Step one. Bought the van.
Hello Everybody, First post. I camp a lot in tents but after spending three days straight in a tent in the rain at Dolly Sods I swore I'd make a change. Here it is. Bought it Wednesday. Dro...
Forum Discussion
Sofa-bed continued:
I've finished work on the drive mechanism mounted to the Center Support. Before I can attach the Center Support to the Kick Board I have to make a cut to the center "corner" block on the Kick Board. This will make room for the base end of the 12" actuator. If I hadn't glued that block into place this would have been easier.
Put the bits together.
Cut the 3" x 74" Middle Brace from 19/32" plywood. Glue and screw 1-1/2" corner blocks to the ends of the Middle Brace. Then use clamps to position the Middle Brace to the back side of of both end pieces.
Then drill holes for and add two 5/16" bolts on each end.
Glue and screw a corner block in the middle of the Middle Brace to support the Center Support. This was a MISTAKE. Just like the corresponding block on the front Kick Board I should have just screwed it into place in case I need to make adjustments to the position of the Center Support.
Put the Seat Platform into place and finish adding the metal angles on the top edge of the platform to make a kind of slider.
Hook up the actuator and use it to drive the Seat Platform back and forth.
I found that I couldn't stop the platform from jamming as it moved back and forth. I realized I had made two design failures.
My attempts at sliders just had too much friction even with several modifications I made after this first trial. I'll attempt to fix this by using heavy duty drawer sliders.
The second problem was I hadn't provided a way to keep the drive mechanism on center. I knew this when I first built it but I assumed the Seat Platform would keep it centered. It didn't and this just added to the jamming problem. I'll have to make some additions to the drive mechanism.
Onward and upward.
continued -
I've finished work on the drive mechanism mounted to the Center Support. Before I can attach the Center Support to the Kick Board I have to make a cut to the center "corner" block on the Kick Board. This will make room for the base end of the 12" actuator. If I hadn't glued that block into place this would have been easier.
Put the bits together.
Cut the 3" x 74" Middle Brace from 19/32" plywood. Glue and screw 1-1/2" corner blocks to the ends of the Middle Brace. Then use clamps to position the Middle Brace to the back side of of both end pieces.
Then drill holes for and add two 5/16" bolts on each end.
Glue and screw a corner block in the middle of the Middle Brace to support the Center Support. This was a MISTAKE. Just like the corresponding block on the front Kick Board I should have just screwed it into place in case I need to make adjustments to the position of the Center Support.
Put the Seat Platform into place and finish adding the metal angles on the top edge of the platform to make a kind of slider.
Hook up the actuator and use it to drive the Seat Platform back and forth.
I found that I couldn't stop the platform from jamming as it moved back and forth. I realized I had made two design failures.
My attempts at sliders just had too much friction even with several modifications I made after this first trial. I'll attempt to fix this by using heavy duty drawer sliders.
The second problem was I hadn't provided a way to keep the drive mechanism on center. I knew this when I first built it but I assumed the Seat Platform would keep it centered. It didn't and this just added to the jamming problem. I'll have to make some additions to the drive mechanism.
Onward and upward.
continued -
