896282014-09-21T16:19:00.001-07:002014-09-21T16:19:48.078-07:00Endcap reduxA major milestone is looming ( ie getting the skins back in) so it is time to work on the endcaps as they are the first pieces to go in.<br />
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The biggest change is that I despised the molded shelf in the front. To me it looks clunky and way too modern. And since the current plan is having wood end caps it had to go! By the way, all that speckling in the photo is not zolatone, its mold and crud and schmegglies.<br />
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No, I did not make that word up! According to the urban dictionary its a piece of dirt, grime, or grotesqueness that appears on a object or often ones self. I like to use it as a term of endearment, but do that at your own risk!<br />
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Usually I start with hand tools, and progress up the chain of evolution for tools. I like the control I get from hand tools. I started with a coping saw but it didn't fit next to the curved shell, I moved on to a flexible hand saw but the fiberglass was chewing up blades and spitting them out....Should I now confess that I actually first started with a exacto knife ? I was clueless to the relative hardness of old school fiberglass!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sjCUDseQjho/VBGzc8ZD5nI/AAAAAAAACDM/ETl_7BhoMKs/s1600/P1040831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sjCUDseQjho/VBGzc8ZD5nI/AAAAAAAACDM/ETl_7BhoMKs/s1600/P1040831.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a>Okay, onto power tools, my dremel with the right angle attachment and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-561-Multipurpose-Cutting-Bit/dp/B00004UDIB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410446690&sr=8-1&keywords=dremel+561">this bit</a> did an okay job but didn't really have enough power and the bit was bogging down. By this time, my lawn had tools and blades scattered all over it and I was 3 hours into a job that I thought would be 30 minutes top! AND I was maybe only a third of the way done . :(<br />
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Out came the big boy, my rotozip. Another trip to the hardware for a new bit (I think this was my third trip for blades of various types!) Honestly, I think I cut the rest of the shelf off in under 5 minutes! Obviously the right tool for the job, huh.... I used the regular bit for wood and plastic. <br />
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A little trimming with a grinder stone on the dremel and DONE! If I get the time I may patch this up and smooth it over. Or I may just leave it ugly and consider it my motivation to do the wood end cap!<br />
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Then I cleaned and sealed both endcap backs with West system Epoxy,
just like the floors. Unfortunately, no amount of scrubbing was going
to get these clean. I'm happy I took the time to do this because they
no longer have that peculiar pungent pee smell. Go ahead say that ten
times fast I dare ya! <br />
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Then onto the fronts, despite my fears they'd dissolve into a pile of goo, I used Citrastrip to get the paint off. Lots and lots of plastic razorblades later....</div>
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This angry little fellow watched me the whole day....What am I? Squirrel television? Gheesh. It's funny he happily coexists with the large garter snake that lives under my front doorstep. They even use the same tunnels! <br />
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<br />Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-47859175425816098442014-09-16T15:15:00.000-07:002014-09-16T15:15:37.011-07:00Who goes here?I found something really exciting when I was cleaning up the interior wheel wells. Someone had written something on the fiberglass. I've seen other peoples posts about uncovering cool notes and signatures inside the walls of their Airstreams. At one point, I considered taking apart my door because it is often signed by one of the workers....then I came to my senses!<br />
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Anyway, I thought how cool! I finally have something! The trouble was I couldn't read it as they signed the backside of the wheel well and plated over it with a piece of aluminum ,so it was a very faded mirror image I was seeing from underneath . Nothing would do except taking it all apart!!!! So I did! Once I wiped all the grime off I could finally see what it said....wait for it...<br />
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Can you see it? Come a little closer....<br />
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Now? It says "REJECT" Well, that sucks....just saying....<br />
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The search for evidence of her builders continues. I need to think about how to leave my mark for future owners ....<br />
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<br />Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-31324083486349222262014-09-11T15:10:00.000-07:002014-09-11T15:10:56.136-07:00Other little stuffI polished and added two vents to the roof, I think they are quite jaunty and, unlike the originals, these are aluminum, so no rust! I used Eternabond double stick tape as a sealant leaving a gap at the bottom. I also drilled two little holes at the bottom so if any water does builds up it will drain out before it reaches the vent stack. I would have preferred to buck rivet these but as they will likely come out in the future I went with # 8 stainless screws for now.<br />
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I added the Marinco outlet. By the way, I used a rubber gasket that I cut last year turned out it was already cracking so I found this at the local Orange Box store, closed foam seal, fit perfectly, even the screw hole punched in the foam lined up! They also fit perfectly under the wedding cake tail lights. I'll re-purpose the metal plate that came with them.<br />
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Also added the scare light. This area of the trailer has the most corrosion and I thought about adding a custom patch but in the end I left well enough alone. I had a problem with the bottom hole being stripped out so I bought a piece of aluminum stock bar at the Orange box store, drilled a new hole and installed it as a backer to the bad hole with Tempro 635. The scare light itself I bedded in butyl tape and followed up with a seal of Tempro 635. I already installed the LED light upgrade. <br />
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I also got the gaps underneath sealed up and polished the new rubrails from VTS. They are going to add a lot of bling to the trailer! The old ones were mangled, I probably could have fixed them up but took the easy way out. I haven't installed them yet. I don't find it very amusing that right when I get my trailer leak free (said with pinkies crossed) I've got to drill a bunch more holes into the skin!<br />
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I also got all my window hardware cleaned up and reinstalled. I painted them with Rustoleum Hammerite smooth aluminum paint #42205 . They came out SWEET!<br />
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Before and after<br />
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This paint is really cool and durable. Its hard to find though and I had to resort to buying it online. I've also discovered its a perfect match for POR's sterling silver paint that I did the hitch in.. Great for touch ups!<br />
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No leaks again in the trailer DESPITE torrential downpours and a tornado warning. Yep, tornado. Turns out we didn't have an actual tornado but two streets over there was a micro burst with winds of 110 mph an hour. Took down lots of trees and our power. I was more concerned about the hail warning, which never materialized. In the middle of the tornado warning, I'm down in the basement eyeing the leftover roll of Prodex and wondering if I could rig a temporary cover LOL! Or throw myself over those endcaps if need be! <br />
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<br />Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-60421335371683858882014-09-02T18:28:00.003-07:002014-09-02T18:28:55.950-07:00Today was a red letter day!<br />
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A couple of days ago my son and I did some Hillbilly leak testing. Basically, I put him in Moonraker with a shop vacuum hooked up to blow instead of vacuum. I sprayed the outside areas that I suspected with soap and water and sure enough, we had bubbles. <br />
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I recently sealed the two long seams on the roof, as well as hitting every rivet on the endcaps with Captain Tolleys. The worst area was around the jalousie window. I've been fighting this leak by my door for a while. I dug out the new Tremco, and filled it with Acryl -R. It wicked in and appeared to work because today we had a huge rainstorm and I had this. <br />
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Okay, the rain sounds more like static but.......A LEAK FREE trailer!!!!!! For the first time since I've owned her. <br />
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AND that's not all....... I also cut my last piece of insulation today :) <br />
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It was epic..... in Lord of the Rings "Thou Shall Not Pass" kind of way. LOL<br />
Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-49987561438527296762014-08-29T16:23:00.003-07:002014-08-29T16:23:51.560-07:00Blogging about the little stuff..... and playing catch up!Its been nice to finally put some things back on Moonraker!<br />
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<b>New badges, lights and plates</b>:<br />
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I finally ended up using this paint to replicate the original golden frames. It's color number SP404 gold flake.<br />
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It's an automotive paint that got "cured" in the oven at 200 degrees for an hour, we'll see if it ends up being durable or not. I did clearcoat it after it was cured. Of course, I waited to use the oven until my husband was away on a business trip. Don't judge. <br />
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<b>LED lights</b> - They have all been switched out and rewired with closed sealed LED's much like <a href="http://www.airforums.com/forums/f447/vintage-tail-light-blasphemy-52497.html">Reggiemon</a> did on this post. No more worrying about corrosion at the bulb. And being sealed LED's, I'm not going to have to seal the teardrop lights at all. I want water to flow thru, not get trapped behind the light.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x3CVD9d5HN8/U_-BZxHU0sI/AAAAAAAAB-M/G0fHObx_Wzg/s1600/P1040698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x3CVD9d5HN8/U_-BZxHU0sI/AAAAAAAAB-M/G0fHObx_Wzg/s1600/P1040698.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a> What about the wiring hole you say?? Well, that actually worked out really great, I drilled a new hole in the VTS base plate with a step drill and used a grommet that goes on that hole AND the hole on the trailer.<br />
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We've had some really awful rain storms and they don't leak at all. I
will seal the wires with a glob of Eternabond doublestick tape anyway.<br />
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Drilling the hole - You need to have wood underneath because the metal is extremely soft. <br />
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By the way, it won't come as a surprise to you that every hole
was in a different spot. That meant clecoing a teardrop fixture in
place, going in the trailer and tracing the hole, every one by ever luvin'
one. And then labeling them so I knew what goes where.<br />
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<b>A new roof refrigerator vent:</b><br />
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I must say, my hole is a lot less ragged than the one cut by the factory, I used a Harbor Freight hand nibbler.<br />
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I used butyl tape to seat the vent and riveted it in place with closed end pop rivets and covered it with Sikaflex221.<br />
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I used closed end pop rivets on this vent cover too. The vent is aluminum but needed to be cut down as it was too large. I used <a href="http://vintageairstream.com/new-refrigerator-vent/">these instructions</a>.<br />
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By the way, this cover was clearcoated with some uber strong <strike>Martian spit</strike>.... clearcoat, that is! Three applications of Aircraft stripper and I finally broke down and sanded the rest off before I polished it. <br />
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I really didn't want to make something that looked like a patch. Colin Hyde suggested that I open up the rivets at the top seam and the awning rail and slip the patch top and bottom seams underneath. This was a great idea and it really makes the patch less visible. That is, it would be if the patch would hurry up and corrode a little! It's too shiny! Special thanks goes out to Anna, my daughter, for bucking all the rivets with me. I shot it all wet with Trempro 635 (not fun) and she had it dripping down on her in the trailer. This doesn't make a young woman with super expensive highlighted hair happy! Phhhht. Also a shout out to Wayne R, whom I got the refrigerator collar from. Thanks Wayne.<br />
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Only had one moment of high anxiety when I picked up the vent cover to put it up on the roof and realized that I had never test fit it! It would have been really bad if the vent had ended up being even a smidgen longer. As it was, it fit exactly on the 2 foot length of the patch. I have no clue why I never considered this!!!! Some fancy planning of where the rivets could go so they don't land on top of the patch rivets and a near disaster was averted....<br />
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<b>CG Antenna:</b><br />
Installed a new CB radio antenna, I'm planning on putting a mobile CB unit in that can be shared with the truck. Of course the only thing I know about CB's I learned from Smokey and the Bandit! "Snowman, what's your 20?" I don't even have a clue what kind of cable/wire to attach to this antenna!!! I need to figure that out before I put my skins in. <br />
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A Jalousie window makeover. Hand polished frames, new seals , retainer discs, mouse fur.....etc. Honestly this took the better part of a week! <br />
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My sill was completely corroded. This is not dirt, its corrosion!<br />
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So I broke out this bad boy and chucked it in my drill, its a 3m maroon scotch brite sanding disc. These frames are all aluminum so I could get pretty aggressive.<br />
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Not perfect but much much better!<br />
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While the window was time consuming and tedious, the only difficulty I had was inserting the strips of fur on either side of the window. I had just sat down with a pair of scissors thinking that I would have to trim it when I realized the the fur is directional, the fur has to point down if that makes any sense otherwise you can't slip it up from the bottom and past the window panes. Its a very tight fit, but that's good! It means it will be leak free right? Yeah right. I also found one of my more pesky leaks, I thought it was coming from the door seal but it turnd out that it was where all the water from the eyebrow dumps on the window gutter. The area under the gutter was just funneling it into the trailer. Patooey on this design!!!<br />
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<b>Fan:</b><br />
I replaced the fan motor and cleaned up and painted the fan cover. Unfortunately, the springs that hold the cover open outside are broken, I tried finding new ones but am not having any luck, Anyone have a source? <br />
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This is the broken spring. The knob next to it was an trigger for the fan to turn on. I think for now I'm going plug all the holes and rig a way for the door to prop open when I use the stove.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_w1kKt4UHrA/U_-IZcM9-PI/AAAAAAAAB_I/idzdO3SJxoI/s1600/P1040674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_w1kKt4UHrA/U_-IZcM9-PI/AAAAAAAAB_I/idzdO3SJxoI/s1600/P1040674.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
What else? Does wrestling with jurassic weeds count? Look at the size of the root on this monster! I know the picture doesn't give it perspective but it was easily 4 feet long!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3TLUiO4II7Y/U_-cGZy6yfI/AAAAAAAACBE/ekzyc2QApLk/s1600/P1040638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3TLUiO4II7Y/U_-cGZy6yfI/AAAAAAAACBE/ekzyc2QApLk/s1600/P1040638.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Or saving little baby birds? This little guy hit my trailer and I'm proud to say, I scooped him up first and placed him in a safe place before Finn could get at him. THEN I checked for damage to my trailer!!! While I was contemplating how I was going to manage feeding him every four hours into my schedule, he recovered and flew off. Phew!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HALM5sBwmuc/VACEId7_I2I/AAAAAAAACBo/8ehlSb5kVBg/s1600/P1040627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HALM5sBwmuc/VACEId7_I2I/AAAAAAAACBo/8ehlSb5kVBg/s1600/P1040627.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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There's more to come...... trailer related stuff that is...Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-15998235741769287262014-06-30T15:55:00.002-07:002014-08-28T11:53:07.859-07:00Its not that I haven't been working on her.....Its been awhile!<br />
<br />
I have slowly started to put things back on the Airstream, lights, badges, vents and so on, so I can finish with the insulation and move on to wiring. <br />
<br />
I'll post more about the progress, with the obligatory photos to prove it, but for now I need a little help!<br />
<br />
One of the things I've been doing is putting back on the chimney vent that some previous owner took off. They did a really awful patch job on it, using huge pop rivets. Don't worry, they compensated for the pop rivets by using plenty of sealant. Ugh<br />
<br />
How bad you say? This bad.... think it leaked? Yep.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ts4Z1PsPJbw/U7Gy8NB02BI/AAAAAAAAB8U/fRebp2aa_xQ/s1600/P1040686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ts4Z1PsPJbw/U7Gy8NB02BI/AAAAAAAAB8U/fRebp2aa_xQ/s1600/P1040686.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
This is AFTER all the sealant has been removed (at least 4 different types because one is never enough). There's a boatload of discoloration.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YwkYL6aZ3q0/U7Gy7yXjmOI/AAAAAAAAB8Q/Shps-2jjjLs/s1600/P1040691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YwkYL6aZ3q0/U7Gy7yXjmOI/AAAAAAAAB8Q/Shps-2jjjLs/s1600/P1040691.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I haven't tried to polish it yet (because we are in the midst of our one week a year that we get 90 degree weather) but even assuming I can get a decent enough finish on it, there are still about 30 holes from the previous job .<br />
<br />
The holes aren't your standard 1/8 inch or 5/32. They are just a hair under 1/4 inch, and in two places (bottom right and left) they are two holes really close together. The only thing I can think of to do there would be to put one flush rivet in and a normal one. Of course I don't have what I need to do a flush rivet either. <br />
<br />
So my choices are to try and fill the holes with something, or put another patch up there. I was leaning toward a patch but the thought of having to make it even bigger and put a whole bunch more holes up there is making me hyperventilate. Plus call me vain but I want a patch free trailer! Sheepishly, yes I know it's on the roof.....<br />
<br />
The inside skins are off so I could probably use 1/4 inch olympics and seal from the back.....<br />
<br />
Any other idea's/opinions? <br />
<br />
The good news is I've cleaned up an old vent collar and cut down an aluminum vent cover for this. I'm excited to get this looking the way it should!Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-51698752589802522002013-11-18T15:15:00.000-08:002013-11-25T16:36:33.721-08:00Another maxim success<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Well the Maxim Skylight is in!<br />
<br />
A while ago on the Airforums there was this <a href="http://www.airforums.com/forums/f455/step-by-step-replacing-oem-skylights-with-new-custom-maxim-skylights-53517.html">thread</a> about a residential/commercial company (Maxim) that would make a custom skylight to your specifications. They obviously have found Airstreams to be a niche market because they now have a page devoted to Airstream Skylights. <br />
<br />
Many of the newer model Airstreams have converted their skylights to maxims but I only found mention of one other vintage rig, so I was a little concerned about how this was going to work. <br />
<br />
I wanted to replace the Astrodome in the front with a Maxim. There are reproduction Astrodomes made, but I was missing the Ladeaux lifters and knobs (known unobtainium) so going back to what was there originally wasn't feasible. I've seen the knobs alone go for $50 on ebay, much less the lifter. I will lose the abilty to open the Astrodome but with the two Fantastic fans creating the equilavent of a wind tunnel, I doubt I'll miss it.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1uqjdTH0Edg/Uok6uCxubEI/AAAAAAAAB3E/RZHiXuqrceE/s1600/P1040192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1uqjdTH0Edg/Uok6uCxubEI/AAAAAAAAB3E/RZHiXuqrceE/s320/P1040192.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
This is what I started with! <br />
<br />
This masqueraded as an Astrodome. I think it's a
window off a seventies Airstream. If you can identify it and want
it, it's yours for the shipping.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
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<br />
The maxim is custom made so it was necessary to remove the old skylight to take accurate measurements. My skylight frame happened to squared up (or rectangled up?) but it's possible that the frame could be bowed out in the center or out of square so I took take measurements in a few different places. I was concerned about the top of the frame having a channel. Late model Airstream's are flat there and somewhat wider. With the<a href="http://maximskylights.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/MODEL-AIRSTREAM-Curb-Mount-Approval-Detail.pdf"> design of the skylight</a> it was a non issue.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vDQesUSYFsU/UokxZ0nCGgI/AAAAAAAAB2k/f52XSfknm_Y/s1600/P1040122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vDQesUSYFsU/UokxZ0nCGgI/AAAAAAAAB2k/f52XSfknm_Y/s200/P1040122.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
I called and gave them the actual measurements. They build in a fudge factor of 3/4 inch so you have a gap all the way around. My actual measurements were 13.875 by 25 inches and the skylight they made for me was 14.625 by 25.75.inches.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nsRLFrk3gV8/UokxWQbvQHI/AAAAAAAAB2c/tdPVawC73XI/s1600/P1040124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nsRLFrk3gV8/UokxWQbvQHI/AAAAAAAAB2c/tdPVawC73XI/s200/P1040124.JPG" width="200" /></a> I chose all three layers domed and clear, and a mill finish frame. Just over $200 including shipping. The genius about these skylights is that they screw into your original frame from the side! Much less likely to leak.<br />
<br />
I found the <a href="http://maximskylights.com/products/airstream-skylights/">Maxin Company</a>
to be simply amazing to work with. There was a slight hiccup in the
process when they got my order wrong. They cheerfully admitted the
mistake and had the correct skylight made and sent the next day. <br />
<br />
And they are very strong, try doing this to a regular astrodome! <br />
(Okay guys, this is a gratuitous use of two pretty girls trying to break a maxim skylight. This is as good as this post is going to get so if you stop reading after watching this I understand! Totally....just saying....)<br />
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Go ahead click , I'll wait....</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nxm47Rx_1Q">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nxm47Rx_1Q</a><br />
<br />
Anyway, this is what the skylight looked like during the test fit<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pFZ7h4iiBzE/Uok-NIO6gJI/AAAAAAAAB3U/T2lYnOB53H4/s1600/P1040235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pFZ7h4iiBzE/Uok-NIO6gJI/AAAAAAAAB3U/T2lYnOB53H4/s320/P1040235.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Jut like the Fantastic Fans the hardest part by far was getting all the old sealant off!<br />
<br />
I installed with #10 hex head stainless sheet metal screws. Make sure you deburr the holes on the skylight, a few of mine needed it. Otherwise the screw won't tighten up. The skylight frame comes pre-drilled (and without hardware).<br />
<br />
When I test fitted the skylight I predrilled the holes into the original framing because I wanted to be sure that the skylight was centered on the inside. The predrilled holes on the skylight are too low to use a drill to transfer the holes to the original frame, so I chucked a bit into my dremel and used that. <br />
<br />
Then I used a trebled up piece of Eternabond double stick tape and put a piece of the alumibond over that (just so the skylight wouldn't stick when I test fitted it. When the screw goes through the doublestick it will seal itself. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_AUvfQ-HSEk/Uok6aRmOgSI/AAAAAAAAB24/8hViVlf-n-A/s1600/P1040250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_AUvfQ-HSEk/Uok6aRmOgSI/AAAAAAAAB24/8hViVlf-n-A/s320/P1040250.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I did use Tremco 635 on the exterior of the screws. Here's the finished product. Quite a bit better looking than when I started!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R3Tddi4kN1s/Uok-Mnp36WI/AAAAAAAAB3Y/eNOCfeBsTGQ/s1600/P1040251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R3Tddi4kN1s/Uok-Mnp36WI/AAAAAAAAB3Y/eNOCfeBsTGQ/s320/P1040251.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's been leak free through several rainstorms. I'm going to have to fabricate some kind of trim because the screws are visible from the inside of the Airstream. Late model Airstreams have a trim piece that will cover it, but the vintage rigs don't.The view from below.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w8NX9PjXl60/UoqZhCzJrbI/AAAAAAAAB34/jkaz00r5_gY/s1600/P1040352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w8NX9PjXl60/UoqZhCzJrbI/AAAAAAAAB34/jkaz00r5_gY/s320/P1040352.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Guess whats next? <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dXlUk5WI5hE/UolBCacLyMI/AAAAAAAAB3o/neChN5ue84g/s1600/P1040200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dXlUk5WI5hE/UolBCacLyMI/AAAAAAAAB3o/neChN5ue84g/s320/P1040200.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-10631947594173837102013-10-30T15:52:00.003-07:002013-10-30T15:52:49.426-07:00We have roof closure...We had a stretch of good weather lately and it was finally time to
tackle the Fantastic fans that have sitting on my dining room since
Spring.<br />
<br />
This is what I started with, this hole was originally the air conditioner which was one of the first things tossed.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NwWf7QsAWL4/UmwnXQvbJUI/AAAAAAAABxg/L7PWQUj_tSk/s1600/P1040083.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NwWf7QsAWL4/UmwnXQvbJUI/AAAAAAAABxg/L7PWQUj_tSk/s320/P1040083.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
A little closer<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eBJhicyQFG4/Umwns_wdxyI/AAAAAAAABxo/6OC9z-ZtGsY/s1600/P1040084.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eBJhicyQFG4/Umwns_wdxyI/AAAAAAAABxo/6OC9z-ZtGsY/s320/P1040084.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
A little closer still.....<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t6tGYZcsmPo/Um_k67AgWsI/AAAAAAAAB0s/i4MKlhkfsew/s1600/P1040084.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t6tGYZcsmPo/Um_k67AgWsI/AAAAAAAAB0s/i4MKlhkfsew/s320/P1040084.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I obviously can't be trusted with a zoom!</div>
<br />
I've
read other blogs where they have completed this project in a couple of
hours (while holding a beer in one hand no less!). That was not my
experience. I spent almost 5 hours the first day just removing
sealant, silicone and some type of martian spit, I guess. I used
aluminum oxide abrasive wheels, brass brushes and such. Lots of plastic
scrapers/razorblades and fingernails, did I mention fingernails? Mine
look like they've been chewed on by a beaver.<br />
<br />
I did
it from the inside, perched on the top of a ladder for so long that my
feet went numb and the next day I had a narrow bruise that ran all the
way around my rib cage from the edges. THAT was my experience! And I
had the good fortune to repeat it later in the week! Lucky, lucky me!
Note to universe; I would just like <b>one</b> project on Moonraker to go easier than I think it will!<br />
<br />
This is were I was after 5 hours and a good cleaning with acetone. You can see where I marked it for cutting. The hole needs to be a little bigger for the Fantastic fan. I just used aviation snips to cut it and then rounded the inside corners with a small round file. And hyperventilated while doing it! Nothing scarier than cutting into the skin!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FZHAsCB2xGo/Umwp7YQWnLI/AAAAAAAABys/kzKPjknQSSI/s1600/P1040090.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FZHAsCB2xGo/Umwp7YQWnLI/AAAAAAAABys/kzKPjknQSSI/s640/P1040090.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I used <a href="http://www.bestmaterials.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=1033">Eternabond doublestick tape</a>
for the seal between the roof and fan. I then went around the whole
perimeter with Tempro 635, this was because I was concerned the sharp
edge of the flange would create a stress point. Then I used Eternabond
tape (actually the 4 inch <a href="http://www.bestmaterials.com/detail.aspx?ID=14790">Alumibond</a>, that has a shiny foil surface) on top of the flange and roof . I pre-drilled holes with a 1/8 inch bit for the screws. <br />
<br />
I
guess its the OCD in me but in my mind this makes for a much cleaner
looking installation and no little piles of white doggie poo (aka
Tempro) on the roof of my Airstream. It will also be much easier to
inspect for leaks, and if it starts to lift I can repair it. <br />
<br />
I did the two installations slightly differently.<br />
<br />
The
middle one I used 1 inch #8 SS pan head screws and washers like
recommended by Colin Hyde. Unfortunately, that made it harder to use
the roller to get the Eternabond tape down. Kinda key because pressure
is what activates the glue in Eternabond. On the rear installation I
used stainless steel machine screws this left a smooth surface on the
flange of the fantastic fan that was much easier to roll. I'll check
back and tell you what works better! <br />
<br />
There was no
rain in the forecast but immediately after I installed the first one
with just the doublestick and screws, it POURED, and kept pouring. I
was amazed that even without the Trempro and Alumibond tape that the
installation was leak free! I'm hoping these will remain leakfree for
many years to come! <br />
<br />
A couple of notes if you haven't
installed yours yet, make sure you do a dry fit to see if the Fantastic
lays flat on the roof. I doubled up on the doublestick tape in the one
area because the roof starts to slope down by the end cap. I had a much
bigger gap in the back than the front. In retrospect, I wish I had
trebled it. I ended up using a rope of the doublestick to fill in the
gap. <br />
<br />
Also, on the second go around, I drilled out
the original fan housing , pried it off the roof, then I painted on
Citrastrip, covered it in plastic and left it overnight. It turned a
five hour job into a two hour job. Got up the martian spit nicely! Of
course nothing really touches the silicone, but I think it even helped
there. So if you have the time to let Citrastrip do its job I highly
recommend it! <br />
<br />
I used acetone to clean the roof really
well before I taped it. Don't get it anywhere near the fantastic fan
though because it will dissolve the plastic (ask me how I know....)
Use mineral spirits for cleanup instead!<br />
<br />
Finished Installation. :)<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YFts92VbeFs/Um_qHzQtagI/AAAAAAAAB1I/Nt_jXLobvuo/s1600/P1040189.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YFts92VbeFs/Um_qHzQtagI/AAAAAAAAB1I/Nt_jXLobvuo/s320/P1040189.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And look what arrived in the mail! Just in time to plug the other large hole in the roof! Any guesses?<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lc1oGwkFgUs/Um_qElBaWEI/AAAAAAAAB08/5ofps5rk_wQ/s1600/P1040230.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lc1oGwkFgUs/Um_qElBaWEI/AAAAAAAAB08/5ofps5rk_wQ/s320/P1040230.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-82139888443255027712013-09-27T15:43:00.000-07:002013-09-27T18:33:31.135-07:00windows, windows windows!If you've ever thought about painting the interior trim to your windows DON'T! Because eventually the paint will start to peel and then you'll have to remove it, or do what a previous owner did, just paint another layer!!<br />
<br />
Do you know how many hours it takes to get from here....<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jQ1rwAcWk-Y/UkIphJVh3nI/AAAAAAAABts/ZMv70bMawHs/s1600/P1030770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jQ1rwAcWk-Y/UkIphJVh3nI/AAAAAAAABts/ZMv70bMawHs/s320/P1030770.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
to here??<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TIQ8aocK8-w/UkIrmDedvVI/AAAAAAAABu8/sIHXX2g9Nyg/s1600/P1030848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TIQ8aocK8-w/UkIrmDedvVI/AAAAAAAABu8/sIHXX2g9Nyg/s320/P1030848.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Lots. With lots of Citrastrip, wooden popsicle sticks, and gray scotch brite....and swearing...and swearing holding a wineglass in one hand and an icepack in the other because your hands are in spasms. Seriously, put away the paintbrush.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PADMBD7LOZ0/UkDq3sj2-PI/AAAAAAAABsA/WGhr4wr8X2o/s1600/P1040059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PADMBD7LOZ0/UkDq3sj2-PI/AAAAAAAABsA/WGhr4wr8X2o/s320/P1040059.JPG" width="240" /></a>Here's what lurks beneath when you use a lot of silicone in the attempt to seal the window.<br />
<br />
Ugly huh? The water was trapped against the skin and the result was significant corrosion.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2qMtzhkxsN0/UkDq8CVrtNI/AAAAAAAABsI/YjC58HhEbeU/s1600/P1040060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2qMtzhkxsN0/UkDq8CVrtNI/AAAAAAAABsI/YjC58HhEbeU/s320/P1040060.JPG" width="320" /></a>With a lot of elbow grease it can get better but won't ever go away.<br />
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I was going to write this post on how to restore your windows, but better people than I have already done this. See here for a few threads:<br />
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http://frankstrailerworksblog.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html<br />
http://vintageairstream.com/window-repair-1954-1958/<br />
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So instead I'm going to do a handy hints post! How to do it right the first time and tips/tools that help the process go smoother.<b><i> Including</i></b> how to get that pesky window spacer back in!<br />
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Going into this I foolishly estimated a day a window. In reality, I averaged about 14 hours a window. I'd like to say this job is completely finished (and it's true all seven windows are in and leak free) but I still have strip and clean all the hardware, so I can't say that this job is done..... hold on while I go breathe into a paper bag!! It would be nice to cross one big job off my list but I'm putting the hardware aside to do this winter.<br />
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In no particular order here are my tips! <br />
<ul>
<li>Set screws Above each window in the middle is a set screw. You'll probably have to bend the drip rail up to access it. It holds a little plastic piece in place that stops the window from sliding left or right. This is important because if you try to close the window when it is not aligned you will bend the upper hinge. Not a good thing trust me! The plastic piece I'll get to later but the set screw removal is easy once you know the trick! Place a flat edged screwdriver at a 90 degree angle to the head, whack it a good one, do the same on the other side. Clean out the set screw head <b>really well</b> with a dental pick, if it's really rusty it helps to use a liitle sandpaper on the head to be able to see where the threads are. Use a Phillips head screwdriver that fits VERY WELL and deep. Keep trying different screwdrivers until you have one that fits. Don't use one that doesn't fit, don't even attempt it because you will strip the screw so fast......... slowly back the screw out, once it gets started you are home free and can switch over to needle nose pliers if necessary. If your first try doesn't budge it, hit it a few more times with the hammer and screwdriver. It is crucial to break the rusty bond. The first window I worked on the screw for three days with PBblaster and such before a forums member sent me the above tip (Thanks Scott G!) By the way, this tip works equally as well on the screws holding the window hardware on. Unless they are painted like mine were, then its best to strip the paint as much as possible first. Its amazing how much a little paint can "glue" those screws in place. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>When you are trying to get the window lifter out it helps to cut the plastic thingy in the track and then reach in with a pick and pull out the small spring, then you can just wiggle the arm out. This is the plastic piece after I removed the arm.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Plan carefully on how you want the window to slide out. Otherwise you'll end up with one of these . On the new aluminum panel no less! Grrrrrr The curvature of the trailer was just enough that the window grazed it while I was sliding it out. Don't forget to catch the little plastic piece that drop out when you pass the halfway mark!</li>
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<ul>
<li>Glass - I ordered the first window with 3/32 (single strength) glass because that's what the forum said was original. Well, that glass is THIN, so thin it bends in a stiff breeze. And when I compared it to what was original it was definitely thinner! I reordered in 1/8 inch (double strength) and was much happier. Glad I ordered one as a test! </li>
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<li> Tempered Glass - I ordered the large front and back windows in tempered thinking that these were the most likely to break. When the glass shop has them tempered they put a "mark" on them to signify it. I positioned it in the upper left corner and it is hardly noticeable. If this "mark" is going to bug you then you can request that they leave it off. I forgot and thankfully the mark was very faint.</li>
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<li>Cleaning up the window frames and the back frames is tedious, tedious, tedious. I tried lots of different methods, once I got sick of sandpaper that is Anyway, frankly sandpaper wasn't working great anyway, I ended up using 3m maroon scotchbrite and WD40, followed by the gray scotchbrite pads and wd40. Way easier, less steps and very good results. I used truck box polish from the big blue box store to hand polish the frames. Yes, I said hand polish! With all the nooks and crannies I found that I was getting better results by hand. Note, these frames are aluminum extrusions, I'd be very hesitant to use scotchbright on alclad. </li>
</ul>
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See how corroded it is to the left? The right side was cleaned up using scotchbrite and wd40 for just a minute or so. Lots more to go<br />
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<ul>
<li> Putting in the gray rubber trim into the window back frame. The flange
on the bulb trim is longer on one side than the other. The short side
goes to the back. I know VTS recommends you put the short side in first
and push in the front, I found it way easier to put the front side in
first and push the short side in the back with a small screwdriver.
Position the beginning at the middle of the top under the drip rail.
Where the two ends meet I cut a small piece of tube off, slit it
horizontally, rolled it up and used it to join the ends (just slide it inside).
Makes a neater and leak free junction. Here's it cut off and rolled up,
ready to insert into the ends of your window trim. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Its not necessary to break the glass out into a million pieces that you then have to chase around cleaning up (unless that kind of thing is enjoyable for you, that is!) I set the frame out in the sun to get good and hot, and was able to use a putty knife to pry the glass away from the frame pretty easily. A heat gun will do the same thing, Heat is the secret!</li>
</ul>
<ul><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vHEfWQJwBD4/UkIqr04Ya8I/AAAAAAAABuU/2sVHTuMTlRY/s1600/P1030811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vHEfWQJwBD4/UkIqr04Ya8I/AAAAAAAABuU/2sVHTuMTlRY/s320/P1030811.JPG" width="320" /></a>
<li> The Butyl tape is positioned on its paper so that if you line up the edge and put it directly on the outer most edge of the channel it will be aligned perfectly, I used a small popsicle stick to run down the edge and fits in the track perfectly. Accept the fact that you will make a mistake and drop a piece of glass in wrong, it's gonna happen. The good news is that you get to play with the wrecked butyl tape. Anyone remember Gumby?</li>
</ul>
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OH NO Mr. Bill!<br />
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<ul>
<li>Window trim. By far the hardest thing is to cut the corners of the gray window trim so they fit well, look nice and are leak proof.</li>
</ul>
ORDER EXTRA! I ordered two extra pieces which I bungled early on - so basically I had to hold my breath for the last two windows and hope I didn't screw up! <br />
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I used a woodworkers trick for cutting the trim called coping instead of simply mitering the joint (cutting on a diagonal).<br />
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First lay your window frame so the top is up. At this point make sure that track that the gray molding pops into is ABSOLUTELY spotless and clean from debris. The bottom piece goes in first and that is butt cut (90 degrees) on both sides leaving a little gap for the side piece to fit into.<br />
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The side pieces are coped at the bottom. This will allow water to shed rather than penetrate the joint. <br />
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I measured by popping the gray molding into the track an inch or so away and sliding it down into the corner, you can do this a quite a few times. Just be careful not to twist the molding too much ( I soooo should have videoed this..... Sorry!) Once you have cut the angle right pop it out one last time and back bevel the edge (using a razor blade shave the diagonal at a 45 degree angle). This will allow the side piece to lie flat on the bottom piece and create a really nice tight joint. Put a dollop of a clear sealant (I like Lexol) in the corner on the bottom gray molding and one last time pop the molding into the track an inch away and slide it down into place.<br />
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I had good pictures of all of this but they've taken a walkabout on my computer! Here's a picture of the top edge and a coped joint.<br />
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See the space I left at the top in order to slide the mitered piece into place?<br />
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Here's where I back beveled it with a razor blade..<br />
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Continue popping the track into place toward the upper corner when you get close trim the end at 90 degress and don't forget to leave a small space at the top for the top piece, I tried a bunch of different tools to pop the molding into the track. If you press too hard you'll get white spots so be careful! <br />
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In the end I found the perfect tool, big enough to get leverage with, and the black rubber triangular end really gripped against the molding. It's a tool used to grout! Hopefully you've got one lying around.!<br />
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<img class="rg_i" data-src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSVjxDN7jNIMUaKJti5N8ri9trXfmD6wXpWUph1y43pf7HgaQEzbQ" data-sz="f" name="jVp6c9rkLokCRM:" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSVjxDN7jNIMUaKJti5N8ri9trXfmD6wXpWUph1y43pf7HgaQEzbQ" style="height: 160px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 160px;" /><br />
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Once you've got both side pieces in, its time to do the top! This is by far the hardest because BOTH ends need coping. Cope one side, then measure carefully and cope the other. It doesn't matter which end you start with.<br />
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They sure do look nice when they are done!<br />
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Because I managed to lose the photos here's a mock up of how the trim is cut (in miniature!) Cutting it this way makes the joints far less likely to leak.<br />
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That's all I got folk! Oh yeah, one more, I promised you the secret of how to get these in, right? These are the little plastic pieces that the set screw goes through in the center of the top of the window.<br />
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Well, I spent the first dozen attempts lining these little pieces up to match the profile on the window hinge while trying to slide it in. The secret is you need to position the plastic piece <i>as if the window was closed</i>. You see the window hinge will slide in and rotate 90 degrees down but that plastic piece does not rotate. It has to slide into the window groove already in its' final position. It won't line up with the window track at all, in fact it needs to be 90 degrees different. Hope this makes sense! Once you've done one, the rest will be easy! Well relatively easy!<br />
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Happiness is...leak free windows! On to Fantastic fans......Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736912968935064362.post-61316614297608973892013-09-13T18:29:00.000-07:002013-09-13T18:29:01.341-07:00Out, Out Damned spots!<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0); line-height: normal;">Okay,
I posted this on the Jestco thread on the Airforums <a href="http://www.airforums.com/forums/f441/for-jestco-polish-users-107853-2.html">here, post #18</a> but I had spots on my trailer from
undercasting the aluminum while polishing. I guess if you use too much polish, or polish at too high/slow a speed (or basically even look at it funny!) you can actually burn the polish under the surface of the aluminum. There it lies in wait until you try to get a mirror shine and then these spots start to catch and hold the polish, no amount of extra polishing will get them out. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0); line-height: normal;"> They looked like this</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0); line-height: normal;">I
am <strike>happy, </strike> no ECSTATIC to report that they are now gone! I owe
many thanks to Becky, Vernon, Top and Frank for giving me options and
encouraging me to press on. And special thanks to Alansd for starting the Jestco thread as I was pretty sure I had burned thru the AlClad and was going to have to live with it! If and when I ever meet you all, the beverages are on me!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0); line-height: normal;">In the end, it was a case of not being
aggressive enough. The first time I tried Nuvite F7, I used a new pad
and I guess it didn't have enough " bite" to it yet. This time it worked perfectly although it took some time, they kept getting lighter and lighter. I did have to resort to
using Alumiprep 33 on one spot (I diluted 3 parts water to one part Alumprep and left it on 3 minutes), and I think there's another that I'll
have to look at again in the morning sun. But overall<i> </i>I'm a happy camper tonite! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0); line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0); line-height: normal;">And no Becky, still no polishing pictures LOL!!!! </span><br />
Reinergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291788076607284303noreply@blogger.com4