1929 Roadster Pickup Top Bows

[Brewsterbuff]

Does anybody have a good way to re-rejuvenate the tack areas, especially on the front bow? There must be some kind of "schmutz" or caulk that can be squeezed into the frame that will hold tacks or staples.


I am working on my truck that was my first vehicle, bought in 1955. I had a new top and curtains put on it at that time (receipt attached) but it is time to replace them. I also bought a 'roll' of the original style, small grain top material. I plan to try my hand at sewing. The truck is still just the way I bought it so the top need not be "show quality! I think the top should match the truck! I doubt that Rush would replace it under warrantee?


Wish me luck! Don

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Brewsterbuff

Does anybody have a good way to re-rejuvenate the tack areas, especially on the front bow? There must be some kind of "schmutz" or caulk that can be squeezed into the frame that will hold tacks or staples.


I am working on my truck that was my first vehicle, bought in 1955. I had a new top and curtains put on it at that time (receipt attached) but it is time to replace them. I also bought a 'roll' of the original style, small grain top material. I plan to try my hand at sewing. The truck is still just the way I bought it so the top need not be "show quality! I think the top should match the truck! I doubt that Rush would replace it under warrantee?


Wish me luck! Don

Don, if you want the tacks to hold, you need to either install wood or leather into the bow. Wood actually gives structural integrity to the top frame itself, so think thru what you want to use. Fiberglass or 2k Epoxies dry hard and do not have the elasticity to hold the tacks.

[Joe K]

It looks like a job for "inlay." You may have access to a router, or possibly a woodworking shaper you could lay your bows "sideways" on the table, or a plow plane with a blade appropriately thick. (A Stanley No. 45 would be ideal for this.)

It may be possible to remove enough of the deteriorated wood to then cut and insert a new piece. My choice would be not pine, but not maple either. Possibly birch, and maybe red oak. I might use any of the elmers type wood glue as these actually have some flexibility over epoxy. Originally made with milk derived casein, the glue now is made with synthetic poly vinyl acetate (PVA)

Joe K

[ronn]

To me, the wood looks like it needs to be completely removed and start over with fresh wood throughout.

[springerpete]

Best way of course is to replace the wood. From the pictures I can not tell how much wood is left in the bad area. A trip to a good boat yard should help you find some treatments for rotten wood that they use. There are a large number of synthetics that will help and a person with boat repair experience will know. Bill

[fundytides]

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I had the same problem with my 31 Standard Roadster. I removed all of the existing wood and then obtained some "bendable plywood" from a local woodworker that specializes in the restoration of historic buildings. 2 layers of this, cut to fit, seemed to do the job. I haven't assembled the top yet but this should hold tacks ok and add to the structural strength of the bows.

[Brewsterbuff]

All good advice! I knew wood was the best approach but hoped someone else may have an equally good idea, with less work. I do have a friend who works on wooden boats, never thought of him. He will get an email yet today! Thanks to all, Have a great Holiday! Don

[Karl Wescott]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Don, if you want the tacks to hold, you need to either install wood or leather into the bow. Wood actually gives structural integrity to the top frame itself, so think thru what you want to use. Fiberglass or 2k Epoxies dry hard and do not have the elasticity to hold the tacks.

Quite correct, Brent. However we have had some success (experimentally only... never production) of using a very flexible resin mixed with rough ground pecan shells. Not to use that for this application but may be a tool in the toolbox for another situation.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Karl Wescott

Quite correct, Brent. However we have had some success (experimentally only... never production) of using a very flexible resin mixed with rough ground pecan shells. Not to use that for this application but may be a tool in the toolbox for another situation.

Interesting way to do that.

My experience with epoxies is basically from trying two items. Fiberglass resin, and a horse hoof product that was formulated for farriers called Kwik-Poly. The issue with both of these products is they dried hard enough that the flex that wood infrastructure normally gave became rigid. The other issue is that when a fastener (-nail, tack, screw, etc.) is inserted into wood, as we all know, it compressed the wood which is where the gripping of the fastener occurs. What I found after using the resins was that the lack of gripping action caused the fastener to work its way out. It didn't matter if it was top material on wood bows, -or upholstery panels that had been tacked to the infrastructure of a body.

In the case of installing new wood, we have had great results soaking thin wood strips in boiling water, and using a water-soluble wood glue to laminate the strips together as they inserted one strip at a time. The biggest thing you must do is make sure you have the metal socket clamped into a form that holds the proper shape as the wood strips are drying.

[Brewsterbuff]

Brent,
Is the metal socket are you talking about the socket that attaches the bows to the top of the windshield pillar? When I get the new wood in how about if I just attach the top bow assembly to the car? Should that be sufficient enough to hold it's shape?
Thanks to everybody for the help. Basically it all goes as I expected. Today I started to take the old tack strip out of the bow, HARD STUFF! My cotter pin puller worked best to pry it out.
A few years ago I researched this and suggestions were about the same. One said to bend the flanges on the bow open to make a place to insert the wood. I didn't like that idea. I am thinking maybe put in an upper strip and lower strip and join them in the middle, maybe then add a thin strip between the metal flanges with lots of Elmer's Carpenter, water resistant glue. Any more thoughts appreciated!

[Randy in ca]

There's been several past threads where this has been discussed but never a clear cut best and easiest way to proceed evident. Everything from wood strips to hard rubber strips to a mixture of glue and sawdust, etc., etc..

I have an excellent set of original roadster bows and they have some kind of original grainy mixture substance in them. I don't recall now the name that's been suggested for this substance.

Reproduction top bows were readily available up until a couple of years ago. Does anybody know what was used in them? I've asked this numerous times, but never an answer.

[Brewsterbuff]

The stuff that I am digging out of the bow channels seems like it is VERY hard rubber. Strangely, the corners, in the area of the latches, has some kind of plywood. Evidently, when the top was replaced in 1966 the corners had to be repaired, but there is no sign of how they got the plywood into the channel.

[Brewsterbuff]

All of the old material is out. I will coat the inside with Mastercoat silver and then figure out a way to put in the new tack strip material. I have a supply of thin paneling from repair on the inside of my RV, I think about 1/8". That will be my 1st attempt.


Does anybody have a set of patterns for the '29 Roadster Pickup top that I could buy, rent, or borrow? I have the old top and planned to use that and add some because of shrinkage. GOOD patterns would be great!