Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Arkansas

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Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Arkansas

Post by Amskeptic » Wed Sep 15, 2010 6:38 pm

. . . but Texas gave me one more little excellent unexpected campsite in the midst of irritation whose title was "I hate going east, too dang crowded." The Atlantic Ocean has been having an ever greater effect on the vegetation, and the trees have been getting bigger, the weeds have been getting far more luxuriant, the bugs too, the humidity, and the sky has been shrinking behind these tree canopies. So I was barrelling down a country lane when I spied tire tracks in the grass, just like that beautiful spot in that ranch, and I hauled over and bounded up a surprisingly nasty bunch of moonscape topography hiding under aforementioned luxuriant weeds. Thankfully, the BobD is a Volkswagen bus that took the detour with aplomb, even being quite civilized about the use of the front rebound bump stops. Had to heave a fallen tree out of the path. It was hot. The insect life was buzzing and chirriping, the weeds were scratchy nasty, oh waah, there was a tick on my ankle (GumOut took care o dat), it was humid. Voila! You can see the BobD nesting here, facing the direction from which we came, you know, just in case I find that I am trespassing or something and need to leave with dispatch . . . . . . .

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. . . . . did I say "leave with dispatch"? Not quite! Not without an accelerator pedal, a gearshifter, a steering wheel (or a steering column for that matter), an instrument cluster, and perhaps an ignition switch and key:

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No, I had made a shockingly diffident decision to immobilize the bus pretty severely so that I could "paint some (barely) worn surfaces".
Only took an hour and a half in the beastly heat to remove all that. Spent the rest of the afternoon happily sanding the accelerator pedal, the steering column and base, removing and *correctly* installing the ambulance fans, and I even felt up for repainting the fan symbol on the knob since my nerves weren't especially jangly.

Took a late evening walk through the ticks and scoped out my Squatter's Digs. I could just see a house through the trees and down the hill with real electricity lights (man, must be nice).

Next morning I woke up to clouds and humidity. The clouds got dense. I was irritated all over again. Car is apart. Can't paint if it is RAINING. Stupid Atlantic Ocean. I'll just put it all together and drive to fricken Nevada. But I got involved with the sanding of the steering column and base plate (which required a trick little coat hanger spring separator to keep it clear of the column), and the sun came out about 10:30AM. Look! A steering wheel/column/base plate! Upside and just painted!

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Not one to pass up an opportunity to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, I had done a splendid little paint job in the windless heat. Just as shiny and glossy smooth as could be, I was happy. Then I thought, this is a high traffic area, it needs four coats of paint. So, I threw on another . . . half a coat. The stupid paint ran out, but not just fade-away-to-air, nooooo, it had to blow chunks of black cottage cheese. Only common sense prevented me from biting the can. Two weeks from now, I shall have to color sand the column and base plate, black ooze on a waxed white floor pan no less.

Anyways, while waiting for the paint to dry, I disassembled the dash cluster and cleaned the glass. Real glass. Touched up the locking rings, re-arranged the wiring, cleaned the under dash harnesses and intake air plenum of dust, and hit the dashboard hard with a chisel. See the dent at "6:00 oclock" in the hole?

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This was to create a dimple in the mounting hole for the ambulance fan switch to lock the switch into place so it won't try to rotate with the knob and loosen the damn escutcheon for the sixhundredbillionth time. Worked, too:

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Clean glass:

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Cleaned and neatened wires re-inserted in their correct places:

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And by the end of the second day, it was all back together:

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So I took a parting shot of Squatter's Nest:

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and bounded through the weeds back to that thar paved road where the bump stops again took a big hit, and drove to Arkansas. Where I am now. At a Starbucks. Like some Wild Man. With paint spatter and baby powder in equal measure. Tomorrow is another day on Planet Earth. I am looking forward to it . . . color-sanding the bumpers and wheels.
Colin :cyclopsani:
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Hippie
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Post by Hippie » Wed Sep 15, 2010 7:57 pm

Yay, Arkansas! One of my favorite places, actually.


(How come they don't pronounce Kansas "Kansaw"?)

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hambone
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Post by hambone » Wed Sep 15, 2010 8:16 pm

Yep. Completely and absolutely insane.



Do you think you'd be able to find these sorts of camps all across the country? I've often wanted to do what your doing. Indiana KOA? No thank you.

Dig the beard by the way, you look like a swami.
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat

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Hippie
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Post by Hippie » Thu Sep 16, 2010 4:09 am

I carry a Gazeteer map in the bus...you know...the one where each county takes up two or three road atlas sized pages?
It shows every little gravel road and every hey-that-dead-end-looks-like-it-would-end-in-a-trail-by-the-river spot.

I can't imagine taking apart my bus in the middle of nowhere though.
That's balls.

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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Arkansas

Post by dtrumbo » Thu Sep 16, 2010 8:30 am

Amskeptic wrote: . . . color-sanding the bumpers and wheels.
Colin :cyclopsani:
I'm always trying to improve my spray-painting skills so I ask, what is color-sanding?
- Dick

1970 Transporter. 2015cc, dual Weber IDF 40's
1978 Riviera Camper. Bone stock GE 2.0L F.I.
1979 Super Beetle convertible.

... as it turns out, it was the coil!

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RSorak 71Westy
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Post by RSorak 71Westy » Thu Sep 16, 2010 8:53 am

color sanding is sanding sprayed paint to remove "orange peel" and produce a smooth surface. The paint must be buffed after sanding to return it to shiny condition.
Take care,
Rick
Stock 1600 w/dual Solex 34's and header. mildly ported heads and EMPI elephant's feet. SVDA W/pertronix. 73 Thing has been sold. BTW I am a pro wrench have been fixing cars for living for over 30 yrs.

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Post by Hippie » Fri Sep 17, 2010 4:11 am

Back in the '20s before spray guns, the standard automotive body shop repaint procedure was to brush paint the car with laquer--several coats.
And then they would wet sand the whole car with gasoline until smooth to get rid of the brush marks. Then buff it shiney.

OSHA would have a cow.

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Post by dtrumbo » Fri Sep 17, 2010 5:30 am

Interesting... tell me more. So you spray your piece. Let it dry thoroughly? Then go back with I assume very fine paper (400?) and sand the imperfections (orange peel, spatter, etc.)? Wet? Dry? Then buff it to restore the shine. What do you buff with? Any compound?

So many questions...

Perhaps Colin can snip this out and put it in the Body/Hardware forum.
- Dick

1970 Transporter. 2015cc, dual Weber IDF 40's
1978 Riviera Camper. Bone stock GE 2.0L F.I.
1979 Super Beetle convertible.

... as it turns out, it was the coil!

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RSorak 71Westy
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Post by RSorak 71Westy » Fri Sep 17, 2010 8:49 am

Wet sand w very fine as in 600, 800, 1200, 1500 and 2000 grit.
Take care,
Rick
Stock 1600 w/dual Solex 34's and header. mildly ported heads and EMPI elephant's feet. SVDA W/pertronix. 73 Thing has been sold. BTW I am a pro wrench have been fixing cars for living for over 30 yrs.

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Post by Amskeptic » Fri Sep 17, 2010 9:53 am

dtrumbo wrote:Interesting... tell me more. So you spray your piece. Let it dry thoroughly? Then go back with I assume very fine paper (400?) and sand the imperfections (orange peel, spatter, etc.)? Wet? Dry? Then buff it to restore the shine. What do you buff with? Any compound?

So many questions...

Perhaps Colin can snip this out and put it in the Body/Hardware forum.
It is how I got the nice results with the Road Warrior's spray can paint job.

Image

Dick, you would love this addition to your repertoire.

Go paint some broad and flat part. Add an additional coat. Don't knock yourself out for gloss, promise, just get the paint on, let there be a dry spot at one end and a thick almost-ran spot at the other, just for fun. Let dry for a couple of weeks.
Now get a bucket of water and add a dollop of dishwashing liquid. Stick your 600/800/1000/2000 strips of sandpaper in the water.

Grab the 600 and fold it so you have some traction with your fingers and sand the part. Notice how you "ruin it" with scratches. Keep wet and sand until you feel it become consistently smooth-if-scratched.

Grab the 800 and go over the part again. Keep wet. Notice how the color is running off all over the place. Notice how the tooth of the prior 600 causes friction but disappears as the 800 makes it smoother still. Now scratchy looks more brushed satiny. Once all is smooth satiny, switch to the 1000. Keep it wet. Sand until polished. Now it is getting fun. Do your final sanding with the 2000. It is now going to have a dusky shine.

Dry. Get your 3M Polishing Compound out. Rub in one direction only. Look at that! A fantastic shine. Now final wax. Be amazed.

This obviously eats through the paint, that is why you make sure you have sufficient depth to begin with.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Post by Amskeptic » Sun Nov 14, 2010 7:45 pm

Hey dtrumbo!

Did you ever knock out an experimental color-sanding project?

I am going to do the steering column/base plate tomorrow.
ColinInLA
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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dtrumbo
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Post by dtrumbo » Sun Nov 14, 2010 9:35 pm

Alas... no. Bigger fish are frying. Hopefully things will settle down after the holidays. :compress:
- Dick

1970 Transporter. 2015cc, dual Weber IDF 40's
1978 Riviera Camper. Bone stock GE 2.0L F.I.
1979 Super Beetle convertible.

... as it turns out, it was the coil!

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Re:

Post by Amskeptic » Fri Apr 08, 2011 7:15 pm

dtrumbo wrote:Alas... no. Bigger fish are frying. Hopefully things will settle down after the holidays. :compress:
WELL?
Colin :bom:
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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dtrumbo
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Arkansas

Post by dtrumbo » Sat Apr 09, 2011 6:49 am

If only... the fish are now cajun-style from all the frying. Going to be a very busy spring-summer. I'll share all the details after the point where doing so won't jinx anything.
- Dick

1970 Transporter. 2015cc, dual Weber IDF 40's
1978 Riviera Camper. Bone stock GE 2.0L F.I.
1979 Super Beetle convertible.

... as it turns out, it was the coil!

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