Rusty 87 build thread

[Native]

You are still in prototype/alpha stage.

[cadillackid]

I think all of us are in some stage of alpha / prototype all the time with our builds

[musigenesis]

Spent the weekend building a shelter for my house generator, back on the bulkhead door today.





Hacksaw blade is pretty accurate with this stuff. Not sure why I thought a wood saw was the way to go.





XPS carved out to fit around the latch mechanism. I was thinking how fun it would be to have: 1) a lidar-equipped iPad to 3D map my door, and 2) a CNC router. Sure would make this task easier.



Some night painting so I can be done with this thing tomorrow.

[Native]

There always seems to be a point in a project where you just gotta press forward until the wee hours to pass a milestone. I am glad you did it for the barrier.

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by Native

There always seems to be a point in a project where you just gotta press forward until the wee hours to pass a milestone. I am glad you did it for the barrier.

I need to start forcing myself to work some full days before the weather gets cold again, like 5 am to midnight kinda stuff. I find it too easy to let minor logistics stuff like letting paint on something dry allow me to knock off for the day, when there's always other stuff I could be doing while the paint dries. I should really have 2 or 3 projects going at the same time so I always have something to work on.

[Native]

Wow, with all the progress you make I thought you were already doing that! Watch out thread ... you are about to explode with progress!

[musigenesis]

Since the wooden window frame is notched for the parts of the bus window that stick out, this thing just holds itself in position on the door.



I drilled a hold-open hole in the floor so the latch bar can go down into it with the door open. I need to put a countersink on it since it's nearly impossible to hit with the bar.





The notched-out side in all its glory.









All gaps filled with slivers of foam, all set for installation.



After some more trimming, I was able to hammer the door closed with 1/8" ply strips all around to create the gap I want.





2" squares of plywood screwed into the wood frame from the cab side.



And it worked! Sort of, I'm not totally happy with the gappage. On the left side of the door here it's more like 3/16" and 1/16" on the right, instead of 1/8" on both sides. There may be something I can do about it but it's not bad as it is.





The door swings open smoothly, no sticking on the right side. I got the bevel angle of 5.5 degrees exactly right.



I did not fix the twist in the door. This is the top corner with the bottom corner in place; top is about 3/4" out. I'm going to have to try mounting the screen door tensioner to straighten it out. It's not just cosmetic, since the latch is a bit hard to work unless the top corner is pushed in to reduce the friction.



Super happy with how this door turned out, even though I'm sick to death of working on this bulkhead wall. I was going to add the final paneling (5mm underlayment plywood) to the inside, but I need to work on something else for a while. My goals now have been reduced to getting the entire living space insulated before the cold weather sets in. Then I can hook up a diesel air heater and work on interior stuff in comfort.

[Native]

I'll say here that you bulkhead is looking GREAT!


Do you plan on painting or covering the driver compartment side of the bulkhead?
[I know you have painted the expanded steel ... ]


Now that you have a full wall up with a door, has your impression of the back of the buss changed?

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by Native

I'll say here that you bulkhead is looking GREAT!


Do you plan on painting or covering the driver compartment side of the bulkhead?
[I know you have painted the expanded steel ... ]


Now that you have a full wall up with a door, has your impression of the back of the buss changed?

Thanks!

The wall doesn't look great from the cab side, that's for sure. I was thinking I might cut squares of 1/4" plywood to at least cover the door (screwed into the little blocks of wood holding the inner panels in place), but I might not be able to depending on where I have to put the screen door tensioner rod. I was originally going to paint the cab side of the foam board, but that was dropped into the "too big of a pita" category. I kind of like the contrast of the safety blue on the metal and the light turquoise (?) of the foam board. If I'd used the pink foamular I would have had to paint it for sure.

The back seems like much more of a potential normal living space now that the cab is cut off. I keep planning to lay out all my stuff (furniture, appliances etc.) in the bus, not because I'm worried about the layout but because I just want to see everything in one place. But that would be such a massive physical effort for me as one person; fortunately I keep talking myself out of it.

[Frochevy]

Door and bulkhead are looking great and we'll insulated!!!

Are you still needing windows? I have windows I took out of my 2007 chevy collins. Im going to use a few for a future project, but if they are right size you can have 2-3-4 whatever you want. Not sure what shipping from Kansas would cost tho! I can measure and let you know.?

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by Frochevy

Door and bulkhead are looking great and we'll insulated!!!

Are you still needing windows? I have windows I took out of my 2007 chevy collins. Im going to use a few for a future project, but if they are right size you can have 2-3-4 whatever you want. Not sure what shipping from Kansas would cost tho! I can measure and let you know.?

That's a very kind offer. I wonder if a collins would use the same type of window? I'll measure mine today and get the exact size (and some detailed pics).

[Frochevy]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

That's a very kind offer. I wonder if a collins would use the same type of window? I'll measure mine today and get the exact size (and some detailed pics).

Sounds good. Mine are black frame with a dark tint fyi... Let me know size and I'll measure mine. Thanks

[ol trunt]

Can't say I blame you for not wanting to lug everything into the bus. A quick and dirty alternative is to do your proposed layout with masking tape on the floor (or a felt pen) that way you will be able to tell if stuff and you really fit. Stand back and look it over. Will you be able to fully open cupboard doors? Will it be possible to make up the bed? Is the bathroom so small that you'll have to stand up to poop? Will the necessary plumbing easily line up with the structure of the floor etc.
Jack

[musigenesis]

Snap of the edge of the window where the little rubber foot attaches.



Making an L-shaped replacement that will keep the window up a little higher and also not press down right in the corner.



It fits and works, although I'm sure it's going to fall out.





Re-sealed the leaky front window. Hopefully this time it will stick without the rubber foot pressing down on it.





Put in all the remaining dowels for bulkhead door.



Somehow I made a bunch of them too thick. I tried sanding them down but these are oak so it's hopeless.



Had to pull a bunch, trim them and reinstall.



Test-fitting of the screen door tensioner. It works and pulls the door straight, but I have to figure out how to attach these. I can't weld them on since I've already installed the insulation on the door. I guess I could just do it and then replace the melted-out bits of foam.

So annoying, I knew the tensioner wouldn't show up in time so I went ahead with the door insulation. Then the tensioner arrived before final install and I could have welded it on then, but I was on autopilot by that point.

[kidharris]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

Snap of the edge of the window where the little rubber foot attaches.

Attachment 48615

Making an L-shaped replacement that will keep the window up a little higher and also not press down right in the corner.

Attachment 48617

It fits and works, although I'm sure it's going to fall out.

Attachment 48618

Attachment 48619

Re-sealed the leaky front window. Hopefully this time it will stick without the rubber foot pressing down on it.

Attachment 48620

Attachment 48621

Put in all the remaining dowels for bulkhead door.

Attachment 48616

Somehow I made a bunch of them too thick. I tried sanding them down but these are oak so it's hopeless.

Attachment 48622

Had to pull a bunch, trim them and reinstall.

Attachment 48623

Test-fitting of the screen door tensioner. It works and pulls the door straight, but I have to figure out how to attach these. I can't weld them on since I've already installed the insulation on the door. I guess I could just do it and then replace the melted-out bits of foam.

So annoying, I knew the tensioner wouldn't show up in time so I went ahead with the door insulation. Then the tensioner arrived before final install and I could have welded it on then, but I was on autopilot by that point.

Attachment 48624

Screws/bolts/epoxy?

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by kidharris

Screws/bolts/epoxy?

I don't think epoxy would hold, but maybe I'm underestimating epoxy. Screws and bolts would be tricky because of the oddness of where the tension rods have to be attached. I don't want this thing crossing the window and being visible from the inside, so the only place it go is on the bottom and the geometry of the door is just weird at both attachment points. It just annoys me that I could have easily welded this on when I first built the door a couple of months ago and knew then that it wasn't squared up.

[Frochevy]

Can you purchase little brackets or make brackets that bolt to door and tensioner goes through?

The windows I have are as follows. 28 3/4" wide by 28 3/8" tall. Let me know if they will work for you.

[Oldyeller]

Regarding the tensioner, how about if you cut out a piece of the insulation in the area to be welded with a thin bladed implement, do the required welding then glue the now "custom cut patch" back in?

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by Frochevy

Can you purchase little brackets or make brackets that bolt to door and tensioner goes through?

The windows I have are as follows. 28 3/4" wide by 28 3/8" tall. Let me know if they will work for you.

Optics I'm sure, but that top pic doesn't look like a "square" window. Looks much taller than wide.

[Frochevy]

Originally Posted by o1marc

Optics I'm sure, but that top pic doesn't look like a "square" window. Looks much taller than wide.

Yep you're right. It's probably the way I took the picture. Lol but the tape measure doesn't lie...