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Conversion Log: 2005 Galleries

January 1 : Only a few more wheelchair securing points to go. The seat frames get stacked in an orderly fashion, as do the seats cushions. The cushion strip along each wall has also been removed.

Now, we begin to look at the rubber floor. It's gross, so it goes. There is a metal strip along the perimeter of the interior which is screwed to the plywood subfloor. The screws are in bad shape, requiring the use of prybars and drills to extract them.

Only a few more wheelchair securing points to go. The seat frames get ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 10:19pm PST

January 2 : The seat frames and other steel scrap are offloaded, free of charge, to be recycled. Now we have a lot more working room and the sight of the empty bus is uplifting indeed. The metal trim holding down the nasty rubber floor is also gone.

Now, with floor-removal in sight, I have to deal with the walls. I have no idea if there is insulation in the walls & ceiling or simply an air gap. I was expecting an air gap, and have been researching insulation materials & methods, and also dreading the hundreds of rivets that are holding the interior panels to the studs. That's a lot of drilling, a lot of drill bits and a lot of time.

The seat frames and other steel scrap are offloaded, free of charge, t ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 10:20pm PST

January 15 : Wow, I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since we've made progress on the bus conversion. Since the last update we've had 30+ inches of snow, so all of our spare time & energy lately have been spent shoveling snow, and keeping up with the firewood requirements. I have been able to work out a layout for the roof which will allow the vent stacks we need while allowing room for the solar panels.

Wow, I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since we've made progress on th ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 10:30pm PST

January 16 : Day of the Rivets (Part I)
Time to get serious about rivet removal. We acquired an extra angle grinder, extra face masks and got down to business. Here is the deal: The inside sheet metal has to come out. There are about 1200 rivets holding this sheet metal to the studs.

Today we removed 2 of the metal panels, and started on #3 and #4 -- things are going much faster with 2 angle grinders (about twice as fast, not surprisingly), which took about 3 hours.

Day of the Rivets (Part I) Time to get serious about rivet removal. W ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 10:33pm PST

Day of the Rivets (Part II) We're well under way! Last weekend our f ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 10:45pm PST

February 6 : We got a late start today and only removed 3 of the 5 ceiling panels. Grinding steel rivets overhead means hot sparks down your shirt -- I learned a new dance! :-)

We got a late start today and only removed 3 of the 5 ceiling panels. ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 10:49pm PST

February 13 : After a day and a half of roof deck research we got to work on the last two ceiling panels. With all 1000+ rivets ground to a fine steel powder we not-so-gingerly removed the last sheet metal ceiling panels and bagged a dozen trash bags full of cotton candy-like fiberglass insulation. Then we scraped the remains and wet/dry vacuumed the entire inside. Finally - the exterior steel shell is exposed inside...

After a day and a half of roof deck research we got to work on the las ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 10:52pm PST

April 2 : (OK, this update spans mid-March through April 2. I've been lazy about updating the website!)
We came up with an alternative design for the deck, which exists mostly in sketches which haven't yet made it to digital format. It's a simpler design which uses thicker Trex (for wider joist spacing) and fewer supports. After triple-checking our design and making calculations, we contacted the fine folks at Hunt's Building Center with our shopping list in hand:

15 pieces of 2" x 6" x 12' Trex decking (walking surface)
15 pieces of 2" x 6" x 16' Trex decking (walking surface)
13 pieces of 4" x 4" x 10' Redwood beams (cross members or joists)
4 pieces of 1" x 21' Galvanized steel pipe (vertical supports)

We also ordered some flanges & fittings to make all of that stuff go together. After much research I settled on Kee Klamps, which are manufactured in England (I couldn't find equivalent fittings made in USA). They were orderd from McMaster-Carr.

(These are McMaster-Carr part numbers)
20 x 4936T91 Iron Slip-On Structural Framing System Rect Flange W/Closed End
24 x 4936T71 Iron Slip-On Structural Framing System Oval Flange
4 x 4936T64 Iron Slip-On Structural Framing System Adj 180 Deg Rect Flange

**NOTE: If you need to replace a set screw from a Kee Klamp fitting, see the plumbing section of your hardware store. The size & threads are not metric or SAE, but plumbing pipe size/thread! I recently used a reducer, shimmed with a few washers, to replace a set screw from our turbine support.

In no time we've got all the materials to build a deck...now we just need some nice weather!

(OK, this update spans mid-March through April 2. I've been lazy about ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 10:57pm PST

April 3 : April 3, 2005 - More deck work
We fabbed the remaining deck supports this morning for a total of 10. 3 more will have to be made, but they'll be attached to the bus in a different manner. The "studs" in the bus wall are truncated at the wheelchair door, the front (folding) door and at the very front, near the windshields.

April 3, 2005 - More deck work We fabbed the remaining deck supports ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 11:03pm PST

April 10 : 10 of 13 deck supports finished

10 of 13 deck supports finished

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 11:06pm PST

April 16 : Time to tackle the angled deck supports. These are necessary because some of the vertical studs are truncated: at the wheelchair lift door, and again at the front of the bus. We used adjustable fittings to allow the weight of the deck to be directed at the bend in stud. See the pics!

Time to tackle the angled deck supports. These are necessary because s ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 11:13pm PST

April 17 : With the aft portion of the deck supports completed, we were raring to get some of the Trex decking laid down. And lay it we did. ;-) 2 decking screws at each Trex/4x4 intersection.

With the aft portion of the deck supports completed, we were raring to ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 11:15pm PST

May 9 : We finished the angled supports at the front of the bus and began installing the Trex on the forward portion of the deck. The driver's side aft portion of the deck will remain unfinished due to the proximity of a power cable. We'll move the bus to the other side of the driveway before tackling that to help avoid what could be a shocking experience!

We finished the angled supports at the front of the bus and began inst ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 11:17pm PST

June 5th : We completed the deck 3 weekends ago (yee-ha!), but don't have photos of it yet. Rest assured -- it is the best looking deck (on the roof of a school bus) you've ever seen.

Next stop: Windows.

We're blocking off the windows with 3/4" plywood rectangles; we'll add flashing to the bottom edge to keep water out. We'll also be applying butyl caulk all around the edges, and securing them with small "L" brackets on the inside.
Today we cut out rectangles for six windows. The rectangle dimensions are 23.0"H x 25.25"W. We've got a light grey exterior paint to weather proof the plywood, but the "Woody" look is starting to grow on us. And you too, no doubt.

We completed the deck 3 weekends ago (yee-ha!), but don't have photos ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 11:19pm PST

July 4 : We've settled on RV-type windows -- I'm waiting on quotes from a custom window maker. In the meantime we can cover the window openings with painted plywood rectangles.

We've settled on RV-type windows -- I'm waiting on quotes from a custo ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 11:22pm PST

July 24 : Yet more window progress!.

We finished blanking the window openings.
The first few were a real pain -- I was to the point of inventing swear words that didn't contain vowels! "Mrkcknfrckn..." You know what I mean. :-) Of course with 4 windows to go we had a fine system down and we barely broke a sweat.

Yet more window progress!. We finished blanking the window openings ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 11:25pm PST

September 18 : Floor insulation.

It's been a while since our last update. Last month we went for a 3,300-mile ride (Sean's pics;Rhonda's pics); the preceding weekends were used for bike and rider prep. Never fear! We haven't abandoned the bus...or you, dear reader! :-)
The first steps in preparing the metal floor were to paint it with a rust-inhibiting primer and then seal the holes. Then we covered the floor with 1/2" rigid foam insulation, followed by a 6-mil vapor barrier, and finally 1/2", 5-ply plywood.

Floor insulation. It's been a while since our last update. Last mon ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 11:27pm PST

November 5 : I'd ordered too much 1" galvanized pipe, which we had used for the deck supports. After making some sketches it turns out we had enough to construct a ladder for deck access. We only had to order some structural pipe fittings and flanges from McMaster-Carr (see Links).
The highest rung on the ladder would span 2 of the vertical deck supports.

I'd ordered too much 1" galvanized pipe, which we had used for the dec ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 11:32pm PST

November 6 : We purchased 2 rolls of foil-faced cotton insulation from Bonded Logic. This will be our first (outermost) layer of insulation. The solar insolation in the Southwestern U.S. will easily turn our steel bus into an oven; the foil face on the insulation will serve as a radiant barrier.
The next layer will probably be 2 layers of 1/2" rigid foam. Why not just a 1" layer? Because the insulation will have to bend to accommodate the curve in the bus ceiling. 1" foam board will certainly break, but 1/2" foam has just enough flex to do the job.

We purchased 2 rolls of foil-faced cotton insulation from Bonded Logic ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2005 11:40pm PST

November 13 : The first layer of insulation will be foil-faced Insulator, manufactured by Bonded Logic in Arizona. Since the bus skin is made of metal, and it's such a great conductor of heat (and a good radiator of heat, too), we need something to reflect the thermal radiation away from the lliving area.

The first layer of insulation will be foil-faced Insulator, manufactur ...

Updated: Apr 29, 2007 7:13pm PST

November 24 : We sealed the last of the gaps between the studs and rigid foam insulation. We also added 1" insulation to the rear door (previously used for wheelchair access).
Next step is the innermost layer of insulation -- 3/8" foil-faced cotton insulation. Then the final wall covering.

We sealed the last of the gaps between the studs and rigid foam insula ...

Updated: Nov 24, 2005 3:17pm PST

November 25 : Today we trimmed the excess spray foam and began applying the innermost layer of insulation (foil-faced cotton batt, 3/8" thick). This will serve as both a radiant barrier and a vapor barrier.

We also purchased materials for building boxes around the wheel humps. These will allow us to build cabinets (or whatever structures) over them without having to deal with the curved top.

Today we trimmed the excess spray foam and began applying the innermos ...

Updated: Nov 25, 2005 5:31pm PST

November 27 : Yesterday we used the remaining Insulator to line the inside walls. We ran out just a few square feet shy of finishing. We also decided that having windows on the rear wall would be too difficult and costly to properly insulate. So we painted the inside of the windows with gray primer and covered the windows & wall with 2" of rigid insulation.
Using a heat gun, Rhonda also began removing the "School Bus" lettering from the front and rear exterior of the bus. I was able to remove the stop arm from the side of the bus (stop sign that swings out when kids are loading/unloading), as well as the cross arm (which swings out from the front bumper to prevent kidlets from crossing in front of the bus.)

Yesterday we used the remaining Insulator to line the inside walls. W ...

Updated: Nov 27, 2005 3:45pm PST

This weekend we wrapped up the insulation, finished the wheel-well box ...

Updated: Dec 04, 2005 4:43pm PST

December 10 : Today we attached 1" x 2" anchors/spacers to the walls -- as anchors for the paneling, and spacers for the reflective facing. (Foil-faced insulation requires an air gap for peak performance.)

The locations of the vertical 1" x 2" members coincides with the metal ribs. We attached each one using 1/4" - 20, 2 inch, thread-cutting screws. (That's 1/4" diameter, 20 threads per inch, 2" of screw below the head.) We chose the Torx-drive screws because of the more positive engagement of the driver and screw.

The horizontal 1" x 2" acts as a 2nd anchor for the paneling.

The topmost, horizontal 1" x 6" allows us to use 4' x 8' sheets for the side panels, and 2 4' x 8's for the ceiling without wasting long strips of birch paneling.

Today we attached 1" x 2" anchors/spacers to the walls -- as anchors f ...

Updated: Dec 11, 2005 5:29pm PST

December 11 : Today we began installing the birch paneling. The side walls will be 1/4" birch plywood, and the ceiling (beginning with the curve) will be 1/8". Our calculations show that we'll need 7 pieces each of 1/4" (4' x 8') and 1/8" (4' x 8'). The paneling cost about $300.

The top step was badly rusted beneath the rubber tread, and was sagging badly. Rhonda pulled the rubber tread, busted away the rusted metal, sanded the remaining, and shot the whole deal with rust-inhibiting paint. A scrap of sheet metal was applied to cover the hole, and a 1/2" slab of plywood will cover the step.

Today we began installing the birch paneling. The side walls will be ...

Updated: Dec 11, 2005 5:35pm PST

December 24 : We continued hanging paneling on the walls & ceiling. Also installed some nifty folding steps for access to the back door.

We continued hanging paneling on the walls & ceiling. Also installed ...

Updated: Dec 24, 2005 6:47pm PST

December 25 : Today we tackled the rear wall with its intimidating roof curve...yikes!

Today we tackled the rear wall with its intimidating roof curve...yike ...

Updated: Dec 25, 2005 6:25pm PST

December 27 : We finished the paneling and began the process of applying our finish coat -- shellac. (Learn about shellac here.) We used Zinsser Bullseye Sealcoat.

We finished the paneling and began the process of applying our finish ...

Updated: Jan 01, 2006 4:40pm PST

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