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Post by glennv on Oct 30, 2013 12:53:49 GMT 10
Looks great Mausie !
Interested to know whether they are small gas struts holding the door open ? Any fear of twisting such a light weight door ?
Glenn.
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Post by mausie on Oct 30, 2013 21:53:35 GMT 10
Hi Pete The cupboard doors are the same colour as the walls, in fact they are the same 3 mm ply from where we cut out the windows.  The hole in the roof is for the 4 seasons hatch as originally fitted.  The wardrobe door, well when we bought the van there was no wardrobe only marks where it had been, no beds and no bedside cupboard. So we have been working from photos of other 12' 6" Capricorn vans.  The shape of the overhead cupboards is as the originals ones. Only changed to the doors is to top hinge so we (Joe) doesn't wack his scone on a door when I forget to close it  We would have liked to use the original style handles but they are as rare as hens teeth. The button push is the same button and catch as the original but the original handle had the button incorporated in it. I guess the ply looks modern in colour but it is made especially for caravans in caravan sizes. We aimed at retaining the original design as far as practical. When the Birdie Deluxe is finished it should weigh the same or less I hope than it was when first built.  Mausie & Joe |
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Post by mausie on Oct 30, 2013 22:03:14 GMT 10
Hi Glen Thanks for the compliment. It is nice to hear what other caravanners think of ones workmanship.  Especially when it is praise The little struts are spring loaded and made for caravan cupboard doors. I guess we will find out over time if they are too strong The actual strut doesn't really need to compress much. You can see them on Caravans Plus website caravansplus.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=11326Cheers Joe |
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Post by mausie on Nov 3, 2013 22:12:53 GMT 10
Another productive weekend Bedside cabinet now has draw fronts The gas stove has a front cover Draw fronts have been made for all remaining drawers and cupboards. The dinette table is made and fitted Oh! We also went to church - Bunnings  Too busy to take pics but will next chance I get Mausie |
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Post by glennv on Nov 5, 2013 19:09:57 GMT 10
Hi Mausie,
One thing I wanted to tell you about. In my Van, the sliding doors have a habit of vibrating open, which can be messy if its the crockery cupboard. My folks (and now me) solved this by attaching elastic bands to the neighbouring latched doors, which is easy down the side of the van, but not so easy front and back.
It started when my father changed the tyres to light truck tyres rather then the originals.
It's a little agricultural, but works nonetheless.
I have been trying to think of a more elegant solution, but haven't landed on anything yet.
Thought I would let you know so you don't open van door to a floor scattered with crockery.
Glenn.
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Post by mausie on Nov 5, 2013 23:33:13 GMT 10
Hi Glenn Your slider doors should have a small curved piece of spring steel in the bottom of the track that the slider runs in. It puts upward pressure on the door and supposed to stop it sliding easily when the door is closed. You should be able to check if the little springy bits are in the track by running something like a small nail along the end of the track. Anyway we might take your suggestion and do something to stop te sliders moving while we travel. Just to be on the safe side and avoid the Royal Dolton from getting broken - ha ha ! Thanks for the tip Mausie |
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Post by mausie on Nov 10, 2013 22:45:06 GMT 10
Firstly Glenn Here is the little spring held in by a nail that goes into the overhead sliding cupboard draw bottom track (one in each track) to stop the slider moving during travel.  OK now for some pic of what we have been doing. Here are the drawers under the wardrobe  Drawer under each single bed  The lid on the bedside cupboard. Note the very nice and new old stock genuine edging from the 70's Purchase from a very helpful caravan enthusiast - thank you The edging isn't glued in yet, we are waiting to find out what type of glue is used to hold the edging in  The edging is the type that has a tongue that fitts into an end-grain groove.   Ther you have it the complete bedside cupboard. Mind you we had no idea of dimensions because the cupboard and beds were missing when we purchased the Capricorn. We think it turned out OK - hey?  Now for the kitchen cupboard.The only changes externally from the original (we did used the original cupboard skeleton) were the new fridge (my wish OK!!); the litlle draw to the right of the fridge (this holds long knives etc); the large door next to the fridge hides 2 pull out drawers instead of one shelf. All those nice creamy coloured white knobs I found at Revolve (a place at the tip where good bits get recycled for resale) I paid $2 for 16 knobs . We were short 3 knobs so we checked out Bunnings where we found identical knobs $8 each   Well that's it for now Mausie |
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Post by glennv on Nov 11, 2013 8:20:56 GMT 10
Positively sensational !
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Post by ForumMod on Nov 11, 2013 16:20:19 GMT 10
Brilliant stuff, mausie and Joe!! I take my hat off to you guys for the work you've done on this van. Such a great job! cheers, Al. |
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Post by mausie on Nov 11, 2013 20:27:01 GMT 10
Hi Glenn & Al Thanks for the encouragement It's good to get that type of comment from fellow vanners. We'll take some photos when the table, cooker top are laminexed and edged. Cheers and thanks Mausie & Joe |
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Post by mausie on Nov 12, 2013 20:23:41 GMT 10
Hi all We got some good advice on gluing edging to bench tops last night. So this morning, before going to work. Joe just had to try it out by starting on the bedside cupboard lid.  When he got home he finished it ! It looks great Geez he is cleaver   The lid is made so it can hinge up - now I have a handy little nook to put "STUFF" in  And to finish it off I added my mum's "Breville Teasmade" from the 70s that she gave me. And it still works perfectly. Mum had the box it came in as well and thought I wouldn't want it so she chucked it   Here is a close up of the tea maker  Well that's another job done that we can tick off our gigantic "To Do List " Mausie |
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Post by glennv on Nov 13, 2013 8:34:37 GMT 10
So what's this teasing with a tip about gluing edging and then not sharing ?! I am quivering with antici........pation.
Glenn.
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Post by mausie on Nov 13, 2013 21:43:42 GMT 10
Ok if you insist Glenn Joe said, The edging we used has a tongue that goes into a slot. The slot has to be a little narrower than the tongue thickness so when it is pushed in it is a tight fit. To make the slot we used a tenon saw. Once the slot was made Joe used a medium sized hand saw. The slot then was just the right size. For internal curves we used a Dremel fitted with a mini saw blade attachment. To glue the edging onto the lid edge he tried "contact" glue on a bit of scrap to start with and second test using wood glue "Bondcrete" but other good wood glue should work fine. The "Bondcrete" seems to have worked the best for him. We used clamps to hold the edge in place until the glue set. So there you are Mausie |
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Post by bobt on Nov 18, 2013 19:31:39 GMT 10
Hi Folks
It looks very nice. Well done..
Bobt
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Post by Caprinut on Nov 20, 2013 16:25:31 GMT 10
Mausie, As always a terrific job- neat and highly professional drawer fronts. You need to add a mirror to inside flap of bedside drawer. I.ve been looking for the acrylic mirror material myself as its much lighter and unbreakable. When is the launch ceremony?
Pete
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Post by mausie on Nov 20, 2013 23:21:29 GMT 10
Hi Pete Great idea with the mirror. We put one inside te wardrobe door already but another under the bedside lid would not go astray We picked up the mirror in Lincraft fairly cheap and light. Could easily get another and cut it down Thanks for the tip We think we will have it done by late January. Have to find time to pick up the siding from Sydney first. Mausie |
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Post by mausie on Dec 7, 2013 21:22:32 GMT 10
Hi all Tomorrow the gas lines are going to be installed and perhaps the water ;-) ;-) Then everything comes to a halt Poor Joe has been told he needs to go to hospital on Tuesday to have his shoulder seen too. If not then there is a chance his tendon will tear completely Joe is trying to think of things he can do on the van one handed  Bye for now Mausie |
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Post by ForumMod on Dec 10, 2013 18:36:05 GMT 10
G'day Mausie, Well, today is Tuesday, and I hope Joe's operation went really well, and hopefully he is back on the mend fairly soon. I, too, have joined the old fella's "restricted light duties club" after wrenching my left hip a couple of weeks ago while unloading stuff from the van when we came back home from the trip to Batemans Bay. In the process of stuffing up my hip, I've also pinched the sciatic nerve down my left leg, which has left part of my leg without feeling on the surface. Tomorrow I start physio to see if the situation can be resolved. In the meantime, I've been studying Joe's photos of the upholstery he did for your van, and have been beavering away making the cushion covers for my vintage van. Sitting at a sewing machine I can do. Lifting heavy objects is out of the question at the moment, so construction on my vintage van has come to a halt. Did you use a vacuum cleaner to shrink your foam blocks so you could fit them into the covers? I never knew of that trick until I was looking at some upholstery videos on Youtube recently, and came across a few videos showing how to do it. It seems to make the job heaps easier than the way I usually struggle to do it. This was the video I watched: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5lPw81UvcITell Joe I said "chin up" and I hope things go well for him. cheers, Al. |
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Post by mausie on Dec 11, 2013 19:46:40 GMT 10
Hi Al Joe said thanks for the good wishes. Dr said he found a 2 cm spur in the shoulder he had to remove but it had already severed the tendon it had to be reattached No wonder he was in pain!!! He is home now and can't drive for 6 weeks or even touch the caravan in that time Joe said he understands the pain you are going through with thee sciatic nerve - he had that once and had to have his spine manipulated by a specialist. He has had no problem since. What a great idea with the cushion. Joe restelled his into the cover. His tech teacher was good but didn't tell him that trick. Thanks for that tip. The gas fitter didn't turn up on Satuday or Sunday which meant Joe couldn't fit the water pipes to the sink. Joe had a dummy spit and is looking for another gas fitter now. Not happy "Jan" Joe keeps on checking the other forum for the progress on your van and is really impressed Well until you two crocs get better progress will be slow!! I might have to become Joe's apprentice ha ha! Cheers Mausie |
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Post by mausie on Jan 13, 2014 21:41:27 GMT 10
We finally managed to get a guy in to do the new gas plumbing and connections from the gas bottle to the fridge and gas cooker. Yeah !!!!! :-) :-) :-)
Another job knocked on the head.
Joe is a bit slack and says he can't work on the van - God gave him two arms - I don't see why just because he has one arm in a sling he can't work with the other :-( only joking :-)
Poor Joe he is suffering, he is frustrated and can do bugger all because he has to wait for the healing to do its job fist.
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Post by mausie on May 4, 2014 20:47:09 GMT 10
Woo hoo! We went to the Vintage van Nationals saw many beaut vans and tow cars. Met the people behind the names especially our legend Al Yesterday about 2 km from the caravan park we found a wrecking yard so we went in to ask if he had any old vans - yep tucked away at the back he did. We managed to find a front window cover / awning we have been after for some time for our Capricorn. The deal was done and the awning is now on our 4WD roof rack whilst we travel home to the ACT via the Yorke Peninsula SA - Mildura - South Cast Mausie |
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Post by mausie on Sept 30, 2014 18:01:16 GMT 10
At long last we are back on track again to complete the restoration of our Capricorn Birdie Deluxe "Tweety Bird". We visited Barnes Caravans and picked up our aluminium siding - about time I hear you say !!!! No excuse except Too Cold, Too Sore; Too Far from Home caravanning; Too Tired  Bought a new tool today - an Air Staple Gun (the other ones I have are not suitable) all good. So in the next few weeks we should see pics and progress once again Eeee Harrrrr! Mausie and Joe
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Post by Caprinut on Oct 6, 2014 14:49:54 GMT 10
Mausie, Nice to hear your cheerful commentary and that you two are well and still abuilding Tweety Bird. Our Capricorn has served us well on several trips lately, including shooting up to Canberra to visit our grand daughter, with the intention of sleeping in the van rather than inconvenience our family, but their yard was so inaccessible that we ended up sleeping in their spare bedroom and hence spent no time vanning except hauling a van from Adelaide and then back home. Went this weekend, which is a long weekend in SA, for 3 days into the pine forests just up the road in Mt Crawford, but were chucked out a day early because dangerous winds were due and the fire danger was too extreme, so the rangers ordered us to pack up. Always a struggle with toilets and showers in a van without a bathroom so we bought a popup toilet tent which hitches to the back of the van, where I fitted a external hand shower. Only problem is the dash back inside with a towel wrapped around the naughty bits without scaring nearby campers. Nothing new to be seen here folks! Move on please!
Keep us updated on your progress,
Pete
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Post by mausie on Nov 6, 2014 18:07:57 GMT 10
Mate you will have to stop scaring fellow campers you know how innocent some ladies are.
Yesterday we managed to fit the cladding to one side of the van - it is looking great - almost like a van again. Mind you Joe had a few interesting moments with the tin snips. He tried left, right and straight but got the hang of it eventually. Our son who was once a roof plumber is an expert cutting metal but was at work :-(
Cheers
Mausie
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Post by Caprinut on Nov 11, 2014 18:13:49 GMT 10
Mausie, Keep plugging away! Don't forget to put the cladding out in the sun to expand as our cladding goes all crinkly in cold weather due to not being tensioned. Also put patches of masking tape to mark frame and reinforcement points for door hooks etc. Very easy to forget exact position and nobody wants extra holes drilled thru cladding. Even tapping to hear solid sections can be frustrating.
Have fun- Pete
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