Citrogarage

[SoL from Sweden]

looking great!
But i have one question, where did you get this can of paint? the label is in swedish
maybe i have missed something, maybe you are from sweden or something like that?

 

[Bib Overalls]

Are you going to let your copper electrical conduits turn green or will you crack the whip and have your "sailors" keep it all polished up and ready for the Captain's inspection? Actually, I like the natural color that copper takes on when left alone.

 

[lucajack2cv]

Wow, lot of new born "Nina" in this forum For all these Ninas here's one of the many italian songs including this sweet name in the lyric: "Nina" from the italian songwriter Paolo Conte:

Thanks everybody about congratulations, here we go with the required little excursus about using "historical" Bekers paints, a swedish manufacturer that maybe still exist.

I found an old stock in a local store, enalmels used in the Great North to protect houses and boats. I suppose it as a great endurance painting.. In sweet and unusual vintage colors!

The -unknown- chemical composition has held up well, just to mix thoroughly and, if you want, use a nylon filter..

Here's my first experiment in "Beckers Painting": a beautiful beige for the kitchen table and chairs:

Excellent result .. as long as to use it as it is, avoiding any known kind of solvent, with the product. And to respect the 2-3 days of slow drying, or a good week if you need to sand and apply a second coat.

Mhmmm .. For details Mellanblà or Varmrod?

Varmrod!!!

The Mellanblà will be good for the second experiment: restoration of garden furniture, in this case a beautiful iron dining table. I think it comes from the '10s-'20s, contemporary with transformation of the house where i fount it from farm into an eclectic "art nouveau villa". The "green gate" color received in a later time (Seventies) has probably convinced the owner to give me the table for free.

Initially reporting to the white splendor it's slim and decorative structure, then... scratch scratch ..

.. the metallic board become similar to the satellite view of Eurasia. Under green-flag the orange-red lead-painting of the '70 comes out the original white and a little bit of rust (more than understandable for a metallic table parked outdoors more or less since the Titanic plowed the oceans..) :

No trace of welding, the structure profiles and the slab that forms the surface are assembled with hot-rivets. A good brush and some hammered on the board allow crumbs to remove rust and closer to the edge of the plate. We are ready for a good cleaning and a coat of primer paint:

"Beckers Paint" can get in action ..

Et voilà..

The rest of Beckers old stock waits for it's "right place".

 

[lucajack2cv]

Here comes finally "the pride of the carpenter" or the fruit of 2 weeks of housework.. We are furnishing the "closet". On the right of closet door, a double-height wardrobe about 60 centimeters deep and on the left a shelf 30 centimeters deep. As usual, the production will involve the adaptation and reuse of some elements of recovery along with other new ones.

After several arguments we start building 3 frames with some strips of pine wood advanced by the new roof in 2004, they will be separated by two frames coming from an old wardrobe, the type able to fit adjustable shelves. To crown it we thought about using a table of larch with simple carvings and items reported coming from the structure that supported a huge curtain coming from the ancient villa I mentioned before. Parts will be prepared in the workshop and assembled in the cabin as ready and finished. Ok here we go..

small base will support a first floor preventing dust to accumulate under ..

Keeping in position on the first shelf, the boards of cedar are glued and tapped:

Preparation of the crown board..

With care and skill, the furniture-maker sets the middle shelf. The last element is higher to put coats and evening wear ..

Three board cover the three rough pine frames, while the slender serrated remain visible. A crop planted on top "capital style" gives it a little 'neoclassical' finishing...

On the left side I put a cedar-base identical to the right, just 30 cm limited deph..

.. but the shelving will adapt a modular library brand "Bruynzeel" found in very bad conditions in a cellar: hardly sended, shelves and uprights are saved and will be coated with polyurethane. Finely sanded and polished with the polish become very pleasant at touch. To complete the finish metal parts turs from grey to green-blue "hammered" paint:

Here at work the "Bruynzeel" system. I'd like also to fit some "files".. Finally an overview of the cabin with full length mirror:

 

[SoL from Sweden]

wow, cool that you have so many vintage beckers cans, beckers still exists here in sweden, but your cans must be about 20-30 years old.

and if you havent noticed it by yourself "Högblank" means "high gloss" and "halvmatt" means "satin"

keep up the good work!

 

[magnusk750]

The Beckers can sends me back to the shelf with left over paint cans in our garage as a kid in Sweden in the 1970s-80s.

 

[babaluba]

Wow, Luca.
I love your work! The shelves looks magnificent!

And yeah, the Beckers paint brings back a lot of memories. We have had them here in Norway as well...

 

[Dennis Cavallino]

My father used to work @ the financial department of the Bruynzeel factory in the '70's. The brand is famous in Holland for their high quality wooden floors and kitchens, even today in a time when Ikea is much cheaper and more popular.

 

[lucajack2cv]

Wow, lot of Beckers and Bruynzeel memories! Boths brands are almost unknown here in Italy, today as in the past, in favor of national factories.

A third "historical" foreing brand is casually rapresented in Citrogarage: the french Astral nitrocellulose body paint in old french cars colors. Also in this case cans came from an old stock of the '70: some examples:

RenaultVert 921;
Peugeot Vert tilleul 1490;
Peugeot Vert 1426;
Renault Jaune Tilleul 372;
Renault Vert Celadon 916...

I found this stock in 2006 as a supercheap (1€/liter) painting for my 2CV furgonette camping-car:

and finally..

Here the complete 2cv furgonette story:

http://www.2cvclubitalia.com/public/smf/index.php?topic=1512.60



.. and here one of the Citrogarage official colours: the Astral Vert Tillieul me and Rosanna choose for doors, windows and part of the kitchen self-made forniture..

 

[abstamaria]

This is one of my favorite threads.

Andres

 

[lucajack2cv]

Here we are back in Italian architectonic garage-tradition: last week has also matured the decision-making-process about the color of the facade of the Citrohouse, pending for over two years from the restoration of the plaster: assumptions were gradually tapered and finally took shape...

The general-style for the whole architectural ensemble should be something like "Italian Landscape with a Road House next to Railroad" and in particular the renovated building will have the color of the typical Road Houses you can see along the italian national roads or mountain passes..

http://www.flickr.com/groups/casecantoniere/

First step is to find a shade of red that is not too pink , not too red, not too orange.. the typical one is a sort of "Pompeian Red". There's a roadhouse in my city, at the intersection of National 20 and National 231 but it's almost purple. In the web there are countless but either damaged or completely repainted in various and erroneous reds..

I'm sure it exist a standard original colour defined by the governament road administration called ANAS.. It should be found be somewhere .. Confident I enter the shop and the seller replies: "A standard colour? At the time of Mussolini there was a standard colour!" ... The fact is embarassing but the guy has probably a point: ANAS, (as AGIP, ENI, IRI or others state agencies) rises in 1946 from the ashes of AASS born during fascism (1928) in order to administrate national roads and first italian highways: Turin-Milan Highway.. Genoa-Serravalle Highway.. or this Florence-Seaside Highway opening in the presence of the highest civil, religious.. and military authorities:

Towards the end of the newsreel we can observe an Italian motorway service station of the ’30: at the time then were called "Cantoniere" and I suppose they were painted red. I also remember a sequence shot in the beginning of 1943 neorealist movie "Obsession" by Luchino Visconti but perhaps it is indeed an Agip gas station, but the building is a restaurant set in an old customs station:

This tipical "patriotic" facade of '30 italian roadhouses includes: red-painted plaster, green shutters and white frames of windows. Of course these were also colors of "nationalist" AGIP gasoline, opposed to the corporate logos of foreing companies Esso, Gulf..

Ok, we're enough deep in historical studes, it's time to pass the operational phase: at least the shutters and the windows are already green, the white should be the same "higt visibility white" that ANAS used to paint the wayside .. We just have to focus on the damn red: After several bundles "more orange .. more burgundy, more pompeii .. more " red "!" we get a sample for testing. The hour of irrevocable decisions is about to strike ..

 

[lucajack2cv]

Color approved!

On impulse, the whole little family is at work..

The "Italianized" environment is immediately eye-catched.. lacking only the stereotyped checked tablecloths and Chianti bottles! of stuffed .. The clothes hanging the pot with the basil and there are already!

The first coat extends to the upper floor ..

The combination of complementary colours seens not bad..

At the start of the artistic white frames ..

If we then add a little citroen mehari rouge geranium..

For concrete corbels (in years past from gray to pink to yellow to blue..) and the slab of the balcony, the fate reserve an inexorable milky white..

with joy of kids and adults..

The lights of sunset highlight the new color ..

.. and irradiate the old workshop. Even the shadows of a typical rail fence seem more "right place" right now:

 

[magnusk750]

Can't be denied that Mussolini had quite a sense for architecture...

What type of paint was it on your facade before repainting? Lime-, oil-, latex?

 

[Bib Overalls]

I like red and I think the tint you have selected for your house and garage is perfect. Tourists will be stopping and taking pictures when they pass by.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Great color.

 

[Dennis Cavallino]

Fantastic transformation! I really liked the old style you had there, because everything weathered so nicely, but this is even better. When things in NL will weather, they will rot a couple of days later. Even in Northern Italy wood and metal won't rot as much as here and still look pretty.

I'm still wondering when I will drive over the Grt. San Bernardino and stop by to drink an espresso. Just to see your place and cars irl. Great work! This thread is getting better each time you take a look.

Love the 2cv camping vehicle as well. Nice practical details. I was brought to school in such a 2cv when I was a kid. It had windows with white/red chequered curtains, a 'dining' table (for kids) etc.

Do you already have an attached tent at the back? You will be King of the Camping!

 

[beach bum]

Absolutely Fantastic. I admire every single project you have done.

 

[widerberg]

The renovation, and thread, just gets better and better. Can't wait to see more of the house (and more of the garage/workshop building, too)!

 

[lucajack2cv]

Thanks garagefriends, of course anyone comes in Italy for summer holydays is obliged to stop at redhouse Citro-Osteria for a free coffee or a Martini!

Someone asked how to paste woodenfloor on a concrete surface, I used a quite expensive (1 can = more than 60 € = less than 10 square meters) professional bi-component epoxy-poliuretanic glue by MAPEI called Lignobond:

http://www.mapei.com/public/IT/products/271_lignobond_it.pdf

http://www.archiproducts.com/it/pro...o-per-pavimenti-in-legno-lignobond-mapei.html

For previous flloor a little less expensive and less guaranteeed material called Ultrabond :

http://www.mapei.com/public/IT/linedocument/adesivi_parquet_it.pdf


And now welcome back in the Italian Thirthies of Citro-Cantoniera: before applying the second coat is to take opportunity to place a little small details: the doorbell, for example, although already an old and beautiful '30 Ticino button, will replace the plate glass and paper with the most correct "outdoor" brass cup:

While in a hidden corner of the oldest building, between a power strip and a slab of asbest-cement, it turns out the old number of farm.. up to a year or two ago it was correct because the road had no name and the plate reported in fact the full address: City, town and street number. Another detail is a cast iron plate that indicates the presence of a fire hydrant that I want to insert in the facade (although like other memorabilia it comes from another old buildings in town, now destroyed) :

Aa a fixative chemical cartridge should be used to paste these plates, Iprepare some other "memorabilia" waiting months to be firmly anchored in place .. e and then we start:

A fast restoration of complete environment to the old water pump and the preparation, next to garage door , a point-inflation which comes from an old faucet spout of the domestic city gas:

.. Et Voilà!

 

[bidouchon]

perche in francese ? did you find this plate in my country ? i love it

 

[Weekend_warrior]

Very cool build. I've been following it for some time now. I like the old look mixed with the industral and cottage feel you have going one. The paved driveway is great looking. You're doing a great job!

 

[razor524]

I read this whole thing over the past few days and it is by far my favorite thread on this site. You are quite a craftsman and are also very creative and resourceful! Fantastic job! I look forward to following your continued progress.

 

[alberto]

Color is perfect. In fact all of the details are perfect.

 

[jhexide]

just read the whole thread ,from last night till this morning,you are most extraordinary fellow,love all the work ,the cars are cool,congrats to you and your family
Awsome..!!

 

[JSBriggs]

You continue to amaze me. I looks great!

-Jeff

 

[Bears Fan]

Luca do you ever sleep? Nice Work!!!

 

[machine_punk]

Beautiful work! I like that you take the raw materials and turn them into what most people buy off the shelf. (OH...and I LOVE Citroens). You are going to have a wonderful house, when you are done!

M_P

 

[bidouchon]

any news here ?
are you in holidays ?
your are missing us

 

[JasonW]

Exceptional work. You clearly have a passion for the details of your old home. I too live in an old building. It is a lot of work to maintain but always worth it. Keep up the good work. I look forward to more pictures.

 

[greenbank]

Another voice to chime in and say how fabulous this thread is and the work you're doing. Fantastic.

 

[JoetheMobster]

WOW! This entry in the Garage Journal forum is amazing. Look forward to reading more...

 

[lucajack2cv]

Tanks friends, I'm not in holyday and not sleeping, hard works are back I've not enough time to post, here's some greetings from a romantic evening at the Italian restaurant Citro-cantoniera ..

..... Lady and Tramp are also waiting for spaghetti ..

Better learn to play accordion and mandolin..

Meanwhile, I've some result of further historical research about italian '30 "Cantoniere", name used at that time to define ANAS road-service houses but also AGIP first service stations. I have the privilege to keep two maps published by Pirelli in 1939: Lakes Highway Roadmap and Genoa-Serravalle Roadmap. I recently framed these maps in a sort of picture..

We are now facing the first Italian service areas .. I ask a moment of silence to see how a gas station was like at the time of our grandfathers

The fist one, built in late '20, is in a sort of neoclassic style, inpired -I think- to some buildings of roman empire.. A grape plant climbs the facade.. very poetic, the top of "on the road" in italian sauce.

In the second one from Ronco Scrivia, built during '30, the building recall certain elements tipical of italian national-rationalism (the same italian banner facade: red plaster or bricks for walls, white stone "Travertino" for windows frames with green roller shutters.. flat top..) adopted by the fascist regime for it's public administration buildings, while the AGIP gas station in it's peculiar round can-oil-shape 8) I think I have seen it identical in a Libyan gas station in 2009! White and black colors for sidewalks and street sign poles were typical up to '50..

In the photographs the highway is deserted, perhaps because it just opened or perhaps because mass motorization was far from reality: these highways in '30 were not a necessity but state orders, public works to combat the world economic crisis. In Italy meant facing a very weak internal market that did not include personal cars. Mass motorization started at apout 1955 but up to advanced Sixties both motorists and particularly truckers avoided higways because of the toll and to benefit from the established network of restaurants that faced down the traditional, superbus, monumental Italian consular roads.

 

[lucajack2cv]

Hallo garagefriends, I take this opportunity to update my research about ancient Italian gas-stations: in the background of this frame from the opening sequence of the first movie of italian neo-realism(Luchino Visconti's "Obsession" - 1943) you can see a pre-modernist stile of Agip Gas Station, unfortuntely we can see just the fine art-nouveau box office, a pump and a pile of 3-colours cans and circled zinch barrels. Still happens to find someone of these barrels in italian old farms, used up to Sixties to delivery the oil for Landini and similar agricultural tractors ..

On the national road behind the male protagonist, maybe a Fiat or Lancia Esatau gasoline tanker of the Forties..

An italian old trucks club keeps up these old tanker memories every year at Bracco Pass, between Genoa and La Spezia..

here's the trucks walk at the pass..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3BucJNIj9sQ


.. and here's me, Roxie and our 1966 Citroen HY at Bracco Pass. We slept there after climbing it at night, on the return from Rome's International Citroen Car Club Rally in 2008 (ICCCR):

 

[lucajack2cv]

Here we are back in the darkness of Citrogarage grappling with a new feverish engineering creation.. Little André shows motorcycle-tendences.. must be immediately attended to, it is known that from an early age talent must be cultivated!

He's still too "short" and awkward to ride with treecycle, his current riding style is a kind of "push push".. Maybe with some leftover bike I can assemble something for him..

Luckily NASA has just scrapped it's '80vectors , I needed just some small parts ..

From an old trolley two practical tires 8 " fit, almost perfctly, to the chopped frame of an old bmx ...

Same treatment for the fork dell'astrobike "Lucky Cross" that will come out strongly flared and with the steering shaft shortened considerably ....

.. as well as the bmx that will have to renounce the upper tubular, always with the aim of shorting as possible saddle and handlebar ..

The exciting phases of processing one another making it impossible an adequate photographic documentation: bicycle fenders are reshaped and adapted components moped flow into the project, the general arrangement of the masses is beginning to define giving the vehicle disturbing and aggressive forms of motorcycle supplied to highway-police ammerigans of the forties..

"Un americano a Roma"


.. with brakes just simulated ..

...and Yugo-manufactured tires!

 

[lucajack2cv]

15th of August, thanks to the lack of desire to reach crowded destinations, was fatal to the decoration of the facade of the last part of external wall of Citrocantoniera.. in the future workshop and garage, which had now completely dry plaster ..

In addition to ensuring a bronze finish to the painter, the hot day meant that the first coat to dry in record time, allowing you to pass it as soon as you reach the end and complete all the red by nightfall, which favors' uniformity of the final result. In fact next morning ..

At the same time it was decided to place the two panels "Agipgas" with its three legs cat and the lamp assembled with scraps of an inch mannesmann pipe and a reflector , along the lines of the other originals that have been placed elsewhere in the small rural citrotown. Nothing remains but the white frames of the windows, but general charme already I think it gains a little..

About the motorpsyco engine.. .. we moved to the test tracks!

See you later, I'm sorry but now I have to go into town!

 

[Dennis Cavallino]

Superb postings again! The house, the bike, everything is great.

I think you have to make 2 of those bikes. 1 for you and 1 for your son. Otherwise one of you will be dissapointed when the other has taken this bike for a spin.

 

[pwschuh]

Fascinating. Love the D Models. Do you still have them?

 

[Jack Olsen]

Great work, as always. And this is a perfect picture:

Ossessione is a pretty great film, based on the book The Postman Always Rings Twice. I believe there is also an Italian adaptation that was made a few years earlier, but I haven't seen it. Both of those were before the John Garfield and Jack Nicholson versions. (That book's got some legs on it.)

 

[markf4e]

Incredible thread, I have always loved the old world style in italy! You do amazing work, thanks for sharing!

 

[BigBoyinMS]

I just spent the last few hours reading this... and thoroughly enjoyed it! Thanks for starting this so long ago.