Aluminum Wall Back-splash and Range-hood

[ALUMINUMINUM]

Aluminum Wall Back-splash and Range-hood


From another thread, I was asked about this.


The incentive
After removing the damp and decayed kitchen over head locker, I discovered the destructive leak that the Negligent Airstream Factory Worker caused when he hawged the hole for the stove fan vent through the ABS plumbing stack. Evidently the black swarf falling at his feet caused little concern. Whoever swept it under the bathtub along with all the other construction debris didn't wonder about it either. Whoever fitted the fan and duct ignored it...


Forty-seven years of weeping water infiltration from the kitchen sink vent stack slowly rotted the wood, rusted out the range-hood, oxidized wiring and lighting, seized the fan.... This “un-findable” leak must have been horribly frustrating to the POs, as there were confluent glaciers of sealants around the roof vent, seams, stove, and sink vents.

The over-head
I didn't like the pseudo-cabinet anyway, it was rather ominous, heavy, head banging, and compartmentalizing to the interior. It doesn't function much as a cabinet as there's nearly no storage space, mostly just concealment of the range-hood and duct, the massive refrigerator chimney, and it's a blind reach into the unprotected, loose wiring for the kitchen light and fan.


The back-splash
With the wall cleared, I drilled and fished the wiring to new locations. To drill a 1/2” hole thru a horizontal rib, I drilled an 1 1/2” hole next to the rib, angled an 1/8” pilot bit into the rib center, then followed with a 1/2” bit. I grommeted the 1/2” hole, and fished solar cables to the rooftop center-line.


Prior to install, the covering sheets of 5052 .032” were wet sanded with varying paper grits to a faint brushed texture, and coated with micron thin applications of spar polyurethane to prevent oxidation and facilitate cleaning. The blind riveted aluminum sheets were edged with metals and transitions common to the counter-top trade. Total weight of aluminum sheeting applied to walls and bulkhead; 15.2 lbs.


The range-hood
I snipped, planished, and 5/32” modified brazier riveted 5052 .032” aluminum spherically in an 18” radius into a four segment range-hood. I wanted to enjoy the beautiful day outdoors, so I bucked it all together on a train rail with a hand set and my yard hammer out on the picnic table. Likewise, I riveted a .125” valance & .032” shelf that conceals a strip of 12V LEDs, and along inside the .125” range-hood edge band to illuminate the kitchen counter and cook-top, controlled by a pulse width modulator. Fan actuated by chain pull switch.


Smooth and Shiny


Link to pocket door explain... http://www.airforums.com/forums/f7/p...ce-128019.html

[aquinob]

Gorgeous work.

[dbj216]

Beautiful range hood. You've made your 68 so open, light and airy. The satin aluminum interior walls are perfect. Thank you for sharing your ideas, designs, comments and resultant photos. Your writing style is top notch.

David

[mccrosti]

...note to self...Do Not show this to wife... End note

[idahoair]

wow.

love that vent hood looks like it came that way.

nice work!

[Larry C]

Excellent work! I wish we were neighbors!

Larry

[InjectorJake]

Your on to something here!!! Great design!!

[Frank's Trailer Works]

very nice work! I am impressed! I hope you are very proud of yourself.
What alloy did you use? How will you protect it?

[txdxrider]

Great work!!!

[dbj216]

Aluminuminum: Don't you go get a BIG head over all these accolades! The next thing we know you'll hire an agent to screen and respond to all these postings. And you may start selling "galley kits" for mid sixties Safaris, along with your patented mini blind installation kit, and your Corning glass bar - hinge sealing kit. Your future is bright.

David

[911Patriot]

I am COMPLETELY Wowed! Amazing workmanship & investigative trouble shooting. It is beautiful. Thank you so much for your step by step labeled graphics too which we can easily follow. Again...WOW!

[Frank's Trailer Works]

I would love to know the answers to my two questions…
I ask because I have not been happy with the longevity of the surface of any of the projects I done of exposed aluminum. I only do this sort of work in stainless because of how the surface looks after just a very short time. Watch out for any kind of slightly acids liquids...

[ALUMINUMINUM]

Thanks all, It's assuring to receive your positive responses.

Turns out, growing up poor without toys was a “gift”. I played with string, hairpins, tape, coat hangers, empty cans, paper clips, rubber bands, clothespins, pencils, milk bottles, newspaper, thread spools... whatever I could find on the floor. Life got better... Elated by a can of Tinker Toys, then some Lincoln Logs, an Erector Set, a Gilbert Chemistry set. Then on to skillfully painting and decaling dozens of plastic Revell car models. With great pride, I glued up a USS Forestal while surrounded with squadrons of model bombers and jet fighters suspended from my bedroom ceiling. Secretly stayed up all night 'til dawn building the “Visible V-8”. Strung a network of wire throughout the neighborhood to communicate with my playmates by Morse code, self taught soldering by a building a Crystal radio (today, proficient with TIG)... By the seventh grade, I was amazed to win my division at the State Science Fair, building a Van de Graaff electrostatic generator from household items (a story in itself). Many flying balsa and silk models powered by a progression through rubber bands, Cox .020, .049, Fox .09 and finally the coveted McCoy 35 Red Head. Did all that stupid boy stuff like launching them with a fuselage full of firecrackers on a long fuse.


Funded all this nonsense by cutting lawns with my home-made power mower, a leaf rake, a snow shovel, and a paper route. Sixty years later and thousands of projects, I still fabricate most all of my toys.



I sense that there are hundreds of Airstream restorers on this forum with very similar histories.


Frank, I wrote this weeks ago, but didn't get it edited down into a less verbose response, so you'll have to suffer through my entire, and personal, rambling.



Stainless is the best. At a professional level, I don't expect that my method has the durability that I would guarantee “out the door” without a caveat of caution. It isn't idiot proof. It might not meet the standard that you demand of yourself. I've been self-employed in the trades, and I know how important flawless, guarantee-able work is to me. So, I'll call it “Do it Yourself” or better, “Hillbilly” quality to be safe, as I haven't exposed it to anything that eats polyurethane. It does resist oxidation, olive oil, and finger oils, which suffices in its controlled environment. I keep it clean, it's maintainable... I think it's too labor intensive to do for anyone but yourself.



The metal was prepped prior to installation. To plain ol' 5052 .032 and .125, that was directionally hand sanded, the coating of exterior(non-yellowing) semi-gloss polyurethane, thinned to a wipe-able consistency is applied with a soaked rag instead of brush or spray. I scrub it in really well, then nearly all off, to assure there are no brush marks. Let it dry hard for a day, wet-sand with 1000 grit, and wipe it down again, repeating until it feels like about a half-thick spray coat. Took a while, but visually, it's difficult to detect the presence of a coating, surface looks satiny-polished, has depth, shows faint grain, inhibits oxidation. An attempt to closely mimic the original exterior finish.
It resists water stain and cooking spatter as any enamel paint would, cleans with warm soapy water, a little Windex sometimes.... I cannot expect it to resist scratches better than polyurethane paint, but has held up remarkably well, and will be easy to blend a touch-up when necessary... It looks and feels good. I think that one could use a catalytic polyurethane for added durability.


There are professional/commercial coatings superior to what I concocted. Possibly order from Airstream/Alcoa/Kaiser/Reynolds, a factory coated aluminum sheet.

Yup, it took a while. Scribing the wall to hood contour was tedious, but it was a rewarding challenge, and less than a hundred bucks in material including the wall and hood metals.


Again, thanks. I much enjoy reading posts from folks sharing their restoration, travel, and camping discoveries. You're inspirational, and I wish that I could contribute to, as much as I've learned from, this fabulous forum.

[NavyCorpsman]

You have a gift.

[dbj216]

Aluminuminum, How delightful reading your childhood experiences. I had some similar experiences. I was a flying model plane builder. I still have my McCoy .19, Fox .35 and my OS Max .60. I grew up during the introduction of "go karts". I rebuilt an old Briggs "washing machine" engine and mounted it on an old push kart. If it made noise and smelled bad I liked it. (No, not my little brother!) And I made a Tesla coil for one of my science projects. Shocking, but no awards.

I have the interest, but I don't have the skills like you have. I can't cut a 2x4 square.

Working in factories during my career, we often spoke about the difficulty in finding young folks that can work with tools. Not very many young folks aspire to be diesel mechanics, welders, or plumbers. Good paying jobs all of them.

Air Forums is fun as there are many like minded people who enjoy the adventure of traveling like gypsies, and the mechanics of trailer maintenance and even rebuilds.

It's fun learning our childhood experiences were similar.

David

[aquinob]

I did my backsplash with a sheet of aluminum as well, I think before this season starts I'll try and put some sort of protective finish on it to ward off the stuff from the stove and sink.

I do appreciate your story as well. I think lots of us older folks grew up having to make do or fix things ourselves snce there was no other way. I started with models as a kid, plastic ones, then the balsa airplanes. Mine never flew anywhere but in my room, but they were finished up nicely, I wish I had them now. Ive done woodworking, auto and home repair, electrical and machinery rebuilding so getting into these old trailers is just another extension of all that.

And when I think I'm doing pretty good, I see work like yours and know I've got qute a ways to go. Thats from one hillbilly to another.

[Landshark]

I fully realize that this is an ancient thread, but I wish to add my great respect and admiration for what you earlier posters have done/are doing. It is so amazing to read how your experiences growing up have enabled you to visualize and create these contributions to your Airstreams. Really cool!

I guess I am the female counterpart: I grew up making clothes for my stuffed toys and younger siblings' stuffed toys. By 7th grade I was making my own clothes, including eventually tailored suits for work. By my twenties I was making lined, pleated drapes and slipcovering anything that one sat upon. I made a back seat cover for the '08 F250 in a corduroy that matched the leather seats so the leather was not damaged by dogs. So with purchase of a 77 Safari, I was ready to be turned loose on a silver beauty and I loved it. I can hardly wait to be turned loose on my 67 Caravel, as soon as it comes from restoration.

You guys are a true inspiration on the Forum, thank you for your talent and willingness to help everyone by detailing it for us.

Thank you!!

Vivian

[ALUMINUMINUM]

Ancient? Hey, I resemble that comment. Thanks for the shout. When I was eleven, my mother took me down to the laundryroom and demonstrated the operation of the washer and dryer, how to thread, forward and reverse the sewing machine, and always remember to unplug the iron… “There, you’re on your own, if you want clothes to wear...”. Of course, the first thing I did was peg my pants so tight I couldn’t get my feet back through, but they sure looked cool with my Beatle Boots.

Today, the best 300sf of my house is dedicated to processing fabric. I hammered out our Sunbrella awning on "my" 1954 Pfaff 130 sailmaker’s machine. I’m dead certain that it could stitch together sheets of .025” 3003 aluminum. Voicing that thought, I was instructed with stern eye contact to “NEVER TOUCH THE JUKI”. That’s OK, I’d find more use for a bulldozer than a Lamborghini.

Get that Caravel home

Stay Safe

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by ALUMINUMINUM

][/LEFT]
I hammered out our Sunbrella awning on "my" 1954 Pfaff 130 sailmaker’s machine.

This is one of my highly-anticipated projects when I get the Caravel home: awnings all the way around, which of course isn't very many on my little guy. A year ago I found a Pfaff light commercial machine, similar age to yours, in a thrift store. Bought it on the spot, had it checked out, nothing wrong with it except needed a new cord. Because it had sparked when I turned it on in the store, they sold it to me for $15!!! Best deal I ever made. I'm so excited to get my little guy and start making stuff for it....

I wish I could do the kind of aluminum projects you posters are doing, but maybe a little too old to start.

Vivian

[coloradoup]

Aluminuminum,
Great work, I haven't seen you post in a while and was just telling my wife how funny some of your rants were. It's boring without guys writing like you!