Fighting the good fight but not really seeing much progress!

Today was mildly frustrating in that nothing stunning was achieved but problems abounded. I couldn't do any carpentry because the 2x4 is still wet. In fact I decided to leave one piece outside until tomorrow to see if it improves any, even risking it getting warped.

Overnight I left 2 pieces of 2x2 out due to their mouldy appearance. Well, today I sanded them and they look a load better. They're definitely not treated 2x2 contrary to Home Depots claim. After putting them into the bus, I saw the 3rd piece of 2x2 from Home Depot and sanded that too. That had some nasty looking dark marks and now it doesn't!

I had a go at installing the bathroom handbasin and put in a piece of 2x2 that's the correct length and perfectly level. That's as far as it went. The next piece of wood just didn't cut right then didn't mount right so I decided to skip that for the moment.

I'd have loved to have done the cockpit door but because I have 2x4 lying uncut in the bus, there was no way I could even attempt to build my door. The wood would have stopped it swinging. I thought about making a drawer but that would have been a new learning experience that would probably be better done en masse - do all the drawers at one time.

I did get on with some metalwork. I cut off the surplus metal that had been welded to the seat back tubing. Now all that's left is some blobby welds that I'll have to reduce when I switch out the cutting wheel for a grinding wheel on my angle grinder.

Another thing I did was to install the other part of my door lock. That went pretty much OK though the door needs to be partially opened by the big door lever in order to get the lock to move. The shim I had to put behind the lock is a little too thick. Without it, the lock wouldn't work. In fact, I battled most of the day to install that lock plate. The end result is that yes, it works but I'm not 100% happy with the implementation. I am however relieved that I have two working locks on the bus that can be opened from outside. Now it'd be rather hard to be totally blocked from entry.

No pictures today. I didn't achieve anything of which I am sufficiently proud. I did, while having lunch, look at an interesting YouTube video in which a guy made an instant water heater from a pair of 110v heating elements and some aluminum tubing. There was a 12v water heater too but I didn't watch the video. It did set me thinking though about whether I could get a 3 gallon immersion heater. That should be sufficient for a good shower combined with a shower head that cuts the water off when its not actively being used.

Today the temperature rose to 105f (40.5c) inside the bus. That made working on the door lock for a couple of hours real fun. Sweat was pouring off me. Doing the bathroom sink should be easier as its right beside the door.

While I was in the area, I measured the shower area at 34 by 53. The water trough I saw in Tractor Supply yesterday for $18 looks like it'd make an excellent shower bottom. It just needs a drain to be installed. That should be easy and I'm not restricted about where to put the drain either. There isn't one so I can make it where its convenient for the bus!

Right now, its frustrating because progress is slow due to the heat. Progress is imperceptible. I know I need to buy more OSB but I'm holding off on trips due to my lack of income. As I said before, my job ended for the summer and my applications thus far haven't produced as much as an interview.

I'm hoping to get the bathroom sink base completed tomorrow. That's something I can do without using OSB though to put the sides on, I shall need some.

As far as the $40 shower base I bought. I'll just have to write that off as a bad buy and won't ever return to Bonner's Wholesale. I did look at Habitat for Humanity Restore but their stuff looked no better. I'm better off ignoring secondhand and salvage as its always wasted money. What really pisses me off is that I worked damn hard for that money that got wasted on the garbage shower base. Oh well, tomorrow's another day!

Lock n load

Again, it has been another busy day. Because I moved house a month or so back, I had to change the details on my drivers license and my registration documents. I'd tried to do that before, at the local DMV office but they couldn't do it because I was still recorded as being a non US citizen. I had to go to a special office, 45 minutes away. Well, I got there and they duly changed me over to being a US citizen and changed my license and registration details. I got a swanky new license with a photo that makes me look like a deranged serial killer. Then came the painful bit - the fee was now $25 up from $10 the last time.

I might have been a bit more relaxed had South Carolina's finest been attending to speeding motorists. There I was, puttering along at 45mph (the speed limit) thinking about changing lanes in a mile or so in order to get ready for a left turn when I heard the roar of a straining engine. There was a swoosh and a sports car shot past me with its engine literally screaming. A second later, another sports car screamed past. Both had to have been doing well over 100mph. Needless to say there was no police car anywhere near. Given that the road across the dam has very limited visibility and room for maneuver, had anybody changed lanes or been in that lane, there would have been fatalities. And South Carolina's finest - nowhere to be seen!

Having got the documentation done, I headed to Irmo Lock Company who sold me the two locks for the side and rear doors of the bus and had the one planned for the side rekeyed so that both locks take the same key. It reduces the number of keys I need to carry!

Then I headed home and used the new hole saw I bought the other day to finish cutting the hole for the lock. Well, the old hole saw had messed up because it was blunt and the hole hadn't gone quite right. Still, the inner hole isn't that important. I trimmed it with my angle grinder. Then I cut the outer hole.

Fortunately, the hole went into precisely the right place and the lock fitted perfectly. I had to trim the lock bar - its marked in 1/4 inch lengths ready for trimming. The last one I trimmed with my saw. This time I did it with my angle grinder.

And the final result - a working side door lock. Now I can open both doors from the outside. Of course, the big thing is getting a way of unlocking the front door. That's somewhat harder!

The front door has a sprung latch that locks the door very well. It just can't be opened from outside. My idea is to put a solenoid that will raise the latch, operated by a key. The solenoid is something I'll have to make myself. The key lock might as well be a motorbike key lock since they're weather resistant.

About the only other thing I did was to add a latch and a handle to the bedroom door I hung yesterday. The door has warped which is annoying but not that much of a bother. I still need to put a stop behind the door but here's the door. With a stop, no light will shine through.

Inside the bus was 105F (40.5C) so sweat was pouring off my brow, working. It was while I was working that I received a dinner invitation. Of course that had to be rescheduled as there was no way I could be ready in such short order. My lady couldn't have managed it either. The bus ius getting loaded with locks now!