Another tenant in my fenced and locked yard apparently brings a big dog around - there are a number of enormous turds next to and under my bus. If I find out who it is, they're going to get a steady accumulation of dog turds on top of their rig.
I wish I could, as does the management and city. However we're literally right by an offramp, and looking on google maps a few days ago someone tagged the location as a parking spot. Most of the truckers are courteous, the others are rando OTR's that leave their trash everywhere. I feel like an a**hole but I've been double parking the bus so that only me and two other semi's that live here can park. I know it's kind of a bad thing to do, but I'm not going to touch another pee bottle.
Quote:
Originally Posted by musigenesis
Have you tried paint pads? I used to paint houses and we used them to repaint aluminum siding and they worked pretty well. I'm going to at least try them if I can't find a spot where I can spray.
I haven't, but I think it'd be a bit too hard due to the many bolts and panels on the sides. Even with the roller I'm guessing I'm going to be using a brush for at least 50% of it.
The roll and tip method has been used on boats for a long time. I didn't use that method, but it seems it will get rid of the texture that comes with rolling on paint. It seemed to labor intensive for us.
I met Ronnie at the swarm and his bus has a great sheen and shine with a smooth finish. I can't remember the exact paint and rollers he used, but I do remember that he said to put some masking tape on the rollers (before painting) and pull it off and it will get rid of all the little hairs off the roller before painting. (I hope that made sense, still on first cup of coffee).
I thought about that method, and tried it to some extent on the hood. It seems to work good for getting that roller texture off, but as I was only a single person doing it most dried too much before I could make it look decent.
Honestly the areas I didn't try tipping at looks nicer IMO. I like the "rugged machine paint" look, although this could be just because it's a fiberglass hood and not metal.
Trying to get some help to try the roll and tip on the bus panels, but finding good free help is surprisingly difficult. /s
Location: south east BC, close to the Canadian/US border
Posts: 2,265
Year: 1975
Coachwork: Chevy
Chassis: 8 window
Engine: 454 LS7
Rated Cap: 24,500
Quote:
Originally Posted by geminusprime
I thought about that method, and tried it to some extent on the hood. It seems to work good for getting that roller texture off, but as I was only a single person doing it most dried too much before I could make it look decent.
Honestly the areas I didn't try tipping at looks nicer IMO. I like the "rugged machine paint" look, although this could be just because it's a fiberglass hood and not metal.
Trying to get some help to try the roll and tip on the bus panels, but finding good free help is surprisingly difficult. /s
one way we used as professional painters to get the smoothest finish possible with a roller is to lay the paint on at maximum recommended thickness ( should say on the paint can label either as 'mils' of thickness, or square feet per gallon ), then back roll it with a semi dry roller to pick up any runs or heavy spots and lay it out smoothly - another way is to roll the paint on as recommended, then brush in the edges before back rolling, or if you are really good with a brush, have a high quality brush, and have a feather touch, you can brush out the freshly painted area - with fast dry equipment enamel, take small areas at a time to work on, work quickly so you are always working with a wet edge or you'll get lap marks - rust paint isn't as hard to work with as quick dry machinery enamel because it drys slower - it's also much quicker to oxidize and leave the job dull looking and unkempt - don't paint in the sun - it's virtually impossible to get a decent job when the surface is hot - the paint gets gummy quickly and wont flow out - use the shortest nap possible - sometimes referred to as a mohair roller
Location: south east BC, close to the Canadian/US border
Posts: 2,265
Year: 1975
Coachwork: Chevy
Chassis: 8 window
Engine: 454 LS7
Rated Cap: 24,500
Quote:
Originally Posted by geminusprime
I thought about that method, and tried it to some extent on the hood. It seems to work good for getting that roller texture off, but as I was only a single person doing it most dried too much before I could make it look decent.
Honestly the areas I didn't try tipping at looks nicer IMO. I like the "rugged machine paint" look, although this could be just because it's a fiberglass hood and not metal.
Trying to get some help to try the roll and tip on the bus panels, but finding good free help is surprisingly difficult. /s
on a job like a bus I would use a 6" short nap 'Whiz Roller' - they work well at getting into the corners, hold a surprising amount of paint and are a real "tool of the trade" rather than some home owner gimmick
So there's this really cool calculator that tells you your speeds at certain gears with set engine rpm, rear end gearing, etc. But it along with most others I've found are mainly for cars/trucks/suv's.
So I figured what the heck, I'll make my own.
I know it's nothing really better than any other calculator, but I really wanted a calculator for this that had presets, or at least a method to save "profiles" so I didn't have to re-enter everything.
Also added a few bus/large truck specifics, such as non-locking TC option, RPM/Gear at set speeds from 10MPH to 70MPH, hill grades, estimated braking distance based on weight/speed. Maybe a few other things. I was going to include Spicer transmissions from the selection list but I'd already coded for 6 fields for gears, Spicer has 7. Maybe in the future.
Hopefully it will help others down the road. About 3/4 of the way done with it, say next week it should be ready for use.
one way we used as professional painters to get the smoothest finish possible with a roller is to lay the paint on at maximum recommended thickness ( should say on the paint can label either as 'mils' of thickness, or square feet per gallon ), then back roll it with a semi dry roller to pick up any runs or heavy spots and lay it out smoothly - another way is to roll the paint on as recommended, then brush in the edges before back rolling, or if you are really good with a brush, have a high quality brush, and have a feather touch, you can brush out the freshly painted area - with fast dry equipment enamel, take small areas at a time to work on, work quickly so you are always working with a wet edge or you'll get lap marks - rust paint isn't as hard to work with as quick dry machinery enamel because it drys slower - it's also much quicker to oxidize and leave the job dull looking and unkempt - don't paint in the sun - it's virtually impossible to get a decent job when the surface is hot - the paint gets gummy quickly and wont flow out - use the shortest nap possible - sometimes referred to as a mohair roller
Man, thanks! I just went out to get a spare paint brush for tipping, and picked up a few spare rollers. Figure I'll try your method out first, it should be a lot faster than following behind with a brush.
Well, we got a clear day in the weather, and despite calling for rain tomorrow I figured it had waited enough. Set aside 7 hours to finish the sides up to the windows and started out with a friend.
Rolling and tipping was already out. Couldn't find a good brush, and a user above recommended a MUCH better option. Come across the painted areas with a freshish roller to smooth it out. Results were wonderful! So much better than I expected. Not new auto paintjob good, but new tractor paintjob good.
So, on the front I wanted to do something "interesting". I thought about gold trim on the vents, friend suggested silver, and then I thought since there were 7 vents on the front, and 7 colours in the light spectrum, decent match. Mocked up the rainbow grill already, also going to photoshop the silver and gold options and probably a few more.
For the areas at the window line (from the top of the upper side rail to 4" above the top of the windows) I'm going to paint it gloss black. Since I have tinted windows I think it should look more like a shuttle or coach rather than a school bus with an identity disorder.
Still unsure about the paint scheme for the front and back, but I'm hoping I'll find a way to keep the back areas, since I don't want to paint the light areas up top. Just doing around the windows, handles, hinges, and lights on the back is going to hard enough.
All this is being done while the semi truckers are on their local routes, on a dead end of a public road, so for what space I have available (surprisingly, legal) and the type of work I need to do, I think this series of compromises is turning out quite well.
Well, we got a clear day in the weather, and despite calling for rain tomorrow I figured it had waited enough. Set aside 7 hours to finish the sides up to the windows and started out with a friend.
Rolling and tipping was already out. Couldn't find a good brush, and a user above recommended a MUCH better option. Come across the painted areas with a freshish roller to smooth it out. Results were wonderful! So much better than I expected. Not new auto paintjob good, but new tractor paintjob good.
So, on the front I wanted to do something "interesting". I thought about gold trim on the vents, friend suggested silver, and then I thought since there were 7 vents on the front, and 7 colours in the light spectrum, decent match. Mocked up the rainbow grill already, also going to photoshop the silver and gold options and probably a few more.
For the areas at the window line (from the top of the upper side rail to 4" above the top of the windows) I'm going to paint it gloss black. Since I have tinted windows I think it should look more like a shuttle or coach rather than a school bus with an identity disorder.
Still unsure about the paint scheme for the front and back, but I'm hoping I'll find a way to keep the back areas, since I don't want to paint the light areas up top. Just doing around the windows, handles, hinges, and lights on the back is going to hard enough.
All this is being done while the semi truckers are on their local routes, on a dead end of a public road, so for what space I have available (surprisingly, legal) and the type of work I need to do, I think this series of compromises is turning out quite well.
Location: south east BC, close to the Canadian/US border
Posts: 2,265
Year: 1975
Coachwork: Chevy
Chassis: 8 window
Engine: 454 LS7
Rated Cap: 24,500
Quote:
Originally Posted by geminusprime
Well, we got a clear day in the weather, and despite calling for rain tomorrow I figured it had waited enough. Set aside 7 hours to finish the sides up to the windows and started out with a friend.
Rolling and tipping was already out. Couldn't find a good brush, and a user above recommended a MUCH better option. Come across the painted areas with a freshish roller to smooth it out. Results were wonderful! So much better than I expected. Not new auto paintjob good, but new tractor paintjob good.
So, on the front I wanted to do something "interesting". I thought about gold trim on the vents, friend suggested silver, and then I thought since there were 7 vents on the front, and 7 colours in the light spectrum, decent match. Mocked up the rainbow grill already, also going to photoshop the silver and gold options and probably a few more.
For the areas at the window line (from the top of the upper side rail to 4" above the top of the windows) I'm going to paint it gloss black. Since I have tinted windows I think it should look more like a shuttle or coach rather than a school bus with an identity disorder.
Still unsure about the paint scheme for the front and back, but I'm hoping I'll find a way to keep the back areas, since I don't want to paint the light areas up top. Just doing around the windows, handles, hinges, and lights on the back is going to hard enough.
All this is being done while the semi truckers are on their local routes, on a dead end of a public road, so for what space I have available (surprisingly, legal) and the type of work I need to do, I think this series of compromises is turning out quite well.
Location: south east BC, close to the Canadian/US border
Posts: 2,265
Year: 1975
Coachwork: Chevy
Chassis: 8 window
Engine: 454 LS7
Rated Cap: 24,500
when I was contracting I always seemed to have numerous small cans of left over
paint of a variety of types and colours on my shelves - perhaps ask one of the medium sized painting contractors in your area to help you out - you won't need much of any one colour
looking good. one of the thumbnails looked like the nose was missing... forgot it was a vista. what is the ceiling height in that thing? windows are lower than the door.
looking good. one of the thumbnails looked like the nose was missing... forgot it was a vista. what is the ceiling height in that thing? windows are lower than the door.
Thanks. And yeah, hood is tiny, smaller than my trucks.
So there's this really cool calculator that tells you your speeds at certain gears with set engine rpm, rear end gearing, etc. But it along with most others I've found are mainly for cars/trucks/suv's.
So I figured what the heck, I'll make my own.
I know it's nothing really better than any other calculator, but I really wanted a calculator for this that had presets, or at least a method to save "profiles" so I didn't have to re-enter everything.
Also added a few bus/large truck specifics, such as non-locking TC option, RPM/Gear at set speeds from 10MPH to 70MPH, hill grades, estimated braking distance based on weight/speed. Maybe a few other things. I was going to include Spicer transmissions from the selection list but I'd already coded for 6 fields for gears, Spicer has 7. Maybe in the future.
Hopefully it will help others down the road. About 3/4 of the way done with it, say next week it should be ready for use.
Yeah I've been using that one and the calculadora one that shows the top speed for each gear. Great and accurate (hopefully, I'm basing my calculations on the one you linked).
This is kind of just a side project for the days I can't work on the bus, I've always loved web dev.
Anyways, figured I'd make a calculator specifically for skoolies (although it should work with most vehicles). The biggest thing is I'm tired of figuring out my RPM's at certain speeds, so I'm building in a feature that shows the engine RPM's at common highway speeds along with some others I personally find relevant, but hopefully others do to.
But, onto the other web dev thingy.
Location tracking!
So, I finally got a dedicated domain for the bus, and slowly building it. Wordpress because, you know, laziness and ease of use. But, among the prebuilt framework I'm building a live GPS location and vehicle detail tracker that's coming along surprisingly well.
I'm using an android app I made that gets the GPS LON/LAT, speed, heading, altitude, and accuracy. It then uploads these to my site, which saves it as two files (well, one currently). Going to move to a database as soon as I make sure it all works.
Anyways, the two files are Persistant and Current. The current file is used on the location page to load a satellite view from Google Maps at the current location, since you don't have to have an API key to call a simple GPS coordinate and they charge for that now.
Above the map I've got the other details: Speed in MPH, Heading in degrees, Altitude and Accuracy in meters. Map frame refreshes every 30 seconds, and there is a button to reload the map without reloading the whole page.
I'll use the persistent file to plot my course on a map. Now, if I'll be able to do this live without paying or have to do it myself and then upload at regular intervals - not sure yet. But I am building the option in since it'd just be nice to have the GPS log.
I haven't figured out if I want to build in a delay or if I want to skew the lon/lat so it's not exact. I know I'm going to build in a system so that if I am stopped at a certain location for more than X amount of cycles or hit a command on the tracker, it will either take the feed offline or fudge the lon/lat until it starts moving again.
Now, all this was surprisingly simple. It's not the best solution, since I could have a marker on Google Maps ($$$) or a host of other things that I could have done - but all this so far was free with resources at hand. If it does end up working, I can refine it to a version I can release on the Play Store if others are interested (since in it's form right now just works on my phone, and is hardcoded to upload to my site).
Well, turns out live location tracking wasn't actually that difficult. The GUI may look like something a first year CS student would make (in visual basic...in 1997) but it works. Also built in an automatic function so that when the app closes it pushes incorrect data before it exits so that the location of my parked bus isn't always live.
Next part - photos! So, small caveat with this. I have the old grandfathered in AT&T unlimited plan on my phone and unlimited data on a cell modem that'll function as my internet connection while on the road.
The problem is that I want to offload as much data to the phones data plan as possible. So, live video streams aren't going to be a constant thing. I am still planning on streaming (in some form) from security cameras and interior HD cameras, but this is no longer an option for 24/7. I will have the security camera feed on a 24/7 access controlled remote feed, but that's it for video.
But, my phone has a camera. And I know how to use the camera. And I believe I can program the app to automatically take a photo. And my phone mount shows a front facing view from the dash. Add all this up, and I think I should be able to upload a low resolution photo on each GPS tracker update (3-10 seconds). If I can figure out how to determine signal quality from within the app, I can restrict it to not taking photos if the signal quality is too low, but this may be a kraupshoot.
Next on the tech list: CaddyKids Glass Cockpit. Now, I cannot for the life of me figure out how he has it above his dash (seems about 8" above the top of instrument cluster, which would block my view, but we do have different buses). But, I do know that's the kind of setup I'd like to go along with the semi-analog gauges in the cluster.
I have some toughbooks from my old service trucks that I'm going to install. We had a few break ins and the thieves couldn't remove the laptops (or even break them), so I'm just gonna install them pretty much permanently.
I love my little scangauge, but a digital cluster bigger than my thumb is much more preferable.
Lastly, something belonging to /r/cursedimages when my camera decided to have a seizure.
So I got the rest of the big areas painted. Still got to do some touch up and fine work around the smaller areas a roller couldn't go. The roof ended up just getting painted with the same rustoleum. Prior to reading up about roof paint, I had crawled on top and applied silicon sealant to every nook, crack, and cranny on the roof.
Probably not the best, but hey, it looks passable. The roof is definitely not a good job, as my fear of heights kicked in and I had to do everything from a ladder and roof hatch with an extending roller. Still, got it all covered.
The rear of the bus is quite the chore, and I'm about halfway through.
Also an old photo. Not related, the image upload window wasn't working and just wanted another photo I guess.
on the grille.....I like that.
Linear Mode
