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BarryIowa · 03-07-2011, 08:49 AM

Okay Don, since you asked and I have to have a reasonable excuse for not getting anything done on the AS over the winter. Here are a couple pictures of things that I built over the last couple of months. I know. I know. They are not AS related but I look at it like I'm building up my creative, building and finishing skills!

SilverHoot · 03-07-2011, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarryIowa

Okay Don, since you asked and I have to have a reasonable excuse for not getting anything done on the AS over the winter. Here are a couple pictures of things that I built over the last couple of months. I know. I know. They are not AS related but I look at it like I'm building up my creative, building and finishing skills!

With your talent it looks like you could make an Airstream guitar.

BarryIowa · 03-07-2011, 09:08 AM

That has crossed my mind! Both of these were commissions so they bubbled to the top of the priority list.

BarryIowa · 08-18-2011, 03:32 PM

Fellow AS owner, Scott, is coming over tonight to start the very detailed measuring and photography documentation before the interior comes out which will be very soon now! He has the same year trailer and has offered to help with the drawing and planning and he is a CAD expert. It should really help me get the planning for the 4" deep fresh and gray water tanks ordered and installed in the correct location when we get to that point.

Sugarfoot · 08-25-2011, 05:02 PM

Barry, I'm SO impressed. That garage rocks! As do the guitars. Geez, you're talented.

And smart for doing thorough documentation before embarking on this next phase. I'm really glad you've had a chance to camp in the Cloud before getting down to business again. Can't wait to see what's next.

utee94 · 08-27-2011, 08:53 AM

Those guitars are awesome. Can't wait to see what you do with the Airstream!

-Marcus

BarryIowa · 09-07-2011, 02:03 PM

I HAVE PROGRESS TO REPORT!!! Scott has been helping me with the measuring, drawing and the planning needed for the restoration. Goal one is to get everything located so I can get the fresh and gray tanks ordered (two of each) from VTS. Below are some pics taken by Kathy, Scott's wife, while over helping me remove the belly pan. A cool discovery by Scott, he found the flag pole shoved in the street side frame rail! More to come as I have been removing the interior getting ready for new floors!\

Good news! The frame is in excellent condition! Just minor surface rust. Much of the original paint is still intact and no evidence of rodents.

BarryIowa · 09-08-2011, 12:54 PM

Here are the pictures of the interior being carefully removed. I built a shelf in my garage to hold most of it and keep it safe and dry. I hope to reuse it but I may just use it as reference material.

flyfshr · 09-08-2011, 01:02 PM

This is progressing nicely but I'll bet you're going to wish your shelf was bigger before you're through. Take pictures of everything twice if not three times. Take it from one who knows, you'll appreciate them later.

Brad
FF

BarryIowa · 09-08-2011, 01:09 PM

Thanks Brad, I think I'm going to add another 4' x 8' panel to the left of the one that I just put up..... I made sure the FC will still fit.

I also have the retro Marvel 110 fridge that I'm will to sell if anyone is interested. I'll post the dimensions later. Here are a few pics. It's a little dusty but it works great and looks to be all there. The Marvel emblem came off but it is sitting on top of the fridge in perfect condition AND it is white!

Byams55FlyCl · 09-09-2011, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarryIowa

Here are the pictures of the interior being carefully removed. I built a shelf in my garage to hold most of it and keep it safe and dry. I hope to reuse it but I may just use it as reference material.

Wowee! Great to see last weekend's progress - and you've got it all tucked up in storage leaving room to work!
Were the cabinets fastened in with rivets? Regular screws? Phillips head screws?
Now that the streetside cabinets are out, can you see the wood hidden for years? Were the visible portions refinished? What wood species was used?

BarryIowa · 09-09-2011, 11:48 AM

Hi Kathy,
It looks to me that the wood had been much lighter in the hidden areas and personally, I'm not a fan of the really blond wood. The cabinets were held in with mostly flat head screws which were easy to remove everywhere EXCEPT where they went into the floor!!! Some rivets were used as well but those came out very easily. Have fun on your upcoming adventure!

Lance M · 09-09-2011, 01:05 PM

Nice work Barry. I've enjoyed reading your thread. The raising of the garage was cool as well. I'm from Iowa originally. I'm also working on a '55 Flying Cloud. You are right about the screws in the floor. They were in for good.

BarryIowa · 09-09-2011, 01:29 PM

Thanks Lance. I wish you were closer by, I would stop over and take a look around your shop. Looks like you do great work.

utee94 · 09-11-2011, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarryIowa

Here are the pictures of the interior being carefully removed. I built a shelf in my garage to hold most of it and keep it safe and dry. I hope to reuse it but I may just use it as reference material.

I can't tell from the pics and you'll know better than I do, but if the interior is at all "dry" or "flakey" then I think you'd do best to rebuild with new materials to original specs. If it's still completely solid and whole, then keep it of course.

Nice work Barry , this is a fun stage. You're lucky to have Brad for advice, and I greatly envy you your garage and work space, though I won't say you're "lucky" to have that because you worked your arse off to create it.

Keep it up!

-Marcus

BarryIowa · 09-12-2011, 08:30 AM

Here are the plans for the 55 Flying Cloud. It shows the current layout and a few of the required changes to be able to fit the new gray and fresh water tanks and how the new plumbing will need to run. One thing that isn't shown is the need to rotate the shower base 180 degrees. This will allow the drain to be on the inside of the frame member making the plumbing to the gray tank a bit easier. A big thank you to my Air Stream buddy Scott for drawing the plans!

RankAm · 09-13-2011, 09:08 AM

Barry, many thanks for posting the pdf drawing of your FC. As the owner of a 56 FC (that is in the demolition stage), I am very happy to have the benefit of that drawing.

Hank

BarryIowa · 09-13-2011, 09:12 AM

Hi Hank, happy that you find it useful but all the credit goes to my friend Scott. He and his wife also own a 55 FC so he modified his drawing for me since our layouts were different but it was a good place to start.

InsideOut · 09-13-2011, 09:30 AM

I'm sure you have already pondered all this, but it looks like your "gray" tank is actually a combined "gray/black" tank...which would really make it all "black", right? What's your capacity going to be?

We thought about combined tanks, but do enough boondocking in areas where we CAN drain off the wash water, that we decided to keep them separate. My only concern would be getting a "clog" in the long run from the toilet to the tank...I would also want a sure fire way to keep the black from backing up into the shower if you did get a clog.

Nice to work things out on paper first though - isn't it? Good job! This sort of planning is a sign of real progress!

Shari

BarryIowa · 09-13-2011, 09:38 AM

Hi Shari,
It might not be obvious in the drawing but the toilet will set on the black tank and the gray tanks really will be just gray. This is a fun stage. Taking the interior out is "no turning back" territory!