Work over the last few days:  painting then fitting repair section to forward entrance pillar.  Next, cutting and shaping a new, slightly wider pillar for rearward entrance pillar lower section, to accommodate the  steel reinforcer that the entrance steps sheet metalwork is partially hung from.  The pillar has a curved profile to the inner edge to allow the aluminium cladding to wrap around correctly. The first piece I made I copied from the only good lower side rod and didn’t realise it needed this profile and a rebate for the reinforcement, so I will use the first one I made further down the bus.  All good practice!

Gave it a good soak in preservative.

Welded a swaged end into the piece of exhaust flexi to join the down pipe to the exhaust.