Hot Day!

The temperature outside the teardrop on the patio was 102 degrees (in the shade) and the temperature inside the teardrop was 97 degrees.  I really don't like hot weather; especially when I want to work outside.  I cannot imagine how the guys who work on the roof or on the roads do it.  I took lots of breaks, drank lots of cold water, and moved my zero gravity chair into the garage to cool down.

Not a lot of photos to document my work today.  

I made the hardware for the window curtain rods and painted them glossy black.

I carved the foam pieces for the bulkhead.  Covered them in foam and then installed them.  Turns out the glue (PL 300) did not work well on the insulation (1/2") that I used on the bulkhead.  I didn't think that very thin plastic layer on top of the insulation would be a problem, but the glue only 'stuck' to it, not the actual insulation.  So, I needed to pull out four of the strips of cedar and re-glue them.  I ended up using Gorilla Glue.  I also used a little bit of it on the foam covered pieces along the wall of the bulkhead.

Used the marine grade contact cement and clamps to glue the foam door panels to the door.  They turned out fantastically!

Very carefully created a pattern for the cut out for the mattress.

Traced the pattern onto the foam mattress.  Used a $14 electric knife to cut the two small wheel well sections out; ended up with two really nice pieces of foam that I may turn into a back rest or possibly a couple of pillows for the teardrop.  Couldn't believe how easily I could cut the foam.  Two minutes and it was done.  The mattress pads fit right over the cut outs; we may not even need to customize the covers. 

Not quite as productive a day as I would have liked, but all in all it was successful.  Tomorrow is the day to start working on polishing the body.  Not sure what new experiences that will bring for me!

The "Right" Door Seals: Thank You Restoration World!

So after some consultation with my colleague and fellow 1947 Tourette Teardrop Owner, Larry, I've found the 'right' door seal for the teardrop.  I've tried multiple types of weather stripping to not much success.  Larry, who also restored his 1947 Chevy Pickup Truck, shared his source for all things 1947.  He used the door seal from the 1947 Chevy Pickup on the Teardrop.  So, I finally bit the bullet and bought the same seal from a company in Ohio called Chevrolet Restoration World.

I think it's pretty cool that a company like this even exists.  Their whole world is restoration of old Chevrolet vehicles.  Amazing!

 

So, after a quick conversation with the company, I purchased the seals and they are on their way to me.

I'm thrilled because as soon as I place the seals on the body of the teardrop, I'll be able to insulate the doors.  I'm hopeful they will get here soon so that I can complete the interior work soon.

Current Project List: Galley and Electrical

I'm finding it helpful to articulate what needs to be done in writing so that my mind is clear.  I'm a list guy.  I have lists all over my desk, on my iPhone, even in my car.  I have a special pad that I keep in the car for my commute; I almost always hear something on NPR or think of something I want to do when I get home.  My iPhone list for the teardrop is long, but it has been really helpful.  It helps me keep me from forgetting things.

At this point, with the exception of the bulk head floor and the rubber gasket over the piano hinge, the teardrop is essentially water tight.

Here is a list of projects that remain in order to 'finish' the galley and electric:

1.  Hinge gasket and aluminum strips to hold it in place.

(I stopped by the local bike store South Port Rigging to 'buy' another tube for this purpose.  I ended up trying to explain what I needed and why, to the owner.  He promptly went back into the tube trash and found me a huge inner tube and he gave it to me!  No cost.  Well, I wish I had seen him a couple of weeks ago.  Nonetheless, that was really nice of him!

2.  Caulk bulkhead floor.

3.  Finish trim on galley cabinets, drawers and doors.

4.  Mount spare tire under cooler slide.

5.  Install LED 'night lights.' These will be mounted on an 'L' bracket, which will be bolted to the frame.  Should be pretty cool at night!  Also going to use my extra 'porch lights' under each door. 

6.  Install running lights and tail/turn signals.

7.  Finalize all electrical runs and install fuse box.

(Saw this image on another teardrop build; I like the use of aluminum around the switches.  I may have to incorporate that into my 'switches' or on the battery meter.

8.  Paint/polyurethane galley cabinets.  Thinking I may use the brown paint from the basement project as an accent color.  Might just paint the drawer fronts and the cabinet trim brown. 

9.  Install hardware on doors and drawers.

That should cover the galley and electrical area.  From there we'll move to the cabin cabinets and interior insulation and fixtures.  

Re-caulking, Gluing, Sealing, Screwing: Mind at Ease!

Ended up having an hour this evening to deal with my concerns about leaking. I was able to take off the wood strips I had screwed into the ceiling.  I caulked the area where the fan rests against the roof. Then I added butyl tape between the roof and the wood braces. I was able to remove the screws that had the heads broken off and put in new screws. The whole thing is drying right now. I feel much better about the fan now!

 Butyl tape and caulk applied.  Braces re-installed.

 The Fantastic Fan is now completely sealed!

Storage boxes caulked and sealed.

I also used some backer rod to cover some of my imperfections in the floor storage boxes. The  I re-caulked the gaps in the storage boxes. The last step will be to carpet the bottoms to give a little cushion and stop rattling when on the road.

 I was able to re-glue the dome light in place.  I couldn't get all the paint off the bottom of the foam, so I decided to 'over glue.'  I'm hopeful that it makes a clean seal.  I should add for those of you who are curious, I will be insulating the 'entire' ceiling with the same foam panels.  I only added these small sections because I needed to be able to work with the wires.  Eventually the entire teardrop will be insulated and covered with the headliner.

The last project I was able to finish tonight was to put the weather stripping on the door frame.  The weather stripping was exactly the right size and fit the groove where the door rests against the wood frame.

You can see how it fits snugly against the door frame.

If you look very carefully, you can see that I added a thin gray rubber seal to the door as well.  This is way more protection than the original design.  I'm hopeful that the two parts will fuse to the metal or wood and make a tight and waterproof seal.

Next job:  getting it out of the garage.  At least now I can put it out there and not be concerned about water getting in!  

Just forgot, I still need to seal the bulkhead floor.  I keep forgetting about that because it is hard to see.  I'll try to do that tomorrow evening.  Forgot another: I need to install the rubber membrane over the hinge on the hatch.  Hopefully I can find a really wide bike tube tonight.  One more thing I would like to try to accomplish before putting the drawers and cabinets in place:   I think it would be smart to hang the spare tire from the 'floor' of the galley area where the cooler 'side' will be.  I'll use rubber washers on the bolts to keep water from penetrating through the floor.  That way it is out of the way and fairly easy to access should I blow a tire and need to get it.  Of course, by planning ahead like that, you know that my first flat will be in the middle of a snow or rain storm!

Rain Day

Well, I've never had a rain day before, but today school was closed because of the torrential rains we've gotten overnight. Unfortunately, I was already at school!

So, I journeyed home and decided to tackle the windows. Six hours later I had them installed.

I have to say, I knew it would not be easy to cut the aluminum doors to fit the windows. I was EXTREMELY careful. I started by using my cardboard template.

I put the window in place and was immediately heartbroken. I had cut it too big. I couldn't understand how this could be, the template was meticulously made and I measured three times. It turns out the radius of the window was slightly larger than the piece of aluminum that sandwiches through the door. I had used the wrong part of the window as my guide.  (Notice the teeny tiny light coming through the top right corner of the frame.)

I immediately was crushed. How could I have been so dumb? I was beside myself. I thought about my options. I considered making new doors out of wood; ordering bigger windows; etc. none of those options appealed to me so I sat down and sulked. I decided to hope something at the hardware store would inspire a solution.

I went to the hardware store and looked at every type of weather stripping, Velcro, plastic I could find. Nothing would work. So I wandered the aisles trying to think outlet side the box. Defeated, I drove towards home. Then I had an idea; make a gasket, but with what?

I steered towards the bike shop. I purchased a bike inner tube.

Twenty minutes later, I had made my own gasket with the tube. Another trip to the hardware store for some adhesive. I was able to split the tube and work it over the aluminum where the window would sit. I was then able to install the window in a way that provided just that teeny bit of difference I needed from my 'mistake.'

It took a couple of hours to trim the other window. I went through seven metal scroll saw blades all together. I went to the bike store and bought another tube. I was able to quickly make another gasket and install the new window.

Now, the windows are installed and the doors are back on the teardrop. What started as a heartbreaking 'mistake' ended with a unique customization! I'm hopeful when the adhesive sets up that I can add a little more silicone sealant to the gaskets to ensure that they are watertight.

The cabin is already much lighter with the windows in place. I feel proud of my problem solving skills, for today.

Galley Animation and Windows!

So, this was fun.  I was able to make this sketch up design in about an hour today.  It's not exactly to scale, but its a lot easier than monkeying around with pieces of wood in the garage.  I was able to experiment with different size cabinets, counter tops, etc.  I'm so glad that I took the time to learn how to use this tool!  Unfortunately, the 'actual' measurements are a little tighter than the model I made here.  I'm trying to find a way to store our Coleman stove during transport and make an elegant way to use it when in camp.  I'm leaning toward a side table that will allow us to use the stove.



Galley Design One from Todd Burleson on Vimeo.

My windows arrived today.  They look pretty spiffy.  

I am going to have to do some cutting of the door to make them fit, but I think it's going to work out great.  I'm a little anxious about cutting the door; it has an aluminum 'L' piece that I'll need to trim in order to make these fit just right.  It's time to invest in a few good quality metal scroll saw blades!  However, I'm so happy that the rubber seal will cover the holes for the hinges that the previous owner cut into the aluminum!  This is the door that I still have to remove all the rust spots.