Hidey Ho there replica supporters.....
Or should that read.... "Supporters of Replicas???
Been gnarling away down the shed on the TD every now and again when work and motaboiks dont get in the way....
One of the issues that i could see with Rods framework was the sunken roof hatch.
While it was well engineered and welded , my past experience with leaking hatches at Wintersun 2007 was clearly etched in my mind. Water drippin in on a sponge matress during the night made for a rude awakening about 2 in the morning .. at first i thought i had wet my pants ....
... until i realised that my fork was still dry and the matress was wet from wall to wall.
So i felt around the back.. all dry there too.. ppphhhhheeww.!!!
the flush mounted hatch had allowed water in.......
Never again i said.
Sooooooooooo.... i had to spend a bit of time raising the hatch surround about 40mm and fitting timber in the recess so i have something to support the roof sheet when it goes on...
Bit fiddly , but happy with the result.
Near finshed rolling the alloy sheeting on the hatch. Alloy is only fairly light gauge but still takes some coaxing into shape.
Also managed to finish sheetin the inner sides where the 8x4 sheet hadnt covered...
Spackled all the screw head holes and sanded them.
The finish on the inner walls isnt critical as i will be getting the young carpet layer that just done our sunroom carpet back to cover the walls with the same stuff you see the late model vans and people movers linled with... sorta like a grey felt and moulds to suit the wheel arches etc....
Floor will be just covered with a clark rubber ribbed rubber floor mat. easy to sweep out and wipe up oil leaks from the incontinent pommy bikes i will be lugging around in there...
Also fiddled around and made a "Slipper "for the front wheel of the Norton.
The bike front wheel will just roll into the slipper and 2 tie downs will be enough to hold it in place at the front.
It is easly removed. held in by a stud that i have fastened inside the slipper that passes through the front chassis cross member and a winged bolt that screws into a nut that is welded on the bottom of the next cross member back.
The outer walls / ceiling and inside of the tailgate boot are going to be 3 ply and the roof will be aluminium sheet..
I bought 6 sheets of ply today and gave the inner surfaces a coat of 3 in oil based primer sealer undercoat...
I have also ordered 26 sheets .. 1200 x 600 x 15mm polystyrene insulation
at $2.20 ea ( i have a mate in the trade .. normally 2.75 ... or cheaper if the boss aint around...) but happy to pay 2.20 anyway.
They have to cut 20mm sheets down to 15 mm for me as a special order.. 2 weeks wait. .
Can get 6mm ...13mm or 20mm and upwards standard.
I am going to glue the sheets into the cavity. Bro reminded me that i wont be able to use spray glue as the hydracarbon propellant will react with the foam...
Gunna try and fix the outside ply sheets with the minimal amount of fasteners and a whole stack of sikaflex and clamps...
The roof sheets of aluminium are 1500 X 3600 but are etched from weather etc.... So i wont be able to leave em bare alloy and polish them like i had hoped to...
doesnt matter all that much about the roof sheets finish as i have come up with another first from "The Shed of Invention"...
At first i was going with the idea of a vinyl roof like the statemans / fairlanes.....
....
Happy with those thoughts i drifted off to bed.... mind still in gear and imagination throwing up other ideas......mind continually rejecting the dumb ideas...... untill.... Bingo....
A brilliant dumb idea.... ;D
Yup... you heard it first right here on the van forum........
Lino..... yup.. Lino...
The idea came to me when i walked into our kitchen to steal the 5 kg sponge cake out of thy fridge for a midnight snack.
I turned the light on ... and.... there was my answer .. right under my feet...
imitation floorboards ..... no nailing.. just glue it to the aluminium roof and whack a j mould down the edges on either side...
no lumps... bumps.. joins.... just a smooth waterproof finish.
WWWWWWWWWAAAAAAYYYYYYY CCCCOOOOLLLLLLL
By Jingoes by Crikeys .. Gee wilikers...I dont have many inventitive thoughts nowdaysdue to the ever diminshing number of active cells up there in the melon ... but ... when i do...
Ummmmmmmmmmmmm.... jist had another thought....
..
Is Lino U.V stabilised??
Dont want it lifting orf like space shuttle tiles
anywho... enough for today..
More soon.
Reddo