Started early today on the street side lower skin. First Pic is a before picture, notice the 6061-T6 skin splice done by a PO. On the second picture I am plugging all the 3/16th holes that the skin repair was originally installed with and re drilling them to 1/8th for now The third pic is of a frame section that was bent (and with 3/16th holes) that I straightened and then attached to the "C" channel and out rigger. The forth pic is of a frame work change on the two frames that stopped short of the wheel tub. I fabricated a new longer stringer out of .063 2024-T3. The old way left the area above the wheel well tube flimsy. I still need to make two new stub frames to go on each side of the tub up to the new stringer. The last pics show the new skin being drilled up. I still have another good day of work before it will be ready to be shot on.
Continued with the street side lwr skin replacement. I got most of it drilled up and the bulk of the trimming done. I still have to trim the forward lower section to ED. I would like to get the banana wrap made too but I think that it might have to wait until spring. I plan on shooting on everything except the lower row over the holiday weekend. I also have to fabricate the two sub frames that will go on the forward and aft sides of the wheel well tub.
Darn, you got home and got photos up before I could!
Kip, always a fountain of aluminum expertise, gave me some pointers today that give me confidence I can get the floor fixed ASAP in my '77 Safari. Thanks, Aerowood!
Its not a question of riveting on the skin when it's cold outside, but the temp at which the sealent is applied. It would be better if it was above freezing, better yet if above 50.
Kip, I've got a tent that's big enough for your Airstream. If you want we can set it up and use my propane bazillion-BTU construction heater to keep things warm. Hate to see you slow down.
I'm going to "skirt" my Safari for the same reason--need to POR-15 before springtime.
The tent is 10'x16' by 10' high. It can easily be 10'x20'. The blue tarps from Costco fit perfectly and are cheap (I have many). We can take a used one and cut an Airstream-shaped "hangar door" in one end to fit tight (or tape it on temporarily) and drape the sides to the ground. The joints are pretty stable and the 1-1/4" pipes are stiff. It does fine in a wind if you guy it. Each foot has its own stakable plate.
It might even be possible, and desirable, to use half as a lean-to, but I've been thinking that configuration may be difficult to heat.
I talked my brother into coming over to help me shoot on the street side skin. It only cost me a 6 pack of Bluemoon. I had to trim the bottom edge of the panel done to ED (edge distance) before We could install it. I used a skin knife to score the aluminum and then a pair of duck bill vise grips to brake it off. A quick sand of the edge followed up with a vixen file and we we ready to shoot. A skin knife is the best way to make a long straight cut if you don't have a shear Handy. 2 hours later the skin was on. I still have to make the lower wrap before I can shoot on the bottom row. I'm installing the wrap behind the side skins
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