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Old 03-22-2018, 08:51 AM   #81
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Originally Posted by jazty View Post
Really? All you could find were black and white Rustoleum? Have you tried Tractor Supply? Around here they have a huge selection of colours. It can also usually be found at any place that sells household paint, such as Ace Hardware. Sherwin-Williams also sells affordable oil based enamel. Might even be able to get it custom tinted.
In the HALF-PINT size, all I could find was black and white (Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, etc...)......was going to try Hobby Lobby or start calling auto shops next. But will try to find a Tractor Supply first.

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Old 03-22-2018, 09:39 AM   #82
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Ahh.. I missed that. THAT I can believe ;)
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Old 03-27-2018, 07:47 PM   #83
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Striking out on metallic paint samples, so ordered some 1/2 pints of reds, yellow, and gray from Rustoleum and will try to custom-mix something I like.....going for a copper color, but probably won't like it, as the metallic (to me) is what really sets the copper look apart.

Removed bifold door in prep for skinning that opening, and removed the second window on the other side....that's where we'll cut the new door. Since I couldn't find another driver's sliding window for the new 'front passenger' location, I removed the deleted window's locking tabs and will mount it sideways. In actuality, it works as well or better than my current sliding driver's window. Will need to fill in the window tracks with epoxy to prevent leaking and drill two small drain holes in outer edge of track to get rid of accumulating rainwater.

Anybody need a bifold door?

(....no idea why the pics look like they were taken by a drunk....that's a first for me....)
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Old 04-21-2018, 10:06 PM   #84
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Soooo......after my bus sat in a welder's shop for 3 weeks with nothing done, and getting two other quotes I thought were too high.....decided to do the work myself. I have no torch or welding skills, so it's grinder work and bolting in bent sheet metal for me. Never done any body work other than pulling a couple of dents and replacing a quarter panel, so it will be a learning experience for me.

Got the bottom step cut out today.....will bolt in a bent plate to serve as a battery tray for my house power, then skin over the opening. Will add a window up top and might put a small door window between the window and the floor for added visibility.....haven't decided yet.

I think I could drive over a dead cow now and not feel it.
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Old 04-27-2018, 08:28 PM   #85
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Mounted the mirror bar I cut down this week, thus eliminating yet another "head-level-object-just-waiting-to-inflict-a-scalp-laceration-on-the-unwary". Lined up EXACTLY as planned....probably couldn't do that again in a million years.
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Old 04-28-2018, 05:22 AM   #86
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if youre not handy with a welder get used to a hand riveter. if you can use a grinder and hand riveter you can get pretty good results. not sure how rivets would do holding up stairs but if you put in enough it might work.

1. cut metal out with an angle grinder w/ attatched cut-off wheel
2. drill holes the size of the rivet
3. put metal up
4. place rivets in metal and pull the handle on the riveter
5. you are done
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Old 04-28-2018, 11:16 AM   #87
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If you are going the rivet route and your budget can afford it buy a pair of cleco pliers and a dozen clecos in the size of your rivet. Minimal investment and they hold sheetmetal together tightly in the rivet hole. Try ebay used clecos used cleco pliers. They come in many diameters to suit whatever rivet you are using.
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Old 04-28-2018, 06:09 PM   #88
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I REALLY hope to avoid having to rivet anything.....I'm going to run tek screws into tube stock when I skin this doorway. The bottom step will be my house battery tray, and it will be supported by angle iron around the edges and tube stock underneath. The pedestal support plate will be braced likewise, and bolted through the existing floor.

Mocked it up today, and will hopefully get it all installed tomorrow.
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Old 04-28-2018, 06:21 PM   #89
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Frankenseat and Grrr

You can tell I obviously purchased the pedestals before I found some seats.

I might clear out the wires under the seat (don't know why they're even there....there are no controls buttons on this seat) and install a small dorm fridge. Or a pull-out bunk. Or a closet. Found that placing a 1" spacer under the back edge will put my feet comfortably on the floor, so will go that route.

And 1 more pic of my pasenger-side mirror bracket....I REALLY like the fact that I can now walk around my bus without fear.
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Old 04-28-2018, 06:25 PM   #90
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Quote:
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You can tell I obviously purchased the pedestals before I found some seats.

I might clear out the wires under the seat (don't know why they're even there....there are no controls buttons on this seat) and install a small dorm fridge. Or a pull-out bunk. Or a closet. Found that placing a 1" spacer under the back edge will put my feet comfortably on the floor, so will go that route.

And 1 more pic of my pasenger-side mirror bracket....I REALLY like the fact that I can now walk around my bus without fear.
The wires are for the seatbelt warning system. The pic is of the drivers side mirror, not passenger.
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Old 05-06-2018, 07:50 PM   #91
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Got the battery compartment done and bolted, mocked up and bored floor panel, mocked up window location. Will skin it this weekend......might take Friday off so I can get this side finished and start cutting my new door on the other side.

Went ahead and cleaned the metal, as I bought a HF welder for $89 and might pull off the skins in a couple of weeks and take a swing at this after I practice some. It's plenty strong as-is.....even with my 250 lbs bouncing on it, I couldn't feel or hear any give. But I will need some welding competence for a few other things I'm planning.
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Old 05-12-2018, 05:28 PM   #92
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Skint!

Window turned out better than hoped.....only 5" of blind-spot on each side. Still pondering on whether or not to put one of the small oval windows from my old folding door between the window and floor for better visibility. The rectangle on the bottom is where my house battery door will be.
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Old 05-12-2018, 06:22 PM   #93
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I didn't see in your thread where you mentioned where you were moving the door to?
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Old 05-13-2018, 09:38 AM   #94
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I didn't see in your thread where you mentioned where you were moving the door to?
Everyone is gonna get poop'd out the rear door.
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Old 05-13-2018, 06:12 PM   #95
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My uncle finally got a minute to hit all my bolted joints with his welder, so everything's 3 times stronger than it needs to be. Will shim and seal up the old doorway next weekend.

Also got started on my new door. I'm going to leave part of the chair rail and the window sill intact until after I get the stairwell bolted in.....will have that fabbed up this week or next.
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Old 06-01-2018, 07:58 PM   #96
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Picked up my stepwell from the fab shop yesterday, and bolted it in today. Very solid......when I was bouncing my 240 pounds on it, the only thing moving was the whole bus.

11.5" of clearance at bottom of outside step. I had it built like this in case I decide on a fold-up step later.....this will be easy to modify if I need to.

Will clean up the opening and start my door and frame construction this weekend.
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Old 06-03-2018, 07:21 PM   #97
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Got the new door framed, built, and the first coat of spar urethane......always used varnish in the past, but have heard some good things about the new urethanes, so I thought I'd try it on all my woodwork and see how it holds up. Added a grab handle and another window from Lowes (they're getting wayyyyyy too much of my money lately). I'll put my water tank behind the step, between it and the frame rail, then make a door to access it through the stepwell.

Having a sample awning bent this week.....if it works they'll run all the way down both sides. After that, it's paint, then my first weekend trip.....headed to Bryson City for a weekend.
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Old 06-03-2018, 07:42 PM   #98
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Quote:
Originally Posted by plfking View Post
Got the new door framed, built, and the first coat of spar urethane......always used varnish in the past, but have heard some good things about the new urethanes, so I thought I'd try it on all my woodwork and see how it holds up. Added a grab handle and another window from Lowes (they're getting wayyyyyy too much of my money lately). I'll put my water tank behind the step, between it and the frame rail, then make a door to access it through the stepwell.

Having a sample awning bent this week.....if it works they'll run all the way down both sides. After that, it's paint, then my first weekend trip.....headed to Bryson City for a weekend.
I used to have inlaws in Bryson City. Is there still that little old diner outside of town that puts coleslaw on EVERY burger?
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Old 06-03-2018, 08:03 PM   #99
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Would love to go back to Bryson City. Wife and I honeymooned there 10yrs back... beautiful place.


Will definitely take the bus back down that way.
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Old 06-03-2018, 08:16 PM   #100
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I used to have inlaws in Bryson City. Is there still that little old diner outside of town that puts coleslaw on EVERY burger?
I don't know......I haven't been to BC in 15 years or so. My B-I-L landed a job as VP Ops for Nantahala Wilderness Center, so I'll take the bus there on its maiden recreational voyage (about a 2-3 hour drive).....should fit in nicely with the 70 buses they already have.
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