theresa
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from Northern Maine ~ Proud new owner of Lola, a 1960 Shasta Airflyte and Pearl, a 1962 Mobile Scout
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Post by theresa on Nov 14, 2020 11:58:34 GMT -8
Hi Folks! So I'm trying to wire/attach/install my tail lights on the rear of my Shasta. These are the Trail-Lite 99 backing plate with matching Bargman style lens covers. I put a single layer of butyl/putty tape on the entire surface of the back and put screws in and there's a HUGE gap where my light protrudes from the skin, the putty is showing, and the lens cover doesn't cover it when mounted. Is it the putty, is it because of the curved nature of the rear of the Shasta? Can anyone shed any light on this issue? Or experience the same issue and found a work-around? Photos below are looking down onto the light from the street side wall looking towards the center, and the same light looking from the center towards the street side.  2020-11-14_02-50-10 by t_in_maine, on Flickr  2020-11-14_02-51-00 by t_in_maine, on Flickr |
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kirkadie
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'69 Serro Scotty Hilander
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Post by kirkadie on Nov 14, 2020 14:36:33 GMT -8
Probably a stupid question, but did you do a dry run fitting before the putty tape. Looks to me like the recess in the wood framing under the skin isn't deep enough. On Scotty I router the recess to about 5/8" deep and made sure there was enough room for the metal base and also the lamp wiring.
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theresa
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from Northern Maine ~ Proud new owner of Lola, a 1960 Shasta Airflyte and Pearl, a 1962 Mobile Scout
Posts: 1,055
Likes: 347
Currently Offline
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Post by theresa on Nov 14, 2020 17:00:36 GMT -8
Probably a stupid question, but did you do a dry run fitting before the putty tape. Looks to me like the recess in the wood framing under the skin isn't deep enough. On Scotty I router the recess to about 5/8" deep and made sure there was enough room for the metal base and also the lamp wiring. I did dry fit them, but they're flush mount backing plates, as in they don't recess at all into the skin. They sit flush on top of it, and screw into backer boards. Of course without the putty, they fit flush as they were meant to. But with the putty, they stick way too far out. And without it, they'll likely leak. So.... yeah, that's where I'm at. |
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Nov 14, 2020 19:23:36 GMT -8
I would try less putty and heat it up a little (hair dryer) so it pulls tight (squish) when you screw it down.
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Post by Teachndad on Nov 15, 2020 7:32:09 GMT -8
Hi Teresa, Good question! You are up in the colder climates, right? I am wondering if the workshop is cold which might create the lack of pliability with the putty tape. NCCamper's suggestion of a hair dryer made me think of it. PT used an impact drill to press the putty tape on his Holiday House front window assembly. Impact Driver I am wondering if that might help. Just guessing. I have no idea, just putting that out there. Cheers, Rod |
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theresa
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from Northern Maine ~ Proud new owner of Lola, a 1960 Shasta Airflyte and Pearl, a 1962 Mobile Scout
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Post by theresa on Nov 15, 2020 7:39:30 GMT -8
Thanks all. I'm working in a heated, but not warm, shop. This end of the camper is where the heat is directing aiming at, around 60 degrees. And my putty had been in my house prior to use. But I'll back the screws out, scrape some of the putty off, put a little heat to it and try to drive the screws in a bit more after heating. In all my reading it's been embedded in my mind to putty putty putty and then putty some more, and then on my very first go-round with putty, it's a complete failure.
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Post by Teachndad on Nov 15, 2020 7:45:57 GMT -8
Thanks all. I'm working in a heated, but not warm, shop. This end of the camper is where the heat is directing aiming at, around 60 degrees. And my putty had been in my house prior to use. But I'll back the screws out, scrape some of the putty off, put a little heat to it and try to drive the screws in a bit more after heating. In all my reading it's been embedded in my mind to putty putty putty and then putty some more, and then on my very first go-round with putty, it's a complete failure. Teresa, I don't think this is a complete failure at all. It's an opportunity to learn(albeit a frustrating one). You came this far with many a hurdle. This is another one. You got this.  Rod |
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Nov 15, 2020 11:53:46 GMT -8
Sometimes on difficult pieces I’ll put on too much putty and then when it’s cool enough I’ll trim it with a plastic scraper (you can buy for $2 at Home Depot) to make a nice straight, smooth surface. Putty is Sort of trial and error.
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57 Trotwood
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Post by 57 Trotwood on Nov 17, 2020 8:31:20 GMT -8
So, They fit flush without putty and screws. You have added screws and putty to the equation. Now try to fit them flush with only the screws. If they fit flush then its the putty holding them out, temperature of putty or too much. If you can't get them flush with out putty then perhaps the screws are hitting knots in the wood or a piece of aluminum or something.
Did you pre drill the holes first? I have run into issues similiar to this where the screws just didn't bite and the wood was too hard, and of course you don't want to run them in hard risking cracking the lense.
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57 Trotwood
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Post by 57 Trotwood on Nov 17, 2020 8:33:12 GMT -8
Also you could have run out of thread if you are not using screws that have a full thread, when this happens the shank just spins
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