Today: Fridge Tweaks, Cabinet Wire Protection and Closing out the Galley & Greatroom
There's not much that remains in Galley and Greatroom. The ceiling vent cover (blackout style curtain thing) and the entry door curtain remain left to do. But we'll get to that soon enough, and doesn't need reporting.
Today let's start with the fridge. The door interior was missing the flip down, spring-loaded cheese and butter hold-back.
This picture shows my change up in progress, as I removed the lower compartment's aluminum hold-back there at the bottom, and prepped to relocate it up where the spring-loaded holder used to live.
I drilled new holes, all up and down the inside of the door for placing that hold back and a new design for the lower compartment.
Using some extra stainless steel pieces (from the curtain rod job) for that lower, taller section
Note the same vinyl tubing technique to keep them in place.
And that gives us this.
We'll use that lower area (less likely to freeze than in the back) for our produce. DW preps fruits and veggies ready to eat, which we often grab on the run. That's a good spot for it.
She also bought some extra organizers for eggs, beer (we don't drink pop) and such. The biggest one shown won't work there due to 1/2 gallon milk jugs, so it's coming out.
In the galley overhead, behind the radio, I built a divider system for protecting the wires.
And THAT closes out Galley & Greatroom
There's not much that remains in Galley and Greatroom. The ceiling vent cover (blackout style curtain thing) and the entry door curtain remain left to do. But we'll get to that soon enough, and doesn't need reporting.
Today let's start with the fridge. The door interior was missing the flip down, spring-loaded cheese and butter hold-back.
This picture shows my change up in progress, as I removed the lower compartment's aluminum hold-back there at the bottom, and prepped to relocate it up where the spring-loaded holder used to live.
I drilled new holes, all up and down the inside of the door for placing that hold back and a new design for the lower compartment.
Using some extra stainless steel pieces (from the curtain rod job) for that lower, taller section
Note the same vinyl tubing technique to keep them in place.
And that gives us this.
We'll use that lower area (less likely to freeze than in the back) for our produce. DW preps fruits and veggies ready to eat, which we often grab on the run. That's a good spot for it.
She also bought some extra organizers for eggs, beer (we don't drink pop) and such. The biggest one shown won't work there due to 1/2 gallon milk jugs, so it's coming out.
In the galley overhead, behind the radio, I built a divider system for protecting the wires.
And THAT closes out Galley & Greatroom
Today: Finishing touches - insert at vent hood and door header trim board with porch light wiring, flashlight mount and coat hooks.
There's a good reason we don't talk about politics and religion in the RV.net forums - even to the level that it's a rule! Because it's a very emotionally charged subject. Typically, when we get emotionally charged, that's when our ugliness comes out. Ugliness coming out has a tendency to shut-down discourse - and causes discord.
Discord - what a cool word. "Dis" is simply the "lack of" or "opposite of". So "discord" must mean the lack of a cord. But what's a "cord"?
A cord is roughly a four foot high, by four foot wide, by eight foot long, split and stacked pile of firewood! So discord means "not being prepared for winter"! And around here, winter can last a loooong time.
Not being ready for what comes AFTER getting all emotionally charged then, makes for a much longer cold season than ANYBODY wants.
Sheesh, what's the best response to THAT?! Maybe it's to refrain from too much emotion? Duh.
Emotion is a good thing, it's kind of like sugar on your cereal, seasoning on your beef patty. But can you just imagine how awful it would be to have a 4th of July BBQ and ask your friends and family who have gathered, "How do you want your seasoning?" and you start taking down preferences like "well done seasonings" and "make mine rare", and "I want my seasonings to still moo!"
I can tell you here and now, I've HAD seasonings in ALL their cooking styles. DW is a cook - Believe Me! Believe Me! I just love saying Believe Me! It sounds so dorky doesn't it? "Well ummm okay. I wasn't going to until you asked me, but since you asked, okay, I'll believe you."
It's not pretty (seasonings in all forms or rarity). Seasoning as a season - awesome, seasoning as the main course? Not so much.
So let's tone down the emotions in our lives, get back on top of sensibility. The only way to get out of the sugar rush caused by a steady diet of emotions, is to temper them with real food. No single word describes real food as well as the word "truth".
True food. Not processed. Not manufactured. Not marketed. Just plain food, like we've been eating for eons. Typically it grows right out of the earth. Since when did we bastardize the word "dirt"? Dirt is "real life" - Real Earth. The Mother of all that grows. Bad dirt is not earth. Bad dirt is filth. Waste. Filthy waste does not describe my earth Mother.
When we play Blind Man's Bluff, it's hard to see the difference between earth and filth, but if we use our other senses - and sensibilities - we can discern the differences.
History has shown ample evidence of "mob rule" and "emotionally charged" and "lemmings over a cliff", etc.
If you are a person "weak of reason", and high on emotion, you place yourself smack dab in the center of that pack of lemmings. Many in the world see that group of humanity as "losers", and actually say it out loud. Because these losers fall for it every time! They are soooo easy. The "winners" of that group will time after time tell you whatever is needed to engage your emotions, so you will be led into following their agenda.
It's actually a science related effect, but don't get all hung up on the science aspect, or you'll just aggravate your emotions again.
If there's a position A, and B, and C, where A is conventional wisdom, and C is on the fringe, with B in the middle, and you are trying to get a population to accept a change (in this case, moving from A to B), then you impress upon the population that our long-held position A NEEDS to be changed to C! Oh no!! Everybody freaks out! C!!!! Are you shifting me? We can't go to position C!
So when they settle on the originally desired position B, the leaders are happily successful, the followers are satisfied their emotionally charged demands against C was effective, and NOBODY even thinks about position A ever again! Except after everybody comes to realize position B was a GREAT BIG MISTAKE! Oh, but too late. A is history, B is the new normal. That's how emotional populations change.
So are we satisfied with the change we're making? Is position B where we want our world? Because there's no letter before A. You can't go back to something before current conventional wisdom. Unless you want to change the analogy from letters to numbers on a line graph and you add negatives as well as positives. But that's a whole 'nuther argument. I know, I know, that whole math confusion thing again.
Just remember - we're too easy. Compared to C, B is much closer to the non-existent letter before A, where some wanted to go, but it will never get there. So B is dressed up as better than C, and B takes on the new emotional look of the non-existing letter before A. And then we die and those who remain have to gather together what they can out of the trash-heap we gave them.
What do we deserve for doing that - when we die? Sorry, can't talk about that - religion is against the rules. With any luck we'll be rewarded for good intentions. You had 'em right? I think mine were good. Or was that just my emotions?
Let's see - what CAN we talk about? Superficiality that's what. How about cover-ups? Yeah, that's the ticket!
DW found this trim board from our scrap pile and thought it would be fun to include (it matches that little narrow trim board between the galley wood wall and the tile back-splash). I splashed some stain and poly on it while working the recent floor.
Cut to size and finished it pressed right into a tight fit here at the front of the vent hood. That's the cover-up.
And you may remember back when I discovered the shorted wire lead for the porch light. It originally came along with the camper framing runs of the clearance lights, but just before it dropped down into the porch light access hole, I hit it with a trim screw or something. Doh!
So I tapped into the galley overhead cabinet lighting circuit and ran a lead inside the cabinet over to the entry door upper framing area. From there, I ran it in a saw blade groove across the back of the interior door trim header board and taped it in place. That's another cover up.
Then I pushed the header trim back against the wall, and ran longer door mount screws into it from the door exterior framing. Cover up.
I blocked the red wire visual with a short piece of black tape (cover up), both there at the porch light hole, and to the right of the board for about an inch before it goes behind the cabinet face on the right.
Here again are the porch light pieces, including some new pigtail parts from the automotive store. I pick and chose the best pieces for my application.
One side.
The other.
So here's how it turned out on the exterior. Cover up.
The chrome ring is pretty pitted. But if I feel I ever need to replace it, it's basically just a surface mount back-up trailer light. I have two lights on my shelf that are just about perfect matches (although newer, and thus lesser quality) I bought for my utility trailer.
But this one's original.
And on the interior, I added the coat hooks and the flashlight - handy right over the door. We find the flashlight handy to shed light on the night and other cover ups.
Doesn't that just charge your emotions? It does mine!
The Gally and Greatroom are getting very close to "completed". There's still a bit-o-work to do on the bathroom, but even so, that is coming together at a pretty quick clip. And DW is working curtains and bedding plans!
Exterior? Not much. My clearance lights installation remains, and the bezels are being worked at a local joint as we speak. Once those are on and sealed, the camper can be moved outside and put on the truck.
This little baby is currently getting "shake down cruise" planning.
There's a good reason we don't talk about politics and religion in the RV.net forums - even to the level that it's a rule! Because it's a very emotionally charged subject. Typically, when we get emotionally charged, that's when our ugliness comes out. Ugliness coming out has a tendency to shut-down discourse - and causes discord.
Discord - what a cool word. "Dis" is simply the "lack of" or "opposite of". So "discord" must mean the lack of a cord. But what's a "cord"?
A cord is roughly a four foot high, by four foot wide, by eight foot long, split and stacked pile of firewood! So discord means "not being prepared for winter"! And around here, winter can last a loooong time.
Not being ready for what comes AFTER getting all emotionally charged then, makes for a much longer cold season than ANYBODY wants.
Sheesh, what's the best response to THAT?! Maybe it's to refrain from too much emotion? Duh.
Emotion is a good thing, it's kind of like sugar on your cereal, seasoning on your beef patty. But can you just imagine how awful it would be to have a 4th of July BBQ and ask your friends and family who have gathered, "How do you want your seasoning?" and you start taking down preferences like "well done seasonings" and "make mine rare", and "I want my seasonings to still moo!"
I can tell you here and now, I've HAD seasonings in ALL their cooking styles. DW is a cook - Believe Me! Believe Me! I just love saying Believe Me! It sounds so dorky doesn't it? "Well ummm okay. I wasn't going to until you asked me, but since you asked, okay, I'll believe you."
It's not pretty (seasonings in all forms or rarity). Seasoning as a season - awesome, seasoning as the main course? Not so much.
So let's tone down the emotions in our lives, get back on top of sensibility. The only way to get out of the sugar rush caused by a steady diet of emotions, is to temper them with real food. No single word describes real food as well as the word "truth".
True food. Not processed. Not manufactured. Not marketed. Just plain food, like we've been eating for eons. Typically it grows right out of the earth. Since when did we bastardize the word "dirt"? Dirt is "real life" - Real Earth. The Mother of all that grows. Bad dirt is not earth. Bad dirt is filth. Waste. Filthy waste does not describe my earth Mother.
When we play Blind Man's Bluff, it's hard to see the difference between earth and filth, but if we use our other senses - and sensibilities - we can discern the differences.
History has shown ample evidence of "mob rule" and "emotionally charged" and "lemmings over a cliff", etc.
If you are a person "weak of reason", and high on emotion, you place yourself smack dab in the center of that pack of lemmings. Many in the world see that group of humanity as "losers", and actually say it out loud. Because these losers fall for it every time! They are soooo easy. The "winners" of that group will time after time tell you whatever is needed to engage your emotions, so you will be led into following their agenda.
It's actually a science related effect, but don't get all hung up on the science aspect, or you'll just aggravate your emotions again.
If there's a position A, and B, and C, where A is conventional wisdom, and C is on the fringe, with B in the middle, and you are trying to get a population to accept a change (in this case, moving from A to B), then you impress upon the population that our long-held position A NEEDS to be changed to C! Oh no!! Everybody freaks out! C!!!! Are you shifting me? We can't go to position C!
So when they settle on the originally desired position B, the leaders are happily successful, the followers are satisfied their emotionally charged demands against C was effective, and NOBODY even thinks about position A ever again! Except after everybody comes to realize position B was a GREAT BIG MISTAKE! Oh, but too late. A is history, B is the new normal. That's how emotional populations change.
So are we satisfied with the change we're making? Is position B where we want our world? Because there's no letter before A. You can't go back to something before current conventional wisdom. Unless you want to change the analogy from letters to numbers on a line graph and you add negatives as well as positives. But that's a whole 'nuther argument. I know, I know, that whole math confusion thing again.
Just remember - we're too easy. Compared to C, B is much closer to the non-existent letter before A, where some wanted to go, but it will never get there. So B is dressed up as better than C, and B takes on the new emotional look of the non-existing letter before A. And then we die and those who remain have to gather together what they can out of the trash-heap we gave them.
What do we deserve for doing that - when we die? Sorry, can't talk about that - religion is against the rules. With any luck we'll be rewarded for good intentions. You had 'em right? I think mine were good. Or was that just my emotions?
Let's see - what CAN we talk about? Superficiality that's what. How about cover-ups? Yeah, that's the ticket!
DW found this trim board from our scrap pile and thought it would be fun to include (it matches that little narrow trim board between the galley wood wall and the tile back-splash). I splashed some stain and poly on it while working the recent floor.
Cut to size and finished it pressed right into a tight fit here at the front of the vent hood. That's the cover-up.
And you may remember back when I discovered the shorted wire lead for the porch light. It originally came along with the camper framing runs of the clearance lights, but just before it dropped down into the porch light access hole, I hit it with a trim screw or something. Doh!
So I tapped into the galley overhead cabinet lighting circuit and ran a lead inside the cabinet over to the entry door upper framing area. From there, I ran it in a saw blade groove across the back of the interior door trim header board and taped it in place. That's another cover up.
Then I pushed the header trim back against the wall, and ran longer door mount screws into it from the door exterior framing. Cover up.
I blocked the red wire visual with a short piece of black tape (cover up), both there at the porch light hole, and to the right of the board for about an inch before it goes behind the cabinet face on the right.
Here again are the porch light pieces, including some new pigtail parts from the automotive store. I pick and chose the best pieces for my application.
One side.
The other.
So here's how it turned out on the exterior. Cover up.
The chrome ring is pretty pitted. But if I feel I ever need to replace it, it's basically just a surface mount back-up trailer light. I have two lights on my shelf that are just about perfect matches (although newer, and thus lesser quality) I bought for my utility trailer.
But this one's original.
And on the interior, I added the coat hooks and the flashlight - handy right over the door. We find the flashlight handy to shed light on the night and other cover ups.
Doesn't that just charge your emotions? It does mine!
The Gally and Greatroom are getting very close to "completed". There's still a bit-o-work to do on the bathroom, but even so, that is coming together at a pretty quick clip. And DW is working curtains and bedding plans!
Exterior? Not much. My clearance lights installation remains, and the bezels are being worked at a local joint as we speak. Once those are on and sealed, the camper can be moved outside and put on the truck.
This little baby is currently getting "shake down cruise" planning.
๐
Today: Finishing the floor.
One of the first things we did about 75 years ago when we first started this project, was to buy snap and lock manufactured wood flooring. Clearance. Or at least sale priced at the home center. Because it kind of fit our vision.
It is now installed, and I believe it is THE only FAUX Wood in the camper. We call it "alternative flooring", or "Fake Floor". Why? Because we can. We have many believers too! To us, it's the only real thing in the camper. Why? Because we say so, and only I can say it!
We learned long ago, real wood flooring is "too heavy" for some people. Gotta have a light weight version - instead of the 3/4" tongue and groove real oak slats - like we put in our home. Now THAT stuff can take a pounding, or major scuffing and still come out looking sweet with a simple sanding and refinishing.
Not for us, no sir! We want that thin veneer - actually a faux photo-paper finish - because we have found so many people will look at it and say, "Is that real wood?", and we say, "of course it is, all the rest of the wood in this camper is FAKE"! And check out the FAKE wood floor in our home! You simply CANNOT trust the Main-stream-Manufacturers (of wood), what we in the "bidness" call the MSM.
Plywood? Fake. Dimensional lumber? Fake. Real-wood Birch paneling? Fake. All Fake! The only real real wood? Manufactured flooring with photo-paper. Now when I count to three, you're going to wake up. But - there's a small percentage who will never wake up and for those simple souls, we just keep singing sleepy time songs - make them as comfortable in their coma as possible.
And because we didn't know exactly HOW much it was going to take, since we'd never really tried to convince people this stuff was real wood, we decided to buy TWO, count them - TWO boxes. You're just going to have to trust me! Believe Me! Because I forgot to take pictures. Believe Me! That's not good for me! And a lot of my friends are NOT happy with me. Believe Me!
As time went on, and we studied the potential effect this would have on people, we realized trying to convince you this was a real wood-strip floor, you know the kind, where all the lengths vary and you end up with lots of butt joints (end to end) in each run of strips. Well - it was gonna be a tough sell.
We thought perhaps a better look, kind of fitting the old log cabin feel of the camper we were trying to reach, it MIGHT be better to run the boards left to right, east and west. Shorten the long skinny illusion, and make it feel wider and not so long, like a floor space, not a hallway.
And no butt joints. That way, it would mimic a "plank floor" rather than a "strip floor". You know - make you "strip", and walk the "plank", if'n you don't buy in to our version of how it all went down.
And - it's NOT OFTEN you get a close look at "Real" FAUX Wood, so here's a shot.
Now don't dwell on that, you might wake up and leave the Matrix short-staffed.
Here's another shot from a comfortable distance. Much easier to believe this is REAL wood, because it's sparkly! Well, not exactly sparkly - yet. We're asking you not to dwell on it for the moment. Wait until we get our whole thing together - and then look at it. That way you won't have any adverse memories to get past. So pay no attention to the man behind the curtain for right now.
Kind of bland in its raw form isn't it? Were going to have to polish up this little turtle to make it more palatable.
Here's the fake plywood we're covering up - with all its historical veracity. Some of you, who aren't afraid of reading, may even remember those past events where hard fought battles were won against moss and dust which hath currupted, and hard long-suffering work was applied, day after day, and coat of primer over coat of primer. So - let's cover up all that hard work - of those who came before - and put our pretty little digital photo-paper finish over it! Lovely! Hide the ugly. Only the pretty need apply! Ooooommmmm.
The plank widths JUST about fit the floor length perfectly, except in these two places. First, where the door threshold will cover, a thin strip pushed into place - on both sides.
And here, requiring a butt joint because the material was too weak (manufactured fake wood is ALWAYS weaker than the TRUE stuff - but having said that, when the truth gets thin it needs JUST as much protection and tender treatment as you can give it).
It's beautiful!
But there's just something off. Don't you think?
Like it needs something to be believable.
The finish! That's it! It's "Semi-Gloss" or maybe even "Satin"! We used High-Gloss on everything else! Bingo!
Let's Gloss OVER this Fake Wood Floor!
Three coats of High-Gloss Poly later...
And THAT'S a Fake Floor to be Proud of!
Today: Finishing the floor.
One of the first things we did about 75 years ago when we first started this project, was to buy snap and lock manufactured wood flooring. Clearance. Or at least sale priced at the home center. Because it kind of fit our vision.
It is now installed, and I believe it is THE only FAUX Wood in the camper. We call it "alternative flooring", or "Fake Floor". Why? Because we can. We have many believers too! To us, it's the only real thing in the camper. Why? Because we say so, and only I can say it!
We learned long ago, real wood flooring is "too heavy" for some people. Gotta have a light weight version - instead of the 3/4" tongue and groove real oak slats - like we put in our home. Now THAT stuff can take a pounding, or major scuffing and still come out looking sweet with a simple sanding and refinishing.
Not for us, no sir! We want that thin veneer - actually a faux photo-paper finish - because we have found so many people will look at it and say, "Is that real wood?", and we say, "of course it is, all the rest of the wood in this camper is FAKE"! And check out the FAKE wood floor in our home! You simply CANNOT trust the Main-stream-Manufacturers (of wood), what we in the "bidness" call the MSM.
Plywood? Fake. Dimensional lumber? Fake. Real-wood Birch paneling? Fake. All Fake! The only real real wood? Manufactured flooring with photo-paper. Now when I count to three, you're going to wake up. But - there's a small percentage who will never wake up and for those simple souls, we just keep singing sleepy time songs - make them as comfortable in their coma as possible.
And because we didn't know exactly HOW much it was going to take, since we'd never really tried to convince people this stuff was real wood, we decided to buy TWO, count them - TWO boxes. You're just going to have to trust me! Believe Me! Because I forgot to take pictures. Believe Me! That's not good for me! And a lot of my friends are NOT happy with me. Believe Me!
As time went on, and we studied the potential effect this would have on people, we realized trying to convince you this was a real wood-strip floor, you know the kind, where all the lengths vary and you end up with lots of butt joints (end to end) in each run of strips. Well - it was gonna be a tough sell.
We thought perhaps a better look, kind of fitting the old log cabin feel of the camper we were trying to reach, it MIGHT be better to run the boards left to right, east and west. Shorten the long skinny illusion, and make it feel wider and not so long, like a floor space, not a hallway.
And no butt joints. That way, it would mimic a "plank floor" rather than a "strip floor". You know - make you "strip", and walk the "plank", if'n you don't buy in to our version of how it all went down.
And - it's NOT OFTEN you get a close look at "Real" FAUX Wood, so here's a shot.
Now don't dwell on that, you might wake up and leave the Matrix short-staffed.
Here's another shot from a comfortable distance. Much easier to believe this is REAL wood, because it's sparkly! Well, not exactly sparkly - yet. We're asking you not to dwell on it for the moment. Wait until we get our whole thing together - and then look at it. That way you won't have any adverse memories to get past. So pay no attention to the man behind the curtain for right now.
Kind of bland in its raw form isn't it? Were going to have to polish up this little turtle to make it more palatable.
Here's the fake plywood we're covering up - with all its historical veracity. Some of you, who aren't afraid of reading, may even remember those past events where hard fought battles were won against moss and dust which hath currupted, and hard long-suffering work was applied, day after day, and coat of primer over coat of primer. So - let's cover up all that hard work - of those who came before - and put our pretty little digital photo-paper finish over it! Lovely! Hide the ugly. Only the pretty need apply! Ooooommmmm.
The plank widths JUST about fit the floor length perfectly, except in these two places. First, where the door threshold will cover, a thin strip pushed into place - on both sides.
And here, requiring a butt joint because the material was too weak (manufactured fake wood is ALWAYS weaker than the TRUE stuff - but having said that, when the truth gets thin it needs JUST as much protection and tender treatment as you can give it).
It's beautiful!
But there's just something off. Don't you think?
Like it needs something to be believable.
The finish! That's it! It's "Semi-Gloss" or maybe even "Satin"! We used High-Gloss on everything else! Bingo!
Let's Gloss OVER this Fake Wood Floor!
Three coats of High-Gloss Poly later...
And THAT'S a Fake Floor to be Proud of!
Today: Fridge controls cover.
Here's trusting you all had a nice Christmas. We sure did! 'Course if you don't celebrate Christmas yourself, that's cool - to me. I don't get all offended-ness if you "ain't just like me". Maybe you're kind of a Kwanzaa person, or perhaps it's Hanukkah or something. Me? Christmas. I'm not really schooled up in all those other things. Like what even are the actual dates for those? Might be kinda cool to see some kind of "various cultures" on display in our lives - see what makes others tick, instead of assuming they are all just of the devil. Like at Disney - I just LOVE "It's a Small World" - don't you? I can't get that song outta my head!
But like I just happen to know, Christmas is on December 25th. That's like MOST people who celebrate Christmas, they know - the 25th.
But there's one line of thinking that says the real date is more like springtime, because that's when sheep shepards typically watch over their flocks by night - due to lambing season, and because current history (I mean before it gets re-written by the victors) says the actual winter solstice date was for political purposes back in the Roman Empire era when they tried to get the new religion tied into the latest governments stuff - what is known in the "bidness" as "combination of church and state". Which is ALSO known in some circles as "Accommodation For Manipulation" or what we in the "bidness" call AFM. Shhhh, this is secret stuff and I could tell you more, but then I'd have to kill myself.
But - so I don't really wanna offend nobody. But what's more, I don't wanna come off as ignorant - because of that whole self-consciousness thing. So I try not to assume. I mean you might be one thing, and I might assume you're another.
So if I walk past you and say, "Have a good day", I risk a, "what if I don't want to HAVE a good day?" and I think (and sometimes say) "go jump in a lake you big jerk" and the next thing you know there's all this love and harmony floating around in the immediate area and 9 times out of 10 it all descends on ONE person or another and everybody in the neighborhood feels like ****.
That's kind of why sometimes I say Happy Holidays. Now I'm not trying to "war" with nobody, just trying to say something nice - that's also short and sweet. It's like when somebody sees you after a long time and they say "How are you?" That's just a greeting! Nobody at that moment is wanting to really hear about your details - especially if you're ill! Intelligent people know it's just a greeting. They realize there's a "greeting" moment, and a detailed discussion period later - in SOME cases.
But we had a good Christmas - Merry even-en! Yesterday - when we watched our annual viewing of "It's a Wonderful Life", I thought while watching poor old miserable Mr. Potter, WOW! How timely is THIS?!
Oh there are those who must have LIKED him - maybe his Mother. Or maybe his Mother didn't love him enough when he was little? Hmmmm.
Most associates around him were probably just weak of character, sold their souls, and chose to serve the old coot, like that butler guy who pushes his wheeled chair and looks soooooo miserable doing it, or the accountant dude I think he was, who spilled the beans about Potter's loss of rental income to George's "Bailey Park" - dozens of the cutest little homes for those poor and needy of the community, you know the ones, the diss-affected who just wanted to make a living as a cop (Bert), or a taxi-driver (Ernie) and were demeaned by Potter as a guy sitting around on his brains, or a store clerk - people who JUST wanted to celebrate a Merry Christmas! God Bless us One and All! It's TIMELY - I tell you, TIMELY!
I found some wooden toys in my stocking!
No instructions! Hooo Boy - this is gonna be fun!
It looked like the pieces had to go together this way, so I added some glue and staples.
Then I could see the new toys were supposed to go with this long skinny door/drawer front I had made sometime ago based on a dream I had. But there was dream distortion - I think it was all those sugar-plums dancing around in my head that caused some of the dream images to refract, so I had to take it over to the table saw and narrow it down even further!
To make room for the plastic door/drawer front edging.
You know - this stuff.
Which gave me this...
And this...
And then I found some red primer and hammered copper paint cans in my OTHER sock. Up 'til now I'd been in the garage in my Christmas morning slippers and my feet were starting to get cold.
And then I found in my THIRD stocking (see when I lose a sock in the dryer I simply add the odd sock to ANOTHER pair, and THAT way I never have a single sock. Solutions don't HAVE to make sense). But in my THIRD stocking I found this hardware and got it attached.
After I got the new toy all put together I started looking around for how to use it. I mean it's pretty - should be somewhere seen. But it was just 1 by stock. Not as if it needs prominent display, like if it was an old vintage part or something.
I found this spot, but thought, "that goes directly to the outside"! Perhaps some weather strip sealing would be appropriate.
Then - having run out of stockings - I went back to my coffee cans and founds these deck screws in a suitable color.
So I think where I chose to hang it went well.
The design allowed for the handle to set back somewhat.
Everything seemed to seal out the drafts well - 'course we'll need some real world testing.
Merry Christmas Baby! Ho Ho Ho!
Here's trusting you all had a nice Christmas. We sure did! 'Course if you don't celebrate Christmas yourself, that's cool - to me. I don't get all offended-ness if you "ain't just like me". Maybe you're kind of a Kwanzaa person, or perhaps it's Hanukkah or something. Me? Christmas. I'm not really schooled up in all those other things. Like what even are the actual dates for those? Might be kinda cool to see some kind of "various cultures" on display in our lives - see what makes others tick, instead of assuming they are all just of the devil. Like at Disney - I just LOVE "It's a Small World" - don't you? I can't get that song outta my head!
But like I just happen to know, Christmas is on December 25th. That's like MOST people who celebrate Christmas, they know - the 25th.
But there's one line of thinking that says the real date is more like springtime, because that's when sheep shepards typically watch over their flocks by night - due to lambing season, and because current history (I mean before it gets re-written by the victors) says the actual winter solstice date was for political purposes back in the Roman Empire era when they tried to get the new religion tied into the latest governments stuff - what is known in the "bidness" as "combination of church and state". Which is ALSO known in some circles as "Accommodation For Manipulation" or what we in the "bidness" call AFM. Shhhh, this is secret stuff and I could tell you more, but then I'd have to kill myself.
But - so I don't really wanna offend nobody. But what's more, I don't wanna come off as ignorant - because of that whole self-consciousness thing. So I try not to assume. I mean you might be one thing, and I might assume you're another.
So if I walk past you and say, "Have a good day", I risk a, "what if I don't want to HAVE a good day?" and I think (and sometimes say) "go jump in a lake you big jerk" and the next thing you know there's all this love and harmony floating around in the immediate area and 9 times out of 10 it all descends on ONE person or another and everybody in the neighborhood feels like ****.
That's kind of why sometimes I say Happy Holidays. Now I'm not trying to "war" with nobody, just trying to say something nice - that's also short and sweet. It's like when somebody sees you after a long time and they say "How are you?" That's just a greeting! Nobody at that moment is wanting to really hear about your details - especially if you're ill! Intelligent people know it's just a greeting. They realize there's a "greeting" moment, and a detailed discussion period later - in SOME cases.
But we had a good Christmas - Merry even-en! Yesterday - when we watched our annual viewing of "It's a Wonderful Life", I thought while watching poor old miserable Mr. Potter, WOW! How timely is THIS?!
Oh there are those who must have LIKED him - maybe his Mother. Or maybe his Mother didn't love him enough when he was little? Hmmmm.
Most associates around him were probably just weak of character, sold their souls, and chose to serve the old coot, like that butler guy who pushes his wheeled chair and looks soooooo miserable doing it, or the accountant dude I think he was, who spilled the beans about Potter's loss of rental income to George's "Bailey Park" - dozens of the cutest little homes for those poor and needy of the community, you know the ones, the diss-affected who just wanted to make a living as a cop (Bert), or a taxi-driver (Ernie) and were demeaned by Potter as a guy sitting around on his brains, or a store clerk - people who JUST wanted to celebrate a Merry Christmas! God Bless us One and All! It's TIMELY - I tell you, TIMELY!
I found some wooden toys in my stocking!
No instructions! Hooo Boy - this is gonna be fun!
It looked like the pieces had to go together this way, so I added some glue and staples.
Then I could see the new toys were supposed to go with this long skinny door/drawer front I had made sometime ago based on a dream I had. But there was dream distortion - I think it was all those sugar-plums dancing around in my head that caused some of the dream images to refract, so I had to take it over to the table saw and narrow it down even further!
To make room for the plastic door/drawer front edging.
You know - this stuff.
Which gave me this...
And this...
And then I found some red primer and hammered copper paint cans in my OTHER sock. Up 'til now I'd been in the garage in my Christmas morning slippers and my feet were starting to get cold.
And then I found in my THIRD stocking (see when I lose a sock in the dryer I simply add the odd sock to ANOTHER pair, and THAT way I never have a single sock. Solutions don't HAVE to make sense). But in my THIRD stocking I found this hardware and got it attached.
After I got the new toy all put together I started looking around for how to use it. I mean it's pretty - should be somewhere seen. But it was just 1 by stock. Not as if it needs prominent display, like if it was an old vintage part or something.
I found this spot, but thought, "that goes directly to the outside"! Perhaps some weather strip sealing would be appropriate.
Then - having run out of stockings - I went back to my coffee cans and founds these deck screws in a suitable color.
So I think where I chose to hang it went well.
The design allowed for the handle to set back somewhat.
Everything seemed to seal out the drafts well - 'course we'll need some real world testing.
Merry Christmas Baby! Ho Ho Ho!
Today: Curtain rods.
After going back into an irregular heart beat right after Thanksgiving, and its day-after-day cumulative effect in weighing me down for three weeks of unsuccessful self-cardio-version on the heels of that whole elective surgery recovery for the PREVIOUS 4 weeks, we finally got me into the shop for a booster jump.
That's where they give you some kind of petroleum product that makes you tell the truth, even though later you can't remember what you said - or the descriptors you used - right after they yell, "CLEAR!".
And the only reason they keep you awake - instead of a full on "sweet dreams buddy" - is so you can wake up faster and cost everybody less. Oh - and also, so they can get you to VOLUNTARILY open your mouth wide when they want you to, so they can send the probe down your throat and see if you have any blood clots in your heart chamber before they "ZAP" the little buggers loose and send them careening toward your Brain, you know - Stroke City - right!?
But not if you don't have insurance! Oh No! In THAT case you just go to the ER, and the "Benevolent Medical Industry", widely know to us in the "bidness", as the "BMI", where they'll fix you up right fine - AT no cost to you, like those nasty expenses of having to pay insurance premiums or something. Then those costs are passed on to the REST of us who DO have insurance. It's a pretty sweet system!
Because for some odd-ball reason - maybe genetic programming, we humans can't think that many moves in advance and put those kinds of puzzle pieces together - so NOBODY ever talks about the "elephant in the room", which is the high cost of medical goods and services in the FIRST place, as it relates to OTHER family budget issues - percentage wise, like oh say... 25% for home, 10-20% for retirement savings, 1-50% for food, 1-50% for plastic bottled water, 1-50% for automotive, and 50-300% for out of pocket medical goods and services PLUS premiums. But we don't like Math right? None of us thought we'd ever REALLY use it in life after High School.
So we wail about this, and we whine about that, and continue to deride those who find themselves in a bit of a pickle, as compared to ourselves, and we glorify those who are doing SO much better than ourselves, because we are so proud that there are at least SOME smart humans and EVERYBODY isn't dumbed down like us.
Or perhaps do we fail to consider if we weren't WORKING so hard (on our FaceBook Likes), or believing such stupid stuff, AND had the luxury of having one or more accountants and attorneys at our OWN right hand, maybe we'd all have the time to get enlightened. Hey! It could happen! Yeah I know - I'm dreaming - but maybe our country needs dreamers.
The other day one of my leaders told me the solution is to have more babies. :S
I guess that is so in a couple decades we can improve economy for taking better care of our sick and elderly by generating income - that is to say the ones who don't give up the ghost by then from diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer and simple malnutrition from our normal diets - not to mention opioids. But have you TAKEN a field trip to the Landfill lately?
Stay Alive! At ALL Costs. While we continue behavior that is killing us. And we watch programs about duck hunting instead of nutritional and exercise concepts!
Then we demand expensive treatment - and pills. How many do YOU take? And what ELSE is in those? Can you say "Manchurian Candidate"? Sure- I knew you could!
All in the name of respect for life. Death with dignity? In our society? No way - Taboo! So we keep everyone plugged in and generating economy. Do you visit those poor old souls sitting around in the elder care facilities? Me either.
So - never can tell! Might not be here tomorrow. Gotta get back onto this baby! Today was curtain rods!
In Tow-Mater we used a unique curtain rod method beginning about here.
I liked it, so used a similar method for Lil' Queeny. About the only difference was enlisting clear poly-tubing instead of black automotive vacuum hose.
So here is one rod end at the Galley window.
And the corner rods at the Galley.
Stepping back now. The Galley windows.
The Dinette window. Note the drooping slope of the upper cabinet. I think it was kind of originally installed that way and I didn't try and move it any.
The Bathroom is not going to get a curtain; another idea there. Nor will the truck-cab window. Probably a Velcro attached black-out cover on it, as well as the ceiling vent.
Similar thinking on the bottom edge of the tilted forward-facing cab-over bunk windows.
And at the bed's foot and head.
Your Welcome! Glad you enjoyed it. ๐
Don't forget your meds!
After going back into an irregular heart beat right after Thanksgiving, and its day-after-day cumulative effect in weighing me down for three weeks of unsuccessful self-cardio-version on the heels of that whole elective surgery recovery for the PREVIOUS 4 weeks, we finally got me into the shop for a booster jump.
That's where they give you some kind of petroleum product that makes you tell the truth, even though later you can't remember what you said - or the descriptors you used - right after they yell, "CLEAR!".
And the only reason they keep you awake - instead of a full on "sweet dreams buddy" - is so you can wake up faster and cost everybody less. Oh - and also, so they can get you to VOLUNTARILY open your mouth wide when they want you to, so they can send the probe down your throat and see if you have any blood clots in your heart chamber before they "ZAP" the little buggers loose and send them careening toward your Brain, you know - Stroke City - right!?
But not if you don't have insurance! Oh No! In THAT case you just go to the ER, and the "Benevolent Medical Industry", widely know to us in the "bidness", as the "BMI", where they'll fix you up right fine - AT no cost to you, like those nasty expenses of having to pay insurance premiums or something. Then those costs are passed on to the REST of us who DO have insurance. It's a pretty sweet system!
Because for some odd-ball reason - maybe genetic programming, we humans can't think that many moves in advance and put those kinds of puzzle pieces together - so NOBODY ever talks about the "elephant in the room", which is the high cost of medical goods and services in the FIRST place, as it relates to OTHER family budget issues - percentage wise, like oh say... 25% for home, 10-20% for retirement savings, 1-50% for food, 1-50% for plastic bottled water, 1-50% for automotive, and 50-300% for out of pocket medical goods and services PLUS premiums. But we don't like Math right? None of us thought we'd ever REALLY use it in life after High School.
So we wail about this, and we whine about that, and continue to deride those who find themselves in a bit of a pickle, as compared to ourselves, and we glorify those who are doing SO much better than ourselves, because we are so proud that there are at least SOME smart humans and EVERYBODY isn't dumbed down like us.
Or perhaps do we fail to consider if we weren't WORKING so hard (on our FaceBook Likes), or believing such stupid stuff, AND had the luxury of having one or more accountants and attorneys at our OWN right hand, maybe we'd all have the time to get enlightened. Hey! It could happen! Yeah I know - I'm dreaming - but maybe our country needs dreamers.
The other day one of my leaders told me the solution is to have more babies. :S
I guess that is so in a couple decades we can improve economy for taking better care of our sick and elderly by generating income - that is to say the ones who don't give up the ghost by then from diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer and simple malnutrition from our normal diets - not to mention opioids. But have you TAKEN a field trip to the Landfill lately?
Stay Alive! At ALL Costs. While we continue behavior that is killing us. And we watch programs about duck hunting instead of nutritional and exercise concepts!
Then we demand expensive treatment - and pills. How many do YOU take? And what ELSE is in those? Can you say "Manchurian Candidate"? Sure- I knew you could!
All in the name of respect for life. Death with dignity? In our society? No way - Taboo! So we keep everyone plugged in and generating economy. Do you visit those poor old souls sitting around in the elder care facilities? Me either.
So - never can tell! Might not be here tomorrow. Gotta get back onto this baby! Today was curtain rods!
In Tow-Mater we used a unique curtain rod method beginning about here.
I liked it, so used a similar method for Lil' Queeny. About the only difference was enlisting clear poly-tubing instead of black automotive vacuum hose.
So here is one rod end at the Galley window.
And the corner rods at the Galley.
Stepping back now. The Galley windows.
The Dinette window. Note the drooping slope of the upper cabinet. I think it was kind of originally installed that way and I didn't try and move it any.
The Bathroom is not going to get a curtain; another idea there. Nor will the truck-cab window. Probably a Velcro attached black-out cover on it, as well as the ceiling vent.
Similar thinking on the bottom edge of the tilted forward-facing cab-over bunk windows.
And at the bed's foot and head.
Your Welcome! Glad you enjoyed it. ๐
Don't forget your meds!
Today: Working the mattress cover.
Now theoretically this belongs in Chapter 11. Night Chamber. But because I already started out a few posts ago - here in Galley & Greatroom - I thought I'd continue here, at least until the completed unit which will be posted tomorrow morning in the correct chapter.
Regarding dimensions, the top plate and bottom plate portions are cut to the size of the foam rubber mattress, and once the seam allowance all the way around is taken into account, the remaining finished plates pull the foam rubber into a slight compression, just like the dinette cushions, causing a bit-o-stretch and resulting in tight covers.
The boxing (sides of the cover) are made the same height as the foam, plus 1/2", making THAT a bit tight too.
But, the main difference between the dinette cushions and the mattress cushions are the fact that the mattress cover uses a zipper, whereas the dinette cushions used staple straps. So this cover also has a "zipper plaque".
Now the lengths of the boxing and zipper plaque are important too. Based on Sailrite's instructional videos, I cut my zipper length 2" shorter than the mattress length. And the height cut to the same as the boxing, plus the zipper width (1.25") because it is built with some fabric "fold-over" in the zipper region.
The overall length of the boxing was the opposite (front) edge of the mattress, plus both the widths for the head and foot, plus 8". So it wraps around and hangs 4" on each side at the back, to attach to the ends of the zipper plaque.
Using the scrap end of the purchased zipper, after cutting to the length I needed for the mattress, I set to practicing.
First, I installed the zipper foot. Then grabbed a couple of scrap pieces of fabric the length of the zipper scrap, and made my test piece.
I also realized I didn't want to fight a weird shape (the camper's vee-nose) for my first zipper project, so I used the electric carving knife Sailrite trick and cut my mattress into a 53" by 79" rectangle.
Then with the regular presser feet back on the machine, I butt joined my remaining lengths of fabric to make a long enough boxing, hiding butt joints visually, as well as in locations that would not weaken structure, as on a corner might.
Also, folded the zipper plaque (5.5" boxing height, plus 1.25" zipper width, equals 6.75" total fabric width) in half, and ran a seam near the fold edge, half a zipper width (5/8") in from the fold edge, then using scissors, cut the fabric in it's middle, ready to sew on the zipper.
The zipper foot was kind of weird, and I think I'm running it on the wrong side here, but it may be built for either side, as I chose to run the stitch at this particular distance from the zipper teeth.
And the target is to center the zipper, on the center of that previous stitch for the zipper plaque center.
The completed zipper plaque came out like this.
Well except for ripping out the stitch placed initially.
Then it was back to the big work table, cutting to size and aligning together, the top plate fabric and pillow cover fabric (and the bottom plate fabric).
Yesterday I basted the whole thing together. That's what takes all the time, just like prep of wood before paint is the lion's share of the job. The (pillow cover fabric to top plate, then that assembly to the piping, then the other side of the piping to the boxing edges) and sewed it all together.
Then back to the basting of the bottom plate to the lower piping (for structural rigidity because it is mostly hidden visually), and then to the other boxing edge.
I didn't take pictures.
Last night just before beer-thirty I finished that all up on the machine. Today I'll take example pictures, then stuff it with the foam rubber, take more pictures, and post it all up over in the Night Chamber.
The upholstery is just about finished.
Now theoretically this belongs in Chapter 11. Night Chamber. But because I already started out a few posts ago - here in Galley & Greatroom - I thought I'd continue here, at least until the completed unit which will be posted tomorrow morning in the correct chapter.
Regarding dimensions, the top plate and bottom plate portions are cut to the size of the foam rubber mattress, and once the seam allowance all the way around is taken into account, the remaining finished plates pull the foam rubber into a slight compression, just like the dinette cushions, causing a bit-o-stretch and resulting in tight covers.
The boxing (sides of the cover) are made the same height as the foam, plus 1/2", making THAT a bit tight too.
But, the main difference between the dinette cushions and the mattress cushions are the fact that the mattress cover uses a zipper, whereas the dinette cushions used staple straps. So this cover also has a "zipper plaque".
Now the lengths of the boxing and zipper plaque are important too. Based on Sailrite's instructional videos, I cut my zipper length 2" shorter than the mattress length. And the height cut to the same as the boxing, plus the zipper width (1.25") because it is built with some fabric "fold-over" in the zipper region.
The overall length of the boxing was the opposite (front) edge of the mattress, plus both the widths for the head and foot, plus 8". So it wraps around and hangs 4" on each side at the back, to attach to the ends of the zipper plaque.
Using the scrap end of the purchased zipper, after cutting to the length I needed for the mattress, I set to practicing.
First, I installed the zipper foot. Then grabbed a couple of scrap pieces of fabric the length of the zipper scrap, and made my test piece.
I also realized I didn't want to fight a weird shape (the camper's vee-nose) for my first zipper project, so I used the electric carving knife Sailrite trick and cut my mattress into a 53" by 79" rectangle.
Then with the regular presser feet back on the machine, I butt joined my remaining lengths of fabric to make a long enough boxing, hiding butt joints visually, as well as in locations that would not weaken structure, as on a corner might.
Also, folded the zipper plaque (5.5" boxing height, plus 1.25" zipper width, equals 6.75" total fabric width) in half, and ran a seam near the fold edge, half a zipper width (5/8") in from the fold edge, then using scissors, cut the fabric in it's middle, ready to sew on the zipper.
The zipper foot was kind of weird, and I think I'm running it on the wrong side here, but it may be built for either side, as I chose to run the stitch at this particular distance from the zipper teeth.
And the target is to center the zipper, on the center of that previous stitch for the zipper plaque center.
The completed zipper plaque came out like this.
Well except for ripping out the stitch placed initially.
Then it was back to the big work table, cutting to size and aligning together, the top plate fabric and pillow cover fabric (and the bottom plate fabric).
Yesterday I basted the whole thing together. That's what takes all the time, just like prep of wood before paint is the lion's share of the job. The (pillow cover fabric to top plate, then that assembly to the piping, then the other side of the piping to the boxing edges) and sewed it all together.
Then back to the basting of the bottom plate to the lower piping (for structural rigidity because it is mostly hidden visually), and then to the other boxing edge.
I didn't take pictures.
Last night just before beer-thirty I finished that all up on the machine. Today I'll take example pictures, then stuff it with the foam rubber, take more pictures, and post it all up over in the Night Chamber.
The upholstery is just about finished.
Today: Finishing up the dinette cushions.
Here we see a seat cushion top plate, basted along the edge with the basting tape, paper backing pulled off and then the piping laid down. Forcing the stiffer piping around a sharp corner requires practice and increasingly improving technique.
After the piping, another layer of basting tape over that, and then the boxing edge. Again the corners require the most effort, as this is where the 90 degree angle will form. It's kind of like trying to spread a peeled world globe surface map off the earth's crust and lay it down flat onto a table top. A method that was worked out long ago by creative thinkers of a scientific mind with such solutions as the Lambert Conformal Conic Projection.
I know, lots of big words; if nothing else, too many big words is probably why SOME geniuses adhere to the "flat-earth theory". The same group probably thinks we are nothing more than stick people so don't need more than a three millimeter cushion thickness, where boxing becomes unnecessary.
With considerable strain in the corners, I learned that perhaps (at least with this particular piping) a broader corner might be best. But having already done some, I had to try and reach the same - or similar - curves that I began with.
Now here's an example of the butt joint region for both the piping, and the boxing, at the back of the cushion.
Note how the piping flaps overlap to both sides of the boxing seam. The internal piping piece was cut from both ends to butt right at the middle. This was how I ended up doing the rest of the joints after trying the first two methods I discarded early on.
Then it was onto the machine...
And off to the races.
By this stage, this was my GOOD corner...
My BAD corner...
And my UGLY corner.
Yeah I had to pick it out and re-sew. And THEN I ran out of bobbin thread! It was AWFUL I tell you AWFUL! It was as if the gods were punishing me because I had made fun of their "flat earth people", who - I've heard - are considered kind of cute by the gods, because they're so gullible. Apparently the gods find it charming. But - THEY don't have to LIVE with them! :R
Then it was back out to the shop to do corners on THESE two boards...
Then stuffing and stapling.
Now we're seeing the two seat BACKS. Getting those covers done in the sewing room, I was back in the garage stapling down the front edge before stuffing.
This is the under side of the cover, showing the back side of the upper piping seam (for the top of the boxing, or the top plate to boxing seam) laying near to the wood edge. Kind of trying to position it out of the way, but centered, so I could get the other piping flap into the board edge easier.
Then with the bottom plate (staple flaps) to bottom of boxing seam pulled into the plywood edge nice and flat and snug - "BAM"! Staple, dead center. They called my Dad "ol' dead eye". And he kept me secret.
After bringing fabric in, folded once in half and stapled, sort of in remaining centers...
I came back and filled in the blanks every 1-2 inches or so, from 200 yards away!
Getting kind of a start at each corner, but leaving room to work 'em.
Then flipped over, I put in the foam, placing the poly-wrap edge seam toward the back side of the cushions. I don't know how much that matters.
And got those stapled.
I rounded the piping corners to what best look I could get, and stapled the fabric flaps in positions to hold the shapes.
Okay, may we have a drum roll please. (sound of drum-roll. I don't know what that looks like on a keyboard).
I found these in our water heater box recently. I think these are used for "flat-earth theory maps". Not exactly sure HOW they use them but hey! Whatever! They fall for anything! (Yes I know what these are really for, but let's just keep that between us).
Aren't they just so cute!? Like Bugs would say, "What a MAROON! What a Gulli-BULL, what a Nin-COW-poop!"
But I used them to prop forward the seat back boards. And they can easily stow at the mattress foot. We found keeping the seats flat (that's our theory and we're sticking to it) worked just fine for our comfort. We're calling it our "flat-butt theory".
Here's with only ONE "flat-earth theory map roll" behind - for when ships travel slow.
And here's a shot with TWO, count them TWO, "flat-earth theory map rolls" behind - for like when ships go really fast and need to take off! You know, like when they go TOTALLY really fast!
But - we were comfy.
Here we see a seat cushion top plate, basted along the edge with the basting tape, paper backing pulled off and then the piping laid down. Forcing the stiffer piping around a sharp corner requires practice and increasingly improving technique.
After the piping, another layer of basting tape over that, and then the boxing edge. Again the corners require the most effort, as this is where the 90 degree angle will form. It's kind of like trying to spread a peeled world globe surface map off the earth's crust and lay it down flat onto a table top. A method that was worked out long ago by creative thinkers of a scientific mind with such solutions as the Lambert Conformal Conic Projection.
I know, lots of big words; if nothing else, too many big words is probably why SOME geniuses adhere to the "flat-earth theory". The same group probably thinks we are nothing more than stick people so don't need more than a three millimeter cushion thickness, where boxing becomes unnecessary.
With considerable strain in the corners, I learned that perhaps (at least with this particular piping) a broader corner might be best. But having already done some, I had to try and reach the same - or similar - curves that I began with.
Now here's an example of the butt joint region for both the piping, and the boxing, at the back of the cushion.
Note how the piping flaps overlap to both sides of the boxing seam. The internal piping piece was cut from both ends to butt right at the middle. This was how I ended up doing the rest of the joints after trying the first two methods I discarded early on.
Then it was onto the machine...
And off to the races.
By this stage, this was my GOOD corner...
My BAD corner...
And my UGLY corner.
Yeah I had to pick it out and re-sew. And THEN I ran out of bobbin thread! It was AWFUL I tell you AWFUL! It was as if the gods were punishing me because I had made fun of their "flat earth people", who - I've heard - are considered kind of cute by the gods, because they're so gullible. Apparently the gods find it charming. But - THEY don't have to LIVE with them! :R
Then it was back out to the shop to do corners on THESE two boards...
Then stuffing and stapling.
Now we're seeing the two seat BACKS. Getting those covers done in the sewing room, I was back in the garage stapling down the front edge before stuffing.
This is the under side of the cover, showing the back side of the upper piping seam (for the top of the boxing, or the top plate to boxing seam) laying near to the wood edge. Kind of trying to position it out of the way, but centered, so I could get the other piping flap into the board edge easier.
Then with the bottom plate (staple flaps) to bottom of boxing seam pulled into the plywood edge nice and flat and snug - "BAM"! Staple, dead center. They called my Dad "ol' dead eye". And he kept me secret.
After bringing fabric in, folded once in half and stapled, sort of in remaining centers...
I came back and filled in the blanks every 1-2 inches or so, from 200 yards away!
Getting kind of a start at each corner, but leaving room to work 'em.
Then flipped over, I put in the foam, placing the poly-wrap edge seam toward the back side of the cushions. I don't know how much that matters.
And got those stapled.
I rounded the piping corners to what best look I could get, and stapled the fabric flaps in positions to hold the shapes.
Okay, may we have a drum roll please. (sound of drum-roll. I don't know what that looks like on a keyboard).
I found these in our water heater box recently. I think these are used for "flat-earth theory maps". Not exactly sure HOW they use them but hey! Whatever! They fall for anything! (Yes I know what these are really for, but let's just keep that between us).
Aren't they just so cute!? Like Bugs would say, "What a MAROON! What a Gulli-BULL, what a Nin-COW-poop!"
But I used them to prop forward the seat back boards. And they can easily stow at the mattress foot. We found keeping the seats flat (that's our theory and we're sticking to it) worked just fine for our comfort. We're calling it our "flat-butt theory".
Here's with only ONE "flat-earth theory map roll" behind - for when ships travel slow.
And here's a shot with TWO, count them TWO, "flat-earth theory map rolls" behind - for like when ships go really fast and need to take off! You know, like when they go TOTALLY really fast!
But - we were comfy.
