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Post by cobber on Mar 14, 2015 18:23:28 GMT 10
G'day Ken, Grandads van is turning up some interesting items aye? I have one of those combination knives, the other bit is a can opener and the spike was known as a 'pig sticker' It also has a SLOT HEAD screwdriver on the end of it. They were issued to WWII Australian troops, clean yours up it see if it has any of the marks shown on this site mine has a different mark on the can opener... WE (I think) with an arrow under it. Cobber.
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Post by Koala on Mar 14, 2015 19:42:05 GMT 10
Thanks Cobber my knife also has WE and the arrow head on the can opener. I see on that site you mentioned that these knives can sell for $100 Apparently they were WW2 army issue. Sooooo maybe we could say that this van was built after WW2 Koala
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Post by Koala on Mar 16, 2015 17:39:24 GMT 10
Two days work on Grandads Van. Looks like three days to resheet it. Have rebuilt the lower half of the rear completely as it had been damaged and poorly repaired. It was much quicker and gave a better result to just replace it, both inner and outer skins and framing. Hope to have it finished tomorrow. Koala
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 16, 2015 21:17:26 GMT 10
That looks a nice neat job there, Ken. I'm curious to know how you are sealing the joints in the sheets of ply. I fibreglassed over mine, but that was quite a bit of work to do. I'd like to know how others are doing it, so that I can understand the other options. You'd never get a job in MY shed. You work far too fast for me! cheers, Al.
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Post by Koala on Mar 17, 2015 19:10:26 GMT 10
Hi Al, I decided to try something different this time with the ply joints. I work a few hours at the big green shed so had a yarn with a couple of reps in the paint dept. Polyfilla have a new product which is a flexible exterior filler which is designed for weatherboard and decking applications. Instead of butting the joints I have left a 1mm gap which has been filled with Polyfilla. When this has cured (2-3 hours) it can be sanded and painted. The screws have been countersunk quite deeply in order to allow a nice deep fill. In the past I have had cracking problems if the ply is just butted together as it is impossible to seal the joint. And by the way, had a few interruptions today so did not get the job finished......maybe tomorrow. Koala
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Post by Koala on Apr 2, 2015 16:05:55 GMT 10
I have been having difficulty finding the time to devote to Grandads Van however today dawned fine but overcast which made for perfect weather to make some more progress on the restoration. All the new sheeting has been fitted but there is still much work to be dome filling and sanding of screw holes. As I am working on the van outside I thought I would jump ahead a bit and prepare the roof for the new calico. The front and rear window and hatch frames were easy to remove in one piece simply by taking out about 10 screws in each from the inside, this should make it easier to fit the calico tomorrow. I applied a very wet coat of undercoat today hoping that it will soak into the old ply to aid waterproofing. This is where I am up to which I must say is much better than what I started with. Rain expected tonight so out with the tarps. Koala
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Post by akeepsake on Apr 2, 2015 17:04:47 GMT 10
Looking Great Koala ! What did you decide for the roof treatment?
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Post by Koala on Apr 2, 2015 17:21:49 GMT 10
Well I don't know if I am doing the right thing but I work at that big green shed and have access to company representatives and other people who (should) know about these things which tended to confuse me a bit. In the end I decided to fill any cracks and sheet joints with flexible and paintable caulking compound then use a wet base coat of undercoat to seal the surface of the old ply. The next step will be the calico with another couple of undercoats before applying the topcoat. I did look at various membranes but don't feel that it is needed. Maybe I have it wrong but time will tell.
Koala
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Post by akeepsake on Apr 3, 2015 8:38:32 GMT 10
Well I don't know if I am doing the right thing but I work at that big green shed and have access to company representatives and other people who (should) know about these things which tended to confuse me a bit. In the end I decided to fill any cracks and sheet joints with flexible and paintable caulking compound then use a wet base coat of undercoat to seal the surface of the old ply. The next step will be the calico with another couple of undercoats before applying the topcoat. I did look at various membranes but don't feel that it is needed. Maybe I have it wrong but time will tell. Koala I think you have it all right! I used the membaine as it was quite thick in consistency and helped to fortify the original canvas where it was coming away from the edges on the hatch and also where the hatch had rubbed on the roof it was a bit thin in places. I stand corrected but would recommend water based (I used dulux weather shield gloss) over enamal on the roof as it is flexible and won't crack like enamal will over time. Anyway I'm sure you'll sort it and that big green shed will help!!! Cheers Andrew
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Post by Koala on Apr 3, 2015 15:47:57 GMT 10
Hi Andrew Applied the calico today and found it to be easy enough but a messy job. I wound the calico onto a 90mm plastic pipe and started at the bottom at the front and worked up and over the van progressively applying the paint and calico. The job has consumed 6 litres of paint so far and still needs another coat before it will be ready for a topcoat. It was well worth the effort to remove the window and hatch frames. This van had previously been covered all over with calico so I will do it all except the new sides, at least it covers any imperfections well. ??
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Post by akeepsake on Apr 3, 2015 20:41:17 GMT 10
Great job and yes it is messy and really sucks up the paint especially if you are doing the front and back! Keep up the good work! Cheers Andrew
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Post by Koala on Apr 22, 2015 17:32:33 GMT 10
With the bad weather around at the moment I have been concerned that the unprotected plywood would be damaged, particularly when the strong winds tore the tarp off. So when the temperature nudged 18 degrees and the winds dropped a bit I took the opportunity to hit the van with undercoat. It looks OK and so it should with 16 litres of undercoat. When the weather improves I will give it a light sand, fill a few imperfections and then spray some colour. At least it now has some protection. While I have been bored I have also replaced some damaged plywood on the interior and commenced building the dining area after deciding to remove the permanent double bed which originally occupied that area. Koala
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Post by Franklin1 on Apr 22, 2015 19:47:04 GMT 10
G'day Ken, Ummm - is that a 'typo' or did you really use 16 litres?? You've got me worried - I've just done the canvas roof on mine, plus the whole of the cabin body exterior, and I've used only 2 litres giving two coats to everything. The raw canvas soaked up a fair bit, but the rest of the van is coated with Bote-Cote resin, and the undercoat doesn't soak into that at all. If I had to use 16 litres, I'd have to give the van another 14 coats of undercoat. Nah...that ain't gonna happen! Nice job you're doing! cheers, Al.
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Post by Koala on Apr 22, 2015 20:13:01 GMT 10
Hi Al That is not a typo. I will still use another 4 litres to finish. Koala
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Post by Koala on May 3, 2015 18:25:11 GMT 10
Hi to all you dedicated vintage caravan restorers out there, I hope that your projects are coming along nicely. I am still plugging away on Grandads Van and trying to look ahead a bit. The original copper water tank was beyond recovery so it will need to be replaced, I think that I will end up with a new plastic one as it will be hard to find a good useable period tank. Originally this van had a couple of pipe fittings with a plug as a filler but I think it would be possible to do better. I am hoping that someone out there will have a spare tank filler to mount on the side of the van which will not look too out of place, maybe something which would have been used in the 40's or 50's. So if you have something surplus to your requirements then please let me know.
Koala
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Post by Koala on Feb 29, 2016 17:42:05 GMT 10
A bit of an update on progress on Grandads Van. After a rather long break I have mustered some more enthusiasm for this project and made some progress. What put me off was a problem with the calico not adhering to the side but I have bounced back and redone the job successfully. I decided that the kitchen was not worth saving and a progress photo is below. Koala
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Post by Mustang on Feb 29, 2016 19:25:34 GMT 10
Wow what an amazing project, congratulations on prezerving this piece of Aussie history.
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Post by Koala on Mar 5, 2016 18:05:57 GMT 10
Another full day (7am to 6:30pm) working on Grandads Van. Nothing like the sound of a reciprocating saw and power drill to get the neighbours out of bed. I hope that they are just being nice, `Oh! you were out of bed early today!! Had a unusual number of neighbours dropping in making `nice' comments I decided to update all the 240 volt wiring and install a fuse and RCD for a bit of safety. Fitting 2 power outlets over the kitchen, 1 at the table and another for the fridge. All lighting will be 12 volt. Not much of a departure from what it was but more user friendly in modern times. The original 240 volt was very basic and would now be regarded as unsafe, a inlet plug hanging down under the back and a couple of lights using 12 volt switches and no fuse just had top go. Of course to achieve this the inside wall sheeting needed to come off which was on the agenda anyway to fix some water damage. I have provided enough room to install the Morphy Richards fridge which a friend kindly passed my way. It needs refurbishing and updating as well with some gas safety devices but it will be a great addition to the van to replace the ice box. Weather permitting a bit more external painting tomorrow..............at least that will be quiet and the neighbours can sleep in. 3 weeks until the Nationals, not going to make it in this van unfortunately. Koala
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Post by Koala on Mar 15, 2016 17:46:24 GMT 10
Another day making progress on Grandads Van which makes it easier to keep the enthusiasm levels up Now have the kitchen and dining areas ready to go in tomorrow with new lino tiles to go down first. Putting the floor covering down first saves a lot of time and this was how it was generally done at the factory. Still some work to do on the bedroom end but it is coming together nicely. Time to start cleaning up a few of the original fittings. Although it can be hard work cleaning many coats of paint at least it can protect the chrome, this is how the hinges came up after a an hour in a tub of paint stripper and before polishing. The Chef spice rack came with the van so can go back in but I am missing the containers, does anyone happen to have spares or can send me a photo?? I am looking forward to seeing some big bits come together. Koala
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Post by Koala on Mar 15, 2016 18:15:11 GMT 10
I found a photo of the Chef with all the containers so if you happen to have some of these I would appreciate them. Not much chance me thinks ( Koala
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Post by Mustang on Mar 15, 2016 18:50:19 GMT 10
Interesting mixture of spices. When I,m looking for specific items (I restore racing cycles) go into the specific country ebays, ie England, France, USA. You will be surprised how many items turn up rather than just search ebay Aus or Google Aus.
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Post by strugglebrook on Mar 16, 2016 8:01:12 GMT 10
Looking real good Ken, Can`t wait to see those dolly wheels on the front.
JD.
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Post by Koala on May 7, 2016 16:28:41 GMT 10
We have been making some progress on Grandads Van to the point where it now is beginning to take shape. I am getting tired of sanding and painting and sanding and painting some more. Originally the interior had been varnished which created some problems getting the paint to stick, it is no fun sanding the roof inside. The outside is taking shape also with a new double door constructed as well as a new step. I will repaint the flyscreen door to the cream as I think the blue looks out of place. I have painted the windows twice as I had done them in an aqua colour but the boss didn't like it. Koala
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Post by Mustang on May 7, 2016 16:48:22 GMT 10
Love your work!!!!
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Post by cobber on May 7, 2016 17:40:34 GMT 10
G'day Ken, Your new found enthusiasm is producing good results on grandads van, she's looking good When you're finished with it ( the enthusiasm ) sling some of it my way will you ? I'm having trouble getting into that war surplus thing of mine Cobber.
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