25June - Cut a 40x24 counter from 3/4" poplar ply. Then traced and cut the holes for the cooper sink and two burner stove.
Here are the details of items in the kitchen:
(1) Wedgewood Vision 17" Drop-In 2-burner Cook Top. Mfg# 56493
(2) Dura Faucet Non-Metallic Pull-Out RV Kitchen Faucet. DF-PK100
(3) Sinkology SP502-17AC Sisley Undermount Handmade copper Sink 17 In.
(4) Cooler (instead of a refrigerator) https://www.rticcoolers.com/shop/coolers/roto-molded/RTIC-65-White
(5) Rev-A-Shelf 448-TP58-11-1 - Tall Pantry w/ Slide, 11inW x 58in H
(6) RV Concession 10 Gallon Fresh Water Tank / W 12 volt pump kit combo -19"L X 9"W x 14"H
(7) Cooks Standard Wall Mount Pot Rack, 36 by 8-Inch. Painting copper color or bronze color using these instructions: https://www.highettmetal.com.au/blog/aluminium/how-to-paint-cast-aluminium
The counter will be have an 3/4" edge banding then sealed with Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish.
The dining table is made from the same 3/4" ply, but is 17.5"x30" with two 3.5" fold out leafs.
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Initial Electrical and Propane Sketches
Initial drawings of utilities of the electrical and gas lines are done but being updated. I am forcing myself to learn DC electric components and now reading a book on DC power on boats! There are a few good websites, too:
http://www.rv-insight.com/RV-Electricity.html
I will put the component drawing here.
Given my past experience, I want a simpler system. Nonetheless, the Air Conditioner requires a dedicated 120V circuit and I want solar for off the grid living.
The A/C is an Air Conditioners and Heater Frigidaire FRA09EPT1 4100 BTUHeat/9000 BTU Cool Portable Air Conditioner with Remote Control. I wanted a wood heater, or worse case, a small propane heater.
I'm going with Go Power! items and there is a combo box with battery charger, inverter and switch...available in Summer of 2016. Tick tock.
http://www.rv-insight.com/RV-Electricity.html
I will put the component drawing here.
Given my past experience, I want a simpler system. Nonetheless, the Air Conditioner requires a dedicated 120V circuit and I want solar for off the grid living.
The A/C is an Air Conditioners and Heater Frigidaire FRA09EPT1 4100 BTUHeat/9000 BTU Cool Portable Air Conditioner with Remote Control. I wanted a wood heater, or worse case, a small propane heater.
I'm going with Go Power! items and there is a combo box with battery charger, inverter and switch...available in Summer of 2016. Tick tock.
Rafters require visit to lumber mill
Those rafters! I burnt one motor out after trying to saw 3/8/" slides of Fir. Bought another saw, realized the same thing would probably happen with the $500 table saw. Not a good idea. So today I took a vacation day to drive to Bartow to try Mac's band saw. After one cut, we bagged the idea and resorted calling lumber mills in the area. The one between Dade City and Zephyrhills agreed to help. I arrived at 4pm and left the mill at 4:30pm...all boards sawed...rough sawed, but sawed. Thank goodness for that planer. I know it was valuable before, but now it became a necessity. Anyone attempting to do this should seriously consider the saw you plan to use. This is a painstaking endeavor. There is more on rafter building forthcoming.
Monday, June 20, 2016
Rafter News
Mac and Martha brought a planer to my house. I took the sides of my one rafter down to consistent wood and it looks good. I also started the second rafter. A few points of for those of you on this path:
1. A planer is definitely necessary. No hand planing is not an option in my opinion.
2. I see why Katy planed each slice before gluing. It reduces the number of thickness variations which cause gaps in the rafter AND reduces the amount of glue required between lamination layers.
3. Consider what you will do with the ample sawdust. Google it.
4. Mac has a band saw that will reduce the sawdust (waste). I'm taking a day off work and driving my Douglass fir to his house to see how the band saw does with creating the slices.
5. 1/2 inch slides is too big for sure. 3/8 might work, 1/4 inch bends easily.
6. Doing 1/2 of a rafter thickness at a time seems to be a good idea.
The end result of my test rafter is good.
I spent a good part of the weekend moving furniture because my bedroom is becoming a humidity controlled storage unit for building supplies.
I've decided to wait until all are made before trimming the rafter tails.
1. A planer is definitely necessary. No hand planing is not an option in my opinion.
2. I see why Katy planed each slice before gluing. It reduces the number of thickness variations which cause gaps in the rafter AND reduces the amount of glue required between lamination layers.
3. Consider what you will do with the ample sawdust. Google it.
4. Mac has a band saw that will reduce the sawdust (waste). I'm taking a day off work and driving my Douglass fir to his house to see how the band saw does with creating the slices.
5. 1/2 inch slides is too big for sure. 3/8 might work, 1/4 inch bends easily.
6. Doing 1/2 of a rafter thickness at a time seems to be a good idea.
The end result of my test rafter is good.
I spent a good part of the weekend moving furniture because my bedroom is becoming a humidity controlled storage unit for building supplies.
I've decided to wait until all are made before trimming the rafter tails.
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Awning Windows
Clad windows are beautiful. My friend Diane at Home Depot ordered three Jeld-wen windows today:
Clad W-2500 Awning Operating 41.25 x 23.25 Qty 2
Clad W-2500 Awning Operating 29.25 x 23.25 Qty 1
To get tempered glass, I had to special order the windows. The windows will have bronze hardware and a bronze frame. They have nail fins, too.
I debated again to choose sliders or awning windows. I once again opted for awning due to the rain factor. Since I am planning on building shutters, I chose not to pay extra for colonial grilles.
Week 1 build - Rafter Form and first Rafter
I bought Dee William's Vardo plans because she explains how to build curved rafters. I wrote her and Katy and both responded. Thanks, ladies! I built my form from 3/4" ply and 2x4's. I bought a shit load of wood clamps. Jack shot a informative video that will give you a bit more information that I won't repeat here.
The date was Saturday, June 11th -- the date we'll use to determine the length of build time. I built the frame before Sunday since the form needed time to cure and had to build it twice due to user error. Regardless, on Sunday we cut and assembled the first rafter. In the process I burnt out the motor of a new Kobalt table saw, thus encouraging me to get the heavy duty Ridgid saw Their heavy duty table say, albeit it expensive, is really great to use.
On Monday, more than 24 hours after we bent the wood in the mold, I took the rafter out of the mold and had wet glue on the bottom side that was touching he plastic tape covering the mold. I left it to dry. I am buying a couple more clamps for the areas that appear to have gaps.
Additionally, Mac has a planer he is loaning me. It works great at taking down he rough sides. He as a Dewalt table planer. So this coming weekend, they will bring the planer so I can get one rafter done -- start to finish--before I invest hours and hours. I can correct any problems. The Douglas Fir to build one rafter is roughly $30, hence the cause for caution. I ordered the wood from a wood craftsman lumber company in Temple Terrace and the wood came from Logan Lumber in Tampa.
For anyone who doesn't want to own a $500 planer, there are cabinet shops that may plane your rafters for a lesser price. The company I contacted has not given me a quote.
A box of sawdust was generated for just one rafter. I think a band saw would be better than a table saw, but I don't have one of them either. Since the blade is thinner you could produce less waste in the form of sawdust and get at least one more slide of usable wood to laminate.
I might add that Dee's bardo spec's 10' Douglas Fir for her 8' wide Vardo. I'm using 8' Fir since my outside wheel well dimensions are 7'. I don't need a lot of overhang, but a couple inches (similar to TheSunflower) makes a big difference in appearance. We're back to the function versus aesthetics trade off.
The date was Saturday, June 11th -- the date we'll use to determine the length of build time. I built the frame before Sunday since the form needed time to cure and had to build it twice due to user error. Regardless, on Sunday we cut and assembled the first rafter. In the process I burnt out the motor of a new Kobalt table saw, thus encouraging me to get the heavy duty Ridgid saw Their heavy duty table say, albeit it expensive, is really great to use.
On Monday, more than 24 hours after we bent the wood in the mold, I took the rafter out of the mold and had wet glue on the bottom side that was touching he plastic tape covering the mold. I left it to dry. I am buying a couple more clamps for the areas that appear to have gaps.
Additionally, Mac has a planer he is loaning me. It works great at taking down he rough sides. He as a Dewalt table planer. So this coming weekend, they will bring the planer so I can get one rafter done -- start to finish--before I invest hours and hours. I can correct any problems. The Douglas Fir to build one rafter is roughly $30, hence the cause for caution. I ordered the wood from a wood craftsman lumber company in Temple Terrace and the wood came from Logan Lumber in Tampa.
For anyone who doesn't want to own a $500 planer, there are cabinet shops that may plane your rafters for a lesser price. The company I contacted has not given me a quote.
A box of sawdust was generated for just one rafter. I think a band saw would be better than a table saw, but I don't have one of them either. Since the blade is thinner you could produce less waste in the form of sawdust and get at least one more slide of usable wood to laminate.
I might add that Dee's bardo spec's 10' Douglas Fir for her 8' wide Vardo. I'm using 8' Fir since my outside wheel well dimensions are 7'. I don't need a lot of overhang, but a couple inches (similar to TheSunflower) makes a big difference in appearance. We're back to the function versus aesthetics trade off.
Aluminum Trailer and General Construction Considerations
Shorty built her tiny house on a aluminum trailer since she was planning on using it to attend many festivals and events. I followed her lead, even though she said she probably wouldn't have done it again. Aluminum utility trailers are unique and more expensive. I approached the same guy who built hers and he declined a second chance. My assumption is that he may have lost money or at best broke even since her trailer was indeed custom. My search which has taken several months landed me back on I75 North in Ocala. After providing specs and making minor changes (per Dee Williams' trailer design), I ordered my trailer. And given its simplicity, the trailer should be done in June. It should be noted that Dee specs the ribs on the trailer to be welded on the bottom of the farme instead of 2.5 inches from the top of the frame where 2x6 decking would typically reside. The idea is that you can better insulate the floor. My last change was to add an utility box made of aluminum on the tongue of the trailer and I squared off the wheel wells.
Weight is the focus. I expect this trailer to weigh about 2/3 pounds as it's steel counterpart...roughly 500 lbs. I want a single axle and will use the last 2' as the deck, similar to Jay Shafer's Tumbleweed designs. The cost of my 7x12' trailer will be roughly $3000.
The owner of Texas Trailers in No. Gainesville at least was willing to bid on the trailer. They CAN build aluminum trailers, they just don't do it often. The bid was higher and I'm more confident in ATP's capability since aluminum trailers are their main business.
No one will believe the number of hours of research required. I need a waterproof/resistant bottom and research about plywood and alternatives. Did you know that a 3/4" 4'x8' ply is 60 lbs? For my current design, this would mean 500 lbs in plywood. That sent me back to the drawing board to look for lighter construction techniques...and I'm considering a aluminum frame instead of wood studs. Now finding a aluminum welder that is local is the current challenge (see http://tinyhouseblog.com/tiny-house-concept/towable-gypsy-wagon/ for an example frame. This is a steel frame made of 3/4" square tube.) I had decided to use cedar -- a very light wood but having seen what this guy did with 1/4" ply makes me consider that alternative. Perhaps a light colored transparent cedar stain would be as durable and attractive. Anyway, Cedar needs to breath more than most siding choices and there is a 16 page document on how to install cedar siding (http://www.realcedar.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/installingsiding.pdf). I am exploring the use of interior sheathing on the walls, 2x2 studs and closed cell insulation together to minimize the weight and strength of the walls. I want insulation to save energy, even though the total space is so small it doubt it makes a huge difference.
I seem to over engineer everything I build. Did you see my Tiny House Chicken House? I worked hard to make it light weight (it is movable)...and I still can barley pull it by hand. Could there be some deep psychological issue?
No one will believe the number of hours of research required. I need a waterproof/resistant bottom and research about plywood and alternatives. Did you know that a 3/4" 4'x8' ply is 60 lbs? For my current design, this would mean 500 lbs in plywood. That sent me back to the drawing board to look for lighter construction techniques...and I'm considering a aluminum frame instead of wood studs. Now finding a aluminum welder that is local is the current challenge (see http://tinyhouseblog.com/tiny-house-concept/towable-gypsy-wagon/ for an example frame. This is a steel frame made of 3/4" square tube.) I had decided to use cedar -- a very light wood but having seen what this guy did with 1/4" ply makes me consider that alternative. Perhaps a light colored transparent cedar stain would be as durable and attractive. Anyway, Cedar needs to breath more than most siding choices and there is a 16 page document on how to install cedar siding (http://www.realcedar.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/installingsiding.pdf). I am exploring the use of interior sheathing on the walls, 2x2 studs and closed cell insulation together to minimize the weight and strength of the walls. I want insulation to save energy, even though the total space is so small it doubt it makes a huge difference.
I seem to over engineer everything I build. Did you see my Tiny House Chicken House? I worked hard to make it light weight (it is movable)...and I still can barley pull it by hand. Could there be some deep psychological issue?
In the beginning
Officially, I guess this is my third Tiny House project. Most of you have seen The Sunflower being born and this is the new blog describing the build of a gypsy wagon, with an exactly opposite goal. The Sunflower was built heavy and strong, weighing in above 9000lbs at completion. The yet unnamed gypsy wagon needs to be 2500 lbs loaded. This presents all new challenges, so once again, I have invested hours and hour of research and revisited many of the previous topics with new eyes.
Additionally, a few new constraints make this different as well. First, there is a timeline. I have already sent my application to join the Florida Tiny House Festival in mid-November 2016. Second, I exchanged the Tundra for an Outback. Lastly, the gypsy wagon is going to depart from their historical breathers by NOT being bright, colorful and gay. This gypsy wagon you should be able to drive by and perhaps not notice, or if you do, your mind may think 'shed'.
Begin with end in mind. This is the closest to what I want to build:
http://pin.it/pRTn7ea
And just for further background, I thought I might remind folks of the definition of a gypsy:
Additionally, a few new constraints make this different as well. First, there is a timeline. I have already sent my application to join the Florida Tiny House Festival in mid-November 2016. Second, I exchanged the Tundra for an Outback. Lastly, the gypsy wagon is going to depart from their historical breathers by NOT being bright, colorful and gay. This gypsy wagon you should be able to drive by and perhaps not notice, or if you do, your mind may think 'shed'.
Begin with end in mind. This is the closest to what I want to build:
http://pin.it/pRTn7ea
And just for further background, I thought I might remind folks of the definition of a gypsy:
- 1.a member of a traveling people with dark skin and hair who speak Romany and traditionally live by seasonal work, itinerant trade, and fortune-telling. Gypsies are now found mostly in Europe, parts of North Africa, and North America, but are believed to have originated in South Asia.
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