Why do you have to splice it? I just slowly and gently popped mine in. The shell can slide and move to make it easier. I found many putty knives between the "J" channel and the plywood helped guide it in.
You were absolutely correct! Thanks so much. I am so glad I did not have to splice those sheets. I still have to bolt them in but it is in and I can use my window A/C again! Work will be a little cooler now in the southeast Texas heat
I had a very successful day today. I even bucked my first rivet! A neighbor or mine works for a major airline as a electronics mechanic and had a rivetor at work that he brought home to me. It was pretty easy. I am sure it will take a lot of practice to get to Kip's level of expertise but I think that we can "get 'er done" if you know what I mean.
My Level? I think that I am sometimes about a half bubble off on alot of my projects. I know my neighbors must think that. Truthfully it really isn't hard to buck rivets at all, I just like everybody to think so, so I can walk around wearing that 10 1/4 hat with my chest puffed out.
Hey, that's looking great Vernon. AND you bucked your first rivet! I must say I'm envious. What kind of air compressor set-up did you use? Kip, there are lots of those hats 'round this area. Folks just call 'em cowboys.
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Todd
“Complications arose, ensued, were overcome...savvy?”
I just used my DeWalt twin tank compressor. I am not sure how big it is (I could check tomorrow if important) but at my speed I think it will have plenty of time to catch up. It will be different when we have our Polishing Party.
BTW - My neighbor says he cannot borrow a drum polisher from his work. Bummer!
Quote:
Originally Posted by monocoque
Kip, there are lots of those hats 'round this area. Folks just call 'em cowboys.
I don't think that even most of us Texans get that big of a "big head"! Or do we?
Kip,
I am still waiting for the Master to come show me how. Seriously, thanks for all of your help.
My Level? I think that I am sometimes about a half bubble off on alot of my projects. I know my neighbors must think that. Truthfully it really isn't hard to buck rivets at all, I just like everybody to think so, so I can walk around wearing that 10 1/4 hat with my chest puffed out.
I just used my DeWalt twin tank compressor. I am not sure how big it is (I could check tomorrow if important) but at my speed I think it will have plenty of time to catch up. It will be different when we have our Polishing Party.
BTW - My neighbor says he cannot borrow a drum polisher from his work. Bummer!
Maybe your neighbor knows where to find a second-hand drum polisher?! That's what we really need cost-wise. I'm also wondering about the minimum air set-up to operate a rivet gun AND a drum polisher. Not necessarily at the same time. The airmark site says 90 PSI / 17 CFM to operate the AH-2. 17 CFM is pretty high which may be why these are apparently uncommon.
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Todd
“Complications arose, ensued, were overcome...savvy?”
Todd, the rivet guns, similar to air nailers, require short bursts of air. So a large flow capacity isn't that important for hobbyist applications. Small compressors will do.
But air rotary tools like buffers, compounders, and polishers, seem to require much higher flow rates. That's just my understanding and I welcome the experts to chime in.
Not an expert, not even close... I have a fairly large compressor for my shop. I have to spray a lot of lacquer onto the cabinets I build and that requires a great deal of air flow. Not quite sure of how many horsepower it is, but the tank is 50 gallons. When I run my little die grinder, it takes a lot of air to make it spin. I am not sure it would have the ability to keep up with one of those polishers.
I am glad I was able to influence someone in a positive way... Did the shell go "pop" when you got the last piece in? Those spices are exceptable, but not as good as the whole sheet. Glad it worked out for you.
Did the shell go "pop" when you got the last piece in?
It made a slight "pop" when the sheet fell in. Afterward I put some slight tension across the c-channels with ratchet straps to pull them back in to the original width. Then as I stepped along the sides and it would "pop" some more as my 200# pushed the plywood down. The straps works pretty good for making slight adjustments to the width and will hold in place until I get it bolted down.
Now that I think I am finished with the "Repairing/Replacing Floor &/or Frame" portion of my project I am going to ask the moderators to move this thread to the "1970 Overlander" sub-forum. I am doing this because I want to maintain the continuity of the entire project documentation.
That's a good idea Vernon, and a good way to follow the rest of your renovation. I'm looking forward to seeing what you do now that the demolition phase is over and you can start putting it back together. The Polish Party is getting closer...
I have read other posters who asked "how straight should it be?" I don't think that I have seen an answer and I am sure it is one of those things that you just have to satisfy yourself.
I wish that I had paid closer attention to details of my Airstream before I began to disassemble it. Now that I am re-attaching the shell to the floor I find myself asking the same question. I am not sure how straight the shell was to begin with.
Some areas are easy - i.e. where they attached the c-channel to the end of the outriggers. There are other places where it wasn't attached to the outriggers but rather through the subfloor only. These are in places that the outriggers came out directly under the ribs and the bolts were moved aft or forward of that and other places in the front that the channel was too far out past the outrigger to attach and the c-channel was simply screwed to the subfloor. These areas call for a little eye-balling and the use of the SWAG system.
I took measurements across the width and wrote them on the inside of the outer skin but that only helps if you know the opposite wall is in the correct location.
So does anyone have an answer to the age old question or should I just wing it? What I have now is not perfect but it looks fairly straight. Maybe it will look better later with the banana wraps tucked under and the rub rail back on. This step is more difficult than I anticipated. Or maybe I am trying to get it too perfect. Who knows?
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Or maybe I am trying to get it too perfect. Who knows?
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