A good days work today. Floorboards for entrance were painted with the usual grey finish first thing.
The entrance bay steelwork was drilled and coach-bolted to the frame on both the forward and rearward sides. I carefully measured and marked the position of the horizontal body frame but neglected subsequently to correctly mark the correct position of the through bolts. I drilled the pilot holes one full hole then realised when I put the coach bolt through to check there was enough length for the nut. I was very annoyed but in fact the full hole can be used and the two pilot holes are covered by the step light fitting so it didn’t matter too much. Holes that remain to be drilled once the steelwork is removed for painting: a row where the upper step frame is bolted back to upper the riser, two holes in the forward side sheet at the bottom for the lower step frame to be screwed to it and one hole through the lower side rod. Once those are drilled the assembly can be painted prior to fitting.
I also cut the flat lower riser panel today and marked it up for drilling tomorrow.
Got the step frame located and the holes drilled to secure it to the other metalwork. The two remaining holes at the left hand end of the frame (see picture) will be drilled tomorrow and all that remains for fitting up will be the holes for coach-bolting the side sheets in place for extra strength. Next jobs will be the riser panel between the steps, holes in the back panel for the top step frame to be bolted back and finally painting all the parts ready for assembly.
Step frame temporarily bolted into the entrance bay
Primed the floor boards after they had been soaked in preservative for a couple of days then continued with fitting up the steps today, drilling mounting holes for the step support frame and getting everything lined up with the hand rails. I drilled and countersunk some holes in the side sheets to screw them into the woodwork at the rearward end of the entrance, under the aluminium cladding. I need to drill some more holes for the angle-iron frame and some to screw the side sheet to the forward door pillar. Hopefully this will be completed tomorrow so step riser metal work can be manufactured and the whole lot sprayed with red oxide.
Restoration diary of a 70-year old AEC single-deck bus and the trials, tribulations and adventures of our 1966 Bristol bus.