Originally Posted By PeterPan1313 >>The worker fell in 2012, not last year.<< November of 2012, my mistake. I believe they were prepping to repaint the mountain at that time when the fall changed everything, though I could be wrong.
Originally Posted By PeterPan1313 >>So then how are they stripping it then? From a bungee cord dangling from a helicopter in the middle of the night?>> They do harness work, and they used that to paint the non-seam parts of Space. The seams need a membrane to keep out water, but they're elevated and you can more easily reach down a bit an apply something on top, just saying that of a job like that, I'd prefer to use a scaffolding to apply a membrane everywhere so it is done properly. What are you going to do? Have guys in harnesses reach down all the way to their toes?, or maybe get on their knees. Yeah, you spray on paint and paint stripper.
Originally Posted By doombuggy The only work that has been done in the past 2 months was the adding of the ring. I've been checking the cam and they have not been stripping or doing any thing on the out side. With all the equipment it takes It's not something you can set up and break down EVERY night after park closing. Start checking the cam after the 12th if they do repaint you'll see what I mean.
Originally Posted By PeterPan1313 >>The only work that has been done in the past 2 months was the adding of the ring. I've been checking the cam and they have not been stripping or doing any thing on the out side. With all the equipment it takes It's not something you can set up and break down EVERY night after park closing. Start checking the cam after the 12th if they do repaint you'll see what I mean.<< There have been visible changes on the outside of Space, even within the timeframe of the addition of the new ring as chunks of paint have fallen away. Harness work is needed for pressure washing the troughs, though gravity and buckets can be used to apply a stripper. I'm not sure where exactly the exterior is with regards to the whole project, but rest assured that the exterior will be returned to pristine condition, or at least a lot better than it is now.
Originally Posted By monorailblue This thread is so funny. Space Mountain's main exterior is covered with white sheeting. This has been known for some time and is clearly visible when you are looking at it. To claim it isn't because it is merely painted but later claim it is because sheeting was needed to keep water out is so absurd has to have truly made my day.
Originally Posted By monorailblue Incidentally, the surfacing on Space Mountain has been talked about online for many years. For example: <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://micechat.com/forums/disneyland-resort/90005-ok-tda-its-time-send-someone-out-clean-space-mountain.html">http://micechat.com/forums/dis...ain.html</a> (see posts 11, 12, 14). The exact same type of grime shows in a photo in post 27 (although to a lesser degree--this was years ago). Discussion of now unavailable photos showing "buckling" (see posts 48 and 49), a condition likely consistent with the visible evidence that required PP1313 to admit the mountain is covered with sheeting (albeit to keep out water). Here's a post that supports the "seal against leakage" theory: <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://micechat.com/forums/disneyland-resort/6273-when-space-mountain-painted-white.html">http://micechat.com/forums/dis...ite.html</a> (post 9). The space picture here http://www.mouseplanet.com/6486/Disneyland_Park_Update is pretty revealing. The horizonal line across the 'spine' the workers are standing around clearly shows that spine is covered with a surface material, not merely paint. The lowest portion of that spine and the partly coated spine on the right of the picture show the white surface being laid first on the in-between space, and along and up over the edge of the spine--with the top spine sheet placed on last. This is how sheeting (or shingles, for that matter) are laid, but is not how something is painted.
Originally Posted By monorailblue <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://lostworld.pair.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/IMG_0028.jpg">http://lostworld.pair.com/word...0028.jpg</a> That picture (posted earlier?) is also revealing: the uppermost portion is painted; the lower portion is surfaced. That they are not covered in the same way is evidence from the fact that they are not the same color of white--the off-white color of the lower, main portion is very apparent in this lighting, and is consistent.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Great finds, blue! I know there's a ton of discussion out there from when it happened, but I was unable to locate any of it. These links seem like pretty good proof In the Mouse Planet link, it's definitely worth skimming over the discussion of the then-new Special Assistance Pass and the problems it 'solved'. Sounds exactly like the transition from the GAC to DAS that the parks recently went through, just a decade earlier.
Originally Posted By berol I saw a pic yesterday of guys holding panels, but can't find it now. But this has all kinds of panel proof. What to look for are where the streaks go one direction, then you get this perfectly straight line precisely on the vertical. It looks to me like normal plastic deterioration. Developing dark streaks is one of several things that can happen. <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://mintcrocodile.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-little-oc-overcast-and-cloudy-at.html">http://mintcrocodile.blogspot....-at.html</a>
Originally Posted By PeterPan1313 >>This thread is so funny. Space Mountain's main exterior is covered with white sheeting. << I believe that only the spines are covered with metalwork, as this is where the "seams" for the different concrete sections is. Most of the exterior of Space Mountain is not covered with anything besides paint. Yes it is arranged like shingles, starting at the bottom, to keep water out. Here's a construction pic from a space mountain, <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/06/24/article-2347730-1A7CF189000005DC-281_964x616.jpg">http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix...x616.jpg</a>
Originally Posted By PeterPan1313 There are vertical "lines" in the gutters, likely from how the cement was poured, but this isn't paneling as you'd have to have a piece of metal as long as space mountain! Also, it is nonsensical to put metal paneling in the gutters, to protect thick concrete from what? This is what paint does. <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://mintcrocodile.smugmug.com/photos/i-K49wH9L/0/O/i-K49wH9L-O.png">http://mintcrocodile.smugmug.c...9L-O.png</a> The whole "teflon panels" is Miceage urban legend, Space's mountain has a good slope, which a properly maintained paint there isn't a need for any special material, as far as I know, water runs pretty well off of normal paint.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>I believe that only the spines are covered with metalwork, as this is where the "seams" for the different concrete sections is.<< That photo is of WDW's Space Mountain, as can be seen by the large concrete hub supported by 4 columns that forms the 'peak' of the building. WDW's was built with precast concrete panels (with seams along the center of the 'beam' portions), while DL's was steel-framed (apparently with wood to form the panels between and the outer shape of the beams). Here are some pretty good shots showing the progression at DL: <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://davelandblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/space-mountain-construction.html">http://davelandblog.blogspot.c...ion.html</a> >>Yes it is arranged like shingles, starting at the bottom, to keep water out.<< That's correct. And the panel portions of the mountain (low spots between the beams) are downstream of the beams, so the membrane/coating/whatever-we're-calling-it was applied there first, with the beams receiving it later. Thus, the only seams we see are from the exposed edges where the membrane from the beams overlaps with the panels
Originally Posted By berol You're making stuff up again. The teflon panels thing started in 2003/04 when they installed the panels. Someone with Disney talked about it. The black streaks though are proof positive. Put white plastic furniture out in the sun for ages and it'll look just like that.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Here are a couple more great photos showing the plain steel framing of the beams, and then the wood covering that was added over them, which tapers toward the top of the mountain adding to the forced perspective <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.matterhorn1959.com/blog2/2014spacemtn22.jpg">http://www.matterhorn1959.com/...tn22.jpg</a> <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.matterhorn1959.com/blog2/2014spacemtn23.jpg">http://www.matterhorn1959.com/...tn23.jpg</a> Speaking of forced perspective, I'm still sad that they took out the spire that was next to the old speed ramp. It really helped give your mind an idea of the size of the spires, and made the ones in the distance look much bigger. The more recent attempt at rebuilding the spire (for the attraction's sign next to the terrible 'new' entrance) just doesn't capture it nearly as well : ( <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.matterhorn1959.com/blog2/2014spacemtn16.jpg">http://www.matterhorn1959.com/...tn16.jpg</a>
Originally Posted By berol You can see one of the panels in that mintcrocodile page. The side that was against the concrete faces the camera. If only they moved it to the side so you could see the hole where it came from. <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://mintcrocodile.smugmug.com/photos/i-5jcdn96/0/O/i-5jcdn96-O.png">http://mintcrocodile.smugmug.c...96-O.png</a>
Originally Posted By PeterPan1313 >> That photo is of WDW's Space Mountain, as can be seen by the large concrete hub supported by 4 columns that forms the 'peak' of the building. WDW's was built with precast concrete panels (with seams along the center of the 'beam' portions), while DL's was steel-framed (apparently with wood to form the panels between and the outer shape of the beams). Here are some pretty good shots showing the progression at DL: <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://davelandblog.blogspot.c...ion.html<<">http://davelandblog.blogspot.c...<<</a> That's right, maybe DL's was done differently due to earthquake standards. My mistake. All I really know for sure is that it's going to be repainted soon and they did some prep work and the accident slowed things down. The covering on the ribs looks like standard metal work to me, they have teflon membranes for roofing projects, but it's usually for those "tent" style buildings. I don't think that stuff is made is sheets, much less flexible sheets like metal roofing on Space.
Originally Posted By doombuggy Space Mountain’s paint is being stripped, a process that has been going on for some time, and will be repainted bright white in the near future. Yes, superficially, the exterior looks like it is getting “worse” every week, but this is just part of the refurbishment process. Does this get fans worked up for nothing?" "There have been visible changes on the outside of Space, even within the timeframe of the addition of the new ring as chunks of paint have fallen away." Make up your mind which is it?
Originally Posted By PeterPan1313 >>Someone with Disney talked about it. The black streaks though are proof positive. Put white plastic furniture out in the sun for ages and it'll look just like that.<< Well, the spires paint is coming off as well, you can see it in the photographs (and brown paint below), and everything I've heard is that the white paint is coming off, and old '98 paint is coming through and they need to prep/clean and repaint the thing. I don't see why they'd need to put "teflon" on the roof to keep it clean as a regular paint job would do fine, Space has a good slope and rainwater washes stuff off. The UV stable plastics that Disney uses work pretty well, I've got vinyl moulded lamp posts that have looked spotless for a while myself. No reason to use plastic on a roof. They probably did metal sheeting and painted it, that would hold up very well for years.
Originally Posted By PeterPan1313 >>Make up your mind which is it?<< I get information, and I try to make sense of said information, and fill in the blanks as I don't get a 20 page explanation. From what I know they did prep-work/power washing of Space, there was an accident and they had to stop said work and install another ring for the OSHA/safety. If they power-washed, used a paint stripper, and in combination with paint in poor condition, yes, it wouldn't be in the best condition and would peel away and get progressively worse over time. I don't know where the exterior is in the process, but it is a work in progress, meaning Disney is aware and there is a plan to finish it, but its been delayed by the construction of the ring. Probably, and this is a guess, but the paint is in poor condition, the old paint appears to be visible in areas, such as the spires/surface, though this may well be over metal sheeting, and the roof is structurally sound, so it is just a minor issue of how much prep work they want to do (you don't want to paint over a surface which isn't in good condition, hence some prep work is involved). If somebody can tell me how "dirt" gets on top of a spire which is basically a pole, that would be interesting. If they don't want guests to see the ongoing work during the refurb (as paint continues to fall off), they could put up some fabric/scaffolding around Space, and do a complete stripping and washing, and then, of course, the new paint. Probably don't need to bother with that.
