Parquet Ceiling!!!

[JeffsMagicBus]

   
     I even amaze myself at times...
  When I started the ceiling I just remembered the old saying: "A Thousand Mile Journey Starts With A Single Step" and I had my Easy Button nearby. I know I'll get some comments both ways on this one! The 2 Million dollar Prevost's don't have Parquet ceiling but they probably don't want one either but you saw it here FIRST!
Disclaimer: This was professionally done on a closed course and don't try this at home. Results not typical and yours may vary.
I figured you other bus guys would get a kick out of this one off work in progress. It was "Poor Boys Cabin Meets Old Bus" but now it's "The Cowboy Taj Mahal" AKA: "Whippoorwill Lodge".
  It'll look even better when it's trimmed out.
I have about 1,500 hours in it so far but I was never really keeping up with my labor anyway as I don't charge myself!

[TomC]

That's a great job!  I just hope it doesn't make the bus feel top heavy with all that flooring on the ceiling!  Good Luck, TomC

[Tenor]

That looks sweet!  How did you attach the squares?

Glenn

[zimtok]

WOW!!!

I haven't seen that much wood since the Schriners convention was booked at the same time/hotel as the Escorts convention....

But really, it looks great. can't wait to see it all trimmed out.

.

[Lin]

Are those pics posted upside down?  I actually really like creative use of standard products.  This is definitely that.

[JeffsMagicBus]

  Hello!
Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention!
I wasn't sure of the reactions I'd have but I'm glad to hear they are positive so far! Thanks for all the kind words as it really made it worth while! I like it and that's what's really important but I kind of thought it Rocked myself! 
Since I'm poor I had to do what I had to do which is make it up as I go along! I had purchased a few packages of the Parquet at Home Depot to possibly use as my flooring. After I thought about it for awhile I thought it wouldn't be very durable and would cause more problems than it would be worth. These tiles are only .97 cents each! I attached the center tiles in one piece using a strip of that 3M outdoor double sided sticky tape down the middle of the tile to hold it in place while the glue dried. The glue is the most awesome stuff I've ever seen! I used it to glue the carpet to the walls and it worked awesome! I used LocTite Grab It! It was the heavy duty exterior kind but when I bought them all out of that I used the regular stuff which is just as strong! There are about 275-300 tiles up there and I seperated all the other ones in half to help with the curve of the roof line. I didn't just glue this stuff up there either! When my coach was restored in the late 90's, they installed a new headliner over the original Greyhound headliner. So I had a good surface to start with. I then removed the trim and the strips that held the headliners in place. I only removed a few screws at a time and replaced  them with larger headed screws as I went along. I drilled new holes as necessary to make sure both sides were equally supported. It took four tiles and a half to get to the wall where I wanted it. The screws where installed on the last pieces so the glue would set up. I might leave them since they'll be under the trim.
It might interest some of you to know that the plywood I used for the walls was recycled from the luggage racks after weeks of taking them apart! I drilled out all the rivots and didn't just demo it like most normal people would have! I then had 15' plywood that was better than any you can buy today and it had a vinyl covering on both sides which is a great vapor barrier. I only had about 3 square feet of that wood left when I was finished! I cut the wood in 3.5" strips to attach it above the windows to curve it some. I broke every drill bit I ever owned and then every one I ever bought since then drilling the pilot holes for the subwall screws! Man that metal is tough! The wall is also glued on.
The T&G beaded knotty pine paneling was also purchased from Home Depot. They are less than $15.00 for 7 pieces but you're going to have some crooked and curved pieces in it so by a few extras if you are going to be using any. The passenger side wall was installed a year ago and has obviously darkened. I will be putting about 3 coats of Bee's Wax with Orange Oil on the walls first followed by Tongue Oil next. I'll probably just let the new wall age some before putting the finish on it.
The luggage racks were much more heavy than the combined weight of the tiles and their weight is more evenly distributed than the racks. Possibly being top heavy is a very good point that I had taken into consideration but with 47 people and all their take on luggage up there the coach would still do better than 75 mph with Ole Jimmy Screaming! I haven't even taken it out since removing the other luggage rack but it can only be better! It has a 36,500 lb GVWR and right now I'd say she's about 22,000-25,000 maybe a little less. I'll have about 10K to spare at any given moment.
I got over $300.00 when I scrapped the luggage racks and that's the money I used to buy the parquet! I ate my labor of course! I have a total of about $94.00 in the longer wall but I have about $1,000 of my time in it! I only have about $500.00 in the materials so far, not including the many tubes of Grab-It or the hundreds upon hundreds of hours I have in it. If you've never chisled the rivots off both walls where the a/c heating ducts were on a Greyhound then you haven't had real fun! I have photos of that nasty moldy wall and it isn't pretty! I had rubber gloves on and that didn't matter as the bleach was dripping from my elbows while hand washing all that crap off! I know, I know, I'm starting to sound like an old codger who had to walk 5 miles to school one way, bare footed, in the snow.
Nobody knows but you all the troubles I've seen...
I could go on and on but I'll put you out of your misery now and shut up if your not asleep or crying by now!
I had planned to keep these trade secrets to myself but I'll glady help out another bus nut and I just hope my idea might give someone else some inspiration.
Take Care,
                 Jeff

[DrivingMissLazy]

Jeff, was it uphill both ways to and from school like I had?  LOL

Richard

[H3Jim]

There is something very satisfying about reusing some of the bus stuff like that plywood in your finished conversion.  Bravo!

regarding drill bits, FWIW when I was drilling pilot holes in my ceiling cross beams to use to hold up some rough plywood, I started out breaking a drill bit on every other hole.  It was getting kind of expensive.  Then after doing some research and talking to a drill bit expert, I discovered that the two drills I was using were both fairly low RPM.  My cordless at about 1300, and a corded one also in the same range.  For a drill bit that small, the torque on break through was enough to shatter the bit a substantial part of the time.  So I just bought a new drill, this one at 3500 RPM, and then only used three more bits on the entire rest of the ceiling (I had used about 10 drills on the first 2 sheets).  Evidently the higher RPM is much better for the smaller diameter drill bits, the breakthrough does not shatter the bit.

[DrivingMissLazy]

There is something very satisfying about reusing some of the bus stuff like that plywood in your finished conversion.  Bravo!

regarding drill bits, FWIW when I was drilling pilot holes in my ceiling cross beams to use to hold up some rough plywood, I started out breaking a drill bit on every other hole.  It was getting kind of expensive.  Then after doing some research and talking to a drill bit expert, I discovered that the two drills I was using were both fairly low RPM.  My cordless at about 1300, and a corded one also in the same range.  For a drill bit that small, the torque on break through was enough to shatter the bit a substantial part of the time.  So I just bought a new drill, this one at 3500 RPM, and then only used three more bits on the entire rest of the ceiling (I had used about 10 drills on the first 2 sheets).  Evidently the higher RPM is much better for the smaller diameter drill bits, the breakthrough does not shatter the bit.

Jim, that is a great bit of information that I had never heard before. I sure would have liket to have known that when I was manufacturing equipment. I am surprised that it has never shown up on any of the board previously. At least to my knowledge.

Richard

[JeffsMagicBus]

  Richard,
I had noticed I left something out in that old saying and yes it was uphill both ways! And on top of that we had no shoes...


 Jim,
I'm glad to know that it was probably my 20 year old Craftsman drill! I did figure out that running it wide open was better and even the lady at Home Depot said it might be my drill! It's a big heavy metal one but it just doesn't turn enough R's I guess! I bought a couple of high dollar bits and broke one on the third hole but managed to drill almost 30 with the next one! I still have it!
Once I was down to my last bit and had drilled many holes with it. I sat it on the floor and a couple of minutes later I heard crunch as it broke after stepping on it like an idiot! I went to bed after that. I sometimes spent 18-24 hours straight on it and that can rag anybody out after awhile. I usually run out of materials and or money long before getting puned out! I tend to do that weekly. I'm actually planning the layout now and the bedroom is next!
                                                  Take Care!

[DrivingMissLazy]

  Richard,
I had noticed I left something out in that old saying and yes it was uphill both ways! And on top of that we had no shoes...


  Jim,
I'm glad to know that it was probably my 20 year old Craftsman drill! I did figure out that running it wide open was better and even the lady at Home Depot said it might be my drill! It's a big heavy metal one but it just doesn't turn enough R's I guess! I bought a couple of high dollar bits and broke one on the third hole but managed to drill almost 30 with the next one! I still have it!
Once I was down to my last bit and had drilled many holes with it. I sat it on the floor and a couple of minutes later I heard crunch as it broke after stepping on it like an idiot! I went to bed after that. I sometimes spent 18-24 hours straight on it and that can rag anybody out after awhile. I usually run out of materials and or money long before getting puned out! I tend to do that weekly. I'm actually planning the layout now and the bedroom is next!
                                                   Take Care!

Jeff, I had one pair of shoes a year. Was not allowed to wear them until there was frost on the ground in the fall and quit wearing them when the frost disappeared in the spring. Ever walked thru a hayfield that had just been cut, barefoot?

Richard

[Nusa]

Very nice. You turned the bus upside-down to make installation easier, right?

[Charles in SC]

It is my understanding that when drilling aluminum you want a high speed(rpm) and a low feed rate.
When drilling steel you want a lower speed (rpm) and higher feed rate.
Hope this makes since.

[Lin]

A long time back, I went to a school for prosthetics and orthotics.  Sometimes we had to drill through the shank in a shoe.  It was extremely hard.  To keep bit breakage to a minimum, we would install the bit as deep in the chuck as it would go leaving just the tip out to drill with.

[FloridaCliff]

Jeff,

Way to think "Outside the Box"

One of the great things about attending rallies is that you get to see so many different "Ideas" put to use.

I always am looking for a better idea, use of material, or just plain clever application.

And I am never disappointed.

The same goes for on this BBS, I have found many ideas that I have "tweaked" to fit my requirements or the look that we are trying to achieve.

Keep up the good work and innovation,  remember someone once said "convert a bus to what".......and you know the rest of the story........

Cliff