The last couple of days were spent in further demolition removing the last vestiges of a steel plate that links a boot crossmember with a siderod at the forward edge of the boot.
I also ground back any proud screw remains from the timbering of the boot front in preparation for replacing the steel boot front stress panel.
Further demolition included removal of the boot floor perimeter rail – full of woodworm – on the nearside rear.
Next job was replacing the lower section of the second side rod rearwards from the wheelarch. I spliced this in with a simple lap-joint below the boot floor level and mortised it to the lower floor bearer. I did this before the replacing the siderod behind the wheelarch in order to maintain a datum point for the bottom rail and lower edge of the wheelarch.
Work restarted on Sunday 2nd February after a brief gap. I finished off as much of the woodwork as possible in the wheelarch over the next few days, with a break to etch-prime the last four window frames. Carpentry included sanding the wheelarch timbers to finished shape and aligning the lower perimeter rail and attaching it to the wheelarch frame. Rotten timber to the rear of the wheel arch has been removed and some parts made, however these cannot be assembled until the timber for the perimeter of the boot floor arrives. This order includes timber for repairing the lower side rods alongside the boot. Removeal of the rotten steel reinforcement revealed that the whole of the steel stress panel that closes off the forward end of the boot needed removing. This entailed work on the offside of the bus, removing the cladding panels alongside the boot which required the emergency door to be finally opened.
Removal of these panels showed that all the timbering in the same area of the boot on the offside will need replacing so this was included in the new order. The steel panel – or rather, the remains of it – was removed from the boot front today. Once out and measured for replacement, attention turned to making templates for the replacement glass for the nearside.
Offside timbering alongside the boot and below the emergency door.
The last few days have been all about making the timbers for the wheelarch framing. I have now managed to assemble the forward half of the wheelarch frame, including a new steel flitch plate, and have finally aligned the lower perimeter rails with the rear of the bus so the sides will be straight as Weymann intended.
Wheelarch timbers assembled and new flitch plate fitted.
The rear half of the wheelarch cannot be assembled until I have replaced the lower half of the first side rod behind the wheel opening.
Restoration diary of a 70-year old AEC single-deck bus and the trials, tribulations and adventures of our 1966 Bristol bus.
