The idea was simple - to bolt the final upright into place for the front closet. Practice was a different matter entirely! It didn't help that the temperature was 111Fahrenheit either!
The first bracket bolted in nicely. Then after such little exertion as drilling two holes in the wood and two holes in the seat rail then bolting a bracket to the rail and screwing the bracket to the wood, the heat was too much and I had to retreat indoors.
Returning to the fray which was now 97F, I marked the place for the second bracket, having checked the wood was vertical. I drilled thge holes and bolted the bracket to the side of the bus then had a problem.
The head protector on the door lintel was blocking access for the drill to make holes to screw the wood to the bracket. Fortunately it was held on only by 3 self drilling screws. Those were undone and as normal, most just spun in their holes. One went bouncing down the steps and out the door into yard debris.
I resolved to replace the screws with rivnuts. Enlarging the holes was easy enough though one hole had been mangled by whoever put the protector up. So, I got on with my beam and after securing that, turned my attention to the protector.
Two rivnuts went in well, the third not so well. When the protector was in place, one bolt just spun, indicating that removing it if I have to will require an angle grinder! Maybe I'd have been better off using rivets?
Having done it all, I measured for a low cross member then stepped back to admire my work. Looking up and down, it looked fine. Then I saw it! The vertical was straight until the bottom 18 inches. The bottom 18 inches bowed forward. More of America's "wonderful" wood! How a country can build homes with wood of the low quality available, I don't know! Anyway, as it has only to support an OSB panel, its not too bad.
Knocking off for the evening with sweat pouring off me, I noticed how the bus had sunk into the ground. I suppose 13 tons will sink a bit. Probably time to start the engine again and move it a bit!
The first bracket bolted in nicely. Then after such little exertion as drilling two holes in the wood and two holes in the seat rail then bolting a bracket to the rail and screwing the bracket to the wood, the heat was too much and I had to retreat indoors.
Returning to the fray which was now 97F, I marked the place for the second bracket, having checked the wood was vertical. I drilled thge holes and bolted the bracket to the side of the bus then had a problem.
The head protector on the door lintel was blocking access for the drill to make holes to screw the wood to the bracket. Fortunately it was held on only by 3 self drilling screws. Those were undone and as normal, most just spun in their holes. One went bouncing down the steps and out the door into yard debris.
I resolved to replace the screws with rivnuts. Enlarging the holes was easy enough though one hole had been mangled by whoever put the protector up. So, I got on with my beam and after securing that, turned my attention to the protector.
Two rivnuts went in well, the third not so well. When the protector was in place, one bolt just spun, indicating that removing it if I have to will require an angle grinder! Maybe I'd have been better off using rivets?
Having done it all, I measured for a low cross member then stepped back to admire my work. Looking up and down, it looked fine. Then I saw it! The vertical was straight until the bottom 18 inches. The bottom 18 inches bowed forward. More of America's "wonderful" wood! How a country can build homes with wood of the low quality available, I don't know! Anyway, as it has only to support an OSB panel, its not too bad.
Knocking off for the evening with sweat pouring off me, I noticed how the bus had sunk into the ground. I suppose 13 tons will sink a bit. Probably time to start the engine again and move it a bit!
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