What happened to the Playboy Bunny-girl?

Today was a bit of a mish-mash day that actually ended quite successfully. The day dawned rather too early which was not welcome. In fact, I was probably awake before 5am after having hit the sack about 1am. At 7am the alarm clock kicked me out of bed. That was followed by a rather lengthy trip to Walmart and Lowes (hiss, spit).

The overall aim of the morning's trip was to do the month's grocery shopping. While there, I took advantage of the fact that Walmart's garage was open (on a Sunday) and had them give my car a much needed oil change. While that was going on, m'lady and her mother went to do the grocery shopping and I nipped across the parking lot on foot (shock, horror - somebody in America daring to walk somewhere) into Lowes (hiss, spit) where I managed to get the U bolts I wanted, a replacement drill bit and absolutely no rivets. Lowes (hiss, spit) was totally out of 3/16 rivets!

Returning to Walmart, I picked up my car and then rejoined m'lady and her mother to discover that one of the Walmart minimum wage serfs had been insanely rude to them. Given that both m'lady and her mother are inoffensive people, that was totally inexcusable. No point in complaining though. Walmart's solution would just be to fire the disposable minimum wage serf rather than to fix the demonstrable problem with their staff's attitudes.

While in Walmart, I noted the aisles were full of Easter merchandise. I think this is probably about the closest I'm going to get to a Playboy Bunny though!


Having completed the shopping and returned home, it was time to catch up with my missing kip. So, a couple of hours later I headed to the bus and checked the running lights. Initially one of the tail lights was out but the bulb was OK so after wigglimg the bulb, the light lit. One of the top red markers is out as is one of the right hand amber markers. I'll get to those in due course.

Entering the bus, I looked around and my eye alighted on a small packet in my tool box. Yesterday I had hunted through that tool box several times looking for rivets. Incredibly, there was the packet of 3/16 rivets that I needed. Thus, I set to work.

The last two of my cheap self-adhesive paper blinds were stuck up very well. They took quite some pulling to remove. Given that the other 3 had simply fallen down under their own weight, I don't for one instant believe that they would have withstood the test of time. Thus, the two blinds in the bathroom were replaced. 

The caribinas made moving the shower curtain very easy. It was just a case of unclip, reclip and done.Sadly the caribinas were too small to use with my lantern. That's not a problem though - I can always get a bigger caribina.

Slowly, things are coming together. I need to put the water tanks underneath, themain breaker box in, a method of securing items in the back closet, a method of opening the front door from outside and to secure the lower window of the back door. 

Procured!

Today I found some little brass bolts on eBay for half the cheapest previous bolts. These should hold my drawers closed. It's a bit of a victory as 8 of them came in for under $20!

The seller had only six listed so I emailed him to ask if he was expecting more, mentioning I need eight. He replied back that he had 20 in stock and upped the availability to ten so, I bought my eight. I'm quite pleased with that!

Meanwhile somebody suggested a marine foot pump for water rather than a hand pump. I'm thinking on that one. Another interesting suggestion was to use an Igloo cooler to hold my hot water. I'd been wondering what kind of waterproof container could hold warm water and how to insulate it. Pow! Problem solved! Keeping a rectangular container onboard should be no problem and I'm unlikely to use more than 5 gallons having a shower.

Looking at water usage figures, they're all over the place. One source says 50 gallons for a shower. Another says 25 and somebody using a portable electric shower head says less than 5.

One of the comments about my proposed manual water system was it was too much hard work to use. Honestly, the manual aspect seems much easier to me and in use will gradually become everyday.

This weekend might see the grey water tank purchased and installed. That might involve trips to Lowe's though. Mind, Lowe's has become like a second home to me! I'm not going to pretend the white tank will be installed this weekend. There's no pump yet!

More painting amid thunderstorms!

As I'm not doing anything electrical with circular saws, angle grinders, power sanders or power drills, the fact rain was falling didn't matter a tiddlers winkle. In fact,it was cooler with the rain falling if not comfortable inside the bus.

The first thing done today was to finish priming everything. The front closet had the areas untouched by the roller primed. Then the drawers had the final bits of primer then the toilet was mostly primed. Some areas are just very tricky to reach with a brush. That'll take some determined contortions!

After the priming was completed (bar the tricky bits of the toilet), the closet had a coat of topcoat. That'll need work with a brush tomorrow. After that the front partition might get a coat of blue paint. During that process it might be as well to paint the floor. Now that should be black to match the existing floor but by the time it's been walked on a few times, it'll turn black

Yesterday there was no blog entry. This was due to work commitments, an after work meeting and some shopping. Ace Hardware had a bargain bin that had brass drawer knobs. They look the same but there are in fact two varieties. One is fractionally larger. At less than half price it was impossible to resist the temptation. While there, a fire extinguisher caught my eye. As there's a plan to have six - two in each compartment, it seemed a good time to pick one up.

The one purchased yesterday claims to work with electrics and flammible liquids. That sounds like it should be good for engines, batteries and kitchens.

The bus came with one. It seems to be OK but with extinguishers its not possible to have too many. I'm not really sure which extinguishers are best so I'm fumbling around in the dark.

Hot stuff or how to cut a curve

Today was pretty warm on the bus. The thermometer rose to an interesting 120F as measured out of direct sun, in the dinette. Fortunately,most of the day was spent attending to other matters though I did get time to complete my closet wall. The closet door might be next on the agenda together with priming the closet.

The first thing I did was to carry on from yesterday when I cut a board slightly wider than the closet wall and the same height as the gap (14.25 inches high). I secured the newly cut board to the 2x4 beam installed yesterday to bridge the gap. Then hanging a ruler at 1 inch intervals and marking off 14.25 inches each time, I marked out a curve parallel to the roof. I had to make sure the board was level. Fortunately, I'm pretty sure the bus is level.

After cutting the board, joining the dots with a straight hand saw, the curve was pretty close. A few minutes with a power sander in between trying it in place got the board to the closest match to the roof that I've ever achieved. I'll defy any air molecule to squeeze between the ceiling and the board!

That as a point of interest was the 9th curve I've cut. I never bothered with a template for two reasons. The first is that I don't trust Carpenter's workmanship to be that consistent. The second is that each partition is a different width.

Aside from the closet door, I have drawers and doors to make for the dinette, a table for the bedroom then a toilet and handbasin stand for the bathroom. Then it's pretty much just painting. Electrics and plumbing are simple tasks.

Not coming out of the closet!

Rather, I'm building a closet. Today was another one of those blisteringly hot days when the temperature inside my bus rose well over 100F. It was the kind of day that had me wondering where the ice age scientists had been prophesying about 20 years ago had disappeared to. To say the soles of my shoes almost melted is an understatement.

Yesterday I installed the uprights and noted one seemed to have a bend. Placing a straight edge on it, proved it was indeed banana shaped. No matter - its not needed as a straight beam. Typical low quality lumber!

In brief spurts I cut and installed two cross members and then cut and installed a sheet of OSB as the lower part of the front wall of the closet. I had to work 20 minutes then head indoors to cool off. The weather is vicious at the moment - too vicious to be able to stay out longer.

Having cut the OSB and installed it, I now have two big bonuses. The first is I now have enough space in the bathroom to work and the second is that I'm that much closer to finishing the closet. All it needs now is for a top piece to be cut and installed and for a door to be constructed. Painting can be done later.

So, aside from drawers in the kitchen and a desk in the bedroom, all I have left to do is the bathroom. That's quite a relief! Actually, the bathroom should be quick to build. At least, I hope it will!

4 screws to a marathon!

The idea was simple - to bolt the final upright into place for the front closet. Practice was a different matter entirely! It didn't help that the temperature was 111Fahrenheit either!

The first bracket bolted in nicely. Then after such little exertion as drilling two holes in the wood and two holes in the seat rail then bolting a bracket to the rail and screwing the bracket to the wood, the heat was too much and I had to retreat indoors.

Returning to the fray which was now 97F, I marked the place for the second bracket, having checked the wood was vertical. I drilled thge holes and bolted the bracket to the side of the bus then had a problem.

The head protector on the door lintel was blocking access for the drill to make holes to screw the wood to the bracket. Fortunately it was held on only by 3 self drilling screws. Those were undone and as normal, most just spun in their holes. One went bouncing down the steps and out the door into yard debris.

I resolved to replace the screws with rivnuts. Enlarging the holes was easy enough though one hole had been mangled by whoever put the protector up. So, I got on with my beam and after securing that, turned my attention to the protector.

Two rivnuts went in well, the third not so well. When the protector was in place, one bolt just spun, indicating that removing it if I have to will require an angle grinder! Maybe I'd have been better off using rivets?

Having done it all, I measured for a low cross member then stepped back to admire my work. Looking up and down, it looked fine. Then I saw it! The vertical was straight until the bottom 18 inches. The bottom 18 inches bowed forward. More of America's "wonderful" wood! How a country can build homes with wood of the low quality available, I don't know! Anyway, as it has only to support an OSB panel, its not too bad.

Knocking off for the evening with sweat pouring off me, I noticed how the bus had sunk into the ground. I suppose 13 tons will sink a bit. Probably time to start the engine again and move it a bit!

The Easter Bunny went postal!

The day dawned as most days do. The sun scrambled over the horizon and Sleepyheads like me slithered out of bed, colliding with the floor or reality - whichever came first.

Being somewhat lucky to have most of the summer free, I'm making the most of it to work on my bus. Today, the aim was to paint the dinette\kitchenette. Thus, I started painting. After very little time, sweat was pouring in my eyes and dripping onto the floor.

The paint dyes weren't particularly well mixed into the paint and the tin being as full as it was, stirring was not quick nor easy. The paint went on well enough with very few drips.

Despite looking streaky, the paint dried uniformly. There are areas that need a second coat but that'll have to wait for another day.

Having painted, I started work on building the front closet. For the first time, I used rivets inside the bus, securing one vertical in place. Normally I would just use self drilling screws but this column has to support the handrail. Thus its extra decure because some people might need to use that handrail!

Another thing I did was to cut wood for the drawer runners. After that, I was too exhausted with the heat to do more. This is despite taking breaks. The summer heat is more of a killer than the Confederate flag!

Pretty much a nothing day

Today I trimmed the fridge door to a closer approximation of the size needed. It needs further trimming however. As it had sat out in rain overnight, the already cut edges were rusty and had to be cleaned. Cleaning them took next to no time at all. After that I slapped a coat of white Rustoleum on one side. As that had not yet dried by nightfall, I slid the cut and painted door under the bus, rested on a plastic bucket.
As I slid the bucket, I noted tiny ants wandering across the paint. Ants are a major pest in the yard. I've seen them in the bus though not an infestation yet. Someday soon I shall have to fumigate the bus to eliminate any critters. This is one reason why almost all of my wood is pre-treated.

Now the reason I didn't do much was I went shopping. I'd run out of paint - well, white semigloss topcoat anyway. Thus I bought more primer, more topcoat and a nice purple topcoat. The plan for tomorrow is to touch up where I missed with the roller in the angles with primer, to prime the cabinet tops on the unpainted sides and maybe roller the ceiling again. There are also several planks that need white paint that will be used for drawer runners.

If the white is dried in time, I might put a coat of purple. I'm not worried about drips as I have plenty white I can use to cover up. To be honest, I didn't get a problem with drips when I did the bedroom!

One thing I cannot find and I've hunted high and low is the latch plate for the doorframe for my cockpit door catch. I know I had one but I'm blowed if I can find it! I guess I'll have to sit down and make one.

The bus is feeling more complete now I'm going to paint the dinette\kitchenette. I know there's stuff still go do in the cockpit, bathroom and bedroom but I'm seeing progress.

In Lowes today, I chanced on 10x24 screw eyes. At 2 inches they're a bit overlong but should hold a chain quite satisfactorily to the ceiling. The chain I bought has a maximum weight rating of 35lbs though supported every foot of so, this should not be a problem. Hey presto, I have a closet rail! The chain will hang along the ceiling.

Now, as luck would have it, I am out of 10x24 rivnuts. I'll have to order some. I would have used M5 screw hooks but for some weird reason, they're horribly expensive!

It's all getting quite exciting now!

In other news, I doubt my bus will be ready much before August and since my job starts back about August 15th, I might have to forgo my planned trip to Canada to see Eric! I haven't seen him since we attended a wedding some years ago.

Massive strides, bigger than the small step!

Today was a continuation of yesterday. I completed the cutting, shaping and installation of the metal sheeting on both sides of the bus. I'll have to do another two, smaller sheets on the other side of the partition. I also completed the last piece of the infilling under the seat rail in the bathroom.

Again I wore out a cutting disk on my angle grinder. With luck, I won't have to buy more cutting wheels but knowing me, I probably will. They're not expensive but it costs probably about as much in fuel to drive to the store to get them as they cost.

I filled in the large gap where the bathroom wall doesn't quite meet the support. I partly did that yesterday with the quarter round. Today I filled in from the other side with wood filler. Now it looks far better.

Painting is a task that's coming up. The aisle is filled with lumber so I sat and had a little think. Then I went to the bedroom and studied where I want the end partition and desk. Looking at it, putting a solid partition will be nothing short of awkward. Thus I'm now thinking of installing a fairly lightweight desk. I won't be able to sit on the desk! I'll also install a curtain. This will have the advantage that I'll be able to put my phone down on the desk and pick it up from the desk without getting out of bed! Thinking further, the partition could well be a bead curtain.

Studying the wood problem further, I realised that I need to build the toilet and handbasin mount. Those can both be built using 2x2 and OSB. No need for ultimate strength. I had some surplus 2x4 taking up space so I started work on the front closet. That'll use up most of my surplus OSB and 2x4. That should give me room to paint!

After the closet is done and the bedroom desk, it'll be time to paint and do the bathroom. There is a plan for extra cupboards in the kitchenette/dinette but I think that the focus is now on getting the bus ready to register as a motorhome. Extra cupboards can be added later!

Once the second set of metal sheets are installed, I'll have to inject foam insulation. Believe it or not but I'm out of great stuff again! I'm out of Styrofoam but I have enough bits to make a reduction in the great stuff I'll need to inject.

I had a go at installing the catch on the cockpit door. Massive fail! My 1/2 inch drill was too small! I remeasured the lock with a micrometer and its 16.2mm. That's somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 inch. I'll have to get a bigger drill bit.

Tomorrow will probably be a lost day because I should be doing my voluntary work. It's a crack of dawn start. I might couple it with a trip to harbor Freight. It's so nice to finally feel I'm getting somewhere!