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Post by karavaninkallista on Oct 27, 2020 11:14:02 GMT 10
I've ordered some lengths of oregon 50 x 50 mm to collect this weekend. A bit more than I wanted to pay, but it will match some of the woods already in the frame. (The 10 mm polystyrene sheets for insulation also ordered, Australia Post pending, and the end of lockdown will make grabbing the ply is now possible.) Upcoming I've a bit of protective paint on the metal and then recreating a frame. This weekend will see the beginning of creating the curves. ross - gladly take you up on the offer of clamps!
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Post by karavaninkallista on Nov 3, 2020 15:46:07 GMT 10
Stuff has arrived. The oregon was ready to collect and a big box of polystyrene arrived. So, beaverlike in busyness, to it. Ripped the wood down to 30 x 30 mm for the front and rear horizontals, 30 x 22 mm for the framing, and a mess of offcuts which can be used for supporting the roof or what-have-you. Neighbour's Triton workbench made this job so much easier. (I'll tell him later that the motor of the saw burnt out; he's got a new one now, but still a conversation to be had.) Primed the timber with an oil based primer, so we're good to start replacing the decayed frame woods. But wait, there's more. I tried to cut some of the 30 x 22 mm oregon to thin (3 - 5 mm) strips to build to front and rear curves. I can't do it reliably with the workbench. Perhaps a bigger setup or pre-dampened wood may have helped. The lengths that were 3 mm thick snapped on the curves, those at 5 mm curved but with too much elastic stress to maintain a shape. So, copying what remains of the original, I'll copy and use ply strips glued together. Picked up some 4 mm structural ply, ripped that to 30 mm wide strips, then glue five together to make a 20(ish) mm curve. The ply strips fit to the template sweetly, and exterior Aquadhere holds it all together. Repeat, reset for the front curves, then time to start assembling.
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Post by Mustang on Nov 3, 2020 16:07:59 GMT 10
Great work, never enough clamps !!!!
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ross
New Member
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Post by ross on Nov 3, 2020 21:36:53 GMT 10
Some of those clamps are a bit ordinary, apologies Richard, my old man gave me some and I now know why, but with a bit of spit they can be persuaded. The only good one there - the Irwin, can work as a spacer too. youtu.be/ixlRGwoRZNk
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Post by Roehm3108 on Nov 4, 2020 9:00:45 GMT 10
You know what is said about tools - NEITHER A LENDER NOR A BORROWER BE!
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Post by karavaninkallista on Nov 4, 2020 12:06:33 GMT 10
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Post by karavaninkallista on Nov 8, 2020 20:00:24 GMT 10
Houston, the arse is off. Repeat, the arse is off. This was from Friday. Kicked off the old masonite and the later MDF sheet covering the back. With quite a bit of fiddling the two curves were matched. Tip o' the hat to ross for a winner idea on connecting the curved frame (and the replaced flooring clearly seen; pity it'll vanish under flooring, but good for another few decades I hope). Today, the rotten wood in the frames got a going over. The shape for the back is now complete, the door frame formed, and the caravan no longer wobbles like jelly with even a modest poke. The white wood is the replaced frame - and the brown the original, obvs. A little metal strapping before the outer ply and she'll be sound as a proverbial pound. What isn't clear is the very distinct outward bulge between the left window and door is now rectified. So far as I can tell the overhead shelving was falling, manifest as a rotation, which pushed the wall out. Probably the original construction was solid enough to stop the outward thrust, but that was then. To avoid this happening again I'll put in a pole or small shelving unit by the door and left wheel arch to ensure the shelves are supported. The right side is fine; the presence of the wardrobe provides that support. Tomorrow, I have some time. Front frame and perhaps, just perhaps, the first of the new internal ply. Excite!
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Post by Roehm3108 on Nov 9, 2020 8:51:10 GMT 10
It's all shaping up well!!
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Post by sportsman 1 on Nov 10, 2020 6:21:27 GMT 10
Excellent work, keep it up!!
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Post by Surf Tragic on Nov 11, 2020 20:54:28 GMT 10
Hi karavaninkallista
That's a comprehensive rebuild, very adventurous, well done so far.
cheers....... Surf Tragic.
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ross
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Post by ross on Nov 12, 2020 15:26:33 GMT 10
Oh yes, what a difference a day makes! Looking luffly. Good you figured out that bulging left hand side issue. Makes perfect sense now. I’ll swing past Friday for a natter.
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Post by Don Ricardo on Nov 13, 2020 20:47:47 GMT 10
G’day Karavaninkallista,
You’re making fantastic progress. Great work. It’s fascinating to watch how you are going about things.
Given that we are all sure that, whatever else it is, your van isn’t a 1967 Franklin, you might like to consider changing the title for your thread. If you decide to do that, just go to the first post on the thread, click on ‘Edit’ and then amend the subject line to whatever you want it to be. That will then change the title of the thread for everyone who has posted on the thread.
Don Ricardo
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Post by karavaninkallista on Nov 15, 2020 8:29:42 GMT 10
Done, thanks for the guide. The title more closely matches reality. The glory of course is to come.
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Post by karavaninkallista on Nov 20, 2020 18:39:15 GMT 10
After fires; rain. After destruction; creation. Time now to stop ripping wood out. So, here we go, 3 mm ply on the inside. This is just basic but manageable ply sheets from the Big Green Barn. They're not sealed in yet and the tape is just masking tape but it seems to fit to the shape. Sikaflex and screws to hold the ply in, and later a bit of strapping to hide the edges. (Note to self. Why does Sika require different width nozzles for its tubes? Mac vs PC, Betamax vs VHS. Vexing.) Scoring ply with a Stanley knife works well, but the ply-cutting champion is this beastie. On the highest speed it cuts cleanly. Say hello to my leettl' fren'.... I wasn't completely happy with the roof so I sanded it back still further. Three coats of a clear, water-based Intergrain Ultrafloor with sanding between and I'm quite happy with the outcome. Where there was a leak in the old sky roof, the wood has darkened a little, and now looks not too remote to sassafras. With the exposed beams done, the inside-facing roof is ready to go. There was some Porters floor paint left over from another job, so a trial on some ply look pretty good. China Rose is the colour and the warm pink will cozy up the caravan nicely.
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Post by karavaninkallista on Nov 29, 2020 7:37:55 GMT 10
Aluminium windows. What a pain. Paint and silicone all over them. Stanley knife to remove the excess silicone. Then scrubbing. What seemed to work well was a light steel wool and sugar soap solution. But scrubbing. O, so much scrubbing. After too many hours the windows looked quite fine. Yes, the rubber seals need to be replaced. Yes, the window openers have been lost at some point. Yes, only one of the windows has a frame, and the others only sealed to the frame, so that means I'll need to source aluminium frames for the window. And would the aluminium frames work well with a wooden caravan? This. Is. Dumb. So much work to get shitty looking windows to fit, and even when fit they'll look odd. Solution. Make new windows. A local joiner gave a rough quote of $200 each for the side windows and $240 for the front and back. These cost me about $20 each in wood and about 45 minutes work per window. (To be fair, I need admit to limits. The joiner's windows had beautifully fit tenon joints, my skills run to a glue 'n' screw mitre joint, but it looks quite well and should be fine when painted.) Big Green Warehouse has clear 3 mm PVC sheets for about $40-$50 each. Feeling rather chuffed with the effort. If anyone needs some period aluminium frames though, sing out.
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Post by Roehm3108 on Nov 30, 2020 9:31:24 GMT 10
Great job doing the windows yourself!! You'll appreciate having done this when it's all over!!
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Post by Don Ricardo on Nov 30, 2020 12:12:08 GMT 10
Great effort with the windows Karavaninkallista. There were bondwoods produced in the second half of the 50's and early 50's with the aluminium windows (quite commonly in fact), but it looks as if yours were added when the aluminium cladding was put on to 'update' the van a bit. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished project. It's going to be an excellent bit of work I think. Don Ricardo
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Post by Mustang on Dec 1, 2020 15:38:45 GMT 10
I have a foreign window in my Sunliner, I would like to replace. The windows are smooth rounded aluminum "Qualicraft" Measurements: 790 x 490 inc., Frame.
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Post by karavaninkallista on Dec 16, 2020 20:25:42 GMT 10
Hi Mustang - send me your phone no. in an SMS to 0425746042 and I'll send a few photos and dimensions of the windows to you.
Busy with caravan; next update coming soon.
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Post by Mustang on Dec 20, 2020 7:41:55 GMT 10
Hi Mustang - send me your phone no. in an SMS to 0425746042 and I'll send a few photos and dimensions of the windows to you. Busy with caravan; next update coming soon. These profiles are not suitable for me, so opening the sale to anyone else.
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Post by karavaninkallista on Dec 21, 2020 12:11:43 GMT 10
So where are we now? Window frames in, windows glazed with 4 mm PVC sheets, so we're good there. I tried some brass hinges but the screws were too soft. For the moment the windows are held in by clamps and fairy dust. The back-left locker was pretty mouldy, so out it comes and sacrificed to be a template for a new one, made from - you guessed it - plywood. The old doors fit nicely too, so something else to clean up. Plonked loosely on top of the ceiling frame lies one of the sheets of painted ply, which will be the inside-facing ceiling. Not shown in the photo is the back (right facing) outer wall of the wardrobe. It too was of swollen masonite but rather than take it off I've coated over with more ply. Facing to the back of the caravan is the back window and three sheets to create the inside back. I'm not too concerned that the join is not perfect; much of this will be built in. The back window is now composed of two separate panes - the PVC sheet could not span the 1.5-odd metres, and the smaller panes should be a bit less wobbly in the wind. Just to make myself feel better about the endless measuring and cutting, I gave the back a little taste with primer. Hides some of the sins, and can be a place to test out the new colour schemes. Also took the opportunity to improve on the storage. The old base of the storage was directly on masonite and nailed upwards, such that any load on the base risked the base peeling away from the frame. I've used some leftover 7 mm ply to place the base on top of the frame (and the old base remains). I've also hidden the tapering end of the storage, so the old water damaged masonite can be buried. It loses about two litres of storage, but not a big problem.
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ross
New Member
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Post by ross on Dec 21, 2020 21:20:30 GMT 10
Looking very crisp and plywoody.
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Post by Don Ricardo on Dec 22, 2020 11:46:14 GMT 10
G'day Karavaninkallista, You're making great progress on the rebuilding of the van. It is looking fantastic and coming together nicely. I had to have a chuckle about priming some of the ply in the van. Sometimes you just need to do something like that to give you a sense of progress, and a target to aim at. Don Ricardo
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Post by karavaninkallista on Mar 21, 2021 19:27:10 GMT 10
School holidays, transition of kids to high school, and the general maelstrom of the days now past, the caravan gets some love. By late February the initial priming was done and I'ld build in the new seating/bedding. Just light pine, and perhaps over engineered for what is needed, but it's nice and firm to sit on, and being attached to the frame too, all has tightened up. The painted 3 mm ply sits on the roof and slowly takes shape. The kitchen area is also coming along. During the first half of March I've tackled the electrics. The running lights are all wired up through the old trailer fittings and the lights work. They are also very ugly, and of course trawling through the usual sites to see if I can find any more period-consistent running lights. There is also now a 240 V 15 A system with four internal power points and an outlet near the door, recognising a certain practicality to having essentially a spare room that needs only an extension cable. That caravans need 15 A systems was a surprise. The extra $80 for the adaptor was not big money, but annoying. Still. there is now a trip in the adaptor and another inside the van, so I should be pretty safe. I'm sure the electricians out there will cringe at the messy system, but... it works, and soon will be hidden largely from view Inside, there's a motorcycle battery hiding in one of the cupboards that trickle-charges from the mains AC and runs the lights. At this moment the lights are just bare wires but the test lights run well. The 12 V DC system is only for lights at this stage and will be easy to increase capacity with another battery or two in parallel, but as there is no plan to run anything like a fridge off DC, the single battery will suffice for now. I had started wiring up an Anderson plug with the other 2.5 mm diameter DC wire, but a bit of reading suggested this would be a bad idea. I can easily pop in the 6 mm wire for the plug post-hoc through the wardrobe later on; at this stage I don't need it. And today - nailed down the ceiling the roof was nailed down. It was quite a trick to marry up the sheets so they met over the broader roof beams but patience and sailor-like cursing got the job done. I thought about gluing the sheets, but the hassle of cleaning up squooshed out glue spoke against that idea. Finally, the 10 mm polystyrene sheets, waiting patiently since about October, had their moment. The sheets are easy to cut to shape and fit snugly in the cavities Now that the inner ceiling is fixed, I'll fit the 6 mm ply to the walls, add the roof insulation, then the 3 mm ply to go along the length. And then... waterproofing. The end is slouching into sight.
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Post by karavaninkallista on Apr 11, 2021 9:21:35 GMT 10
The outer skin! It's been an exciting time. The side ply is 6 mm, with three vertical sheets covering the side (plus a little patch over the door). Before placing the ply on I painted both sides of the ply that would oriented down, in the hope that the paint on the inside may assist with water resistance to splashes. The ply is held on with Sikaflex and a pile of 25 mm nails around the edges, along the seams, and around the window. The shape looks a little odd as at this stage I used a jigsaw once the ply was attached to give a rough cut. Cutting out the points for lights and electrics was a bit of a trick, but looks well enough. I used the handy tool to cut around the windows, and the gap is generally 1 - 2 mm; happy with that and a spot of filler and architrave should render it nicely resistant to weather. Next, the roof. From trimming back the oregon to recreate the frame there were a number of lengths that were approximately 11 - 12 mm thick. I've glue-and screwed these along the length of the ceiling, following the internal skeleton either side of where the skylight will be. This will create a void that will hold the 10 mm polystyrene insulation, and also create a slight curvature to the ceiling (peaking at about 1 - 2 mm proud over the 2 m width of the caravan) that I hope will encourage rain to roll off the roof. (Incidentally you can see my error - I should have redone the roof to the carport before starting this job. The space between the central beam and the top of the caravan is vexing me sorely.) Finally, the front. More flexible 3 mm ply. Two sheets make up the front. The lower sheet has been trimmed to size, the top not as yet. I've splashed a bit of undercoat over the meeting points to assist with water resistance pending full waterproofing. And the roof. Polystyrene sheets the the ply, currently held down with bricks and chunks of wood until the glue cures. Truth be told, I'm a bit disappointed to paint the caravan. The wood alone looks really attractive, but I remain unconvinced that any lacquer would resist the sun and weather as well as paint - without an inordinate amount of maintenance. Back end is still to come but it'll be a quick job now, weather permitting. Then to weatherproofing. Fortunately Spotlight had a sale of calico this week, so a 10 m length of 2.4 m wide calico to come over the top. But that can wait another day.
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