Replacing Traveller Woodwork

[James k]

Hi,
I am currently replacing the woodwork on my traveller. I had initially intended to replace only one side but, on disassembling, the rot turned out to be far worse than I thought. Both rear posts had been badly rotting from the inside and, after breaking through a thin hard crust, were mainly composed of something resembling sawdust! I now have a complete wood kit from Woodies.

Miraculously, the wood was only hiding some patches of surface rust which I have now removed with a wire brush. I am going to treat it with Jenolite and then prime with red oxide.

I have treated all of the new wood with four coats of Cuprinol 5 star, including blocking and filling the drain holes, which is now drying out. I am going to use Burgess wood sealer and top gloss for the finish.

I have Ray Newell's book and have read the Traveller Woodwork topic here but I have a few questions (no doubt I'll have more later!)

In Ray's book, it says, if using a microporous finish, unseen parts must be painted with a waterproof paint. I am planning to paint the bases of the rear posts and the rear base rail, the bases of the front base rails and the underside and inside face of the wheel arch. Are there any other parts that should be treated this way?

I am using the 3M DumDum alternative from ESM for sealer. I know that there should be a bead of sealer along the front of the B-post, along the upright section of the wheel arch and between the panels and glass and the wood. Are there any other parts that require sealant? I thought the base of the front foot rail but I can't find any reference to this. In addition to sealant, should I be using seam sealer anywhere? Previously, there was seam sealer on the inside of the inner wing so I will use it here. Should I be using it underneath the wheel arch or front base rails or anywhere?

The rear posts do not have any holes drilled for the coach bolts or hinges (neither do the doors). These holes will need to be drilled once the frame is on the car so after finishing the wood. In Ray's book, it says to coat the coach bolts in grease. Will this be enough to protect the wood or should I treat the bolt holes with Cuprinol after drilling them?

Is there a good technique for centring the rear base rail? Again,there are no holes drilled in it as a reference. Is it just a case of making sure that it is right in the centre of the metal or is there a trick to doing it?

Like I said, I'm sure more questions will appear as I progress! Thanks in advance for any replies. I'll post some pictures when it's finished.

Thanks,
James

[simmitc]

Waterproof coating also needs to be on the leading edge of the B-post wood where it abuts the steel, and on all the top edges where they fit under the roof. I would soak the holes for the coach bolts with Cuprinol after drilling.

[James k]

Thanks for the reply. I'll paint those bits black too. I also wondered if I should do the insides of the joint where the rear post meets the rear base rail.

Today, I applied three coats of Burgess Woodsealer to all of the wood. I put it on with a cloth and did my best to avoid drips but I still managed to get a few. Is there a trick for removing them? I was thinking to just use a razor blade and then reapply a small amount of woodsealer.

I noticed on the top gloss instructions that it says 'dry spots can be removed with petrol'. presumably, this means that I need to apply an additional, petrol-proof, coating to the area near the filler cap. What should I be using here?

Thanks,
James

[James k]

Hi,
I've come to trial fit the wood but I'm having a problem with the nearside frame. The offside fits into place fine but the nearside seems way out. I can get it to fit at the front (with some effort) or at the back, but not both. Has anyone had the same experience when fitting a side?

The wood has been treated, varnished and painted in the required places so now needs the panels and wings fitting. I'm currently considering whether to get the car resprayed before reassembling. The side panels are also very corroded and jagged at the edges. There is nothing near the visible sections so I don't know if this is considered a problem and the panels need replacing or not.

Thanks,
James

[taupe]

Best to trial fit before varnishing etc...

However try putting the wooden side frames back to back to see if its the timber or body thats misaligned..

If the timbers are near identical (mirror Image) then the body needs attention.

Sometimes shaving just a small bit of timber is all that is preventing a proper fit...

T

[simmitc]

Easier to paint the panels before fitting - no masking. You must fit the side panels before the timber is fitted to the car or you cannot reach the bottom row of screws to secure the panel in place. In the factory, the entire rear section, including panels and roof, was assmbled and then bolted to the "chassis".

[James k]

Hi,
Thanks for the replies. I had another go at trial fitting the side today, again without much luck. I placed the sides back to back and they are indeed mirror images of each other. Looking at the old wheel arch, it seems as if the wood had been trimmed so that the inside edge was at an angle such that the wood was narrower at the bottom. The new side is not like this. The lip on the wing is narrower on the nearside than the offside and the upright section is further out so that the wood pivots about it. I imagine that the best approach will be to shave the inside of the wheel arch slightly to match the wing.

Thanks,
James

[simmitc]

Do you know if the car has been previously restored? It sounds as if the metal flange in the arch has been fitted incorrectly; it should not be necessary to trim the wood (assuming one of two well known good quality suppliers for the frame).

[James k]

I don't know the full history of the car but I suspect it has been restored at some point. All wings have been replaced with fibreglass and the car was presumably all resprayed at the same time. The waist rails I removed had no drain holes before I drilled them a couple of years ago. I'm led to believe that travellers were all produced with drain holes originally so I presume that means the wood has been replaced. The panels, and glass in the rear doors, had also been put it with silicone sealant, so again, the woodwork must have been removed at some point, if not entirely replaced.

The frame was indeed produced by Woodies so I don't doubt its quality.

Thanks

[don58van]

Hi James

I suppose you are in a situation where you must do what works for you.

But just so you know, Steve Foreman's (Woodies) advice for Traveller restorations is to make the metalwork fit the wood -- not the other way around. I think this advice is based on the idea that the new wood is made to very accurate dimensions whereas the metalwork is often bodged.

Don