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:
After getting a new can of contact cement I glued on the edge strip.
Apply Formica to the right side.
Install the T-nuts.
There isn't enough Formica on a single 4x8 sheet to cover both sides of the two End Pieces. I was not going to cover the left side of the Left End Piece since the plan is to have it right up against a cabinet. Problem is I'm not sure how deep the cabinet will be so part of the End Piece might be visible.
I lucked out because I had a scrap piece of white Formica I got a few years back from a friend who didn't need it. Sometimes it really does pay off being a pack rat.
I'll use the scrap piece to cover the End Piece. Here I'm cutting the laminate using my table saw. You can see the table saw leaves a chip free edge.
Route the End Piece.
Left End Piece done.
Have to attach the slider hardware to the End Piece. I have to be careful because if the bolt goes too deep I'll crack the Formica.
Use the caliper to get the hole depth.
I'll use the 1" bolts.
To be sure that the 1" bolts would be safe to use I first used a 1-1/4" bolt since I knew it was too long. I slowly tightened the bolt into the End Piece while holding my hand against the Formica on the opposite side. I kept twisting the bolt till I could feel it under the Formica. This way I'd know how it felt if the 1" bolts were going too deep.
Carefully bolt on the hardware. If you remember from earlier in the build the sliders have to be attached in a certain sequence.
This should be the last time I'm attaching the slider hardware so I'm going to make it a bit more permanent. Use two nuts and a lock washer.
Then use a hand saw and cut off the excess machine screw threads.
Screws all done.
Finish up the Left End Piece.
Then the Right.
The sofa-bed parts all stacked in the garage.
This will finish the main construction work on the sofa-bed. I still have to sew together the cushions and come up with a way to bolt the sofa-bed to the van floor.
Once the sofa-bed has been bolted down I won't be able to lift up the wood flooring. There are two projects that must be done before that.
The heater fuel tank must be installed under the van and bolted through the metal floor.
The Undervan Storage Box (AKA "The Box") must also be bolted through the metal floor.
I'll start write ups on those two projects next.
After getting a new can of contact cement I glued on the edge strip.
Apply Formica to the right side.
Install the T-nuts.
There isn't enough Formica on a single 4x8 sheet to cover both sides of the two End Pieces. I was not going to cover the left side of the Left End Piece since the plan is to have it right up against a cabinet. Problem is I'm not sure how deep the cabinet will be so part of the End Piece might be visible.
I lucked out because I had a scrap piece of white Formica I got a few years back from a friend who didn't need it. Sometimes it really does pay off being a pack rat.
I'll use the scrap piece to cover the End Piece. Here I'm cutting the laminate using my table saw. You can see the table saw leaves a chip free edge.
Route the End Piece.
Left End Piece done.
Have to attach the slider hardware to the End Piece. I have to be careful because if the bolt goes too deep I'll crack the Formica.
Use the caliper to get the hole depth.
I'll use the 1" bolts.
To be sure that the 1" bolts would be safe to use I first used a 1-1/4" bolt since I knew it was too long. I slowly tightened the bolt into the End Piece while holding my hand against the Formica on the opposite side. I kept twisting the bolt till I could feel it under the Formica. This way I'd know how it felt if the 1" bolts were going too deep.
Carefully bolt on the hardware. If you remember from earlier in the build the sliders have to be attached in a certain sequence.
This should be the last time I'm attaching the slider hardware so I'm going to make it a bit more permanent. Use two nuts and a lock washer.
Then use a hand saw and cut off the excess machine screw threads.
Screws all done.
Finish up the Left End Piece.
Then the Right.
The sofa-bed parts all stacked in the garage.
This will finish the main construction work on the sofa-bed. I still have to sew together the cushions and come up with a way to bolt the sofa-bed to the van floor.
Once the sofa-bed has been bolted down I won't be able to lift up the wood flooring. There are two projects that must be done before that.
The heater fuel tank must be installed under the van and bolted through the metal floor.
The Undervan Storage Box (AKA "The Box") must also be bolted through the metal floor.
I'll start write ups on those two projects next.
