Vandaag, -maandag-, heb ik het houten hijsraam afgemaakt en heb ik vervolgens de bus een stuk opgetakeld om te zien hoe het zaakje zich hield. Het werkt prima, maar de bus blijkt aan de achterkant toch wat zwaarder dan verwacht. Bij het takelen kwam daarom eerst de voorkant omhoog en toen het geheel vrijkwam hing ie aardig achterover. Daarom liet ik 'm eerst maar even zakken en heb ik vervolgens een aambeeld van 50kg voorin op de cabinevloer geplaatst. Dat ging beter ... Weer opgetakeld en daarna kon ik de trolley een klein beetje achterwaarts verplaatsen. Zo kan ik tenminste goed bij de dwarssectie aan de voorkant (tussen de chassisbalken) om deze te verwijderen. Vervolgens nog wat vloerdelen weggeslepen en toen kwam het einde van de schakeltunnel in zicht ... Dat maakt het vervangen van de vloerdelen een stuk overzichtelijker. Nu alleen nog het U-profiel aan de voorkant vrijmaken en dan zou het vervangen kunnen beginnen. Het wordt spannend!!
Here I am ... done nothing with the blog for two weeks ... well, it's been pretty cold here about two weeks ago. Too cold to do useful things, so a break was necessary. Fortunately, since a few days temperatures are bearable again so there's lots to talk about. Martin called me some days ago to ask me if I was interested in his leftover steel workbench. He had bought a new one so this one came available for whoever wanted it. It measures 2,5 x 1m and has a 1cm thick steel surface ... ideal for welding purposes, and ... it has a band-grinder and heavy vice attached to it. All for a reasonable price, so it didn't take me that long to decide. Sunday, January 18th we could borrow Donny's trailer and made the trip to Beekbergen. Two hours later we were back at the barn with the workbench. The thing happens to weigh over 200 kilos and this time we had no fork-lift truck like Martin has in Beekbergen.
Fortunately, Donny and his co-worker were still in the barn, so with all four of us we managed to get the thing in its place. It only just fitted!! Of course I had measured the space earlier, but that was without the band-grinder, which adds another 50cm to the width. Luckily all fitted perfectly. The workshop looks a lot more professional right now.
Today, Monday, I finished the wooden frame which will be used for lifting the bus-body. After attaching the hoist-bands I tried to lift the thing a little to see if all is working as expected. The bus appeared to be somewhat heavier in the tail, because the nose came up first. Only after lifting about 30 cm, the rear came up too. This was not good. I lowered the bus and placed a 50kg anvil on the floor in front and this time things went better. I lifted the bus again and manouvered the trolly somewhat backwards, so that I can better reach the front cross-section between the chassis beams to have it cut out and replaced. Removed some additional cargo-floor parts and then I had a clear view on the end of the shift-rod tunnel. Removing the floor beams, and replacing the shift-rod tunnel with it, all seemed to become a bit more manageable. Next there's the front U-bar to remove and then floor replacement can start ... its exciting!!