filler on the roof ---

Now you see it - now you dont Ha...and another good week developing my arm muscles !!!! filling all the de rusted roof and then rubbing it all down to a suposedly smooth and unblemished finish. Worked up quite a sweat in the sunshine but well worth it. And now to compare the results with how she looked before I started, gosh doesnt it look good.

Used loads of filler but still some left in the tin, jolly good eh! well she has now had a second layer of red oxide and I am thrilled with how the roof looks.....still some dinges and dimples here and there but they will save and I have filler at the ready but I think that will do nicely for the time being and the exterior will keep now until I have done the inside jobs that need to be done before the winter...well that is if I want to install the stove for Xmas.

I was going to draw up a plan of action, but as I have spent my life doing just that, with endless lists of 'to do' things, dealines and targets and all that crap....so I am just going with the flow...have thought about it all for years so I have a good idea of the order of refurb......so its back inside next week with an application of Waxoil to the base. This is the next stage before the balast can be put in place. Non came back with her but today I spotted a pile of broken paving slabs just removed from a garden opposite, so, as thats what was originally used I shall pop over tomorra and ask if I can have some of it......

At 35ft she is proving to be a very manageable size....a 5ltr tin of paint is enough for one complete coat with a bit to spare, looks like I will only need the 1 tin of the filler and I am hoping to get the balast for nothing...so I think thats a good start financially .... I have spent 15 quid so far on sandpaper .. rub a dub dub eh!

A whole lot of filling going on !

After a very sweaty couple of weeks sanding the interior woodwork I am happy with the results so far....dont want it to look new and the lightness is great, so its time to leave that for now and make the most of the sunny weather and get stuck into more of the outer restoration.....

I was recomended to use Dinitrol filler.... allegedly its used to repair Chieftan Tanks ha ha....so if its good enough for that then its just the job for Wildrose....

The roof is taking up most of it, and just under where the roof joins the sides.......found much rust here and once it was chipped, scraped and groung out, it left a surface that has more in common with Dancing Ledges (Dorset coast near Swanage where the sea has created a ledge of large dimples where fossils used to be), anyway,
a considerable amount of this very smelly but fast drying filler has been used this week with terrific results. A light sanding and a second layer of undercoat rollered on is giving a good enough covering to take her through the winter and give me time to do some other jobs that must be done before the winter.

One of the front side windows does let small amounts of water in when it rains, the front deck needs some welding and there is still the engine compartment waiting patiently for its next bout of attention....so ... watch this space..... and thank you for listening.