1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 7. Finishes & Finishing
I've reached a point in our Resto-Mod where it has come time to start applying finishes. On new wood these will be in the form of primer and various paints, perhaps some stains - and poly, lots of poly. On old wood, particularly the interior birch paneling, it will consist of stains and once again, lots of poly. I'll talk about poly and color schemes in a minute.
But this thread is about more than those things mentioned above. All the little elements of completing this camper that don't fit elsewhere into logical categories will end up here. In fact, the very last posts for the entire build will probably be toward the end of this thread, even though there will, of necessity, come several more parts after this Part 7.
Here's a complete list.
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 1. Acquisition & Evaluation
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 2. Dismantling and Salvage
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 3. Structure and New Wood
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 4. Bathroom Remodel
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 5. Propane
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 6. Jacks & Tiedowns
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 7. Finishes & Finishing
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 8. Fresh Water
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 9. Electrical (AC/DC)
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 10. Galley & Greatroom
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 11. Night Chamber
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 12. Waste Water
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 13. Exterior, Skin & Openings
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 14. Viewer Perceptions
By poly, I mean polyurethane. My wife and I have a love affair with polyurethane.
Back in the mid-nineties we installed our first hardwood floor in our home, a combo dining/entry room that has since become our front door foyer. We used unfinished 3/4" red oak boards. What a learning experience. As novices's we didn't realize the rented floor sander was broken, we just thought it was inadequate, so most of the sanding on that floor was done on my knees with a belt sander! And it turned out beautiful, but OMG! After staining we put down a floor grade (thick) high-gloss polyurethane, and we've never looked back!
We still use flat or eggshell finish on ceilings, and will entertain combinations of satin, or more likely semi-gloss on walls but EVERYTHING else gets gloss or high gloss. And we've done lots of custom/craftsmen woodwork in our homes (I say homes because we flipped one in Fairbanks when we had to move there for three years), and ALL those wood stained surfaces get high-gloss poly!
We've always been "earth-tones" kind of people and for years we kind of went along with the crowd that basically stated home walls should be pretty much neutral and of lighter colors. Meanwhile, many in younger generations were coming in with black and rich primary colors for entire rooms and as a traditionalist I just kind of shook my head.
Then we did a little more of something on the house exterior and we liked it. Then we moved to Alaska and DW had her OWN epiphany on color palette. I was at work so she just did it while I wasn't there and I had no choice (just kidding - she involved me). But like always, her interior decorating was right on the money; she really has an eye.
In essence we moved into darker, richer colors. We don't do white. Cream or off-whites are okay, but we avoid white. We don't do black, but many of our darker color choices are going to look black at first glance. We use lots of copper, expresso, reddish tinged golden stains, all along with the original earth tones, but which have become somewhat darker and richer themselves. In fact, we liked the end results so much that upon our return to Wyoming we changed up our long-term home to much the same colors as we had in Fairbanks. So that's where we're also going in the camper!
I know, I know, the traditionalists are going to say, "You have to keep the colors light in the camper, otherwise it will feel smaller, closed in!" Perhaps, but we'll see won't we. ;)
But this thread is about more than those things mentioned above. All the little elements of completing this camper that don't fit elsewhere into logical categories will end up here. In fact, the very last posts for the entire build will probably be toward the end of this thread, even though there will, of necessity, come several more parts after this Part 7.
Here's a complete list.
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 1. Acquisition & Evaluation
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 2. Dismantling and Salvage
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 3. Structure and New Wood
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 4. Bathroom Remodel
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 5. Propane
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 6. Jacks & Tiedowns
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 7. Finishes & Finishing
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 8. Fresh Water
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 9. Electrical (AC/DC)
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 10. Galley & Greatroom
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 11. Night Chamber
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 12. Waste Water
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 13. Exterior, Skin & Openings
1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 14. Viewer Perceptions
By poly, I mean polyurethane. My wife and I have a love affair with polyurethane.
Back in the mid-nineties we installed our first hardwood floor in our home, a combo dining/entry room that has since become our front door foyer. We used unfinished 3/4" red oak boards. What a learning experience. As novices's we didn't realize the rented floor sander was broken, we just thought it was inadequate, so most of the sanding on that floor was done on my knees with a belt sander! And it turned out beautiful, but OMG! After staining we put down a floor grade (thick) high-gloss polyurethane, and we've never looked back!
We still use flat or eggshell finish on ceilings, and will entertain combinations of satin, or more likely semi-gloss on walls but EVERYTHING else gets gloss or high gloss. And we've done lots of custom/craftsmen woodwork in our homes (I say homes because we flipped one in Fairbanks when we had to move there for three years), and ALL those wood stained surfaces get high-gloss poly!
We've always been "earth-tones" kind of people and for years we kind of went along with the crowd that basically stated home walls should be pretty much neutral and of lighter colors. Meanwhile, many in younger generations were coming in with black and rich primary colors for entire rooms and as a traditionalist I just kind of shook my head.
Then we did a little more of something on the house exterior and we liked it. Then we moved to Alaska and DW had her OWN epiphany on color palette. I was at work so she just did it while I wasn't there and I had no choice (just kidding - she involved me). But like always, her interior decorating was right on the money; she really has an eye.
In essence we moved into darker, richer colors. We don't do white. Cream or off-whites are okay, but we avoid white. We don't do black, but many of our darker color choices are going to look black at first glance. We use lots of copper, expresso, reddish tinged golden stains, all along with the original earth tones, but which have become somewhat darker and richer themselves. In fact, we liked the end results so much that upon our return to Wyoming we changed up our long-term home to much the same colors as we had in Fairbanks. So that's where we're also going in the camper!
I know, I know, the traditionalists are going to say, "You have to keep the colors light in the camper, otherwise it will feel smaller, closed in!" Perhaps, but we'll see won't we. ;)
