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Post by JBJ on Apr 30, 2009 9:10:36 GMT 10
Hi Chris,
I'll post details of door construction when I do next lot of photos.
Main component I was missing with the kitchen fitout was time.
Sometimes its cheaper to work & pay someone skilled to achieve progress.
I'm a fitter & turner by trade, my detail skills with timber are minimal.
If I apply myself, I can earn more in an hour drawing plans on my computer than Bob charges me. So to me its economics when I need something done properly.
Not the same deal when I have plenty of time at nights to work on simple items. I enjoy doing that, & like most of us I can achieve a reasonable level of finish.
JBJ
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BluetangJo
Full Member
1964 10ft Homemade, 1966 Propert, Sixties 15ft Viscount
Posts: 164
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Post by BluetangJo on Apr 30, 2009 10:16:55 GMT 10
Hey JBJ, Wish I could find the words to tell you just how much you work inspires & encourages me. I love Groovin (a friend of mine has her BTW), but Lucille is a work of art & I check for new posts from you every day. Thank you! Just an aside, the Airvan on ebay also has an outside door for an awning & tent poles. vintagecaravans.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=ebayRegards, Jo-a-JBJ-secret-admirer
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Post by JBJ on Apr 30, 2009 10:58:35 GMT 10
Hi Jo,
Thanks for letting us know where Groovin disappeared to. We hadn't heard anything since she was sold.
JBJ
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Post by JBJ on Apr 30, 2009 11:00:40 GMT 10
HI Reddo,
At $110 application & $440 per year, I wont be getting personalised plates for Lucille.
Anyway with Daggsey's sign on her bum, no one could ever doubt her name.
JBJ
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Post by yellowuki on Apr 30, 2009 19:45:54 GMT 10
Great job, it's looking great! How have you attached your wheel spats??? Cheers, yellowuki
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Post by JBJ on Apr 30, 2009 21:02:51 GMT 10
Hi Yellowuki,
I made the spats from 9mm exterior grade ply. I rounded the outer edges with a router, but you can get a good edge with a wood rasp.
I use 1/4" whitworth brass countersunk head threaded screws, with a cup washer under. I bought these from classic fasteners in Adelaide, along with the majority of my slot headed screws ( Thanks Lazza for the contact). I nailed the spat in place with just enough nails to hold it. Then I drilled thru the spat where I wanted the screws, & thru the van body.
I then got some 1/4" T bolts from the hardware. They fix from behind the panel. To do this you need to be able to access the back of the van wall. I was lucky I could get my bolts almost all into the wheelwells, & the others were accessible from inside the van.
Unfortunately T bolts dont fix well to ply, so I made some short lengths of ply wide enough to totally cover the T bolts, & drilled a hole in them to allow them to slip over the threaded bolt end after it was screwed into the T bolt. This part can be done with the spat removed for ease. I then glued & stapled/nailed these securing plates from the back of the van wall, to hold the T bolt when you screw the securing bolt in.
Its a lot of mucking around, & probably not the simplest way.
But it works on Lucille, & looks right for the period.
Dont use MDF for spats, you will never keep it stable with any moisture present. As it is my spats twist around in the sun when its real humid, kike most of summer up here.
JBJ
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Post by yellowuki on May 1, 2009 7:27:45 GMT 10
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Post by JBJ on May 1, 2009 8:25:17 GMT 10
Hi Yellowuki,
Naturally if you put a spat on any van you have to remove it before you can change a wheel.
But it doesnt take a lot to unscrew a few screws, & in my instance if I had a flat I can easily get to all the screws from the outside.
Other attachments involve getting in to them from the back, which can be hard to do with a flat.
At least the spats are removeable, not like the early Furness & Rowvans ( like the one for sale) where you have to have the tire deflated before you can fit it.
Anyway its your van. You should always consider all of the options before altering something.
JBJ
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Post by skyline59 on May 1, 2009 20:35:10 GMT 10
G'dday Dennis & Sue, Hope you are both well, looking at the progress photo,s of the van look absolutely fantastic, your craftmanship in rebuilding the van is first class, look forward to seeing you guy's & " lucille" in the flesh at some time down the track, Kind Regards, Brett
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Post by JBJ on May 2, 2009 18:09:40 GMT 10
Hi All, Well finally got the plates yesterday. I hate going to RTA offices. They never seem to have anyone pleasant working there. Theres one particularly nasty bit of gear at Ballina, that no matter how I try otherwise, I end with her. Mutual hatred makes for a good transaction. Anyway enough of those bad memories,, I got stuck into trying to sort out the mess I'd made with the door. When I bought Lucille it had a pretty ordinary ply sheet as the opening centre section of the door, inside a well built oregon door frame. We made a new panel, with a frame of 13X35 timber, a sheet of 7mm ecterior grade hardwood ply glued to outside, & 2mm softwood ply glued to inside. Basically the same construction old kitchen cupboard doors used. fitted the door & frame using original hinges, everything worked good. Then I put the spats I made on. Bloody hell, the door hinges hit the spats before the door was fully opened. So I thought about it, & looked at the Sunliner hinges next to Lucille. They have the hinge pivot spaced out from the door to allow everything to work. So I bought a couple of sets of 75mm parliament hinges , & modified to do what I hoped would work. Fitted them up, & went back to 3 hinges from 4. Then proceed to spend about 5 hours adjusting & modifying to get everything to open, shut & swing properly. Then puttyed up heaps of un needed holes. Paints easy enough to fix, & I need to repaint the doors anyway. Made the missing bits of D mould for the door, & fitted. Fitted the plates at last. Time for a beer after that JBJ
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Post by Geoff & Jude on May 2, 2009 18:39:37 GMT 10
congratulations dennis and sue.
lucille is a real beauty, hope you're going to bring her to coledale this year and let us all droooooooool over her. (promise to not help push her around and break the tail-light).
you've done a wonderful job on her, now its time to show her some countryside.
geoff 'n jude
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Post by Cruz on May 2, 2009 18:48:47 GMT 10
;D Sweet ;D Great work
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Post by JBJ on May 2, 2009 19:30:33 GMT 10
Hi geoff & Jude, (& others)
Lucilles first outing will be Wintersun, where our daughter & family will camp in her at Kirra van park, alongside us in our Sunliner.
She will be lacking a lot of interior, but will have a bed, hopefully 12V lighting & 240v power, & an awning.
Dont know if we are going to Coledale this year at this stage, but we will be using her at Tallabudgera I hope. Should be completed by then inside.
I think its still all fun.
JBJ
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Post by JBJ on May 2, 2009 19:39:15 GMT 10
Hi All,
I'd like to thank all of the Forum members that have supported this project , by offering praise, support & appreciation of my postings. A lot of times I don't specifically acknowledge a response, but that doesnt mean that I havent read it & appreciated it. I apologise for not thanking all off you individually
So to all you members & guests that are appreciative of what I'm doing, & how I'm posting info to hopefully assist others with their rebuilds, I thank you for your support.
Anyone with half a brain can do what I've been doing( thats probably all I've got left), as its not hard if you think logically.
Its all fun
JBJ (& Boots)
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Post by humpty2 on May 2, 2009 20:39:52 GMT 10
Just look at the number of hits on this thread JBJ, .......10,500 + All with avid interest and admiration for the job you've done. LUV IT!!!!!!
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dorian
Full Member
Sundown
Posts: 247
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Post by dorian on May 3, 2009 19:02:36 GMT 10
Class act! Superb job mate!
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Post by JBJ on May 6, 2009 22:26:12 GMT 10
Hi All, More progress. Work on Lucille is really happening at present, cause I've only allowed myself another week ( or so) before I have to start seriously tidying up & cleaning my hot rod for Wintersun in a month. When the guy built Lucille, he made his own windows, in a very unusual style, using T section brass frames, hinged at the top using butt hinges. He held them in position using casement window struts. They were enclosed inside ( from the inside) in a large flyscreen assembly, which was again hinged from the the top on the front windows, & removeable on the rear. They were very cumbersome. So I decided to fix the flyscreens after I rebuilt them using polished aluminium D mould instead of timber, & new powder coated aluminium screen ( in black) instead of the brass screens he fitted. I then re arranged the opening mechanism to be similar to the early Sunliner system. I used 12mm aluminium rod rather than the smaller size on the Sunliner, & am getting them to work with a lot of fiddling around. Meantime Bob the builder is progressing on internal fitout. I like the colour of the custom moulded handles. We picked up enough laminate today at a friends joinery to do the job for $10 cut to fit. Also fitted most of my 12 volt bits in place, its booked in Monday to get finished. All of my 12 volt works hooked up to a charger. I fitted a couple of vents above the electrical & battery area 24 volt final work is tommorrow, he's just got to fit the safety/input box & half a dozen power points onto my wiring. Its all fun. JBJ
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Post by JBJ on May 24, 2009 19:29:54 GMT 10
Hi All, Well probably last update before we tow Lucille to Wintersun. Didnt get enough income to be able to get as far as I hoped, mainly missing annexe/awning & some paint. Interior is pretty well built, but needs lots of detail work. Paint is nowhere near finished, seats still to be done, Table, & lots of little bits not done, & plumbing & water supply to sink. Pump is in place & operating. Still we'll sleep in it over Wintersun. We've bought the bedding, & all the electricals work, both 12volt & 240 volt. Hope to fit frig & get working. Its all fun. JBJ
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Post by JBJ on May 31, 2009 19:23:04 GMT 10
Hi All, Things are getting a bit frantic here, with new tow car, & Wintersun 3 days away. My neighbour the canvas man built an awning last week. Pix of it will be in our Wintersun posting Went on Ebay a week or so back, after someone on the Forum posted a link to an old lino hall runner. So I won the lino, & drove the 450km up & back to Brisbane northside this morning. It was our first trip in Red , & what a car it is, well exceeds my expectations of buying a car sight unseen. This is the lino after a quick clean on the right side with hand wipes. We towed our trailer up , as the seller was pretty vague on everything about the lino. Turned out I rolled it up & threw it into Red's boot No need for trailer Boots has been madly making curtains to fit fit the wierd shaped windows in Lucille. Coming up pretty good It'll be nice to get both vans & cars to Wintersun, then sit back & suck on some smooth bourbon on wednesday night. JBJ
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Post by robbo3 on Jun 1, 2009 9:28:28 GMT 10
The car looks fantastic as does the van. Have a great time at wintersun.
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Post by sportsman 1 on Jun 1, 2009 10:07:34 GMT 10
Hi JBJ,
I saw that lino before it was posted on here. If only it was in Melbourne!
I thought it might suit someone for a van but it was posted on here before I had a chance.
It will suit Lucille to a T, good pickup.
Love your work.
Cheers, Leigh.
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Post by JBJ on Jun 1, 2009 16:10:06 GMT 10
Hi All,
The good old subject of insurance just came up again.
Last week I spoke with Shannons about insuring Red as an add on to my two other car policy I have with them, & raised the question about the van.
Dont matter what anyone says, those boys & girls at Shannons are masters of confusing & contradictory statements. The guy I was dealing with went back to the same old"as long as you are using it for a display, & not actually using it as a caravan" answer.
When I suggested he look in his manual, referring to the post Daggsey made on it, he told me that he couldnt issue a policy for general useage & actually caravanning in it.
So I took Ray Roehm's advice, & called MHIA insurance. They only insure caravans, motor homes, caravan park homes, etc.
No problems, emailed some photos, got $12,500 on van, $2500 on annex, & $1000 on contents. $268.06 premium for 12 months, & $200 excess.
I have Sunliner insured with AAMI for $13,500 total, & it cost me $290 about 9 months ago.
Seems like a pretty good deal to me.
JBJ
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Post by JBJ on Jun 14, 2009 20:38:13 GMT 10
Hi All Some more pix. I got stuck into interior to finish off painting. I removed the temporary covers I fitted over the 12 volt electrical area, swung a door on a piano hinge for access behind the seat cushion. Made a removeable base for battery access under seat base. Hooked up my inverter for a try out. Its 2400 watts, so I thought that should run a jug. No way, kept tripping out very quickly. So I checked the 3 jugs in the van & house, all are rated at 2200 watts miniomum. So seing inverter wasn't going to run jug, I snuck inside onto computer & bought a 12 volt 150 watt 1.5 litre jug. Not bad delivered $58. I bought some 16mm MDF and constructed the end panel for the seat. Trial fitted fridge, hooked up to 240 & 12 volts. Works on both, so I'll run it on 12volt overnight to see how cold it gets. Put a coat of primer over cupboard faces & seat base & top Spent time rounding cupboard door & drawer face edges, using a longboard sander. Bob the Builder struck again. Half the pane3ls have the face side outwards, the outer half have the rough face outwards. So when I primed the outer faces, some are really slurping up the primer. There are 17 panels. Its all fun. JBJ
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Post by JBJ on Jun 21, 2009 17:40:15 GMT 10
hi All, Slowly getting Lucille finished. if it would stop raining here I could get somewhere. Still, I'm getting little bits done. Got the remainder of the gold painted internally. We've been having difficulty selecting a colour for the cupboard doors, which will be reflected in the colour of the seating. I think this apple green will do, but we're going to look at it for a few days ( cant do much else while the rains bucketting down0 Fitted the first of the aluminium edging thats going around a lot of the bench tops. I'm now thinking of changing benchtops to apple green. That'll do for now. Its all fun ( except the continuous rain) JBJ
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Post by humpyboy on Jun 21, 2009 18:01:10 GMT 10
Hi JBJ ,I'm new here but have been watching your work for some time now and learning along the way, one question I have for you is in regards to the first picture, I'm pretty sure that the large container is Mineral turps but the smaller one has me confused is it maybe Linseed oil? ;D Derk.
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