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Old 08-25-2010, 06:20 AM   #61
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Re: The Dirtybus...

Beautiful set up. Once I have a job I'm looking forward to doing something similar.....

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Old 08-25-2010, 10:46 AM   #62
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Re: The Dirtybus...

Certainly looks great! Will check around here for slate prices. Thanks!
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Old 08-26-2010, 10:16 PM   #63
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Re: The Dirtybus...

175 rivets today...

That's just on the outside of the door...




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Old 08-26-2010, 10:50 PM   #64
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Re: The Dirtybus...

I can't understand the justification for that many rivets.
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Old 08-26-2010, 11:21 PM   #65
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Re: The Dirtybus...

I believe this door was added to the bus after it was originally sold...

The seal was completely different than the rear door...



Stickers suck...

Spent the other day removing stickers...

Hit them with a heat gun and scrap... Rinse... Repeat...

Using Goo Gone to get the sticky crap off afterward...
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Old 08-27-2010, 10:28 AM   #66
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Re: The Dirtybus...

Wish I weren't on the other side of the counrty. Would love to swap some of my labor for that door!
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Old 08-29-2010, 08:03 PM   #67
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Re: The Dirtybus...

Went and picked up the foam rubber for the mattresses and cushions...

30"x72"x3"... Should be comfy...





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Old 08-31-2010, 09:16 PM   #68
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Re: The Dirtybus...

Well, it started raining here today...

I got the frame for the side door out and was cutting metal to fill it last night when I heard the weather report on the news... So, I threw the windows back in temporarily on the passenger side and taped plastic over the big hole I just made in the side of my bus...

I had to deal with school schedules for the kids this morning then started on the inside rivets... God I hate rivets...

I was cutting the head off with a cut off wheel at first, then hit it with a hammer and punch... That was working, but I soon realized how many cut off wheels I was gonna go threw and started to rethink my technique...

I tried getting a saw-z-all blade behind the sheet and cut the shaft of the rivet with no luck...

I went back to the cut straight into the head and attack with the air chisel... Taking way to long and my hand is numb...

Using a cutting torch doesn't seem like a good idea, because they are galvanized sheets and fiber glass insulation behind that...

Anyone have any ideas??? I've got hundreds more to go and at this rate I could make a career out of rivet removal with no retirement in the near future...

There's got to be a better way... I'm open to just about anything right now...
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Old 08-31-2010, 10:15 PM   #69
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Re: The Dirtybus...

The technique that works best for me is drilling them. It goes quick enough. The only thing that sucks in my opinion, is the bits of metal that get all over you when you're drilling them overhead. I wear goggles (of course), a paper mask, and a welding cap.
It works for me.
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Old 08-31-2010, 11:19 PM   #70
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Re: The Dirtybus...

could get that compressed air weapon that dude used in "no country for old men"
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Old 09-01-2010, 04:23 PM   #71
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Re: The Dirtybus...

There are a few different rivets on the bus...

The solid ones I totally own...

The ones on the inside are the pin type and the pin is made of harder material than the head, so the bit just walks...

I was hitting them with a punch and the pins wouldn't budge, literally beating the **** out of them...

Last night I started hitting the pins with the pointed chisel on the air hammer and they started moving... Then I could punch them with the punch and hammer... Just needed to break them loose with the air...

Once I figured out that technique I could actually drill them until they spun... Then hit them with a cold chisel and hammer and the heads come right off...

What a bitch... But, now I'm moving right along...

There's over 500 rivets inside the bus that I have to remove... Still gonna take some time...
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Old 09-01-2010, 05:43 PM   #72
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Re: The Dirtybus...

Here's some pics of the door frame out...

Started getting the hole filled in...

I'll pull the rub rails off of the old door and put them on the new metal to kinda help out with the look...



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Old 09-01-2010, 08:47 PM   #73
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Re: The Dirtybus...

WOW !!!! That's alotta rivots!!!! I guess now you'll really need the emergency exit window..... Good going. The sheet metal should go on easy compared to the door removal.
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Old 09-02-2010, 09:51 PM   #74
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Re: The Dirtybus...

I've looked around for the matching skins... Haven't had any luck... If it bothers me to much I'll replace them later...

OK, here's the BS I've been whining about...

Removed all the rivets holding the skins on so I can put some real insulation in there and cover everything with osb...

Still have the other side to do...



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Old 09-02-2010, 11:12 PM   #75
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Re: The Dirtybus...

That's what's nice about the Thomas Built busses I have, inside is 99% screws!
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Old 09-02-2010, 11:43 PM   #76
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Re: The Dirtybus...

I'd love to have dealt with screws...

My hand is swollen... I've got years of experience swinging a hammer and there's only so many swings before you hit your hand... No way around it...

But, once it's done, it's done...

It'll be really nice with it insulated and sheeted with osb... Nice clean canvas to work with...
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Old 09-12-2010, 11:29 AM   #77
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Re: The Dirtybus...

OK, time for a quick update...

We got the skins on the side door and passenger windows, today I'm driving the bus over to a buddies place to use his plasma cutter to cut the openings for the RV windows... Still have some rivets left on the inside, decided to take a break from them...

Now that the kids are back to school and the craziness has died down, I'll be able to get some work done on the bus...

I'll post up pics of today's work later this evening...
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Old 09-12-2010, 09:37 PM   #78
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Re: The Dirtybus...

Nice bus!! I really like the length and engine combo. Nice work on the skins too. Where did you get your big pop rivet gun and revits? I haven't really looked to hard for them yet, but need to get them soon.
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Old 09-12-2010, 10:05 PM   #79
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Re: The Dirtybus...

The rivets are from home depot and I borrowed the rivet gun...

So, we got the side door closed up and skinned the windows on the passenger side... Getting closer... Still have some rivets on the inside to deal with, I'll get to them later... Right now I'm pushing to get the outside buttoned up and paint it this week...






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Old 09-12-2010, 10:06 PM   #80
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Re: The Dirtybus...

Went over to Shane's and he cut the RV window openings with the plasma... Thanks again...










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