16th More destruction before construction! I decide to remove the door while working in the step area.

This makes it easier to tidy up and paint behind the door.

I had hoped to remove the step also, but I find that to do this I would need to remove the wooden pillar to which the door attaches, and there seems to be no easy way to do this without disturbing the bulkhead area, which I am anxious to leave to another day.

16th. The door is in good condition and can be stored until needed.

16th. I cut away the end of the rotten bearer ready for a new piece to be welded in.

16th. Behind the cab, I remove a floor support which is a simple piece of angle iron, and which has rusted away at the end.

20th. Decision 1 - I am going to replace all the floorboards.

Bay 0 (the front bay containing the door openings) is already opened up, and I now begin to remove the floorboards from bay 1. It will now be much easier to clean and sliver the chassis!

20th. Decision 2 (aided and abetted by Bob the Blacksmith who visits tonight), is to replace the front bearer completely rather than try to weld new pieces into the ends. The photo on the right shows that the middle of the bearer is also in a poor condition.

Bob takes the measurements for the bearer (2 8' lengths of 1/8" steel channel 3" x 1") and promises to get it made up. I will prepare the wood filler.

Bob also takes the preformed pillar sections, as he prefers to weld them together to make a complete pillar off-site. I agree to make a template for the bend in the pillar and take it to him.

Onwards and Upwards!

22nd. Removal of bay 1 is almost complete. The ash framing which surrounds the hatches has been kept for repair or renewal, and the softwood floorboards have been scrapped.

120 linear metres of new floorboards have been ordered (as a start).

23rd. In this view you can see that I have removed floorboards from the bay 2 area, centre corridor and nearside. The ash framing has been left intact to attach the new boards to once the chassis and frame have been cleaned, scraped and resilvered.

During the course of grubbing out floorboards, withdrawing obsinate and rusty screws, grinding off bolts which refused to move, I fought a running battle with several wasps who are keen to build a nest in the coach roof, and also got stung on the arm by a persistent horse-fly! How we restorers suffer for our art...

23rd. A view looking towards the front of the coach, showing the new chassis paint creeping over further areas.

26th. I clear floorboards from the offside of bay 2

26th. Plenty of room to get at the chassis

26th. The fuel tank responds well to the wire brush.

31st. On the nearside, I remove boards from bay 3 as far back as the rear wheel arches.

31st. Chassis silvering spreading into bay 3