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Anon
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Have you tried kiln dried sand for an abrasive medium, works OK and is a lot cheaper than what you are using, and available from you local DIY superstore or builders merchants
Down here it is used to sandblast off the steel hulls of boats and then the sand is written off,
A tent structure can be arranged around the work area to act as a shield
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 Tue 01 Dec 2009 @ 21:16
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Anon
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Tuesday
Well my plan for the day froze over! I guess it wasnt just Liverpool that was icy this morning. Above my bedford is a rooflight which had iced over. Not a particular problem until it gets to around 10am and starts to defrost. My poor Bedford, with its roof missing and paint stripped was subjected to indoor rain. (AAAAGGGHHH)
In order to replace the panels over the windscreen I have to graft in the A posts as they run behind it all. I have spent the day working towards this. First job was to ignite some wet wood and try to work as near to it as I could! The truck is not mobile so I didnt really gain much. Yesterday was too long a day and even more mistakes get made when you are tired.
I have been sandblasting the inside of the drivers side A post and the new A post panel.
I guess as it is just Dad and I working these days that I am the health and safety officer. You certainly would not put my Dad in charge! That said, earlier today sheer laziness took hold and rather than swopping for the taller ladder I decided to step onto the handrail part of the ladder I was already on. I had a good hold of the cab so no problems. Well none until the cab rapidly tilted forward! I was on one foot and hoping I would still be on it when the cab came to rest. The cab went further and further and all I could do was hang on to the gutter and hope! I got a real surprise, The cab tilted to its stop with a bang and I miraculously kept my footing. Climbing down knowing the cab could drop back was a little worrying. The ground seems a little further away when you think you are about to be sprawled accross it! It sometimes happens that I realise the item I am working on is moving away from me. Thats panic time, either it is going forwards or I am going back. If the grinder is running do I drop it? Where will it land? Will it remove my toes as it passes?
My face mask is too peppered to see through and a new one is £15. I decided I could make do with goggles. I blasted away and quickly realised that despite squeezing my lips tightly together I was still getting grit in my mouth. Its horribly scratchy on the teeth! This got so bad that the only way round it was to rinse my mouth out and tape it shut! Yes I really did! 'NO' I do not have big gaps in my teeth! The sand travels around a mask and collects inside the googles too. It wasnt until late afternoon that I remembered I am allergic to the glue on the tape! I now look like an electrician has condemned my face!
Notice:- a new trend in gimp fashion has now been set!
I get confused between M&S winter wear and S&M Rubber wear!
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Tue 01 Dec 2009 @ 21:48
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Anon
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I did try some play sand that I dried myself. It was a lot cheaper but a lot slower and it contains salt. I may grab a bag from the local merchants if I cant harvest enough of this stuff to keep re using it. The stuff they use on boats is much tougher as they are much more resilient. Bigger grains will distort the panels. I am currently using the grittiest grit! (from Machine Mart) It isnt easy to erect a tent around something as tall or long or wide as my truck. I have used a party tent before today but there was not enough height to tilt the cab and it was the tallest available. I cant afford to buy something that big either and I dont have the space as we have to walk around it to work. The grit also blows holes through it so I will just have make do with a cheap tarp that goes in the bin.
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Tue 01 Dec 2009 @ 22:03
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Anon
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Yawn, stuff what day it is I am knackered!
Didnt I say I wasnt going to do another 13.5 hour day? Well I think I did say it and I was wrong as I just have. Made good progress in some respects. The truck had its first new panel fitted YAY. The drivers side A post is all in place. The roof gutter panels are trimmed off, aligned and primed and all welded in on the drivers side. The A post on the passenger side has all been sand blasted out and primed too. I have worn out the blast gun! I managed to lose my grip whilst grinding and the damn grinder dropped onto my finger whilst still running- OUCHY!
I have done so much grinding that the draught from the machine has dried my lips out. Not normally a problem unless you are also taping your mouth shut!
BEFORE (well sort of before as I have already done a lot to get it to this point)
DURING
You can see inside the A post is all rust free and zinc coated ready for the panel to be welded on top. It took four hours just to get the A post like that.
AFTER (Still needs tidying and paint etc.)
As I do not have access to a spot welder I have plug welded the panels in. It means I now have to grind more welds!
Actually this is really the before shot -Enjoy!
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Wed 02 Dec 2009 @ 23:22
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Anon
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looking good, go and have a pint, PS stick to the S&M more fun...:D
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Thu 03 Dec 2009 @ 00:22
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Anon
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Well... having spent all this time working on the lorry and not doing the work which we have very little of, I have had to leave the truck for the day. A bit of a catch up through the backlog saw over 3 ton shifted by hand. I have had to work just as hard today or else I would have eaten into even more 'Bedford time' tomorrow. I have to get it done, I have just quoted on a new job and didnt mention that the truck was a bit, erm, unavailable! The Beddy is parked in our sorting area meaning we now have to work outside. It has been tipping down today and wasnt exactly warm. We have a curtain sided body that winches onto the Bedford which we have been sheltering inside to work.
Maybe I should not have pulled it apart, It didnt look so bad, with one eye shut! (you can just see the cab of our white TL 1630 in the background. I have pulled it apart but not got it together again!!!!)
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Thu 03 Dec 2009 @ 21:42
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Anon
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Well friday involved a near death experience with the grinder! I spent the same 4 hours blasting out the passenger side A post as I had the drivers side and prepared to fit the new panel. It was only when I came to trial fit the panel that I recalled how much I previously had trimmed from the drivers side panel to get it to come near to a proper fit. As it was a genuine panel I assume the sledge hammer and grinder were standard tools in the factory.
Even with a good shove there was no way to close this gap as the panel was simply too wide. It took a good while to contour the top with the grinder to make a snug fit.
Its only now that I am proudly looking at my sandblasting pictures that I have just spotted that I have painted the end of the dashboard in zinc DOH! Cellulose thinners shifts it well enough.
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Sun 06 Dec 2009 @ 20:24
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Anon
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When can I drop Bertie off to have his rust replaced? LOL
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Sun 06 Dec 2009 @ 20:37
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Anon
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When I have won the lottery!!!! I have a to do list that will see me to retirement already!
When I win more than a tenner (which would be easier if I werent too broke to buy a ticket!) I will set up a garage that does very cheap work for all of us to use. I wont need to make a fortune as I am already wealthy. I will have a classic Bedford that can travel the country picking up the weary motors and taking them back to their owners fresh and happy. I also want to buy every car I ever wanted and set up a museum. It wont do well as most people want to walk around Porches and not Bedfords and 1970's BL.
No really, buying an island and a ferrari just isnt my style.
When I am wealthy there is no way at all you will catch me taping my mouth and sandblasting!!! I will employ my dad to do it for a nominal fee!!!
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Sun 06 Dec 2009 @ 21:22
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Anon
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How does a Monday make you feel?
A bit of extra tape on the goggles barely helped keep out the grit so I decided to do a bit more real work this morning. From lunch until 9:45 tonight I have been grinding and sandblasting the Bedford. I am so fed up with it. Watching paint dry sounds like fun at the moment!
I priced up the expendable grit. Although only a fifth of the price I have already used the re usable stuff more than five times over so I would not have saved any money. I have spent around seven hours just cleaning the back of the roof frame. Yawn. My dad has been fighting to peel the passenger door skin away from the shell. So far the door has won!!!
Nearer but the door still has the upper hand!!!
Started work on the bottom of the B post. The wings were hung from here and have obviously caused a lot of strain. Not only is the post cracked but the panel is also slightly out of shape. The plan is to drill through the post and run metal bars accross inside it to strenghten it whilst being kept as original from the outside as possible. I will plug weld the ends of the rods and grind them down to hopefully leave no trace of their existence.
Naff all for seven hours out of my life!!
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Tue 08 Dec 2009 @ 00:15
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Anon
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Thanks for sharing all this, Jeffo. You both are very skilful; it's very interesting, and it's a shame you don't have the time to enjoy it, like we do. 
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Tue 08 Dec 2009 @ 12:07
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Anon
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I bet you arent waking up to half an inch of ice over everything in NZ! (ok so we only had that on Tuesday but try sitting on a concrete floor at 2 degrees!) I hope to have the TL finished well enough to use pretty soon. (ha ha ha) I will then move onto the other neglected areas like the interior when a few 'catch up' loads have been moved. As soon as the cab is assembled with a lick of paint it is good to go. The MOT still has 10 months left. The engine has a very serious knock though. I am led to believe it is probably a little end in No.6 piston. I have never pulled one apart and dont know where to start. I am told 1 replacement piston is over £500. AAAAAAGGGGHHHH! I will have to obtain a spare lump for it. Hope your CF antics work out well. I hear there are still plenty of lovely Triumph 2000's knocking around over there. I would love one of those. I wonder if anybody has ever put the Triumph straight six in a CF. I doubt you would have to cut the floor to do it.
I doubt many people are familiar with the equipment on the back of this truck. It comes from Multilift in Helsinki. I have a plan to display both my CF and my truck together. I want to carry the CF on the back of the TL and that way I will be able to go and enjoy myself twice as much! I already have a flat bed which can be used to carry the CF but I want to make something else as the CF would be too high to climb into even when lowered to the ground and I dont want to have to strap it on. I am thinking of it locking on with the wheels dropping into a well. I will probably not get that brave and settle for a ladder!
My poor CF has not moved for a month. The CF is where my fun has been generated until recently. I keep thinking about climbing into it to catch up on some sleep!
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Tue 08 Dec 2009 @ 20:41
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Anon
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I think it is Tuesday!
One of our customers rang today. They are in the midst of a multi million pound take over and they need us to help them have a clear out before the big wigs come round. Today the Bedford only got an hours attention. Tomorrow it will have a little more loving but there is still a back log of metal to pick through by hand. Its a catch 22! I cant fix the lorry if I am working but we cant operate the premises where it lives unless I down tools and work.
Today that passenger door lost the fight! The new door skin looks like it is going to be a lovely fit but I dont want to say it too loud!
Dont worry, that is not the drivers door skin, its just the back of the passenger one you are looking at
Sob Sob, something else to hit with the sandblaster. I need a holiday, see you in six months!
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Tue 08 Dec 2009 @ 20:59
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Anon
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Well the truck has been put on hold as over ten ton of stock has built up in our yard. In the last two days it has all been picked through by hand. I am knackered! The next problem is delivering it. I need my blooming Bedford!!!
As a very special treat,:-) here is a picture of my Dolomite and 5.7 ton Bedford TL outside the exhibition halls at Stoneleigh
Yes, I am aware that if you put carrots and peas on my car it looks like sick! Thats my dad entrusted to driving the Dolomite.
Looks like I am sand blasting tomorrow. Maybe I can call in sick!!!
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Thu 10 Dec 2009 @ 22:31
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Anon
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TL Truck restoration marathon
Have only just found this website and having read your trials and tribulations, the worries I have with my dear 1984 TL horsebox (including my husband having seized the engine when he wouldn't believe "there's no oil in it"), seem pathetic. I am quite weak with admiration!!!
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Thu 17 Dec 2009 @ 12:14
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Anon
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Olga wrote:
Have only just found this website and having read your trials and tribulations, the worries I have with my dear 1984 TL horsebox (including my husband having seized the engine when he wouldn't believe "there's no oil in it"), seem pathetic. I am quite weak with admiration!!!
Dont be he is just mad LOL
:D
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Thu 17 Dec 2009 @ 19:11
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Anon
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I am not mad. My therapist gave me a certificate to prove it. He wrote it in crayola and put a gold star on it too so that proves that!
So Olga are you fixing yours? Is it the 214 220 330 or 500 engine? Im afraid unless your husband will be pulling it apart himself it will be cheaper to buy a good used one. Seems you are having problems with your dipstick, sorry I mean husband!
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Thu 17 Dec 2009 @ 23:23
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Anon
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No, I expect with some tablets, you'll be absolutely fine. Yes, she's been fixed (at GREAT cost). Got engine sent down from up North (yes, I'm sure I could have done it more easily) and now she's got what my mate Mark who does her tells me is actually a TK engine - but it's good. Want to take her down to South of France in Summer to do a long distance ride. Is this a good idea? (not the ride, which is obviously crazy, I mean taking Bessie) She's already in the past six years, with her previous owner, gone from Canterbury to Santiago de Compostela in Spain and back over the Pyrennees and three years ago from Canterbury to Rome and back over the Alps so she's quite seasoned. My recent worry was that the power steering failed and I nearly had a heart attack trying to turn her round given that she's parked at the back of my terrace house in the middle of town. She's with Mark now and he tells us it's just that the compressor is v old and when the pressure drops, the power steering cuts out. Oh yes, she's got a steering system called Autosteer which NO ONE knows anything about because of course, it should really be an hydraulic system butit is air powered off the brake system. Is overhauling the compressor a big job or would it be better to think about replacing it or should I just stop being a complete prune and take up knitting? Other people of my vintage seem to be behaving a great deal more sensibly.
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Fri 18 Dec 2009 @ 10:44
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Anon
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Hi Olga, don't know if this is of any use, but I hava an air compressor in good working order that I was told came off a Mercedes truck pre 1995, don't know exactly when, I could possibly get a picture of it to you and if its of any use, you are welcome to it for the cost of postage, or pick it up from Devon
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Fri 18 Dec 2009 @ 21:36
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Anon
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What a very kind offer Mr Anvil (are you a farrier, or a blacksmith?). Yes, I shall ask Mark if this is a goer. Am I now guilty of interrupting Jeffo's log which I am v keen to see more of, Or have you been buried under a snowdrift, Jeffo ? I now feel that if the compressor is a possibility I should be unbelievably weedy if I didn't fit it myself, complete with pic of elderly harridan, covered in oil and weeping copiously?
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Sun 20 Dec 2009 @ 17:56
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