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Post by atouchofglass on Nov 16, 2008 15:20:06 GMT 10
Hey Al As always you have figured out most of what I was trying to show in the photos and some more as well ;D ;D  First things first.... Yes mate I am doing the joinery. As I am sure you have picked up this is a labour of love... Couldn't put this kind of time in on such jobs if it was to some how make a profit on it. The lap joins are there to give it the needed strength at such a thin piece of timber... the door fronts are only about 12mm thick.. The piano hinges are all stainless steel OOhh and thanks for the compliment.. ;D ;D ;D ;D As far as what they all are..... weeeelll I'm gunna be a bit mean here and not tell you .......... just yet. Remember there are five that are rectangular and five that are tapered.... Plus of course the pantry and wardrobe doors... Which by the way are going to be a little different to the others..... Mean son of a ..... aren't I ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D The vague description was on purpose by the way  Just to be a tease. The reason for the van being as it is .... sort of up market, is that I'd worked with Ulysses RV (a motor home company), as well as seeing the luxury yachts, showed me some very nice cabinetry. In a small way I was trying to emulate that style of work And besides I like doing timber work... it's relaxing and challenging at the same time.  Last but not least you noticed the missing bits out of the bench... Actually the bits are cut out cause it's a jewellers double workbench.... Use to run a business and this was one of the benches the jewellers sat at... BUT You didn't ask the other question I was soooooo proud of!!!!!! What is that huge monstos... mistril.... big white thing the wardrobe frame is leaning on  I'm glad you asked ;D ;D ;D ;D Made a model of a chair I wanted to sculpt... see it above the white monstisi...mostr... the big white thing? Then took a few months in 2007 to copy it in fibreglass... ;D ;D ;D Still need to put a cushion on it though... Not sure if it should stay in the workshop or go into the back yard ... Sort of an Addams family thing goin on with it... ;D ;D ;D Whada ya reckon? As for butlers and maids.... well mate you come over and I'll hand serve you a cold beer or two ...... not much else but at least the beer will be chilled.. ;D ;D ;D ;D Cheap Millard? Not when you've finished with it mate.. She'll be a real ripper This project has dragged on longer than expected so The next van will be less timber and time but more holidays and fun. Currently this project is at the fourteen month line with at least another six months..... or more to go Cheers Atog |
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Post by kiwijim on Nov 16, 2008 16:35:41 GMT 10
G'Day Atog, As I have said before and I shall say again....".Whose the clever Boy then" ;D ;D ;D That cabinet work is first class and looks great, Well done ;D ;D ;D We are looking for people with your skill so,.... you have a job waiting for you here in the West...When can you start??? just reading your comments about liking the cabinet work which goes into some boats, I have been thinking..........may-be thats a clue to your secret project......... answer........you are going to water proof the Olympic and use it on the river to save fuel, great idea, I could always turn the Thomson up-side down and join you . I also say, don't worry with the yard clean-up, should the first Cyclone carry to much away I can pick it up and post it back to you, just think with another days work on the Olympic you may be able to finish the Port Holes........ Am I getting close to your secret project with these answers ;D kiwijim |
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Post by atouchofglass on Nov 16, 2008 16:54:53 GMT 10
Hey Kiwijim OH my... You boys are too clever by half.... You've worked it out Here's one I prepared earlier  (As if) The doors are for the sides of the van... You know so the oars can be poked out.... ....... for the slaves to row with.... bang,,,,,,,, bang,,,,,,,, bang,,,,,,, bang,,,,,, mmmmm.....mmmmm.....mmmm .............. ...mmmmm..mmmmm..mmmmmm To the tune of the "Vulga boatmen" Work you useless slaves.... What am I paying you for ? ?? ? !!!!!!!  "But boss you aren't paying us anything!!!" OK I''ll triple your wages..... !!!!! "That's better now we'll work harder boss.. won't we lads?" Actually you are looking at the secret project..... Just got to figure out where they all go !!!!! Not all that secret anymore are they ?? ?? ? Try to get the door fitted tonight and tomorrow night.... Got to finish fitting the ...... ooohhh dear ..... nearly told you too much ;D ;D ;D   Hey Kiwijim Can start as soon as I get over there... Do you pay in beer and prawns like over here?? ;D ;D Cheers Atog |
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Post by atouchofglass on Nov 16, 2008 19:55:36 GMT 10
Some photos of the frames being made     OK guys here's one for you Can you do this with the mirror in your caravan??  And here's the secret doors....  What's so secret..... there mirrors on the top half... unlikely to ever break and won't cut you to shreds if they did... What are they made of ? Pantry door fitted as well as the baskets  You blokes were right ..... Fixing the van was more important.... ;D ;D ;D ;D Cheers Atog |
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Post by atouchofglass on Nov 19, 2008 6:22:38 GMT 10
Righty ho guys and gals The mirrors are made of ........ Perspex !!!!  Yep perspex The shipwright that I use to work for uses it in the various boat and yacht projects he does. Buys the stuff in 2400 x 1200 sheets Can't say what it's worth cause he hasn't told me yet... He's from the old school Trusts me with his gear and sometime in the future when the bill gets up a bit.... tells me what I owe him... Last time it took a bit over twelve months to get a bill out of him. Top bloke and a hard worker Anyhow the perspex mirror is as good as a glass one but will distort if you want it too. Hence the need to make sure it remains fairly flat... Not heavy and the best thing about it is of course, is it won't shatter and cut you to ribbons if it breaks, like glass would. Cheers Atog |
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Post by bobt on Nov 19, 2008 19:31:22 GMT 10
Hey Atog The cupboard doors look good!!! Wish I could get my joins to look like that. Visited my friend the engineering/wood work teacher last night, asked for lessons, he laughed at me  Now tell me how do you launching and retrieving the caravan at the boat ramp?  Bob |
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Post by atouchofglass on Nov 19, 2008 21:05:17 GMT 10
Hey Bobt All I did was buy a book on woodwork and practice.... The joints aren't that hard Bought a $90 router/laminate cutter from Bunnings and had a couple of clamps.... Lots of time and noise later...... joints ready to go.... Glue and clamp on a flat surface.... 2 hours later ...... ready to release..... Actually usually wait 24 hours unless I'm in a hurry.... The secret to making the joins look flush is to slice a bit off after fitting the door and back together... Because the piano hinge is holding the two together they won't move and when closed it is a perfect fit... Just a little cheat.... My joints also got better with the use of a drop saw/mitre saw Also from Bunnings 10 inch Makita and using a friends panel saw... too expensive to buy and use occasionally As to launching the Olympic...... Wish I had something smart to say but....... ;D ;D ;D Not gunna happen tonight....  Cheers Atog |
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Post by bobt on Nov 20, 2008 18:57:39 GMT 10
Hi Atog Thanks for the tip. I will endeavor to go hunting the book shops on the weekend, see if I can find something suitable. As for the tools, well have the router, looked at mitre saws/drop saws pondered over the use one would get in my household. I have limited space in my garage/workshop and my teacher mate has one in his own workshop that I can always drop over and use. Patients well that is a different thing. How is the van progressing? regards Bob |
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Post by atouchofglass on Nov 24, 2008 6:07:16 GMT 10
Hey Bobt You're welcome The more electric tools you have the neater things become..... within reason of course Bought an electric plane and have only really used it twice.... BUT The two times I did use it ..... well it saved hours of frustration in planing with a hand plane... which is used for the finer work still This weekend was a total train wreck... NOTHING was done except a bit of routing Why? Stinking weather 100% humidity and 34 degrees Just thinking gets you sweaty in these conditions Added to that the big storm build up ended in ...... nothing Here's the silver lining to the non existent storm: For some months there has been a house being built directly behind me.... as they came to the end of the construction, someone threw out a single bowl sink. Now I'm not one for taking from construction sites so I left it there thinking they may have some use for it. After three weeks (last weekend) the wife and I are cleaning up the back of our place and what was in the skip? You guessed it .... my new single bowl sink ;D ;D ;D Knocked up a frame for it on the weekend and will fit it sometime this week Where you ask? Outside next to a tap... my new washout sink Only been waiting for 12 years to fit one Can't rush these things you know Ya win sometimes ;D ;D ;D ;D Cheers Atog |
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Post by bobt on Nov 24, 2008 22:42:15 GMT 10
Hey Atog The privilege of living so far north. the 34 would not worry me so much but the humidity wow  . We had lots of loverly rain on Saturday, so I did not do anything out in the garage. The car club had a night trial, the poor buggers froze and near drowned.  Yeah I know its not a caravan...I bought a cheap 'talon' planer, couldn't resist it. I tend to use it a lot for cleaning up stuff. Sure would like a thicknesser, along with a whole heap of other things.. It is real nice to have an outside sink with hot & cold water. I was luck this house has one. Nice score, you cannot let good things go to waste. regards Bob |
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Post by atouchofglass on Nov 25, 2008 6:06:48 GMT 10
Hey Bobt An ex-boss I know is doing up a 1934-35 straight eight Buick It still sits in the shed at work.... He's had three wives in the 35 or so years since buying and doing up the Buick at least twice..... ;D ;D Some people are obsessed with these old beasts... Whatever floats your boat Electric planes are good but as said I tend not to need it that much. The fellow I go to for timber has three industrial planers for larger timber so when dressing timber one of those gets used instead...as well as industrial thicknessers Nice to have friends with equipment ;D ;D ;D The joy of such equipment is you can make timber to your needs not just use what is dressed to a stock size. Problem with all that is you need space The bloke I see with all this wood working equipment has close on a 1/4 acre block under cover... and is still cramped for space He is running three businesses out of that area though ;D ;D ;D I'll be flat out getting anything done this week if the weather doesn't let up though Just one of the joys of summer in the tropics Cheers Atog A/tropically/oriented/guy |
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Post by bobt on Nov 25, 2008 19:04:35 GMT 10
aaah now the truth comes out. The tag has nothing to do with the glass van it is all about the geographical location of the owner... ;D ;D ;D Its nice to have friends with tools that you don't have. Yes, real handy if you can cut timber to the dimension that you need rather then suffer what is on the shelf. I use to be in the hot rod scene, got divorced and suitably stripped of all the cars. Now I poke around with just vintage and classic stuff. How are the cupboards coming along? Didn't I read somewhere that you had another to start? bobt |
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Post by atouchofglass on Nov 27, 2008 6:54:31 GMT 10
Hey Bobt Ex wives have a habit of seeking .... everything I'm told Currently still with the first and only.... she isn't sick of me after 25 years..... go figure ;D ;D ;D ;D Yes the other five overhead cupboards are in the making BUT With the recent humid weather even at night I've taken a bit of time off from doing anything..... on the van or anything else Currently playing couch potato at night. Will get into it again this weekend Photo's will follow My Restoration of the Olympic seems to follow a well worn path Work like crazy for a few weeks and then fall in a heap for awhile before starting all over again...... The work gets done and I try not to make it a chore.. otherwise it is no longer fun and that was the whole reason for starting this project in the first place..... ;D ;D ;D ;D Cheers Atog |
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Post by atouchofglass on Dec 13, 2008 13:48:37 GMT 10
Hey Guys and Gals Here's the latest installment 7.00 am under van running 5wire cable for lights Then run the wire for the overhead clearance lights... in red wires Long story-- short answer finished by 8.30am .... shower and change   Finish fitting the locks and strikers to the final five cupboard fronts Take all the old overhead cupboard doors off in the van. Knock out the remaining rivet ends. Trim up the fibreglass with a laminate cutter so the new ones fit..... Place looks like a snow storm hit it ...... ho ho hoe  Vacuum it all up Polish the ceiling with my new el cheapo polisher and a tin of cut and polish 12.30 ...... Second shower and change That's enough until this afternoon..... late this afternoon  Bought some spiral binding for the wiring. Keeps it all together in one nice neat bundle ... Or in this case two nice neat bundles... one for 240volt and one for 12 volt..... always worth keeping them seperate... Notice the red wire for the clearance lights in the top right hand corner Can't see the 240 volt wires cause they are up the top of the cupboard against the roof/ceiling  Cheers Atog |
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Post by atouchofglass on Dec 13, 2008 18:04:07 GMT 10
Well it's 6pm and still quite steamy here Managed to matrix two of the overhead cupboards in before running out of white matrix.... That plus can only do two units at a time..... only got six clamps the right size..... That's why the old saying .... You can never have too many clamps  That's it until next week when I can get some more matrix Have to think of what else can be done early tomorrow before the heat hits again Cheers All Atog |
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Post by bobt on Dec 13, 2008 21:24:55 GMT 10
Hi atog That cheep polisher and the handler did a real nice job of the ceiling and the cupboards. I take it the weather has mellowed a little so you can get back to it. Looking forward to seeing the end result of your cupboards. bob |
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Post by atouchofglass on Dec 14, 2008 19:12:24 GMT 10
Well it's Sunday arvo Thought - what can I do ..... No matrix, too hot outside.... hmmmm Hey the workshop is airconditioned..... needs a clean.... Yep that will do... clean the workshop So about three minutes into the clean what did I find A tube of matrix... white cool Out to the van and start fitting the remaining cupboard doors eventually fitted the ones I could But not all You see there is still a bit of electrical work that is easier to get at without having to keep doors open both front and back Sooo..... Six out of ten..... hmmm - guess it will have to do for the moment   The cupboard over the sink is to remain without doors but haven't yet decided what to do with it The original glass is still intact but no longer fits the interior decor..... eehh to hard basket for today Worry about it another day Got a starwars thing happening with all that foil ..... It'll disappear eventually So there you go Bobt .... didn't have to wait too long ;D ;D ;D Cheers to All Atog |
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Post by atouchofglass on Dec 18, 2008 6:49:11 GMT 10
Gidday Everyone The devil is in the detail ....... what the.... What I mean is details sometimes become the harder problems.... errr challenges in doing up a van Take for instance this week ...... Problem:Need door handles for the pantry and wardrobe Also need some kind of mechanism to hold the overhead cupboard doors open.... so you have both hands free to work with Solutions :Door handles  Which open up when needed and won't catch on you when they are closed. The latch is an antirattle ... IE it's got a bit of rubber in it to stop the latch moving... The latch is also to stop any chance of the cupboards opening while travelling.  Stays for the overhead cupboards that will retract by just gently pulling down on them.   These were all done in stainless steel but most of the fittings should be available in nickel plated Length of the stays depend on your cupboard size these are 130mm including the fittings..... Bought at the local ships chandler Cheers Atog |
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Post by mike on Dec 18, 2008 17:35:02 GMT 10
Hey Atog, Very nice workmanship! Neat, practical, problem solving. Great to know where to look when I decide to get down to doing some real maintenance!! Looking forward to the next posting. Cheers Mike ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by bobt on Dec 18, 2008 17:40:30 GMT 10
Hey Atog Looking good... You must spend a lot of time looking for the right fittings how come your up at 3.49am adding to this forum? bob |
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Post by atouchofglass on Dec 18, 2008 18:12:32 GMT 10
Hey Gents Bobt the reason I'm up at 3.49 is that is WA time .... In Cairns approx 7am ..... up early before work Normal rising time .... about 5.00--5.30 Well Mike I have a confession to make... The other day I couldn't find any handle that even came close to what I was looking for .... Soooooooo Went for a walk through a local ships chandlers and found...... ............................................................................................................................ Retractable coat hooks... Under $10 each try and make stainless retractable handles for that ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Yes gents they are coat hooks turned up side down and used as handles Laughed when I thought of it and the sales bloke thought I was weird.... Works thou don't it Cheers Atog Occasional lateral thinker |
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Post by bobt on Dec 18, 2008 18:23:07 GMT 10
Atog Nothing funny about that. It is what a good friend of mine calls "thinking outside the square" Well done. Bob |
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Post by atouchofglass on Dec 21, 2008 13:03:05 GMT 10
The latest bit of work involves the window stays remove polish and rerivet Most of which can be done in the air conditioned workshop Up there for thinkin down there for dancin   Atog |
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Post by mike on Dec 21, 2008 15:50:42 GMT 10
Hey Atog, Very nice work! Looks as new!! You'd be just about finished eh??? {Upside down coat-hangers, sooooooo goooood!!} Cheers Mike ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by atouchofglass on Dec 21, 2008 18:25:22 GMT 10
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