So part of the day was spent machining up a sample of a scaffolding "screw-jack" that a customer wanted. As he wanted about 275 of them and they can be done with only minimal attendance I thought I had better try and recoup some of the overseas buying power we in Aus. have been losing of late. They look like this.
So - quote done - back to the business at hand. Windows go in here (some on the other side as well). Made by a Dometic Company called Seitz - sounds German to me - nevertheless they seem to be the ones to have. Being made overseas I figure I better buy some from local stock now before the devaluation takes effect on new stock. Three suppliers in Aus. - and they don't all stock the same sizes so it's a complicated calculation on freight and availability to find out what's the most economical way to buy. In the end they all come from the other side of Australia with about A$200 in freight to get them here! That's the trouble with living in the most remote capital city in the world....
OK Back out into the workshop and fit up the front mount which was welded yesterday and had to wait for it to cool. My newish neighbour (who owns a welding company), it turns out is a welding inspector, and has been looking at my welding for some time. He tells me it is up to standard and will certify me to do my own welding - life is full of surprises. So I welded up the front mount yesterday and of course because I want it to be really good it looks awful (to me anyway). It's structurally OK - just looks a bit messy. It looks better today than it did yesterday - I hope it looks even better tomorrow! Temporarily fitted in place again. Can't do the rear mounts today as I do not have the finished U-bolts I ordered (I don't want to drill holes for them until I have measured them after my experiences in trying to get them made the other day.)
So back to the rear of the chassis - to weld in the bracing extensions. Pre-paint with anti-rust on the inside face and fit it while it's wet - hopefully to keep some corrosion out. Now that welding looks better!! First one side and then :
the other. Clean up and another coat of anti-rust. This paint is magic. I have used it for years. I first tried it on a farm (I used to have) in the South West of W.A. when I dragged some old cast iron gates out of a rubbish heap where I found them when I first bought the farm. A bit of a wire brush and paint with "Killrust" gloss. These gates were then hung and still looked as good as the day I painted them when I sold the farm years later.
and another day is gone...
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