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Post by redwing on Sept 9, 2018 9:53:03 GMT 10
Hi , we are restoring a 1950something Furness Masonite caravan. I was going to reclad the exterior with marine ply but since reading a forum decided Masonite probably the best because of its ability to bend without cracking. Is this a good decision Masonite vs marine ply ? Would like some pointers please on joining the Masonite , eg tape or plastic joiners? Also does anyone have any pointers with what to use on the roof? I had the idea of sealing the roof with a paint on membrane like the plumbers use in bathrooms? Thanks
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Post by shesgotthelook on Sept 9, 2018 12:21:34 GMT 10
Stick with the marine ply. Far better resistance to the weather. Masonite rots very easily. I have sealed a couple of rooves with Crommellin Aqua Block from Bunnings. Easy to use & does a good job.
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Post by Roehm3108 on Sept 9, 2018 12:41:12 GMT 10
Masonite or Plywood? It depends on whether you wish to restore or renovate. To restore you should use similar materials as much as possible, to what the original van was built. Marine ply is certainly hardier than Masonite. When looked after properly, masonite also holds up for decades to come. It just depends on how much of a purist you want to be. A lot of sealers today will also add a longer life to masonite. As well, don't be tied to marine ply. It is quite expensive and is generally used for marine application or where a superfine surface finished is wanted, such as with furniture. There is perfectly good exterior grade BB ply available, which is far less expensive. Check to see what you have on the roof at the moment before deciding what to do with it. I suspect that it would be caneite as the Furness van roofs seem to have a double camber, because other materials can't bend in both directions. If so, then it is probably protected by a layer of calico with several layers of paint over it. Some Furness owners here might be able to enlighten you on what the material might be.
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Post by redwing on Sept 15, 2018 20:34:50 GMT 10
Thanks for the info . Still undecided on cladding just want to use what’s easiest and hard wearing. Does anyone know of a a product I can use on the roof to replace the current “skin”?
Also what could I use for the joins on the ply or Masonite, I was thinking some kind of tape or a plastic joiner (although that would show a bead on the joints)
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Post by redwing on Sept 16, 2018 9:47:45 GMT 10
Stick with the marine ply. Far better resistance to the weather. Masonite rots very easily. I have sealed a couple of rooves with Crommellin Aqua Block from Bunnings. Easy to use & does a good job. Do you think I could pull off the caenite and put a thick coat or two of this to seal the roof?
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Post by shesgotthelook on Sept 16, 2018 17:06:30 GMT 10
No. Can replace the caneite, it is still available or use canvas. I haven't done so myself but a few on here have.
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Post by Roehm3108 on Sept 16, 2018 19:31:50 GMT 10
You say "Do you think I could pull off the caenite and put a thick coat or two of this to seal the roof?"
If you take off the caneite, you're actually removing the roof!!! The roof is caneite with a calico membrane to seal the weather off it. Caneite is porous and needs to be covered. As I already mentioned, if you have a double camber to your roof (slopes from front to back and side to side) you have to use something like caneite, and then seal it. There is NO SHORTCUT! Whilst caneite is no longer manufactured, there is a substitute called softboard available at Bunnings made from eucalypt not sugar cane.
It would help if you put up some pictures and actually described the problem from the pics. At the moment, the forum doesn't know what you're dealing with.
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Post by Don Ricardo on Sept 17, 2018 11:31:48 GMT 10
Hi Redwing,
I concur with Roehm's comment. As he said the original roof cladding is/was caneite covered with calico/light canvas which was then painted to make it waterproof. It was a type of roof covering that was commonly used by South Australian manufacturers such as Furness, but hardly at all by manufacturers in other states. The calico & caneite was as successful as bondwood, but just one of the differences in techniques used in different states. It was particularly useful where the roof was double cambered (ie curving both from side to side, and from end to end), because both the caneite and calico could be made to curve. You can't do that with, say, bondwood. Double cambered rooves were another particularly South Australian "thing".
One important point is that the caneite was used to insulate the roof, so if you were not to replace that you would be more subject to hear and cold.
A couple of people on the forum have quite successfully replaced the caneite and calico on the rooves of their vans. One of those in fact is Roehm, but unfortunately the photos he took of the process have disappeared from the forum. However, if you're interested, we can probably point you to a thread of someone else who has replaced the covering on their roof.
Don Ricardo
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Post by redwing on Sept 17, 2018 18:20:27 GMT 10
orry I’ve never been on a pro board forum. Yeah the caneite is is really good condition but I need to replace the calico on top. i would love if anyone could point me in the direction to get this calico covering? thanks
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Post by Franklin1 on Sept 17, 2018 21:49:55 GMT 10
G'day redwing,
Spotlight stores will sell and ship calico to you. See this link for the different types of calico. Change the "Select Style" box to the right of the picture, to see what widths are available. Seeded calico has remnants of plant seeds caught in the threads, and is available in 3.0 metre widths. Bleach White calico is clear of impurities and is available in 2.8 metre widths.
Calico should ideally be washed twice before applying it in position. The washing process shrinks the material length before using it, rather than have it shrink on you when fixing it into position with paint or bondcrete-type products. See this post (and continue reading down the page) for one example of how the calico is fitted on a flat roof (flat meaning side-to-side).
When I made the curtains for my "Walsh" van, I backed them with calico. I washed the calico first, and it was shrinking about 150mm for every metre, so if you need 3 metres for your roof length, buy 4 metres to start with.
cheers, Al.
Edit: just adding in here that if you want to read all the threads on the forum that contain the word 'calico', here is the search result list: calico links I would suggest you start reading from the bottom of Page 4 and work your way backwards to the top of Page 1. You'll be an expert by the time you finish reading all that lot!
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Post by Roehm3108 on Sept 18, 2018 6:38:59 GMT 10
Franklin1's advice is good.
Thanks for the pics. It seems there is a bit of a problem visible in the first pic. Almost as if the caneite is cracked and lifting. I suppose you will get a better idea of the damage once you remove the calico covering. You will find that it should pull of quite easily. I replaced the whole roof on one van and the calico on the other. On the one where I replaced only the calico (which was still in relatively good condition), the calico came off quite easily.
If you have any water marks in the ceiling, you really need to consider replacing the caneite. Look out for bad framing too.
It's very difficult to advise on any one restoration without actually being there and seeing any damage. Just remember the old adage - do it once and do it right!
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Post by redwing on Sept 18, 2018 7:17:20 GMT 10
Thanks everyone for the info, I will check all these things out
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Post by King Fisher on Nov 21, 2018 12:23:55 GMT 10
Have a look at our calico roof we did on Bessie here as part of Fisher's Resto. Its not too hard but messy We park our van in the weather outside and it is still holding up strong.
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