I've got all the seats out of RM471 and am stripping the layers of paint from the interior walls in preparation for repainting with maroon semi-gloss, or more likely, applying Rexine, similar to the original covering.

I'd be interested in any guidance on the following topics.

1. Paint stripping. It's taken me 2 hours to strip one panel (about 5% of the total area) with Nitromors. Is there a better way?

2. Rexine. I need quite a lot as I'm planning to do RM2213 afterwards. Where is the best place to get it in bulk?

3. Sticking it on. What is the best adhesive?

4. Front bulkheads. I'm pretty sure the ping-pong bat covering-like material that was used originally is no longer available. Does anyone know of something similar?

I'm hoping to learn enough from this to publish a detailed guide on the ROOF website. Detailed replies with product specifications, current suppliers, contact details, colours and approximate prices would be helpful.

Many thanks.

My bus number (if any): RM471 & RM 2213

1. Paint stripping. It's taken me 2 hours to strip one panel (about 5% of the total area) with Nitromors. Is there a better way?

It sounds like you are not letting the stripper do its job if you are taking so much time, brush it on liberally and leave it to bubble up, then scrape it off.

2. Rexine. I need quite a lot as I'm planning to do RM 2213 afterwards. Where is the best place to get it in bulk?

It may be now that vinyl is a better option, rexine was really a 50's product and as you say hard to get. We can get a close match of leathercloth for RTs from book binder suppliers but for seat backs we are using vinyl, but they do not appear to have a match for the RM maroon, however my trimmers have a catalogue of vinyls so I'll see if any of those is close.

3. Sticking it on. What is the best adhesive?

LT used white Bostik, but if vinyl, a standard lightweight adhesive will suffice.

4. Front bulkheads. I'm pretty sure the ping-pong bat covering-like material that was used originally is no longer available. Does anyone know of something similar?

AFAIK, its not possible to get, may be again there is a vinyl match, I will have a look and post a reply when I have any news.

My bus number (if any): RTL 960 RML 2667, an RMC and now RM 1585 as well

Hi,
I have included a link at the end of this text.
We used this in the winter to remove many coats of paint from the exterior of RM110. It was fantastic, no burning and it brought the paint of in big lumps.
However of course much elbow grease was needed to remove the most stubborn areas and the etched primer. This was at around 2-degree c, totally against the manufacturer instruction for optimum use.
Price was comparable if not cheaper than nitrosolve, performance much much better.
I am sorry I do not have the English sales contact number any more. Very nice gentleman who gave us free samples to try, I am sure that an email inquiry to the link below will be of use to you.
http://www.m-tc.com/efs2500_home.htm

My bus number (if any): RM110

Hi Mike - this product, which sounds excellent, seems to go under various names - what does it say on the can you have please?

My bus number (if any): RML2302

Hi Brian,
I am sorry that we used all the paint remover up, and the can has been disposed of. From the literature I saw the active agent oxidises between paint boundaries causing the paint to lift.
The gent I brought it from was some where down in North Dorset, not far of the A303. I do remember stipulating that it was for paint removal on aluminium.
http://www.paint-stripper.co.uk/
This may be the same product, but ours was in a much plainer container.
I would suggest contacting the company in the first link, they should give you the gents phone number.
Regards Mick
Ps I tested this remover on the window rubbers and it was fine, I then applied the first coat with a decorating roller on an extendable pole. Waited 1hr and washed it of with a jet wash and reapplied another coat when the bodywork had dried.

My bus number (if any): RM110

Hi again,
I would like to make this clear that it was not my idea to strip the bus back to the base metal and I would not recomend it to any body. I would have prefered to rub down, fill and repaint.
Since striped and repainted we have encountered many water leaks and I am sure, much more noise from vibrating pannels. Also we have lost much of the depth of colour.
Regards
Mick

My bus number (if any): RM110

Rexine can be found from a company in the north or scotland, They mainly deal with bookbinding but two samples of rexine were so close that only a magnifying glass could reveal the difference between the original stuff.
If I find the details I'll repost but it was all on the Old Routemaster forum.

Paint stripping:
I used aviation grade stripper sourced from British Airways some years back. For alloy only it also is kind to rubber but evil on plastic. Was about 75% stronger than nitromors and has to be used in the open

bare metal repaints:
This does reveal all and almost every panel will need to be removed and resealed as the strippers attack the sealant compounds.
Prep then needs to start with a self etch zinc primer on both sides of all metal faces. A good penetration resistant primer like the original chiswick pink.
Remember red no longer has lead or cadmium in the pigments as so fades horribly fast compared with the original finishes of 50 years ago.

My bus number (if any): none at present

Jack

Rexine for RT window shrouds and seat backs can certainly be obtained from J Hewitt and son of Edinburgh ,its called 'Arbelave Library Buckram' and is a very good rexine substitute in 563 (Green) and 579 (Cream) but they don't appear to do anything close in this range to the RM one.

There is another bookbinders called F.J. Ratchford, of Stockport who do leathercloth but they don’t have their colour range on their website.

Was it either of those two companies that you were thinking of?

My bus number (if any): RTL 960 RML 2667, an RMC and now RM 1585 as well

Yes It was Hewitts.Thanks for replenishing the grey matter.!

They sent samples and one is slightly more red and one is very dark. Matched exactly an original piece of an RMC and an off cut on an early RM. The grain differed very slightly.
They did two grains for each colour I seem to remember. The quality was excellent.

It is no longer original rexine but a vinyl copy but the thin grade is so close to the feel and texture of rexine that only a serious pedant will notice.

When applied though, it really does give the RM a classy patina.

My bus number (if any): none at present

We have done a fair bit of research into this lately as RT8 is getting to the stage where some parts are going to need to be rexined fairly soon.

One of the glues used by LT in the mists of time was Bostik 1261 however this has since been discontinued as I believe it didn't meet modern standards of safety. Its replacement is Evo-Stik 5080 which is said to have the same qualities, but we will have to wait and see before I can confirm or deny this. The secret with these glues is that you need them to not instantly bond to allow you to press the rexine out on the difficult corners.

Ratchards do a burgundy rexine, again its not perfect as it has a slight textured pattern to it but it is probably as close as you can get, but to be fair I haven't seen the other example mentioned.

Cheers
Steve

I once spent a few hours in the rexine covering shop at Park Royal.
Several internal panels were primed (as was almost all PRV parts) in Chiswick Pink but also covered in Rexine before going to the assembly line.

I can't remember the glue I'm afraid but can remember some ot the tools and techniques used.
One tool was a 'pricker' a roller with some fine needles in. This was used on curved surfaces where air blisters occurred and also a firmer version of a wallpaper hangers brush.

Glues are a problem as many are now banned. You need one that allows some positioning glide but once dry, holds and does not allow fabric to slide.
It also has to flex a little to prevent ripping when the bus flexes and in seasonal temp changes and, of course, one that is not affected by damp.

Consulting the glue manufacturers is one way but I have found that 3M auto adhesive pro grade seems to work very well. Also used by Mercedes in their cars.

My bus number (if any): none at present

Jack Norrie believes that the RM moquette that he had came from Hewitts of Edinburgh, but they do not have that colour in their aberlave range, but they do send samples as they have to me for the green seat back for the RT but Steve Newman suggests Ratchfords of Stockport is where they got their moquette from, which I think is really who Jack Norrie is talking about,

Jack Did you mean Ratchfords? As I said earlier Hewitt's don't appear to have an RM rexine in their range.

Just as a matter of interest, by 1975 most panels on the RM that had been rexine covered on the rear of the bus had lost it, this was at first predominantly around the loewer rear frame and included the lining panels, the mouldings and shrouds around the rear window and the inner stringer of the staircase which was originally rexine covered as was the staircase finishing (under which the conductor stood). In these places gloss paint was used to paint the now bare panels.

My bus number (if any): RTL 960 RML 2667, an RMC and now RM 1585 as well

Chris

I appears from other enquiries I have made that the Busworks has a supplier of rexine suitable for the RM, it may come from Ratchford's in Stockport but as you are a valued customer of the Busworks, perhaps you could ask them (and let us know if it is Ratchfords)

My bus number (if any): RTL 960 RML 2667, an RMC and now RM 1585 as well

It may well be Ratchfords, I did have samples from both for both the seat backs and the burgundy but it was a year or so back and with various antics at work have misplaced my RM file with all the parts sources in. Misplaced rather than lost I hope!
As soon as it surfaces I will put everything online.

My bus number (if any): none at present

Ratchfords supplied us with rexine as near as dammit to the original. If anyone wants a sample please e.mail me. We affixed our Rexine to the vehicle including bulkhead with carpet adhesive (large aerosol) which was inexpensive. We sprayed only the panel and not the cloth; ran our fingers over it to ensure it was tacky and not wet (if wet it will soak through the cloth) and then used a wallpapering brush to apply it it to the panel, (Do not stretch the cloth; it will crease.) firstly end to end at the top and then brushing downwards from the middle. On the long runs three men will be required. regards Ian.

My bus number (if any): Rm446 Rm765

Hi...Paint stripping......Took advice and removed all flat panels and fitted new, cut to size by supplier. Total cost less than £300 complete set for standard RM.Far easier than stripping and a better result. Panels with curves leave on and strip with Nitromoors. Read insructions! Place a coat of nitromoors on paint and wait,.....next another coat and start to dab fiercly with a hard paintbrush. Dont let Nitromoors dry. More coats and dab dab dab as hard as poss! Use GOGGLES and protective clothing.......Have a bucket of clean water nearby to wash skin if neccessary. Kindest regards Ian.

My bus number (if any): rm446 rm765

Hi Ian - sounds extemely reasonable! What are you intending to do about repainting?

My bus number (if any): RML2302

Painting......I haven't decided yet! There is a school of thought, Dobbo for one, that brush coachpainting is superb, yet others say "not so fast,Sunshine; spraying gives a better finish." I have a quote so far for around £1300 including paint for brushpainting. I have a contact in Newark that has done spraying for me before; his work is superb but I don't know if he would take the job on. Watch this space!

My bus number (if any): RM446 RM765