Build Previously known as the 'One Week Resto' now Pathetically keeping it alive... 500k

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JohnnyC said:
I was 5 years old in 74' ... my truck was brand new... it would have looked like this... If i placed plaster all over a brand new land cruiser and was playing in paster and then left a hand print LOL

I guarantee my Mother would not say "not my little johnny" ... I met my dad's belt a few times... just not for doing that at least :meh:

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My mom gave me my hand print I made when I was five years old years ago. I won't tell year the year marked on the back. It's gold and looks like it was spray painted but not sure spray paint was invented yet.:rolleyes:

We also need to talk Singer sewing machines. Have my mom's old Singer stored away and about to donate it. If I get you a model number could tell me if it's worth keeping to do anything other then light fabrics?
 
the side windows and 1/4 windows I sewed "around window" style with the bias then cut out inside after...

the larger window I sewed "outside window" style with the bias and then you fold under and sew inside... had to definitely do this way to do the "johnny door" over and thru it... it is a cleaner look as well... but... i always liked the 'around' window style

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Living in the Past said:
My mom gave me my hand print I made when I was five years old years ago. I won't tell year the year marked on the back. It's gold and looks like it was spray painted but not sure spray paint was invented yet.:rolleyes:

We also need to talk Singer sewing machines. Have my mom's old Singer stored away and about to donate it. If I get you a model number could tell me if it's worth keeping to do anything other then light fabrics?
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the older singers are super with light to medium stuff... with slant needle... heavy stuff it runs into difficulty... unless its a straight stick machine (non-slant)

sure shoot me a number we'll find out year model ... every thing :)
 
a few more pictures of the last ones I have for now... straps are just laid out for position ... and back again to where Im at now

The johnny door i have a SS metal 2 mm wire to keep the upper area rigid for the door to open that I ran thru a double stitch area on its weather guard as well as on the door itself

I could not run the #10 Vislon zippers for this... the bend and arch that I wanted I had to go for a #10 coil zipper... coil zippers can get tight bends.... but.... as you can see it wants to pull the canvas and deform the flatness...

coil zippers are not known for longevity however I have the zipper tightly shielded as well as weather cover over the top... all other vislon zippers are tight shielded as well as weather covers on them as well

Soo far Johnnny is happy with the results :)


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You've got more guts than I do to take on that kind of project. Me and sewing just don't get along. Of course, I grew up with my mother doing a lot of sewing with her old machine back in the 50's. I wish I had it now as it was an old converted treadle machine, black with gold color lettering and trim, making your machine look like a brand new one.

Don
 
You've got my curiosity up now. I've got my grandmother's old treadle Singer stashed away out here. It's the complete machine, not reworked with an electric motor like my Mother had. I'll have to look it up online like Sarge said is possible.

Don
 
@antFJ
I had done other non toyota stuff... even done a large share of upholstery... but... not a cruiser top... mostly only canvas stuff as well... synthetic is kinda new to me

its a 10oz Sunbrella Fern color... thats light weight imho... but... most areas are going to be doubled up or close to double... the only spot thats not is the top area... double layer without a binding layer will slap fierce ... had lots of tests that just didnt work out well... I will keep researching the inner layer (elastomeric layer) for possible solutions to creating your own layer canvas like Haartz/german canvases ... the only place that has a suitable substance to use that I have found so far is a product called verbatec ... it is a butyl rubber spray

the problem is that the butyl layer is thin ... and most rubbers dont bind like the butyl... it would need to be a spray to get light even coating.

I tryed butyl 'in a can' but if you ever used it ..., its like trying to smooth out bubble gum

There has to be 10-14 different things i have tried... plasticoat... rubber coating (nonbutyl stuff) you name it i probably tryed it (or something like it)

I will be going a different rout for now instead of using the inner layer
 
have you tried elmers glue? you can smooth it out and buy it in large quantities

or this?
Amazon.com: Tear Mender TG-128 Bish's Original Tear Mender Instant Fabric and Leather Adhesive, 1 Gallon Container: Industrial & Scientific

i've used tear mender with cotton canvas and it works insanely well. strong enough to patch my eshan top without needing to sew the patch in. Once dry it is impossible to pull the patch off

3M adhesive spray? That's what i use to glue my rope core channel pieces. It works really well with the topgun fabric.
 
Elmers gets hard and separates very easy...

I had used bish (the fish lol) for several other things and was one of the first things I tried ... (Is it just me or do you kinda like the smell as well?)

Spray adhesive 3m and 2 others like it only worked marginally when a prebinding layer of plastidip was applied first ... This made the canvas quite heavy ... But... Separated during wind tests

Somethings were promising ... But... I wasn't getting the same results twice... Hit and miss ... I was finding i had to let certain steps tack for a bit and it would work ... But... The window of failure was much larger than the window of opportunity

And heat / wind most things fail rather quickly

The issue is the material ...the synthetics just don't grab like cotton canvas

I was really needing to find a one spray type of application ... The more processes the more errors that can arise

@antFJ
Thanks for the ideas however... Remember back in September in PMs ... I've been testing and trying things out since before then lol

Pic of our wind tunnel
Because we like pics :)

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Just a thought - what about that Flex Seal crap advertised on tv ? It seems to be a sort of elastomer in a can and appears to have a decent spray pattern - although getting the 2nd layer down while it's wet might be a chore on large panels . There are also rubberized undercoatings ..? Just tossing out some avenues of thought ...

Sarge
 
Also thank you @Weber Sarge

yes unfortunately i had used the two that you just said

the rubberized undercoating negatively effected the synthetic canvas ... the flex seal was alot like the plastidip and i think its probably even the same stuff it sprayed the same and acted the same... the makers of flex seal wouldn't tell me what exactly the type of rubber used but did say it was not butyl rubber
 
This is one of those things that will be a work in progress .... I am going to try and nail it down sometime over the summer when i can devote more time to it... for a buddies top.

for the time being I am going to make a insulating panel the velcros inside the cab... I am going to use a shipping/moving blanket ... or even sandwich thin poly fiber matting between the sunbrella for my own insulation panel... this will be a good way to keep the heat during the winter and keep it out during summer

pic of the type of blanket... you can get them in various colors.... most are mold and moisture resistant

this one is a dark OD / Ranger Green color for example:
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I had the opportunity to spend 22 minutes on my truck today... (Wife was out with the kids when I came home)

Pulled cap and rotor... Replaced with my spare set that I had cleaned at work when I was eating lunch (dirty hands and cold pizza don't mix so well :meh:)

Preventative maintenance

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JohhnyC I need to clean out my cap too..............what did you use if I may ask? The top work is looking incredible BTW
 
i just use scrap 200 grit... got about a billion pieces at work lol

then finished off with Stubs fine needle flat file... rotor got 200grit only
 
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