Oh Boy - Here We Go...

[Darkspeed]

Originally Posted by L.D.Clara

Maybe POR15 is more tolerant that I expected - I was basing my thoughts on experience of other epoxies, admittedly more the marine epoxy side of things though.

I'd noticed there was a weather window coming up too, the problem with Manitoba though is even if it's in the forecast, you never know if it's actually going to happen. It's not for nothing that people here say that if you don't like the weather, just wait 15 minutes and it'll be different!

I think I might take a trip out to the farm on Wednesday evening to see if I can finish getting the floor up; including taking my courage in both hands and trying to unscrew the toilet flange from the holding tank (I have a feeling it isn't original and who knows if the P.O. glued it).. You never know - I might be able to sandblast Saturday then paint on Sunday. Well, that's the plan anyway..!

If spray foam from a can will cure , por-15 will cure. Actually has a lot of the same chemicals and also is why it is so uv sensitive . It goes on thin then uses moisture from the air to expand into any surface defect like rust.

[L.D.Clara]

Firstly, Happy Christmas everyone!

It's been a while since I posted anything, but I've been making steady if slow progress. I took the paint off the frame with a combination of the sandblaster and wire wheels on the drill. Both have their advantages, the sandblaster can get into some of the nooks and crannies that the wheel won't and is a lot quicker if you can get enough air. It uses a lot, fifteen cubic feet a minute or so, and the average compressor you get from the big box store seems to be around five. The solution was to link four compressors with a huge mess of hoses and heavy extension cords to get enough air and keep them all on different breakers. Ugly but it worked..

For putting paint on the frame I'm using an HVLP gun to spray Tremclad thinned a little with mineral spirits. It goes on pretty well and is a whole lot easier than using a brush. I'll have to do the very underside with a brush as the sprayer is gravity fed and doesn't work upside down but that I can live with. Only another coat of primer and two top coats to go and the floor can go back! At least I'm making progress at last.

I'll try to post some more photos sometime soon..

[mrgreen]

would love to see pics this is all ahead of me!

[L.D.Clara]

Originally Posted by mrgreen

would love to see pics this is all ahead of me!

OK, so here are a few, sorry for the quality since they're off my cellphone, taken during sandblasting. Incidentally don't leave your cell or anything you care about in your pockets while sandblasting - the stuff gets everywhere. I had sand in places I didn't even know I had places..

Clara and her new neighbours..


And a couple of the frame and general chaos in there..



I'll try to get some more pics of the painting progress if I can too..

[L.D.Clara]

More progress has been made - and this time there's some photographic evidence!

I've now finished painting the frame which was something of a pain in the neck, but is now done. I have a few pieces I'll have to do with a brush later; I had to put blocks in to hold the shell up (you can see one in the lower right of the photo), so I'll have to paint where they were as I go when putting the floor back in. Shouldn't be too much of a problem. I also want to pick up the innermost set of wheel arches and paint/caulk underneath them so that in wet driving conditions there isn't anything making it's way underneath them and into the floor side of the belly area. I realize there'll be water in there anyway in such conditions, but I'm hoping it will have the decency to keep itself to the lower area and away from the nice new floor!

The frame all primed up..


I've also got the last two coats of black topcoat on as well, but have no photos of that yet. If you have a good imagination it looks exactly the same, but black...


So - what have I learned (in the hope of saving others some time)...

1. Getting into all those nooks and crannies with a paintbrush is a real pain, and because you're upside down, it's going to end up in your hair..

2. You can spray Tremclad/Rustoleum rust paint and primer (oil based - I really don't trust anything water based to be really waterproof and you're tied to above freezing temperatures [see 7]) with an HVLP spray gun. I used the 1.4mm nozzle that came with it, and a round spray pattern and about 20psi seemed to work best for me. I thinned with mineral spirits until it would go through the gun, but no more; if it's too thin it just runs off. It's not going to be the very best finish, but you're hiding it in the belly skin so all it needs to do is protect the metal..

3. Spraying beats a brush hands down for getting into weird places, especially if you aren't pulling all the trailer wiring out; by pulling it to one side or the other, you can spray in behind it. Possible with a brush, but annoying.

4. HVLP doesn't produce too much spray mist and the fumes weren't too bad; the trailer is in a pole shed open on one side and there's obviously no floor. That said get a decent mask (one that filters out the organic vapours) - they're pretty cheap and you only get one set of lungs. I got one for about $35 which makes it a no brainer.

5. If it's cold, watch out for the condensation that drips out if the front of your mask. If it lands on a frame that's at -9C then it'll freeze almost instantly; you'll then have to chip it all off before you can paint there, or you'll have water trapped under the paint which is not cool. At these low temperatures the paint does go off, but on a geological timescale; put a coat on one day and the rest of the week is pretty much your own...

6. That big heating duct that runs halfway down the trailer and you don't want to remove? If you take the ends off, you can slide it all the way to the front, then all the way to the back and avoid having to try to paint around it. I don't want to admit how long I took to work that one out.

7. Don't do a shell on restoration over winter in Manitoba.

8. Remember this is a hobby and you're doing this for fun...

Now to put the floor back in....

[worldinchaos]

Originally Posted by L.D.Clara

5. If it's cold, watch out for the condensation that drips out if the front of your mask. If it lands on a frame that's at -9C then it'll freeze almost instantly; you'll then have to chip it all off before you can paint there, or you'll have water trapped under the paint which is not cool. At these low temperatures the paint does go off, but on a geological timescale; put a coat on one day and the rest of the week is pretty much your own...

7. Don't do a shell on restoration over winter in Manitoba.

8. Remember this is a hobby and you're doing this for fun...

Now to put the floor back in....

You can come visit me in LA if you want. I can hook you up with a spot in the storage yard where my project is sitting. It reached a high of 82 F today. Really abnormally warm down here, even for southern California.

In all seriousness though, what you are doing is very admirable. All for the love of an Airstream. Keep it up, and don't forget #8. It's the most important one.

[Minno]

It's 55 degrees today in Minnesota - maybe you should come down here. It's looking good so far!

Kay

[L.D.Clara]

Thanks for the offers of warmer places.. On the plus side I'm off to Florida for a week!

When I get back I can start putting the floor back which will be a relief in no small way. I'm really looking forward to getting on to the woodwork phase of things because that's the area where I actually know what I'm doing (believe it or not)..

I'm not too sure about the love for an airstream, there are times when my feelings towards it aren't exactly love! Having said that she's made it to this age so I guess that she deserves some love, doesn't look like she's had too much of that recently..
More to the point she needs someone to do the right thing and fix the real problems rather than glossing over things.... Oh and I'd rather not have to use the tent next summer!