| Author |
Message |
J.B.Phillips (Jbp)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 17, 2004 - 12:18 pm: | |
Hi, I am the new guy again with a question concerning the Ga of metal to skin or cover over the windows that I have removed in my Crown. The area involved is appoximately 19" top to bottom and 22" from window post to window post side to side. Of course this would be the length of the bus. I am considering using 16 Ga (1/8". The other consideration is using 18 Ga metal. Lastly would you suggest screwing or welding the metal in place. Comments please.
Thanks. J.B. |
TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 17, 2004 - 12:47 pm: | |
everybody has their own way of doing it...I used 16 ga. & home depo PL adhesive AND steel pop rivits every 4 inches...very nice to have a harbor freight air pop rivit gun...others will say sicaaflex...too expencive,short shelf life,hard to find...I had a sheet metal shop cut the galv. metal exactly the correct size..& wiped it down with vinegar before painting.. |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 17, 2004 - 4:59 pm: | |
TD's process is not that different that what I did, since your crown is more like my Bluebird than it is his Eagle I'll give you more detail.
Use 18 ga, I'm pretty sure that's what your crown is made of. (1/8" is between 10 and 11 gauge and is more of a boat hull material than a bus skin)
I just ran across some PL adhesive last week and the cost puts it in the "too good to be true" category, however I bought some and will try it before I buy any more 5200/sikaflex.
I've never reskinned a crown, but on my Bluebird, I removed the skin from the midline seam up, including the lap of the roof.
Here's the process I used:
1) totally clean the ribs/structure
2) cut the new panels to exact measurements
3) Pre-Paint the steel (I used rustoleum on the inside, ppg Omni on the outside.
4) set your panel in place dry, mark off all your rivet locations with a sharpie.
5) pre-drill and attach with sheet-metal screws
6) pull it all off, clean again and lay down the goop.
7) put it all back up and reattach with the sheetmetal screws.
8) Start on the next panel (You have to work around the fact that the panels lap)
Steps 4 - 8 MUST BE DONE WARM. if not you'll have warpy panels when you are done. I even warm my panels with a heat gun before steps 4 and 7. This is a problem for me now, I need to do the driver's side and I'm in Detroit (It's COLD)
After the adhesive sets 24-48 hours, remove the screws, redrill and install 3/16" rivets (I used stainless) don't remove more than one screw at a time. (Breaking the adhesive seal is BAD)
This doesn't document the process but there is a lot of before and after stuff.
Pics of Da Bus
Notice that the panels are laser-straight.
Let me know if there is any other questions you'd like me to answer.
Gary |
J.B.Phillips (Jbp)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 12:19 am: | |
Thanks two Dogs and Gary the Gearhead.(Nice photo album Gary) I am a street rodder of sorts so I fully understand your methods. I did cut the Crown and add a mid entry door. Against the advice of some.(something about structural integrity) What if any are the disadvantages of using galvanized for skinning? Painting, cost, workability? I have to make a 5/8" brake at the 19" point and the continue down another 19".
Later, J.B. |
J.B.Phillips (Jbp)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 12:21 am: | |
Sorry Two Dogs, I didn't mean to put a small "t" in the post. It very apparent to all that it is Two Dogs with a Capital "T".
Later,J.B. |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 9:13 am: | |
Hi JB,
As I am told, Many buses are monocoque (Mci) and semi-monocoque (Eagle, I think), but yours and mine have a truck frame underneath. If you have reasonable knowledge about structural issues, the mid door is no problem. Mine came with built-in structural issues, in the front door and frame area that I had to fix, but as you can see a little triangulation goes a long way.
Actually, Galvanized IS the thing to use. I did something stupid (I thought I was doing something smart, you know how that goes) by buying all me steel before tearing into the old steel, as soon as I knocked off some paint, here is this galvanized sheetmetal (No wonder I have NO RUST).
You have pics? Email me offlist if you like--where are you?
Gary |
Bruce Henderson (Oonrahnjay)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 9:34 am: | |
__. The body panels on my bus are aluminum. Anybody ever replaced windows with aluminum sheet? Any tips on the best thickness/guage of aluminum for this purpose? I like Gary's process of putting the adhesive on and setting the panels with sheet metal screws and final fixing with pop rivets (almost all the sheet metal fixings on my bus are pop rivets). Any problem with metal filings from drilling after the sheet metal screws are removed? (I sure don't want to go the whole thing with cleco's, etc.)
__. Thanks for the help and info.
Bruce Henderson, Wallace North Carolina USA |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 10:57 am: | |
I don't see why alum would be that much different.
that is one reason you don't want the outer panel to "Lift" while you're drilling, shavings will get between the panels. I have one spot where that happened, but it will be under moulding and it's a REAL hard panel to remove and reset.
My "Pop" rivets were very expensive, hoever I bought them from an RV surplus place so I got a helluva deal. I wouldn't use hardware store rivets. |
J.B.Phillips (Jbp)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 10:59 am: | |
Hi Gary, I do not have any photo's as yet. I will try soon. I live in Washington State about 50 miles north of Seattle on Fir Island. I was just kidding about the structural issue. Like you say we have a frame and I was able to trim my floor to frame supports with no loss of strength at all.
Later, J.B. |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 11:03 am: | |
Yeah, just make a perimeter for the stepwell and the door opening and that's about all you need.
I had folks tell me that I shouldn't do a mid door because of structural issues.
Gary |