Progress on our '67 Tradewind

[dbj216]

Uh oh. The DH is trying to do too much. You are right to blow the whistle on unsafe work practices. It would not be good for anyone if he got hurt.

David

[pinkflamingoes]

Our shell is down and touching the frame! Pictures coming...

[BIGED52]

Originally Posted by pinkflamingoes

Our shell is down and touching the frame! Pictures coming...

Ingrid, Congratulations on this step! Now you guys are getting nearer to having a wheeled aluminum tent! YAY!!!! Ed

[pinkflamingoes]

We go shopping for C channel next. Or, he goes, and I hide and do the Aluminum Dance.

[pinkflamingoes]

Not attached yet. Just "married". We will cut the floor to fit, install c-channel, attach shell. The wheel wells are too close to the top of the tires. He says he can fix that, I believe it, part of his job is sheet-metal work. Here you go:

[dbj216]

Coming together nicely. Quite exciting to have the two major pieces together again. Major motivation to press on regardless. You guys will get the "full monte" ribbon soon.

David

[pinkflamingoes]

There's a ribbon?? *claps hands*

[pinkflamingoes]

I was a little very worried about the wheel wells "being too close to the tires" but it turns out one of those ribs ends too close down to the wheel wells. Whew.

[pinkflamingoes]

Has anyone else ever put a shell back on a frame singlehandedly? My husband may be the first. He actually cut the floor to a pretty accurate shape and lowered the shell to with jacks, front, back, front, back...little by little. We have 2 x 6's supporting the shape in an X formation and also across the floor at the bottom crossing the floor. He used 6 jacks under the beams down near the floor and moved around inside to lower it down. Once he matches c-channel with the shell, the floor is trimmed and the final connection is made. Floor is then bolted down.

We're sending our banana wraps to Colin Hyde to have them shaped back to original. What you see on that spot on our trailer is temporary metal in that spot to help banana wrap go in when its time to lower the shell. Or something. Pics next.

[pinkflamingoes]

Here is the amazingness of how close he shaped the floor to the shell, and temporary banana wrap to help moving in the real thing when it arrives. One of the pictures has floor sticking out, that's the only part (we hope) he'll have to trim.

[pinkflamingoes]

After pix will come after...

[pinkflamingoes]

Alas, no "after". But bought c-channel today!

[pinkflamingoes]

Well, husband is now on 7/12 shifts. Not much is gonna happen here for a while...

[pinkflamingoes]

and night shift. bleaugh.

[dbj216]

Geez, that's more hours per week than I used to work. Just think of all the taxes he's going to owe when this schedule is over! Are Airstream renovations tax deductable?

David

[pinkflamingoes]

Yeah every few months or so the Chevron or Shell refineries shut down parts of the facility section by section for maintenance or upgrades, so he gets lots and lots of overtime. Then when there's down time in between union contracts, he gets lots and lots of Airstream repair time! This is called a turn around and since this Chevron facility basically exploded about 2 years ago, there's a lot of work to do on it.

I think we'll be OK on the taxes he was working at Folsom state prison for 9 months and NONE of his travel expenses: hotel, gas, food...were reimbursed, so those receipts are all tax deductible, let's hope it evens out.

This crazy hours stretch is supposed to be over in 3 or 4 weeks. It really is a good thing last year went for 6 months with no work. What did you do for work David?

[dbj216]

Hi Ingrid, I didn't work near as hard as your DH. I worked in factories until I retired. I enjoyed working with people at work, and I enjoyed making things. I think that's why I enjoy messing with these old Airstreams. It involves materials, planning, tools, and problem solving.

You'll be back to the Trade Wind in no time.

David

[pinkflamingoes]

If I could go back and start over with my education, I would have ditched the liberal arts degree and gone into the building trades or some kind of mechanical work. It's much more gratifying than anything else I do for work, with the exception of teaching.

[dbj216]

I agree with your education assessment. I think it is a priority to "learn to do something" first, and then get your advanced degree in liberal arts after you have settled in a good job. The skilled trades are in demand and pay well. So do jobs requiring science, technology, engineering, mathematics.

You and your DH have demonstrated you can work with your hands and rebuild an old Airstream. It is satisfying. There are a lot of college graduates that would have trouble drilling out a rivet.

David

[pinkflamingoes]

High schools notoriously do not have any of the building or mechanics trades at their job fairs or career expos. I live in Northern California in the Bay Area and so much is targeted to technology. From what I understand it's a waste to go to college to get a job in technology; you don't have to have a college degree in computer science. I hear that building trade/mechanical jobs will be more in demand. However it is wise to have a college degree to get a management job in the building trade-in mechanical industries.

I think at the time I thought I couldn't do it because it am a female, though nobody told me that.

Oh well the Airstream will do fine!