Other demands on my time have meant little progress for a while, however Christmas shopping, car and bus maintenance and trips to the dump notwithstanding, I should be able to devote more time for a week or so.
Last couple of days had been spent removing rusty screw remains and similar nails from the body frame. All the steel flitch plates have been removed from the nearside now and there are random patches of rot that need to be cut out and replaced with new wood. I milled some out this afternoon with my router but it is not a perfect process.
Undamaged screw holes are being filled with PVA, tooth picks and dowels depending on the size of the hole. Where possible, screwing into these should be avoided except where necessary. Still trying to agree the window rubber profile with the supplier.
Cleared a space in the garage to start window pan and flitch plate production. Marked up the steel for cutting the first repair sections. I have some 3.5mm galvanised plate for brackets and flitch plates.
Started to remove panels today with the intention of removing the rearmost window pan on the nearside. Removed the beading below the windows that curves around the back. This sequence of photos shows the arrangement of woodwork and 1/8″ steel flitch plates.
Heavily corroded flitch plate.
More corrosion.
NS rear wheel arch
Framing
General view showing arrangement of flitch plates.
Looking forward from NS rear wheelarch.
looking rearwards.
Another rearwards view along the waist rail
Restoration diary of a 70-year old AEC single-deck bus and the trials, tribulations and adventures of our 1966 Bristol bus.