- Thread starter
- #141
There is only one spot of rust worse than this one - the rear sill, but I didn't get pix of that yet. This is along the line of spot welds on the left rear wheel well.
Blue Mule resto in Malawi
- Thread starter M5driver
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This should be in "Expedition". Put those wings on ur 40
Who took the pic's? A Most Excellent Adventure !!
Who took the pic's? A Most Excellent Adventure !!
- Thread starter
- #143
This should be in "Expedition". Put those wings on ur 40
Who took the pic's? A Most Excellent Adventure !!
Thanks, Moe. The pix are from a wing mounted camera. The pilot shoots them at certain points/intervals throughout the flight. Couldn't take my own camera
...something about loose objects flailing in the wind.My Maule is sorta like a 40 with wings - observer glass all around, and I can fly with or without doors. Low and slow in the Maule is not bad - 10-20 degrees of flaps, throttle back to about 45 mph and watch the cylinder head temps. I miss that!
Dan
Thanks for sharing the pics, have yet to see the falls with that much water.
- Thread starter
- #145
It is astonishing. Walking the Zimbabwe side in the mist is like walking through a downpour. Got a lot of good pix (more later) and was completely soaked by the time we finished. Great trip!
- Thread starter
- #146
Forward motion
The blasting is coming along... Frame, tub and axles done, starting some of the other panels. Still have to break the spring packs apart... but it feels like real progress
A few flecks of blue still showing in a few spots on the tub, but those will be taken off.
The blasting is coming along... Frame, tub and axles done, starting some of the other panels. Still have to break the spring packs apart... but it feels like real progress
A few flecks of blue still showing in a few spots on the tub, but those will be taken off.
- Thread starter
- #147
More...
- Thread starter
- #148
Rot. Well, after 30 years around the world, you can't expect pristine, right? 
These are the bad spots - the first one is the bottom of the left quarter under the tire carrier. We'll cut out the skin and see if the rot is on the piece underneath. Maybe we'll get lucky, maybe not. If needed, we'll cut and patch the curved end of the sill piece. The other pic is the usual rust out spot on the right section of the sill. Cut and patch and should be good. I really wanted to replace the entire sill, but couldn't ship a replacement through the diplomatic pouch mail (too big); air freight was about 2.5 times the cost of the replacement sill from CCOT. So, we'll repair rather than replace.
These are the bad spots - the first one is the bottom of the left quarter under the tire carrier. We'll cut out the skin and see if the rot is on the piece underneath. Maybe we'll get lucky, maybe not. If needed, we'll cut and patch the curved end of the sill piece. The other pic is the usual rust out spot on the right section of the sill. Cut and patch and should be good. I really wanted to replace the entire sill, but couldn't ship a replacement through the diplomatic pouch mail (too big); air freight was about 2.5 times the cost of the replacement sill from CCOT.
So, we'll repair rather than replace.
- Thread starter
- #149
Moving on...
- Thread starter
- #150
Last ones for today. When I left, the tub was at the welder's station getting ready for the cut 'n' paste. The blaster was working on one of the side panels, and we made plans to do a final clean up on the frame tomorrow morning and try shooting Rust Bullet again. Wish us luck 
Excellent project. Thanks for keeping us in the loop.
That is going to look amazing! Looks like you had real good luck with the rust over the years. Mine has about the same cancer. Post pics of the skin patches. I'm interested to see their welding skills. If it's like the rest of the resto it should be pretty impressive.
Are you in this picture?
I am really curious about where you are so I looked up the US Embassy website for Malawi and found that you are in Lilongwe, is that right? The address was area 40 City center. Google maps could only show city center so I printed a satellite image of the area and I guess you may be in the pic. Also I found it interesting that the city has an 18 hole golf course!
I am really curious about where you are so I looked up the US Embassy website for Malawi and found that you are in Lilongwe, is that right? The address was area 40 City center. Google maps could only show city center so I printed a satellite image of the area and I guess you may be in the pic. Also I found it interesting that the city has an 18 hole golf course!
- Thread starter
- #155
This is great
You got very close. I enlarged the map slightly to show a little more detail. I current office at NICO House; when the annex renovation is complete at the Embassy, we will move back to the Embassy compound. USAID Malawi is the other tenant at NICO.The second map shows my current house, but without much context. Note the dirt roads...
- Thread starter
- #156
The blasting is moving along quite quickly now. These panels are lookin' GOOD
We got pre-empted today - when the President's Mercedes comes in full of dents (again!), he moves right to the head of the line. No problem - we still hve work to do before we start shooting RB. Most all of the panels, plus the chassis, axles, etc. should be ready to prime on Monday, so I'll take a day off from work to go down and enjoy the process.
The welder started closing up some of the ummm "non-OEM" holes
I have drilled in the tub over the years.
We got pre-empted today - when the President's Mercedes comes in full of dents (again!), he moves right to the head of the line. No problem - we still hve work to do before we start shooting RB. Most all of the panels, plus the chassis, axles, etc. should be ready to prime on Monday, so I'll take a day off from work to go down and enjoy the process.
The welder started closing up some of the ummm "non-OEM" holes
I have drilled in the tub over the years.
- Thread starter
- #157
The tub will be the hardest part to do. That rust may be really bad, altho compared to some of the saved 40s I see here, my rust is hardly noticeable 
That bit on the lower left needs to come off so we can see the state of the sill piece behind it. I expect to see real rust there. This is why I wanted to get a replacement sill. I think we'll be able to repair and clean it up, tho.
The grinder is just to show the shop actually has one. After all, I'm working with the best panel beater in Lilongwe. And how do you plug in the grinder without a plug? You just twist the wires together and wrap it with tape
That bit on the lower left needs to come off so we can see the state of the sill piece behind it. I expect to see real rust there. This is why I wanted to get a replacement sill. I think we'll be able to repair and clean it up, tho.
The grinder is just to show the shop actually has one. After all, I'm working with the best panel beater in Lilongwe. And how do you plug in the grinder without a plug? You just twist the wires together and wrap it with tape
- Thread starter
- #158
Time to cut that patch out so we can see what's under there...
How do you cut that sheet metal without doing violence to the piece underneath? With a cold chisel, of course
Sure enough - RUST Nothing that looks beyond repair, tho. We'll cut the lower sections off the quarter panels and save them to weld back after the sill piece is cleaned up. We'll also take the skin off the middle of the sill and save as much of that as possible. The sill piece will be scraped, blasted, patched as needed, while saving as much as possible. Then we'll treat it with RB and the sill skin with RB before the skin is welded back in place. The inner sides of the quarter panel pieces we cut off will also be treated with RB before welding back in. After the patching is done and everything ground down, it will be checked for pinholes, closed up as needed, then the entire tub will be lightly blasted again before shooting RB.
How do you cut that sheet metal without doing violence to the piece underneath? With a cold chisel, of course
Sure enough - RUST
Nothing that looks beyond repair, tho. We'll cut the lower sections off the quarter panels and save them to weld back after the sill piece is cleaned up. We'll also take the skin off the middle of the sill and save as much of that as possible. The sill piece will be scraped, blasted, patched as needed, while saving as much as possible. Then we'll treat it with RB and the sill skin with RB before the skin is welded back in place. The inner sides of the quarter panel pieces we cut off will also be treated with RB before welding back in. After the patching is done and everything ground down, it will be checked for pinholes, closed up as needed, then the entire tub will be lightly blasted again before shooting RB.
Looks like you have a nice house. Is it really hot there?
- Thread starter
- #160
Courtesy of the US taxpayers (that includes me
) Small 3-BR on one acre, with one car garage, small carport, and staff/servant quarters, garden shack, guard shack, and generator shack (our genset powers two houses). Very nice. Our 2 dobermans love the large yard. My 
does too - she gardens.It's fall here now, so daytime temps are running around 75-78F, nights 65F, clear blue skies (this is also the dry season). By June/July daytime temps will be 70-75F, nights 60-65F and our guards will be wearing parkas and ski masks
. This is a great time of year to run the 40 w/o top or doors. Summer (rainy season) gets up to 85F or a little higher, nights 80F and humid. Overall, very benign. I like it!