'62 Globe Trotter Project...

[A-Merry-Can]

a bottle opener is a good idea! ha! think i'll stick with the light for this un, though. time to go ahead and orcer one, i spose!

jp

[pinkflamingoes]

I can't take credit for that one! I saw someone on here had put a wall-mounted bottle opener in the middle of a patched area...one of those things I filed away to do eventually on mine. Even a connection for some kind of outdoor shower makes sense, somewhere, or a foot rinse for days on the beach...

Onward!

[A-Merry-Can]

i may have to finish stripping that side tomorrow, just for fun... IF the weather warms back up, that is!

the BIG Q now is... grab handle or not... i think i'm leaning not. it didn't originally have one, and if i put one in, it would fall between 2 ribs, so there wouldn't be much structure to it... unlike the handle on my other project, which falls right on a rib, and you can tell! it feels like i could lift the whole trailer with just the handle! ha!



can't wait to get this one caught up to the other, then, once both outter skins are done, i'll start on the 2 interiors at the same time.

jp

[A-Merry-Can]

well, i have made a little more progress on ol #51 (aka "Stinky"). now that the patches are done, i decided to see how she'll shine up, starting with the curb side. since i'll be replacing the skins on both rear corners, i'm leaving that all nasty and original. i should be ready for the skin work in april (hopefully!)

i've also made the curb-side wheel trim from some left over material from the '59... oh, and most importantly, my porch lite is in! looks REALLY good, i think. MUCH better than a hole. i still don't get why this globe trotter has neither a porch lite NOR a grab handle. i'll probably be leaving the handle off as well, as she comes back together.

pics pics pics...

[Jacob D.]

That light looks really great in the middle of that patch. I may have to go back and do the same to mine - mine was originally a 4-screw light that was a touch bigger then the 3-screw replacement I put in (original was badly corroded and had a broken lens), so I'm not entirely happy about how it looks. But I love the way it looks in the middle of a round patch.

[A-Merry-Can]

i thought about patching the holes from teh tail lights with round surrounds like those... bit i think moving them inboard is a better idea. plus, one of the rear quarter panels has a sizeable dent. best replace em while i can, i spose!

i almost with there was another thing to patch on this girl. i've gotten so good at the circular patches, it's a shame to stop now! haha!

jp

[A-Merry-Can]

now that i think about it... i may have to come up with a porthole for the door....



anyone know where to get one of those?

jp

[pinkflamingoes]

That's a great idea. I saw a bunch on eBay. Just type in "porthole".

You could get one that opens and when you have a visitor, yell "No one gets to see the Wizard, not nobody, not no-how!!"

Seriously though, I was pondering a window in our door someday and that's a super idea!

[A-Merry-Can]

i ended up putting the porthole on my other project. looks great, i think!

http://www.airforums.com/forum...ent-17197.html

jp

[A-Merry-Can]

i just finished removing all the trim around the windows, in prep for paint (once everything else is done, i know...). while i was at it, i checked the wiring, and amazingly, NO shorts! everything works just as it should (and will!) amazing luck, on that.

i do need to run a 12v line up to the roof for the upcoming fantastic fan addition. for some reason, this trailer doesn't have 12v OR 120v run to the vent. maybe it wasn't standard to do so in '62, i dunno.

more soon!

jp

[A-Merry-Can]

Had a few extra hours last night, and decided to start on one of the quarter panels. It's been a while since I've had an airstream in teh yard with it's skins off! ha!

http://www.airforums.com/forums/174581-post98.html

same process here. I got the panel replicated and put in place with a couple of clecos. Hopefully I'll have some time today to drill out the rest of the holes, and rivet it in place. Then on to the other side! I've decided to do the same tail light set-up on my 59 traveller project. i really like the way the smaller tail lights look on the shorter units.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f4/s...ent-17197.html

more soon!

jp

[dudebb]

All your work looks great! I am expecting to get our 62 Bambi by the end of the month (will post photos once she gets here) and really appreciate you sharing your expertise and photos. I'm sure I'll be back to this thread referencing work I'll need to do. 3 Airstreams is quite an undertaking. I've heard that restoring one of these can deplete your bank account about as quickly as sending triplets to an ivy league college! Good luck on the projects and thanks again for sharing.
George

[J&G22argosy]

Awesome work !! You've inspired me to go out and start working on my 22' Argosy.

JB

[A-Merry-Can]

Originally Posted by dudebb

All your work looks great! I am expecting to get our 62 Bambi by the end of the month (will post photos once she gets here) and really appreciate you sharing your expertise and photos.

I wouldn't call me an "expert"! ha! I'm learning more every day!

Originally Posted by dudebb

3 Airstreams is quite an undertaking. I've heard that restoring one of these can deplete your bank account about as quickly as sending triplets to an ivy league college!

But when the bank comes to take your house, you have a place to stay!



jp

[A-Merry-Can]

Originally Posted by J&G22argosy

Awesome work !! You've inspired me to go out and start working on my 22' Argosy.

If it weren't 90 degrees out, i'd be inspired to finish mine! Hopefully this late afternoon...

jp

[A-Merry-Can]

I decided to take a few hours this afternoon and finish the curb-side rear panel, and cut in the right tail light. paraphrased steps.... (drill and cleco panel, remove panel, clean up debris, seal with a liberal dose of Vulkem, re-clecoo and rivet. While we were at it, we riveted in the vertical wall supports, and rear runnning light.

After that, i layed out the tail lights, and cut in the rear right one. I'm doing the same set-up i did on the silver pickle (Bargman 9's with the aluminum trim ring). because of the panel overlap, i couldn't cut in the rear left yet. maybe next week... I think i can do a rer quarter panel swap in about 4 1/2 hours, once the interior wall is out.

I'm sure the neighbors across the lake are happy i'm done. ha!

jp

[A-Merry-Can]

After a brief hiattus, I finally got a freee night to finish up the street-side rear of "stinky". Next up, the cover where the water heater door was, and the second tail light. hopefully this weekend! I've been splitting my time between both airstream projects, and slowly coming to the realization that I need to focus on one at a time. I do like variety, though.

jp

[GreatPumpkin]

Originally Posted by A-Merry-Can

i'm no expert either, but i've tried the standard rotary polisher, as well as this cool adapter kit i got on eBay that turns my rotary polisher into a buffing wheel. i think it cuts faster than the rotary wool wheel. see post #20 of my thread to see a pic of it.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f134...ect-27501.html

it's definitely feels quicker to me, but others with more experience could certainly offer more expert advice. i believe you still need to follow up with a cyclo-type polisher and "S" Grade NuVite to get the micro-scratches out.

jp

I've been searching for this type of adaptor so I can use a cotton buffing wheel. You're the only one I seem to have found that is using one. Do you have any more information on it that will help me track one down? seller's username, actual product name, brand name, etc. Does it screw directly onto the 5/8 -11 threaded shaft common on most polisher/sanders?
Thanks

[A-Merry-Can]

i just bought the whole kit here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Airstream-Buffin...QQcmdZViewItem

good luck! I love mine!

jp

[GreatPumpkin]

Originally Posted by A-Merry-Can

i just bought the whole kit here:

Airstream Buffing Kit aircraft aluminum polish - (item 160140476450 end time Jul-29-07 11:09:12 PDT)

good luck! I love mine!

jp

Thanks, Karma to you.
I was able to find the adaptor and buffing wheels here: Caswell Inc. (They were a little cheaper on the adaptor and the buffing wheels)