Wilderland Bus AK _ '04 Thomas 32' FE

[Native]

I sure wish I worked with as much energy as you do!

[EastCoastCB]

Looks like a real nice, solid bus you got. So many up there are rusted!

[tugboater]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Looks like a real nice, solid bus you got. So many up there are rusted!

thx ECCB. It seems to be. Avoiding rust was a top priority (as it should be). We went to Spokane last spring to get ours, from Godspyro. I felt like Charlie opening the golden ticket chocolate bar when we pulled the floor up and saw all paint & no rust. AK typically doesn't have a rust problem, some in the coastal towns, but nothing like the NE. I spent several years in VT & holy smokes that place eats vehicles.

[tugboater]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Looks like a real nice, solid bus you got. So many up there are rusted!

thx ECCB. It seems to be. Avoiding rust was a top priority (as it should be). We went to Spokane last spring to get ours, from Godspyro. I felt like Charlie opening the golden ticket chocolate bar when we pulled the floor up and saw all paint & no rust. AK typically doesn't have a rust problem, some in the coastal towns, but nothing like the NE. I spent several years in VT & holy smokes that place eats vehicles. One of the Anchorage bus barns was auctioning 15 40' RE Thomas' last year. I walked through them all, very little rust but they sure were beat to crap. I think they were maintained OK, but the roads & long winters take their toll on vehicles.

[tugboater]

Just ordered 1300 Rivets from JC Rivet...as referenced by ECCB. Their website made it easy to narrow down what I needed. To check my assumptions I called and spoke with a human about my needs & they narrowed it to the same style I came to on my own. I shopped all the local fastener vendors in the area & couldn't find them at a better price. I also couldn't find any clecos around here either...so now it's time to sit and wait. See order below if you're curious about pricing.

[Sleddgracer]

Originally Posted by tugboater

Just ordered 1300 Rivets from JC Rivet...as referenced by ECCB. Their website made it easy to narrow down what I needed. To check my assumptions I called and spoke with a human about my needs & they narrowed it to the same style I came to on my own. I shopped all the local fastener vendors in the area & couldn't find them at a better price. I also couldn't find any clecos around here either...so now it's time to sit and wait. See order below if you're curious about pricing.
Attachment 31422

has anyone tried using strong magnets to hold the sheeting tightly in place for welding or drilling?

[EastCoastCB]

I use ratchet straps, clamps, and on rare occasion clecos.

[tugboater]

Being excited for rivets to come in the mail is a new experience.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by tugboater

Attachment 31510
Being excited for rivets to come in the mail is a new experience.

Damn that's a nice haul!

[Native]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Damn that's a nice haul!

Yeah, but I did not see the rivets!

[Biscuitsjam]

Where did you get the RV windows that you plan to put in? Not a lot of junked RVs in Fairbanks and shipping costs are insane from the lower 48.

[Sleddgracer]

Originally Posted by Biscuitsjam

Where did you get the RV windows that you plan to put in? Not a lot of junked RVs in Fairbanks and shipping costs are insane from the lower 48.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details...m_medium=email

1957 for sale

[Biscuitsjam]

That's a neat bus. $7500 is a bit steep to buy it for 4 RV windows, and drive 4000 miles to get them over a bad road.

[Sleddgracer]

Originally Posted by Biscuitsjam

That's a neat bus. $7500 is a bit steep to buy it for 4 RV windows, and drive 4000 miles to get them over a bad road.

but, but, but, it's an antique - lol ( the roads should be good there )

[Native]

It is a nice looking '57 ... I doubt they will have any problems selling it at that price.

[tugboater]

Originally Posted by Biscuitsjam

Where did you get the RV windows that you plan to put in? Not a lot of junked RVs in Fairbanks and shipping costs are insane from the lower 48.

Hi Buscuits- I answered your question on your thread. It's a beautiful day to work on the bus down here. Hope it is up there as well.

[tugboater]

I didn't read enough again. This project is so good at teaching me patients, and I love that I can walk away from a 10 hr day with little production and still want to go back. If I tackled this as a 20/30 yo I would have drove the fu*^in' thing off the bluff like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12IcMHtXnEA

Imagine a bus flyin off that cliff!

Anyway...I mentioned that I'm waiting for 1300 rivets. I have everything to reskin & patch except my rivets. Sooo....my impatient self went to the local hardware store & bought enough to patch my roof. Got it done & it looked great to me...only that the rivets I used were not "closed end". In a nutshell, my ignorance got the best of me...the rivets I installed had mandrels that break off way inside the collar part. I noticed it as I popped away...thinking, "that seems like a good place for water to pool". So instead of stopping & waiting for my order of closed end rivets, I just kept plugging away... thrilled about my progress. I read about them last night & have decided to drill out the current ones & put the correct ones later this week. Oh well, live and learn. Now I get to demo some of my own work!

It's a beautiful day here...so out to the bus I go! Enjoy the video!

[Biscuitsjam]

I used some blind rivets on my windows. I was pretty happy until my wife pointed out that she could see daylight through the middle of a couple of them.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Biscuitsjam

I used some blind rivets on my windows. I was pretty happy until my wife pointed out that she could see daylight through the middle of a couple of them.

Yeah, you wana use closed-end rivets like OP.
There's a specific rivet for pretty much every job.

[o1marc]

When you install the pop rivet the mandrel pulls up until it is so tight it snaps off leaving the ball end tightly in the rivet body. How could you possibly see daylight through one?