Hi Graham

We bought the rack off here a while ago, but as it was near Dover delayed collecting as we knew we would be passing through. Rack is well made and strong….perhaps slats a little too thin but they can be replaced if necessary. I don;t yet know if it will fit with Dormy top…. it's tight. I'll cut a section out and reweld and powder if needs be. Will make a matching rear so that kayaks will fit.

Steve

Sounds so like me!
Now we are going to.... I just want to make a slight detour...
LOL.
I end up picking up things for sons and getting them to do the same.. for me.

Will look really good with rack on front and rack on back with kayaks over the pop top..
G

Evening all

It's been a while, I know , and there's good news and some not so

I managed to get going again at the week end. Anyone who suffers from acute boredom or not wanting to hear of my woes should "tune out" now and go to a more interesting thread However this is all part of "Rusty's journey" so is relevant (at least to me )

I had a sore right eye on Sat afternoon and thought nothing of it, other than perhaps I had got something in it again or scratched it. I was working all Sunday but have little to show for it, in fact I can't remember what I did, but I do remember splashing some thinners in my eye at 4pm ish. At about 5pm ish, weird things started in my right eye and lots of 3D cobwebs and "oily" shapes appeared all in 3D. On waking Monday, my vision was a blur and so I went to the opticians Monday pm, who couldn't find much wrong but booked me an appointment on Friday for some Tropicamide drops and a deeper investigation I was, however not totally reassured as she appeared not to be much older than twelve and, although she may have had perfectly good results from Uni and the Royal College of Opthalmologists, you can't buy experience.

Tuesday morning went by in a blur, literally, like looking through a smoky fire and on Tuesday night the Sheila ran me up to A & E After a three hour wait, the eye doctor couldn't find anything wrong and sent me home, promising to fax everything through to the relevant department who would contact me in due course………………

Eye consulted Dr. Google ( there's a pun there ) and spent several hours ringing the hospital on Wednesday morning, eventually getting someone interested who agreed to see me in his lunch break if I could get there by 12.30 (it was now 11.50 and it was a half hour away and was pi$$ing down)

Long story short, Eye was seen and within an hour had my torn retina spot welded to the back of my eye with a laser (their words not mine). Things appear to have now stabilised but Eye struggled a bit today as Gary came back to do some more filler work

(Appently the thinners was probably coincidental and it would have happened anyway, mostly caused by……….aging Not good, but I don't fancy the alternative )

Gary took one look at this and, unfortunately, it didn't pass muster



and proceeded to slaver it over with some Upol "Topstop Gold" which is now my new filler of choice. I've learnt some more and and it's been nearly accepted. It's difficult with one eye not working but I know of another guy, similarly challenged, who hasn't made a bad job of his bus so I've no excuses



Meanwhile Gary got on with the front panel. He's beaten it into submission with his flipper, ably assisted by me when his arms weren't long enough, and although we need to do a little more welding in a couple of places, it's coming on. I'll let the pictures do the talking, but if I ever did another similar bus it would have a new WW front panel and a long side That's experience again…….which you can't buy….

I'd left it like this, having used up odd bits of filler here and there….



and then it started to improve, bit by bit





sorry, this next photo's out of focus, but is just about exactly what I'm seeing out of my right eye



I couldn't resist at the end of a long day…..



The high note for yesterday is that Paul from Bears Motorsport rang me The gearbox is finished and on it's way to me I also today got a email from Paul at Harry Harpics and although he's a bit behind, due to powder coating delays and an imminent holiday, the engine's just about ready

I just wish I was……...

Cheers,

Steve

The "doctors" in my family say the retina may well have been in tension to start with so although your vision was affected..and you had thinners in your eye was highly probably the cause...it may have caused the contraction and can cause change in eye shape which pulled it forwards.
It then has become torn/ detached...
The optician would not see this with the initial examination and it gradually continues to deteriorate. .
Glad you were persistent. .
It the days before they used the laser treatment..you would have been prescribed to lie in a darkened room for 4 to 6 months...
Glad to hear you have been treated...
Get well soon..

Thanks Graham, not completely detached, just torn, hence why the laser treatment was possible. As you say, could have been happening anyway and the thinners, or possibly me rubbing my eye, tipped the balance. If it all holds together, great, if not then surgery. Fingers crossed.
How are your buses? Need to see what you've been up to Not much being posted on this forum these days
Steve

Sorry to hear about your eye mate. Sounds pretty bad to be honest, glad you persisted and got it sorted though. Hope it stays put and you recover fully.

Bus is looking great by the way. Must be nice to have a guy like Gary backing you up as then at least you know it will be straight when you lay the paint on.

Sounds like your engine and box are soon going to be reunited too! Exciting times all round for you. Dont suppose you will be at Busfest will you next weekend?

Take care pal! Keep up the good work and keep motivated, its looking awesome!

Thanks Paul, but not at Busfest.
A bit busy for the next couple of weeks, without all the eye shenanigans. A little trip to the IOW on Tuesday, and a bit of golf next Thursday and Friday with work, (hopefully).

Cheers

Steve

Bus is looking great Steve.
Hope those holes for the Dormobile roof turned out ok
Good luck with the eye, sounds like you could do with a little restoration yourself
Steve

Sjtw wrote:Bus is looking great Steve.
Hope those holes for the Dormobile roof turned out ok
Good luck with the eye, sounds like you could do with a little restoration yourself
Steve

Thanks Steve. Yes I'm falling apart whilst the bus is slowly going back together

The holes are all drilled and your photos were very helpful. My bellows will be mounted exactly as yours are, so if yours works, so will mine (hopefully )

Well been busy very busy very busy..
Youngest was supposed to going to NZ to work for a year.. she could not get leave from her medical training post...So they decided not to go and he proposed...
Sold my son' s house he moved out. He bought his house..moved him in..
They got married...in May
We went to Verona for two weeks honeymoon after 40 + years. Then went to Nice to see him compete in Ironman France 1075/2800 on his first attempt..
Now at Edinburgh Fringe doing G parent duty by day...fringe by night..
Still working thank goodness doing another maternity cover...Now three ladies who sit next to me are pregnant. .. All I did was smile all year as they got pregnant one by one. Contract extended another 9 months...
Quite quiet really. ..Not done anything really. .
Funds allowing will get Dave moving again. .
Quietly still collecting bits for my Devonette..
Rear hatch drawer repairs underway..
Interior panels being restored..
Collecting parts off my 300 line spreadsheet. .
So OK.
Matt is laid up at the moment but hopefully on the mend..
G

I ought to get organised with a spreadsheet. I've got parts everywhere and I know I've got double of some things

Evening all

Not a lot done today. I spent a few hours in front of a pc reconciling bank statements but it was hard going with the eye so I cleared off at 3pm and had a walk round the golf course for the last few holes with my mates, who ordinarily I would have been playing with,but not today, just to be safe.

Forgot to post this up yesterday, but the rear door is taking shape



There was a delivery for me when I got to work this morning. Cracking service from AHS but I can't help thinking there's a bit of "scene tax" added into some of these items



On returning home the Sheila was pleased to tell me there had been another delivery and this time the delivery driver had been very helpful and carried it into the cave for her Can yer guess what it is yet? Oooops can't say that anymore…..



Yep, I thought so Not fully unwrapped but you get the picture



That's all for today.

Cheers,

Steve

Goodies!! Exciting times when a delivery arrives isnt it! That rear hatch is looking really rather flat too mate, shoulders aching yet?!?

Nice one Rolf!

wejjy wrote: That rear hatch is looking really rather flat too mate, shoulders aching yet?!?

That was just after I'd spent a good couple of hours on it. He found some low spots and made me ladle a bit more on, and you can see. Apparently the "Topstop Gold" is more condusive to having different layers and you can spirit wipe it and it doesn't soak in, unlike the Fantastic. It's much harder to rub down though but you can feel the difference when it's done.

I've got to flat all this out again and then there's a final full coat going on I'll have shoulders like Rambo soon

Hi Steve

Bus is looking fab .... Hard going ant it all that filler work ..... but O so worth it in the end

Sorry to read about your I and its sound like it's now getting better ...slowly

I bet the sunlights a nasty annoying this at the moment ... bright light and all that

anyway keep pushing mate it's getting there and it will very quickly change from nearly ready for paint too READY FOR PAINT you watch and see

I us my eye problem to my advantage can do the following as its risky with only one working eye

Cant do list

go food shopping
do the washing
unload the dish washer
make tea
smile at claire's mum ( only joking on that one Sue is lovely )
hoover
dust
iron
fold clothes

But what I've excelled at are the following

BBQ's
curry making
intake of beer
intake of beer
intake of beer
keeping Gerry clean
acting a fool

lol ...... keep going steve your doing a grand job mate and its looking mighty fine


Over and Out

Mark