DECEMBER!!!!

This is what a little polishing can do to old cracked head lights.
This is a headlight before polishing.
Jamie working with the buffer while Steve supervises.
Annie working on the interior while Steve supervises.

The work groups seem to be getting smaller, but their productivity seems to be getting bigger; we can see the light at the end of the garage.

Jamie did miraculous things with the headlamps - they look new!  Kaitlin and Amanda continued to seal up the back mirror mosaic complete with icicles hanging around them (see Steve's portfolio).  Annie and Rebecca were getting the interior finished, and Ben and Randy made a stealth delivery of the bumpers yesterday which are now in place ready for final attachment.  Pasqualle and Lisa worked in the cockpit installing some framed images from Steve's portfolio, a touching record of our journey.  It's all looking really good.

I saw that the forecast for tomorrow calls for 51 and possibly rain, sounds like a perfect day to do some clear coating and I may try to get that started on the exterior.  I have a satin clearcoat for the interior and some brushes for you interior folks.  Jamie is going to get a long drill bit and bolts to attach the roof goodies and Debra has passed on to me the solar cell/light for the eyeball.  It would be great to get that roof stuff done so that we can do the finishing touches on it ASAP.  A Saturday session for knocking our some of the final big stuff would be good, that carpet, for example, has to get cut and installed.

The Unveiling is officially set for Thursday, December 11, at 12:00 (noon).  I have gotten permission to bring the van over to campus on Wednesday night, park it in place, cover it with something (ideas?), and then unveil it the next day. You all can make those plans, but I know that the department is trying to put together some hot cocoa and cider to serve to our guests. Can't wait for that opening!

CHOICES.....

Debra came by today and wondered if there was a way to connect the top of the car to the bottom, she wondered if the tires could connect to the top if there was a red-/gold-striping, or gold color? We decided to try it so we painted one of the hubcaps and kind-of reattached it.  You all decide...the gold hubcap or the B/W spiral?  

Saturday Session

A trial run of the eyeball and legs.
Laurel grinding a glass bead for the rearview mirror.
Kaitlin working on the back door, Laurel on the mirror, Pasqualle on the interior.
The new checker board on the passenger side.
Kaitlin adding a 'poly' bead in between the mirror parts.

Adam came in at 9:00 and almost finished the checkerboard on the passenger side; Nate finished it up later in the morning.  Kaitlin, Pasqualle, and Laurel were part of the session, as they usually are, and could have used more help with some of the tasks, but they seemed to have accomplished a lot.  The weather was friendly to us today and we were able to pull out into the parking lot for some sun and much appreciated light.  It was good to not be in the dark after working in a dimmed environment for the last few weeks.  We're all seeing the end of this phase for the IUSARTCAR, looking ahead to the on-campus unveiling on the 11th, but there's a lot of details to address.  The interior trim needs to be resolved and there's a pint of black 'interior' paint for that purpose; the carpet needs to be cut and installed; another coat of 'poly' on the back door would be good; installing the eyeball and the legs/arms; getting the taillights re-installed;  most of the interior and exterior needs to be clear coated .....etc....etc.... details....details....details.

Gobble, gobble.

Kristy adding some details to the interior in spite of her runny and stuffy nose.
The van all aglow in halogen illumination.
Julie, Sarrah, and Kristy detailing the Jules Vernes Acid Trip interior.
Steven, our photographer, caugth in a moment without his camera.

Tuesday, the day after classes ended for Thanksgiving break, and I was impressed with the crew that showed up today.  Pasqualle worked hard on the cockpit trying to get our prized cabinet embedded into the lower dash, but our final analysis after hack-sawing it down to a tiny wedge was, no, it's not going to work.  Now we'll see if we can mount one of the doors, the next best alternative.

Julie, Kristy, Sarah, Rebeccca continued working on the back interior, and Steve taped out the first phase of the passenger side for the checkerboard, it's now been sprayed blue. Laurel did cleanup on the back window, grouting the areas that were groutless, and continuing with the rear view mirrors.  Samantha also continued with the cockpit doing some interesting touches to the GPS and antiquing the space.  Debra even stopped by to check out the progress.

It was cold and it was dark - - we couldn't open the door because of the wind-shill factor - - but we forged ahead. We may have an unveiling date of December 11 on the circular lawn in front of the library, but we need to decide if noon or later in the day would be a good time. We have support from the Library and Physical Facilities, now we need to get that event planned. We are, of course, a work-in-progress, but the ideal is to have the van in a 'finished' appearance by the 11th.  That means everyone pulling together and getting the big jobs done and the details finished.  I'll put together a punch-list this weekend.  There's a group planning on a Saturday session, and Sunday is not out of the question.

Have  great Thanksgiving. 

Saturday - Return of the Chill

Laurel preparing the back window for some new pieces of glass.
Kate happy to be working on her tree.
Debra and her Heine Brother's coffee starting on the interior back door.
Pasqualle attaching typewriter keys to the ceiling.
Kaitlin addressing some detail.
Rob working on a print glad he's not in a cold garage.

There was a small group today, but the usuals.  Adam was there when I arrived, he was working on the checkerboard, but he must have been about ready to go and so he did.  I continued to work about 30 minutes when Kaitlin came in looking for something to do as it was too cold to seal the back door, so she started to deal with some of the trim detailing. Debra came by and ended up doing the interior back door by extending some of the side panel work and getting it jeweled.  Kate worked on her beautiful tree section. Pasqualle worked in the cockpit with her new toys, the typewriter keys. Laurel finished up the back window and will grout and seal the new stuff this week.  I sort of roamed around the car shivering, scraping tape off surfaces, working on the checkerboard, detailing, and shivering.

It's imperative that we get the interior finished so that the carpet can get laid....hmmmm.  I've got the mannequins at my house, along with the airship and the tail lights to get them finished before remounting. What's happening with those bumpers???????? When can we remount them?  It's time to rejoin the group!  Mannequin folks need to find another duty since it wasn't happening.  Maybe you can add on to the carpet group?

Thanks to everyone who came in today, it was productive.

GOOD FOLK FEST/SATURDAY WORK PARTY

The Good Folk Fest  (click) is this weekend at Mellwood, so there may be some pretty interesting and entertaining stuff to occupy our breaks from the iusartcar work party. There's lots of art, lots of music, art cars, interesting folks, good food.  Please plan on stopping in to the festivities while you're here.  It costs 5 bucks for the day and will continue on Sunday as well.

Thursday's Session

I didn't have my camera today, so no immediate images to post, but Steve got a bunch of shots that he'll soon have in his portfolio, so stay tuned.  Our progress was slower today since we had fewer workers on hand (hmmm), but I understand there will be another group work party on Saturday.

The back door is pulling together nicely and Amanda and Kaitlin gave that area more attention today, we may be ready to do some sealing on Saturday.  Lisa did some buffing on the stained glass to remove the grout film. Kristy made a big dent with the interior, and Amanda started doing some trim work with the flat black (the flat is for the interior and the gloss is for the exterior). Amanda also brought in a big bag of keys, so we'll definitely be able to find a place for them somewhere to further unlock imaginations.  Sarrah did more sanding on the mannequins to get them into a re-attachable place again after our Liquid Nails fiasco. Jamie stopped by with the luggage rack, maybe we'll be able to have a place for all those legs and arms once we get the rack attached, maybe painted, Jamie said he could do that.

That Blue tape was/is a real headache.  We pulled some off of areas that were not going to get any more spray paint, and it wouldn't come off.  It had become a semi-permanent part of the car.  I had to run to Home Depot to get some razor blades to scrape it off the glass.  I went ahead and took a bunch more off of areas that had been taped from some time.  If we have to re- tape areas that will be OK, at least we'll be able to get the fresher stuff off without it fighting back.  The black parts of the side windows, after they were uncovered,  are very...ummm...'van-like'. Something needs to happen in those areas.  What can we use on glass?  Are there 'special' markers that Rebecca could attack them with?  Also, I realized how important the eyeball and the mannequins are going to be in order to change the too-recognizable shape of the vehicle.  It needs some protrusions! The group decided that the areas between the roof and the back side panels would be a good piece of real estate to 'sign' the project.  The tail-lights will be a gold IU decaled symbol. Where are the bumpers?

There has been some back and forth discussion of the unveiling with several of you.  I am going to try to secure the round grassy area in front of the Library for that purpose, but I'm wondering if we should do it during finals week instead of December 4, given all that still has to be done to have a "finished" appearance.  Please discuss it and let me know your thoughts.  It was also discussed that NATE STORMER, because he has such a great name, should have some kind or role in that ceremony just so we can say: "NATE STORMER (snicker)!"  I'm open to any suggestions. Did I hear fog machine? Parade from Mellwood? A pre-unveiling at Mellwood?

Debra got a painting into the "NUDE" exhibition in Lexington and will need the van to make delivery of her work. I'm not sure of the dates yet, but will let you know.

So Saturday, what time?