Bus Build - Part 3
Week 3 (August 28 - Sept 1, 2018) I find out that sanding above my head for 5+ hours can be exhausting, and that being confined to a bus with wood stain and polyuerithane can kill brain cells if you don't leave. Also I found the horn!
Sanding the ceiling was as task I was not looking forward to at all, not because of how it might turn out, but because of how much it was going to be a pain to do. I knew going into it that it was going to be challenging because of the test area I did earlier which meant it was going to be about 20 minutes per tile on the ceiling. With 12+ tiles above my head that needed sanded, I had to bite the bullet eventually.
This was a very rewarding task to cross of the list, and a very noticeable change to the interior of the bus. From the all grey carpet that once covered the ceiling, it was nice to see the brilliant white come out from underneath it all. I hit the whole ceiling with a 60 grit random orbital sander and 5 hours later I was looking up with my arms feeling like jello, smiling at the new look and brightness the inside of the bus had.
It was a fun day to work because I got to zone out and push forward with a very repetitive task. With the droning sound of the sander and the echoing of an empty bus I was un able to hear my dad come on the bus. To my startled surprise I turn around and my dad standing behind me holding out a beer for me. It was a very much appreciated gesture because I was sweating profusely, and I was on my last panel, so pausing for a beer with my dad was well worth it.
My dad gets the credit for me learning how to do most of this renovation stuff, he was always doing things like this around the house and letting me help and ask a million questions. He and I also have a very similar work ethic I miss the days of he and I working on a crew together like we did at Option Insulating. So seeing him come out and hand me a beer while I was working was a very meaningful gesture that I will remember for a long time. Thanks Dad.
After sanding the ceiling I then moved to sanding the side walls and adding the stain to all wooden surfaces. This was actually something that made me a bit nervous because stains sometimes don't look great on plywood. It wasn't until the stain dried that I liked the way it looked, then once I added to polyurethane, I knew it was a good color to go with.
The fumes on the other hand are a different story, again with a 95º day inside of a bus just amplified the smells. Even with all of the windows open in the bus, it still is limited on the amount of breeze it can allow. I did figure out how to get the fan to work to circulate the air a little better, but still had to take a break every so often to get fresh air.
This was also another step toward seeing a finished product inside. I and so glad that everything is dried now and still holding a beautiful color. The best part is the fact that the odor is now gone from inside which will make working a lot easier.
One of the biggest things we want to do is to polish the outside of this bus and bring the aluminum back to a beautiful shine. I did tons of research on how it should be done, what products to by, different methods for polishing, and everything i found out said the same thing, it is going to take a while.
So I ordered the appropriate polishing wheels, rouge, and oils. This order included 3 different 10" wheels (primary cutting, secondary cutting, and polishing), 3 rouges (one for each wheel), a variable speed polisher, and aluminum polishing wax. With my limited knowledge in polishing busses, I decided to do a test batch on two sides of the bus, and the results speak for themselves. I am very excited to learn proper technique with these tools and transform the outside into a beautiful shine.
Thank you for keeping up with this adventure, stay tuned as we add more to this bus. Things to come are some artwork, tables, systems, and equipment.