Dang screw nails; but, wonderful Dremel tool!

All the windows and almost all the trim, lights and receptacles are out of the Scotty, leaving only the side/top "L" molding on each side, and the two seams across the roof - as to ability to pull much of the aluminum siding and roof panels off -  to assess just how much hidden dryrot that I have to deal with.  In last week or so, in attempting to remove the "screw nails" that hold the molding down, and also hold the two roof seams together, using putty knives, screw drivers, small nail removal bars, it seemed I did a better job of bending that trim than removing the nails.

So, with insight from the two Scotty Facebook sites and NSSO web site, I broke down and bought the basic Dremel tool, and a set of metal cutting discs.  Pretty slick, a small, hand-held (that's it in the first picture) high speed cutting/ grinding/sanding/polishing device with many other uses.  Applied to the Scotty, with a 1 1/2 inch metal cutting disc, one can either "slot" the screw nails, or, entirely grind the heads off.  And, with a bit of practice, seldom gouge the remaining "L molding" (or, fairly seldom). 

Powerful little tool, that Dremel tool - use eye protection!  Some of the screw nails were stainless or galvanized steel and most of the original ones were aluminum.  The steel nails send a vast shower of hot sparks and steel shavings flying, and the aluminum nails create a blizzard of aluminum shavings/aluminum dust; so, eye protection is a must!  Here are a couple of pictures:

At top left, me and my trusty new Dremel tool attacking those nail heads; are top right, several nails that (with the new slot cut) could be backed out with a screwdriver.  Bottom left are nails with the "groove cut"; with some, a screw driver will back them out, with others, part of the nail head, or all of it breaks off.  With the aluminum nails, it's easy to just grind the entire head off!  Hopefully, this tedious grinding process will be finished by tomorrow, and, we'll be pulling those aluminum skins and roof panels to see what water damage, and fun, awaits!

Dry rot revealed; away we go!

My third Monday as a retiree; not bad with no job to report to!  Over the past 4-5 days, have pulled all the windows out of our Scotty, and yesterday, the door and door jam.  As feared, the further I go, the more dry rot reveals itself.  Below are two pictures, the first is the outside wall panel to right of the Scotty door; I knew it had dry rot near the roof line, but it extends all the way downward, to left side of window/beside the door.  The other picture, is from the inside, above the rear bed, showing extensive dry rot on the entire right rear exterior panel.  Sorry those photos are on their side..., but you will get an idea of the extent of water damage.  Ugggghhhh!

Tomorrow, friend and fellow trailer owner Gary is stopping by, to loan me his Dremel tool, so I can grind off the heads of the 200+ aluminum screw nails that hold the two exterior trim pieces on.  Then, in a day or two, will have the aluminum skins off and know just how extensive my dry rot challenges are, in addition to what I have found so far.  I am intrigued by what I see on the National Serro Scotty site, about owners who have replaced their "three part roofs" with one new sheet of aluminum  - no seams!  It's too bad so many of these trailers leaked at both seams, ruining these little trailers.  Of course without these challenges, I would have paid a lot more than the $900 this trailer fetched, and, would not have this fun winter project staring me down!   Fun, fun, fun...yes, I keep telling myself that!

In the past two weeks, I have acquired a functioning Bargman L 66 lockset to replace my broken-handled one, an almost new Humprey gas lamp (trailer had merely the gas line from the one that came with the Scotty), new running and roof lights, 3 rolls of butyl tape, a new exterior door/nite light, a replacement Hehr Jalousie window for the door, and a hinge for my Scotty dinette table (to replace the missing hinge assembly).  So, not much to need, once I get dry rot assessed and fixed.