Wow, has it really been almost a month since an update ?
Sorry about that to anyone that regularly comes to see the latest news !
Well, its been a busy month, although if I'm honest there have been chances to do the odd things, I just lost my motivation :S.
The leaky windows are bugging me, there still isn't a firm resolution to that problem. I'm now undecided as to whether to get the windows repaired, or have them blanked out competely, new metal welded in place of the windows and made flat then painted. This would give some advertising space either side too. As I said though, right now I cant make up my mind, and until I do, I cant start building the storage/kitchen area.
Lots more jobs to be doing in the mean time though !
Today, I decided to make a determined effort to do SOMETHING. As I had the ply to carry on with the seating, thats what I thought I would do :S.
I started with the static seat, this one needed two storage comartments, seperate to each other. The seat was made with three sections in mind, so that a third could be used for the Chemical Toilet to be stored in, accessed from the side of it nearest the sliding side door, the other two thirds to be one big storage comartment, accessed from the top via a lid.
My idea to finish off, was to basically wrap the seats in ply, then use a piece of it to divide the compartments inside. Very pleased with the results, lining the outside, gives maximum space inside, while making the outside neat and squared.
Weather wasnt brilliant today, so I mainly worked in the back of Nina :). Plenty of space. To stop the drizzling rain coming in the door, I pulled out the awning, which gave me a little outdoor space for cutting the sheets of ply down to size.
Love my awning, Jen bought it for my 40th last year, its almost my birthday again, cant believe I've almost had it a year ! Still not tried out the safari room on it yet :S.
Once I'd finished lining it, I used the thicker 9mm ply and cut it to size for the seat top, the third over the toilet compartment I want fixed permanently, with the other two thirds working as a lid to access the storage area. Not made the door for the side yet to close off the toilet compartment, actually ran out of the 6mm lining ply ! (I hadnt originally intended lining the underneath of the seats, but liked the idea of sealed in storage compartments once I started building)
Looking good :). This next one shows how the storage will work once hinged..
And this is the storage for the chemical toilet, door to be made...
The second seat was a lot more complicated, seeing as its in two parts, boxes inside a big box. The design of this part had me puzzled for months before I built them. I needed it to pull out to form the bed, but I wanted to maximise the storage too, didnt want to lose any of it. Today I started by lining the outer part, top, bottom, back and the right hand end. I didnt line the left side because it will be pushed up against the first seat to form the 'L' shape, and once the inner boxes are finshed, it wont be visible anyway. If I were ever to make these to sell, I would probably line it anyway, just to finsh it off.
Ok, things were going so well, but when I got to this point, and tried the internal framework to make sure it fitted, it was a little tight, so had a little work to do anyway. Whilst I was sat wondering whether to sand it down or plane it, I realised that I had built it with a view to lining the framework on the inside. It suddenly became clear that I wanted to make the internal box the same as the outer box, so when pulled out still looked neat and tidy, and again maximising the internal storage. The thing with me is, once I decide on something, I get a nagging voice inside my head that wont quit until I carry it out. To carry it out, it meant completely taking the internal framework apart, screw by screw, and shortening it in all directions ! Which is a lot of work. Sorry, WAS a lot of work. Yep I pulled it all apart and cut the lengths of wood down by from 7mm to 14mm. 24 seperate lengths of wood. Now its all done, Im glad I did it, I'm only going to build the seat/bed once, so might as well spend the time and do it the way I want it, even if it means rebuilding the whole internal seat box all over again !
So, this is where I left it, the left hand side is missing the back of the storage compartment because I ran out of the 6mm ply, and I need to face the seat off with the 9mm ply I have left and cut the squares for the two seat tops/lids too. It slots in and out nicely, the storage is going to work as I planned, and the front and back frames if the inner box, create the strength for the front of the outer box which has no front strengtheners to house the inside part.
There are still a couple bits I want to add to the seats, just to strengthen a bit more, and to incorporate the lids. THEN I'll be happy :).
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Location:Gloucester
