I got the entry door on, and some propane stuff worked. Will get that all posted up soon. But today is a Finishing thing.
Any camper restoration really needs to include its gear. Camping stuff you know? Like my Dad's old Red Coleman single mantle gas lantern. I just HAVE to find someplace to store it and take along. Yeah, I could use the double mantle larger green one he gave me when I was a kid, but "Little Red" is too cool.
Then there was the flashlight I mentioned a few days ago, a 3 D Cell Mag-Light that can be used as a weapon too? When was the last time you wacked an intruder up side the head with a smart phone flashlight?
Other camp tools that are necessary, like camp knifes, which means both a folder and a non-folder. In addition, you just HAVE to have a shovel and an axe!
At the second hand store the other day, I came across another army shovel for $5! I used my Dad's army shovel as a kid, like the Tasmanian Devil might use his natural ability, to get weeds out of those various places in the yard Mom would assign me. I was so good at weed removal (compared to the sisters) that Mom took me off dish washing duty during summers.
That shovel got lost somewhere along the way, probably sold with one of my vehicles, because I was the only one who ever used the shovel, even up into my teens and maybe twenties.
Years later, when the kids turned 4 and 5, we sold our first canned-ham and bought back-packing gear with the proceeds. That's when I got my current army shovel (the one with the U.S. Army imprint below). Now I've got two.
The first shovel, and the axe have been living in the Willys Jeep.
In the past, DS used somebody's Wetterlings axe and fell in love with it. He bought two, one for me, and one for him. He got me this mid size "Outdoor" axe.
Now that I have a logical place for it and one shovel (in Lil' Queeny), I can get the other little hatchet I used to carry in the Jeep, along with the second shovel, back into the Jeep. Then you don't have to be transferring all the time.
I used WD-40 and steel wool to clean and lube things up, then sanded the shovel handles, and rubbed in some new tongue oil (boiled linseed oil), which if you don't use it - you should. Not only does it weather up your wooden handles, but it hardens somewhat, in the grooves and pits and around the splinters, turning the handles into smooth, stronger than original, good gripping tools!
Then I put some fresh edges on the shovels at the bench grinder, and on the axes with a file and stone. Then a knocked off the flesh tearing edges on the shovel, and stowed the stuff away.
Any camper restoration really needs to include its gear. Camping stuff you know? Like my Dad's old Red Coleman single mantle gas lantern. I just HAVE to find someplace to store it and take along. Yeah, I could use the double mantle larger green one he gave me when I was a kid, but "Little Red" is too cool.
Then there was the flashlight I mentioned a few days ago, a 3 D Cell Mag-Light that can be used as a weapon too? When was the last time you wacked an intruder up side the head with a smart phone flashlight?
Other camp tools that are necessary, like camp knifes, which means both a folder and a non-folder. In addition, you just HAVE to have a shovel and an axe!
At the second hand store the other day, I came across another army shovel for $5! I used my Dad's army shovel as a kid, like the Tasmanian Devil might use his natural ability, to get weeds out of those various places in the yard Mom would assign me. I was so good at weed removal (compared to the sisters) that Mom took me off dish washing duty during summers.
That shovel got lost somewhere along the way, probably sold with one of my vehicles, because I was the only one who ever used the shovel, even up into my teens and maybe twenties.
Years later, when the kids turned 4 and 5, we sold our first canned-ham and bought back-packing gear with the proceeds. That's when I got my current army shovel (the one with the U.S. Army imprint below). Now I've got two.
The first shovel, and the axe have been living in the Willys Jeep.
In the past, DS used somebody's Wetterlings axe and fell in love with it. He bought two, one for me, and one for him. He got me this mid size "Outdoor" axe.
Now that I have a logical place for it and one shovel (in Lil' Queeny), I can get the other little hatchet I used to carry in the Jeep, along with the second shovel, back into the Jeep. Then you don't have to be transferring all the time.
I used WD-40 and steel wool to clean and lube things up, then sanded the shovel handles, and rubbed in some new tongue oil (boiled linseed oil), which if you don't use it - you should. Not only does it weather up your wooden handles, but it hardens somewhat, in the grooves and pits and around the splinters, turning the handles into smooth, stronger than original, good gripping tools!
Then I put some fresh edges on the shovels at the bench grinder, and on the axes with a file and stone. Then a knocked off the flesh tearing edges on the shovel, and stowed the stuff away.
Well, here I am again in Finishes and Finishing, because I'm not sure if this post should go under Electric, or Fresh and Grey Water, or under Galley and Greatroom.
It has to do with heating the basement. What? The basement? You thought I said early on there WAS no basement. And I did.
But theoretically, there is a basement beneath the dinette floor and shower pan. And (because it's such a big living space to keep track of) there's ANOTHER basement beneath the dinette seating and step up to the bunk!
How are we going to keep the fresh water and grey water areas from freezing?
Last summer, after we built the green house and decided - during winter - to heat it with some small equipment cabinet fans we got off Amazon for cheap, with the use of the two boat batteries in storage on the garage shelf right next to the door into the green house, and running the fans constantly, while the batteries sit there on the trickle charger, one fan circulating heat into the green house, the other pulling greenhouse air into the garage, in a sort of convective loop. But, there was too much unsealed surface in the green house, and not enough air flow, so it all got taken down and put on the shelf. So -change scenes back to the camper.
A long time ago (well before the greenhouse), while planning the electrical wire runs through the dinette seating area (before I chose the actual method in use now under the floor board), I had planned on running a channel across the back wall of the u-shape, in conjunction with a support board screwed to the wall which would help support the table when the dinette bed was made up.
Then one day I got this brilliant idea as I looked at a piece of black ABS pipe. Drill holes in the cabinets, insert the pipe, run wires in it, done! It was black, so it hid well, and it didn't jut out too far in the floor and leg area (okay - it DID jut out too far, but I convinced myself that it didn't). I grabbed the hole saw and the drill and went to work! Then I put in the pipe/channel - and called DW out for approval.
Except DW didn't approve. And the holes were already drilled. And I went, "whoops".
Sometimes on a project like this, stuff happens. And all you can do is work on something else, and try and ignore the big, ugly elephant in the room and sleep on it, for like months! So I did.
Enter: small equipment cabinet fans.
Hmmmmm, now if I put those on the back cabinet side, and covered the hole with a louvered vent. That would hide the big, ugly elephant, AND pump warmed air into the tank and dump compartments.
So here goes.
When I first held the fan up to the smaller 2" hole, there was quite a noise - harmonics of airflow through the smaller opening. I drilled various size holes in pieces of scrap wood to listen to the different tones, and harmonics of the airflow, chose the quietest, and most pleasant tone, from my selection of hole saws, and the minimum and maximum size constraints of the fan, vent, and existing mistake holes. Like this.
Once chosen, I moved on to the walls. Now one wall is a 3/4" piece of original wood. The other is merely 1/8" original paneling. That had an effect on cutting and mounting, different screws, you might notice.
Here's the back side for the fan in the electrical cabinet which pulls heated air into the grey water tank and dump valve area.
Here's the back side of the fan in the fresh water tank cabinet.
In both cases, air flow can circulate back into the living quarters through all the non-airtight cabinet doors.
Here's evidence the fan is pulling air as advertised.
Here's the look with the modified vent covers in place.
And all finished it hides well. This area is directly across the aisle from where the Wave 3 heater will live, so the footsies should be about the toastiest place in the house,right where the air is being pulled from.
I received yesterday, two button thermostats to operate these fan circuits. They cut on at 35 degrees, and off at - I think - 45, maybe 40.
I will also get some rocker switches to manually shut off the circuits. Completing this wiring will be reported later under Electrical.
I also got stain...
And then the first coat of poly, onto the entry door interior side boards.
Two more coats to do.
It has to do with heating the basement. What? The basement? You thought I said early on there WAS no basement. And I did.
But theoretically, there is a basement beneath the dinette floor and shower pan. And (because it's such a big living space to keep track of) there's ANOTHER basement beneath the dinette seating and step up to the bunk!
How are we going to keep the fresh water and grey water areas from freezing?
Last summer, after we built the green house and decided - during winter - to heat it with some small equipment cabinet fans we got off Amazon for cheap, with the use of the two boat batteries in storage on the garage shelf right next to the door into the green house, and running the fans constantly, while the batteries sit there on the trickle charger, one fan circulating heat into the green house, the other pulling greenhouse air into the garage, in a sort of convective loop. But, there was too much unsealed surface in the green house, and not enough air flow, so it all got taken down and put on the shelf. So -change scenes back to the camper.
A long time ago (well before the greenhouse), while planning the electrical wire runs through the dinette seating area (before I chose the actual method in use now under the floor board), I had planned on running a channel across the back wall of the u-shape, in conjunction with a support board screwed to the wall which would help support the table when the dinette bed was made up.
Then one day I got this brilliant idea as I looked at a piece of black ABS pipe. Drill holes in the cabinets, insert the pipe, run wires in it, done! It was black, so it hid well, and it didn't jut out too far in the floor and leg area (okay - it DID jut out too far, but I convinced myself that it didn't). I grabbed the hole saw and the drill and went to work! Then I put in the pipe/channel - and called DW out for approval.
Except DW didn't approve. And the holes were already drilled. And I went, "whoops".
Sometimes on a project like this, stuff happens. And all you can do is work on something else, and try and ignore the big, ugly elephant in the room and sleep on it, for like months! So I did.
Enter: small equipment cabinet fans.
Hmmmmm, now if I put those on the back cabinet side, and covered the hole with a louvered vent. That would hide the big, ugly elephant, AND pump warmed air into the tank and dump compartments.
So here goes.
When I first held the fan up to the smaller 2" hole, there was quite a noise - harmonics of airflow through the smaller opening. I drilled various size holes in pieces of scrap wood to listen to the different tones, and harmonics of the airflow, chose the quietest, and most pleasant tone, from my selection of hole saws, and the minimum and maximum size constraints of the fan, vent, and existing mistake holes. Like this.
Once chosen, I moved on to the walls. Now one wall is a 3/4" piece of original wood. The other is merely 1/8" original paneling. That had an effect on cutting and mounting, different screws, you might notice.
Here's the back side for the fan in the electrical cabinet which pulls heated air into the grey water tank and dump valve area.
Here's the back side of the fan in the fresh water tank cabinet.
In both cases, air flow can circulate back into the living quarters through all the non-airtight cabinet doors.
Here's evidence the fan is pulling air as advertised.
Here's the look with the modified vent covers in place.
And all finished it hides well. This area is directly across the aisle from where the Wave 3 heater will live, so the footsies should be about the toastiest place in the house,right where the air is being pulled from.
I received yesterday, two button thermostats to operate these fan circuits. They cut on at 35 degrees, and off at - I think - 45, maybe 40.
I will also get some rocker switches to manually shut off the circuits. Completing this wiring will be reported later under Electrical.
I also got stain...
And then the first coat of poly, onto the entry door interior side boards.
Two more coats to do.
Today I'm doing more Finishes and Finishing, this time on the inside of the camper. Some real pretty stuff starts to show off.
Here is the smaller of the two galley window screen frames. Notice the mounting holes are four, one in the middle of every side.
We had talked about mimicking the same brass upholstery washer with black construction screw, as we've used elsewhere in the camper (an original feature in some spots, by the way, using silver screws and washers). Where we've done that, we have put the screws about 5-6" apart for the visual, and I was intending to do the same on these screen frames.
But I felt that treatment was too bulky for the narrow band we are working with on these frames. Therefore, I changed to using up many of the rest of my brass hinge screws, but with increased number of holes and screws, again for the visual, in spite of more work to do when removing screens for cleaning.
Here's the larger of the two galley screen frames, this one with new screw holes drilled.
So I took these over to the wire wheel on the bench grinder and carefully gave each head surface a buff.
I had to count screws, and choose frame hole placement and numbers based on how many screws I had.
And that gives us this.
And the look from outside.
Then I moved to the big one at the dinette.
And finally up top in the bunk.
Here's the left side, which will be at the foot of the bed.
And the right side, or at the head of the bed.
Notice too, how well the repaired woodwork turned out. This side especially had some significant water damage.
In fact, the double rows of screws are structural, for extra ribs in this region.
Here is the smaller of the two galley window screen frames. Notice the mounting holes are four, one in the middle of every side.
We had talked about mimicking the same brass upholstery washer with black construction screw, as we've used elsewhere in the camper (an original feature in some spots, by the way, using silver screws and washers). Where we've done that, we have put the screws about 5-6" apart for the visual, and I was intending to do the same on these screen frames.
But I felt that treatment was too bulky for the narrow band we are working with on these frames. Therefore, I changed to using up many of the rest of my brass hinge screws, but with increased number of holes and screws, again for the visual, in spite of more work to do when removing screens for cleaning.
Here's the larger of the two galley screen frames, this one with new screw holes drilled.
So I took these over to the wire wheel on the bench grinder and carefully gave each head surface a buff.
I had to count screws, and choose frame hole placement and numbers based on how many screws I had.
And that gives us this.
And the look from outside.
Then I moved to the big one at the dinette.
And finally up top in the bunk.
Here's the left side, which will be at the foot of the bed.
And the right side, or at the head of the bed.
Notice too, how well the repaired woodwork turned out. This side especially had some significant water damage.
In fact, the double rows of screws are structural, for extra ribs in this region.
Today is Labels. Here's the collection. With the exception of the bottom row (water tags are non-original), Lil' Queeny's tags are on the right, and the Travel Queen parts camper's are on the left.
Top row includes the California State mobile home housing compliance tags (green), which include serial number, etc. Its data duplicates a factory worker stamped tag (probably during construction for identification of an individual camper prior to the arrival of the official State tag) and those are shown to the sides of the State tags.
Second row is 120 Volt electric, third row low voltage electric, and fourth row is the LPG warning. Notice the faded condition of the LPG, to be discussed later.
How do you prep or restore these things? Leave them untouched to retain all aging and patina? Buff them up silly and repaint? Well for me, it isn't about retaining some sort of monetary value, it's more about making them functional for their original purpose (readable and warnings in logical places and where they make sense), clean them to a point that they look "maintained" or cared for, like the rest of the camper, and just have fun with it!
So that means steel wool, and a light touch.
Here are the entry assist handle, and the State tag for Lil' Queeny, getting back to their original spots in existing sheet metal holes.
With a dab of butyl tape on the threads, that's all these items get.
I think the M is for Manufacture number, not Model. The S 7874 must be serial number, although I haven't been able to figure out a rhyme or reason on the numbering in comparison to quite a few other Travel Queens of known years.
The 3443 is prefaced on the factory stamped tag with a PA and then an I at the bottom. What is PA? Is I a factory ID? Note J on the other.
The factory stamped tag was found at the entry door, bottom left corner. On the parts camper, the tag was in the same proximity, and it has a J instead of an I. In house manufacturer number perhaps?
And what is the DA 195334 at the bottom of the green State tag? State department or office number? And the remaining spaces on the State tag indicate compliance X's with Propane/Liquid Gas (PLG), Heating (HTG), and Electric (EL).
Here's how they made the stamped tags in the factory, grab an extra of these and turn it over.
I didn't want my factory stamped ID tag outside, next to the bottom of the door - I would have had to drill new holes in new sheet metal, the color band no less.
Instead, I took a modern twist, where they put tags inside a kitchen cabinet, and using an original hole from the breaker box (top left), and on a piece of original plastic laminate used in the original stove surround I had left alone inside this end wall for exhibition purposes, I installed my ID tag here.
I found no original tag at the water gravity fill or city water hookup. And the low voltage was mid-ship just above the wall edge where the connection was located just under the wing.
But I moved it down near the new actual connection.
Yeah, when loaded, you won't see it. But functional right? And at least I'll know it's there, and that's all that matters. ๐
Lil' Queeny's new 120 Voltage location.
Yup, new holes. This whole "hook-ups" region is a combination of old and new, but mostly new in expanded old places (original, existing sheet metal openings and label screw holes), especially on layout.
And then because the new water tags were different (bolder font, black not red, two screw holes not four), I treated them differently in their installation. With a sort of thinking that the red warnings, are a different thing than the black "informative", if you can see the thought process.
So, no new holes in the metal.
City Water (Connection).
And Gravity Fill (Supply).
And of course, the sanitizing warning fit appropriately on the water supply tank system, all in logical locations, and inside the door is a bit of protection for the adhesive decal, while still appearing to be a metal plate like the others.
And then the LPG warning label. Its red lettering had faded the worst. I spray painted the label red, let it dry a few minutes, then carefully washed the surface with a lacquer thinner dampened rag. It left a prettier and more readable red lettering. Here it is after, compared to before in this post's first photo.
I didn't like it above the tank compartment, not the most functional as it's too high there to read for most people, and secondly, it is blocked when the door is open, right when you need to heed its warning. So I put it down low in the metal below the color band, like labels on the other side.
And here is the overall effect. I think final placements leave a comfortable visual that adds to the look, without distraction or detraction.
And one last thing. Above the lower fridge vent, which used to be a slightly shorter propane tank cabinet, there are two label holes vacant in the sheet metal. I'm now wishing I had filled them, but I will put in two screws as plugs for now.
Those two holes are the original LPG tag's top holes, as the two lower holes were absorbed into the taller cabinet opening. I'd like to find an appropriate "Extinguish your Pilot Lights" metal tag to place there, as the fridge pilot will normally be operating, and the spot is right next to the truck fueling area. That sort of tag would be quite an appropriate way to fill those remaining holes.
Top row includes the California State mobile home housing compliance tags (green), which include serial number, etc. Its data duplicates a factory worker stamped tag (probably during construction for identification of an individual camper prior to the arrival of the official State tag) and those are shown to the sides of the State tags.
Second row is 120 Volt electric, third row low voltage electric, and fourth row is the LPG warning. Notice the faded condition of the LPG, to be discussed later.
How do you prep or restore these things? Leave them untouched to retain all aging and patina? Buff them up silly and repaint? Well for me, it isn't about retaining some sort of monetary value, it's more about making them functional for their original purpose (readable and warnings in logical places and where they make sense), clean them to a point that they look "maintained" or cared for, like the rest of the camper, and just have fun with it!
So that means steel wool, and a light touch.
Here are the entry assist handle, and the State tag for Lil' Queeny, getting back to their original spots in existing sheet metal holes.
With a dab of butyl tape on the threads, that's all these items get.
I think the M is for Manufacture number, not Model. The S 7874 must be serial number, although I haven't been able to figure out a rhyme or reason on the numbering in comparison to quite a few other Travel Queens of known years.
The 3443 is prefaced on the factory stamped tag with a PA and then an I at the bottom. What is PA? Is I a factory ID? Note J on the other.
The factory stamped tag was found at the entry door, bottom left corner. On the parts camper, the tag was in the same proximity, and it has a J instead of an I. In house manufacturer number perhaps?
And what is the DA 195334 at the bottom of the green State tag? State department or office number? And the remaining spaces on the State tag indicate compliance X's with Propane/Liquid Gas (PLG), Heating (HTG), and Electric (EL).
Here's how they made the stamped tags in the factory, grab an extra of these and turn it over.
I didn't want my factory stamped ID tag outside, next to the bottom of the door - I would have had to drill new holes in new sheet metal, the color band no less.
Instead, I took a modern twist, where they put tags inside a kitchen cabinet, and using an original hole from the breaker box (top left), and on a piece of original plastic laminate used in the original stove surround I had left alone inside this end wall for exhibition purposes, I installed my ID tag here.
I found no original tag at the water gravity fill or city water hookup. And the low voltage was mid-ship just above the wall edge where the connection was located just under the wing.
But I moved it down near the new actual connection.
Yeah, when loaded, you won't see it. But functional right? And at least I'll know it's there, and that's all that matters. ๐
Lil' Queeny's new 120 Voltage location.
Yup, new holes. This whole "hook-ups" region is a combination of old and new, but mostly new in expanded old places (original, existing sheet metal openings and label screw holes), especially on layout.
And then because the new water tags were different (bolder font, black not red, two screw holes not four), I treated them differently in their installation. With a sort of thinking that the red warnings, are a different thing than the black "informative", if you can see the thought process.
So, no new holes in the metal.
City Water (Connection).
And Gravity Fill (Supply).
And of course, the sanitizing warning fit appropriately on the water supply tank system, all in logical locations, and inside the door is a bit of protection for the adhesive decal, while still appearing to be a metal plate like the others.
And then the LPG warning label. Its red lettering had faded the worst. I spray painted the label red, let it dry a few minutes, then carefully washed the surface with a lacquer thinner dampened rag. It left a prettier and more readable red lettering. Here it is after, compared to before in this post's first photo.
I didn't like it above the tank compartment, not the most functional as it's too high there to read for most people, and secondly, it is blocked when the door is open, right when you need to heed its warning. So I put it down low in the metal below the color band, like labels on the other side.
And here is the overall effect. I think final placements leave a comfortable visual that adds to the look, without distraction or detraction.
And one last thing. Above the lower fridge vent, which used to be a slightly shorter propane tank cabinet, there are two label holes vacant in the sheet metal. I'm now wishing I had filled them, but I will put in two screws as plugs for now.
Those two holes are the original LPG tag's top holes, as the two lower holes were absorbed into the taller cabinet opening. I'd like to find an appropriate "Extinguish your Pilot Lights" metal tag to place there, as the fridge pilot will normally be operating, and the spot is right next to the truck fueling area. That sort of tag would be quite an appropriate way to fill those remaining holes.
We took an overnighter to Denver the other day. Mostly to get out of Dodge for a minute; it's been a long time since we've gone anywhere. But also to check out some used camper parts, check some fabric stores for the upholstery stuff, and came to realize we'd be there on the first day of the 61st Annual Colorado RV, Sports & Travel Show. Then DW saw the travel pamphlet of the Mile High Flea Market, so we hit that on Friday too, before coming home.
I'd been in contact with Laura at 5 Star RV. She's the used parts guru. Yup, she had an additional original light lens available (it happened to be the one without concentric circles, like my other two in the Galley and Greatroom, so it got used on the under cabinet over the dinette, and the extra got put away), and a used FantasticFan Vent. As it turned out the fan had a cover crack and a crack in the housing plastic, so we decided to go new after all.
The folks at 5 Star RV are really helpful. They aren't as easy to get to as some of those super stores along the Interstate, but they've been there forever, have lots of used parts, and are actually a dealer for Northstar, Adventurer and Eagle Cap campers! And they really seem to care.
Make sure you stop by their show display today (Sunday 3/5/17 - last day of this year's show) if you're going, where they have quite a selection of Northstars, and I think one or two Adventurers and an Eagle Cap.
While looking over their place out in Henderson, we wandered their big warehouse of small used parts. I was also looking for metal, or stick-on "systems warning labels" to put on some of my extra metal plates for specifics I was missing, like the water fill labels, and to extinguish pilot lights when fueling, etc.
One of the service men I asked, said they didn't sell them, but they had a few metal ones, from when they used to build campers, and he brought me out a selection. He gave me two. What a gesture!
Here are my labels.
The two new ones (black labels) from 5 Star RV are for fresh water: a supply, and a connection. Those go on my two separate spots for water. They look different though, so I'm using them in a slightly different fashion. I'll post that up later, along with more details on the originals. The other water one about sanitizing is a sticker I had thought about using on one of my extra metal tags, but won't have to now. It came with the new gravity fill hatch.
Here are my window cranks. Quite a variety. Until I find other reasoning, I'll be using the originals on Lil' Queeny, with some adaptation here or there. Also posts to come later.
But note the flashlight. We had just been talking about getting a Mag Light brand, 3 D cell battery length, for hanging over the entry door in the camper. New, they are about $42. But we found this used one at the Mile High Flea Market for $8. Check!
And I've been starting to go through some more odds and ends, pulling stuff off my shelves.
Here are extra sink and stove parts at left, the new light lens (which looks the best out of all my lenses), the entry door assist handle, the fridge "hold closed" pin. I have several small containers of screws and stuff. All being looked through now as we start getting final items put up on the camper, here in Finishes and Finishing. This thread will start receiving some entries associated with that stuff, which might fall into various other categories as well.
You might have noticed my shelves of coffee cans. Here's an example of one of them. I was looking for some tiny brass screws I knew I had, from a collection given to me by an old friend in the late 80's. The collections have just grown since then.
But I found what I was after, and had to use my Dad's tiny pocket screwdriver (he did fine electronics work back in the radio era before computers). And after prepping the label, got ready to put it up.
This label was originally nailed through the plastic laminate and into the wood wall in front of the overhead cabinet on the stove sidewall. It was hard getting out the nails (brads) without damaging the label. And that surface is tiled now.
The label is for all butane appliances (like the light), not just the stove. Where is a logical place to put a single warning label? By the matches of course! And in this new spot it is very visible, which is also part of the display desire!
Yeah! That's the ticket!
Now the screw for the fridge "hold closed" is simply one of the camper door hinge screws. And a little brass washer (from the tiny washers coffee can), to finish the look and hold the chain away from the wood surface a little, kinda control that chain swing - if you know what I mean.
In travel mode...
And in "beer-thirty" mode.
So that's a taste of the fine tuning finish items to come, in between still major main sections to do. This is the fun part.
I'd been in contact with Laura at 5 Star RV. She's the used parts guru. Yup, she had an additional original light lens available (it happened to be the one without concentric circles, like my other two in the Galley and Greatroom, so it got used on the under cabinet over the dinette, and the extra got put away), and a used FantasticFan Vent. As it turned out the fan had a cover crack and a crack in the housing plastic, so we decided to go new after all.
The folks at 5 Star RV are really helpful. They aren't as easy to get to as some of those super stores along the Interstate, but they've been there forever, have lots of used parts, and are actually a dealer for Northstar, Adventurer and Eagle Cap campers! And they really seem to care.
Make sure you stop by their show display today (Sunday 3/5/17 - last day of this year's show) if you're going, where they have quite a selection of Northstars, and I think one or two Adventurers and an Eagle Cap.
While looking over their place out in Henderson, we wandered their big warehouse of small used parts. I was also looking for metal, or stick-on "systems warning labels" to put on some of my extra metal plates for specifics I was missing, like the water fill labels, and to extinguish pilot lights when fueling, etc.
One of the service men I asked, said they didn't sell them, but they had a few metal ones, from when they used to build campers, and he brought me out a selection. He gave me two. What a gesture!
Here are my labels.
The two new ones (black labels) from 5 Star RV are for fresh water: a supply, and a connection. Those go on my two separate spots for water. They look different though, so I'm using them in a slightly different fashion. I'll post that up later, along with more details on the originals. The other water one about sanitizing is a sticker I had thought about using on one of my extra metal tags, but won't have to now. It came with the new gravity fill hatch.
Here are my window cranks. Quite a variety. Until I find other reasoning, I'll be using the originals on Lil' Queeny, with some adaptation here or there. Also posts to come later.
But note the flashlight. We had just been talking about getting a Mag Light brand, 3 D cell battery length, for hanging over the entry door in the camper. New, they are about $42. But we found this used one at the Mile High Flea Market for $8. Check!
And I've been starting to go through some more odds and ends, pulling stuff off my shelves.
Here are extra sink and stove parts at left, the new light lens (which looks the best out of all my lenses), the entry door assist handle, the fridge "hold closed" pin. I have several small containers of screws and stuff. All being looked through now as we start getting final items put up on the camper, here in Finishes and Finishing. This thread will start receiving some entries associated with that stuff, which might fall into various other categories as well.
You might have noticed my shelves of coffee cans. Here's an example of one of them. I was looking for some tiny brass screws I knew I had, from a collection given to me by an old friend in the late 80's. The collections have just grown since then.
But I found what I was after, and had to use my Dad's tiny pocket screwdriver (he did fine electronics work back in the radio era before computers). And after prepping the label, got ready to put it up.
This label was originally nailed through the plastic laminate and into the wood wall in front of the overhead cabinet on the stove sidewall. It was hard getting out the nails (brads) without damaging the label. And that surface is tiled now.
The label is for all butane appliances (like the light), not just the stove. Where is a logical place to put a single warning label? By the matches of course! And in this new spot it is very visible, which is also part of the display desire!
Yeah! That's the ticket!
Now the screw for the fridge "hold closed" is simply one of the camper door hinge screws. And a little brass washer (from the tiny washers coffee can), to finish the look and hold the chain away from the wood surface a little, kinda control that chain swing - if you know what I mean.
In travel mode...
And in "beer-thirty" mode.
So that's a taste of the fine tuning finish items to come, in between still major main sections to do. This is the fun part.
And with that done, I pass through a door, into a major new reality.
To say I am pleased, just doesn't cover it. Even so, there's just a bit of disappointment, which I will get over.
This is the same sort of disappointment I felt with my recent Jeep top purchase, in that Lil' Willy has had that white top forever. But it was old, and the windows were becoming harder and harder to see through, and it had been repaired a lot. And then one day, part of it tore! So finally I had to make the change. The only problem is, they are available in any color you choose, as long as it is black, like Henry Ford's Model T. And we didn't feel black was the right color top for Lil' Willy. Would we still know him? Would we even recognize him?
But, once I paint his wheels the medium to dark gray intended, the colors will work again, and in fact, the black top is kinda growing on me now! He seems a little more spunky too (I think he likes the new look).
In Lil' Queeny's case, it is the "uneven sheen" and rougher than expected texture, caused by some combination of the inexpensive HF spray gun not being up to the task, less than perfect spraying environment, and lack of practiced skill on my part.
Still, I did it. It's a good sense of accomplishment, pride, less money spent than what could have been. So we've got that going for us, which is good. ๐
It took two days to spray. The first day was very long. I started on top using the ladder, a hand to brace with and went center-line outward to the first seam (the top panel is a four foot wide panel, seamed close to the rounded roof/wall edges). Then re-positioned the ladder and did the next roughly 3' section until one full length was covered. Done on one side, I moved to the other. Up there I had good visibility and satisfactory face distance from the spray surface. But playing with spray pattern adjustment and air pressure adjustment, I soon realized the spray pattern was only going to get one siding segment width at a time (3-4" max height pattern), and it was laying down the paint much slower volume than I had hoped for, requiring a pattern adjustment closer to round (like a spray can) than the taller fan shape I had expected. I was going to have to work really hard to fear runs.
Down on the camper sides, my face was closer to the project. Had to clean up more frequently, and that one side with the lesser light was a bit of a challenge too. But control was easier standing on the floor, and I could do the whole length in one spray run. Still, it took a long time.
Then I went underneath to the cab-over surface. It's kind of hard to spray upward with a gravity feed sprayer, if you know what I mean. I got my correct angles and hit it from both sides. I think I got a good coverage there, but again, it was kind of dark, and the bifocals don't work looking up, so I had to just use the safety glasses and get closer, so some of that part was by touch. I HATE painting by touch!
When I moved around the cab-over curve onto the vertical surface, I discovered one siding ridge where I had missed with the tack cloth. Shoot. Dang! Just keep spraying.
Then on the next row I discovered another siding ridge I had missed with the tack cloth. The I looked further. Are you kidding me! I missed this whole panel! Not just with the tack cloth, but with the previous wash job! OH NO SLUGGOOOOOO!
So I set aside the paint stuff and grabbed a rag and the bucket of water and washed down the whole behind-the-cab wall, carefully wiping up into the fresh paint line, trying to hit it at an edge of the siding to prevent visual indications, because the seam was just below where I needed to wipe. But I got it pretty good and went back to painting.
By the time I got that surface done I was tired. Many hours had passed, so I cleaned up the paint equipment and some of the other mess. And it was MESSY! Powdery paint dust.
The next morning, all fresh and stuff, I did a final masking on the entry door (which I had forgotten about until now) and got it and the other access doors and vents ready to spray. Tacked off the surfaces again, both for a first coat on the extras, and a second coat on the camper.
I set aside about a cup of paint for future touch ups, and through the course of the day I got a good two coats on all accessories, and the lower majority of the camper. I skipped a second coat on the cab-over horizontal section, and on the top of the camper the width of the four foot panel (between linear seams). Even so, with the extra in the gun, I was able to spray around both roof vent openings with two coats, and between the front edge of the camper and the first vent opening. I also got three or four good coats on the cab-over leading face surfaces.
Cleanup was horrible! The dust is worse than sheetrock dust. It wipes off, but best with a damp or wet rag. It won't spray off with the air hose. It barely sweeps off, after a few passes. And it got past the tarping. It's not stuck on like dried paint, but it was airborne paint dust that landed EVERYWHERE! The one place in the garage where it was't TOO bad was under the two-wheel dolly shelf, itself under the fridge. (Can see in one of the above photos).
I'm thinking I could have got a similar final-finish using a roller. I'm not sure spraying a big job in my garage will ever occur again!
But - like everything else in life, bad memories fade, and joyful memories just get better. We'll dwell instead on Lil' Queeny's new dress! She didn't say anything, but you can tell she feels pretty!
Well I hadn't intended to be back here until I had paint on, but worked progressed so well yesterday I decided to make an update. Besides, I'm posting process, not just progress!
A couple days ago, I used air pressure and the wind-tunnel to clean out the major part of the shop (tops of overhead door rails, the ceiling mounted furnace, top shelf surfaces, I mean everything!).
I dusted the house that way too, one day when it was my turn to clean. Removed screens, opened up windows and doors, the wind was holding at a steady 25 with gusts to 35, perfect day for cleaning while not tearing up the curtains too bad. DW won't let me clean anymore. Something about process.
Afterwards, I closed down the doors and swept up good, even moving the camper to the other garage stall so I could sweep up under, and even vacuuming crud out of the concrete floor joints! But once that was all done, I completely wiped down Lil' Queeny with a rag and several buckets of water. Boy was she dirty! And that was AFTER the blow down!
So I started from there yesterday. Masking went pretty fast. It's one of those things that just gets done if you keep at it.
This is the good side. The side I show off.
I reserve this side, kinda junky with the first attempts using newspaper, to friends like you - you know, with discretion.
Cardboard cut and taped into the roof openings from the inside.
And then I closed the door. Can't move forward on the camper now until paint is at least done on the rear. So in the event my two gallons ain't enough, I plan to do the under cab-over and front walls last.
When I painted Lil Spen (the Willys Trailer) I had built most of this tarp wall for a partial paint booth.
But now, with the spray job on the other side, and much larger, I had further to go. Picked up a few extra tarps a couple weeks ago and got them out now. Here's looking back toward the garage door.
And at the back, looking toward the front of the garage.
There is the one darker passenger side. I think I'll start there before my lenses get too much paint on them.
Next stop? Tack Cloth. Then we spray!
A couple days ago, I used air pressure and the wind-tunnel to clean out the major part of the shop (tops of overhead door rails, the ceiling mounted furnace, top shelf surfaces, I mean everything!).
I dusted the house that way too, one day when it was my turn to clean. Removed screens, opened up windows and doors, the wind was holding at a steady 25 with gusts to 35, perfect day for cleaning while not tearing up the curtains too bad. DW won't let me clean anymore. Something about process.
Afterwards, I closed down the doors and swept up good, even moving the camper to the other garage stall so I could sweep up under, and even vacuuming crud out of the concrete floor joints! But once that was all done, I completely wiped down Lil' Queeny with a rag and several buckets of water. Boy was she dirty! And that was AFTER the blow down!
So I started from there yesterday. Masking went pretty fast. It's one of those things that just gets done if you keep at it.
This is the good side. The side I show off.
I reserve this side, kinda junky with the first attempts using newspaper, to friends like you - you know, with discretion.
Cardboard cut and taped into the roof openings from the inside.
And then I closed the door. Can't move forward on the camper now until paint is at least done on the rear. So in the event my two gallons ain't enough, I plan to do the under cab-over and front walls last.
When I painted Lil Spen (the Willys Trailer) I had built most of this tarp wall for a partial paint booth.
But now, with the spray job on the other side, and much larger, I had further to go. Picked up a few extra tarps a couple weeks ago and got them out now. Here's looking back toward the garage door.
And at the back, looking toward the front of the garage.
There is the one darker passenger side. I think I'll start there before my lenses get too much paint on them.
Next stop? Tack Cloth. Then we spray!
Well the long awaited exterior painting of Lil' Queeny has arrived. I've been kind of putting it off - out of fear I think.
You know how when you think you've got everything all set perfect and ready and then you start into it and you go, "OHH NO SLUGGO - NOOOOO"
Well, that's kind of what I've been feeling. Will the sanded feathering of the old paint be okay, how are those epoxy repairs going to look, should I use semi-gloss to try and hide imperfections better or just go with the shiny gloss and show off Lil' Queeny's age related imperfections? Did I mask okay, is over-spray going to get on the interior finish, will this stuff come off relatively easy if so, or is it gonna be dried oatmeal like the white primer stuff, etc.?
And then you wake up screaming! It's been heck I tell you, heck! For years now!
No really - it's been almost one year to the day since I first posted about my paint choice! If you missed that, and you have a quarter hour to kill, you might get a kick out of a first, or even a second read here.
Choosing Finium - Here Boy!
So here it is. Took just over two weeks for the special order (in gloss finish - usually just stocked in semi-gloss).
We chose a color tone more into the warmth of yellows than of colder blues, and avoided the red (or pink at this level of tone). I'm after that color of the Wyoming western sun shining on the Cumulonimbus Thunderstorm clouds to the east! It's called "White Glove" and that gives Lil' Queeny a touch of class too. Much better than the second choice called "Bunny Cake". ๐
At $50 a pop I hope it's all that. That's a little out of our bargain shopping range. And I hope two gallons does the trick, otherwise we'll see another delay. That's okay, still plenty of other stuff to do. But the price is actually not unusual for what it is, and it IS a primer and top-coat in one.
I used a dark blue on my civilian Spen trailer (my Alaska souvenir for Lil' Willy to pull along). That project is here, and you can see the painting posts toward the end.
Lil' Spen
The blue semi-gloss used then, will be somewhat different in application than Lil' Queeny's white gloss - perhaps, but I really liked how it worked. And it got that confidence up - you know?
Yesterday I spent a great deal of time in the wind tunnel, with the garage doors open and blowing out the shop with the air hose, and sweeping and stuff. Now for the real work, final prepping. Lots of masking still to do, and paint booth to set up. So I'll see you in a few days.
Here's one of Lil' Queeny's last undressed photos.
You know how when you think you've got everything all set perfect and ready and then you start into it and you go, "OHH NO SLUGGO - NOOOOO"
Well, that's kind of what I've been feeling. Will the sanded feathering of the old paint be okay, how are those epoxy repairs going to look, should I use semi-gloss to try and hide imperfections better or just go with the shiny gloss and show off Lil' Queeny's age related imperfections? Did I mask okay, is over-spray going to get on the interior finish, will this stuff come off relatively easy if so, or is it gonna be dried oatmeal like the white primer stuff, etc.?
And then you wake up screaming! It's been heck I tell you, heck! For years now!
No really - it's been almost one year to the day since I first posted about my paint choice! If you missed that, and you have a quarter hour to kill, you might get a kick out of a first, or even a second read here.
Choosing Finium - Here Boy!
So here it is. Took just over two weeks for the special order (in gloss finish - usually just stocked in semi-gloss).
We chose a color tone more into the warmth of yellows than of colder blues, and avoided the red (or pink at this level of tone). I'm after that color of the Wyoming western sun shining on the Cumulonimbus Thunderstorm clouds to the east! It's called "White Glove" and that gives Lil' Queeny a touch of class too. Much better than the second choice called "Bunny Cake". ๐
At $50 a pop I hope it's all that. That's a little out of our bargain shopping range. And I hope two gallons does the trick, otherwise we'll see another delay. That's okay, still plenty of other stuff to do. But the price is actually not unusual for what it is, and it IS a primer and top-coat in one.
I used a dark blue on my civilian Spen trailer (my Alaska souvenir for Lil' Willy to pull along). That project is here, and you can see the painting posts toward the end.
Lil' Spen
The blue semi-gloss used then, will be somewhat different in application than Lil' Queeny's white gloss - perhaps, but I really liked how it worked. And it got that confidence up - you know?
Yesterday I spent a great deal of time in the wind tunnel, with the garage doors open and blowing out the shop with the air hose, and sweeping and stuff. Now for the real work, final prepping. Lots of masking still to do, and paint booth to set up. So I'll see you in a few days.
Here's one of Lil' Queeny's last undressed photos.
Well, the finishing on the aspen wood boards turned out awesome!
The tile grout? Not so much. Yeah - I failed to find that Goldilocks level of just the right amount of water. Using the caulking was actually kind of hard, especially compared to simple grout work.
So let's go back to the beginning and show what happened.
This was the first bead of caulking laid down.
Then after floating it into the cracks, just with a flexible 3" taping knife (I didn't try a grout float, because I figured it wouldn't flow smoothly, being a different substance and all)...
...and washing it down multiple times, just like you do for regular grout, I ended with this.
Okay - worked pretty good. Wow! Used more than I thought. That section ALMOST used an entire tube! Let's do some more then.
Not so bad! Nice flexible latex grout, won't fall out going down the road. Should work well!
And two tubes got me about here.
I only HAD two tubes. So I ran over to the home center to get more. They only had the siliconized stuff - in the wrong color. Called it a day. Planned for the other side of town tomorrow.
Next morning I awoke and checked. OH NO! Shrinkage! I didn't get pics, but the grout lines shrank and receded in uneven ways, little voids, some fuller, some less so. I thought, 'maybe a second application will do the job, and a better "floating" on the rest of the area'. But it appeared it was going to take more caulking than I had figured.
Over at the other home centers, they had changed stock. Same stuff, but only in white (I was using gloss biscuit). So I went over to the tiling section to see what kinds of grout they had.
I found two choices of potential, and picked this one, which stated it had acrylic latex. A touch of flexibility, as opposed to a cement based grout only. I hope it's enough. I used it. And it uses glass beads instead of sand, for the smaller grout lines, as opposed to use of a non-sanded.
And it did a really fine job! We'll just have to wait and see if it holds up.
On another note, I got the neutral stain and three coats of poly on the wood pieces, and a couple coats of primer on the underside of the counter.
So that pretty much completes the finishing section for these portions.
Tomorrow I'll get back into Chapter 10. Galley & Greatroom and show some stuff in there, including the installation of some of these pieces.
The tile grout? Not so much. Yeah - I failed to find that Goldilocks level of just the right amount of water. Using the caulking was actually kind of hard, especially compared to simple grout work.
So let's go back to the beginning and show what happened.
This was the first bead of caulking laid down.
Then after floating it into the cracks, just with a flexible 3" taping knife (I didn't try a grout float, because I figured it wouldn't flow smoothly, being a different substance and all)...
...and washing it down multiple times, just like you do for regular grout, I ended with this.
Okay - worked pretty good. Wow! Used more than I thought. That section ALMOST used an entire tube! Let's do some more then.
Not so bad! Nice flexible latex grout, won't fall out going down the road. Should work well!
And two tubes got me about here.
I only HAD two tubes. So I ran over to the home center to get more. They only had the siliconized stuff - in the wrong color. Called it a day. Planned for the other side of town tomorrow.
Next morning I awoke and checked. OH NO! Shrinkage! I didn't get pics, but the grout lines shrank and receded in uneven ways, little voids, some fuller, some less so. I thought, 'maybe a second application will do the job, and a better "floating" on the rest of the area'. But it appeared it was going to take more caulking than I had figured.
Over at the other home centers, they had changed stock. Same stuff, but only in white (I was using gloss biscuit). So I went over to the tiling section to see what kinds of grout they had.
I found two choices of potential, and picked this one, which stated it had acrylic latex. A touch of flexibility, as opposed to a cement based grout only. I hope it's enough. I used it. And it uses glass beads instead of sand, for the smaller grout lines, as opposed to use of a non-sanded.
And it did a really fine job! We'll just have to wait and see if it holds up.
On another note, I got the neutral stain and three coats of poly on the wood pieces, and a couple coats of primer on the underside of the counter.
So that pretty much completes the finishing section for these portions.
Tomorrow I'll get back into Chapter 10. Galley & Greatroom and show some stuff in there, including the installation of some of these pieces.
You know me, I'm not ashamed to share before a piece is done. And that's probably good. You get much more detail this way. Too much detail detracts if you want to go through something fast, like a FB post or a Tweet, but if you want assistance or later reference for trying out something for yourself, well..., provided you take the time to go through the volumes, that is to say.
And so, I looked back on when I first mentioned the galley counter top and/or dinette table. September of 2015. ๐ Wow!
Anyway, I talked about prematurely needing to cut a part off the counter top board, due to an automotive transmission oil spill in the garage soaking up into one end of the grain. Yikes!
Here's how that looked on the bench.
It's a light color wood. We specifically chose that. With the darker colors in the camper, and the prairie wheat colored gimp and trim, we had decided long ago to make the counter top and dinette table up in the same color as the trim. Here's the wood we chose.
It's 3/4" thick boards, laminated edge to edge. Or more correctly, thicker boards laminated and planed to 3/4". Aspen is pretty, both when growing and as a building material. Rocky Mountain Quaking Aspen, I should say.
When we lived in Fairbanks many people called the Black Cottonwoods Aspens, and they weren't as pretty. Looked like birch when young and then got a black bark with age and eventually rotted from the inside. When the infrequent higher winds came by, look out, widow-makers.
Anyway this is for the dinette table.
So we're finishing in neutral stain, and then the multiple coats of clear gloss poly.
Now let's slip over to Chapter 10. Galley & Greatroom to talk about build.
And so, I looked back on when I first mentioned the galley counter top and/or dinette table. September of 2015. ๐ Wow!
Anyway, I talked about prematurely needing to cut a part off the counter top board, due to an automotive transmission oil spill in the garage soaking up into one end of the grain. Yikes!
Here's how that looked on the bench.
It's a light color wood. We specifically chose that. With the darker colors in the camper, and the prairie wheat colored gimp and trim, we had decided long ago to make the counter top and dinette table up in the same color as the trim. Here's the wood we chose.
It's 3/4" thick boards, laminated edge to edge. Or more correctly, thicker boards laminated and planed to 3/4". Aspen is pretty, both when growing and as a building material. Rocky Mountain Quaking Aspen, I should say.
When we lived in Fairbanks many people called the Black Cottonwoods Aspens, and they weren't as pretty. Looked like birch when young and then got a black bark with age and eventually rotted from the inside. When the infrequent higher winds came by, look out, widow-makers.
Anyway this is for the dinette table.
So we're finishing in neutral stain, and then the multiple coats of clear gloss poly.
Now let's slip over to Chapter 10. Galley & Greatroom to talk about build.
Oh - I should probably include this. I'm using an acrylic tile adhesive - on the home center store shelf (what I used to call mastic), as opposed to thin-set. If you don't know, thin-set is a cement based adhesive, typically used between floor backer-board (or concrete-board) and the tile. You can imagine, because of it's cement base, it's less forgiving to movement than an adhesive with more flexibility. If you've done your shower wall, or your sub-floor correctly, you don't have to be overly concerned with movement, but in an RV, well - I guess movement is the name of the game huh?
So I'm hoping this adhesive will allow a tiny bit of flexibility. And of course the (less than) 1" tiles may allow for that too!
The tool is with "cutter wheels" for glass tiles (as opposed to the nipper type for ceramic tiles). The trowel is a small v-groove applicator. Don't want too much adhesive squeezing up into the grout lines.
The other thing is the grout. A cement based grout is brittle too. Both grout and thin-set have latex additives you can add for greater flexibility, but I decided I might need more than that - enter the tub and tile caulking.
I've run beads of this type of stuff between tile walls and tub surfaces, sinks and counters, exterior stuff on siding gaps and cracks, etc.
Now some people just lay a bead and walk away. And some people can do that, and end up with an awesome application! Not me - too perfectionist, too unskilled, I don't know. And I've noticed sometimes you get a better bead by pushing, rather than pulling. I don't know what is considered "right".
But I typically come back around with the wet finger and a pail of water and paper-towels and smooth that stuff down right fine. I've learned just how nicely you can manipulate this stuff when wet. Too much water - problems, too little - problems, but there's a Goldilocks level. So I'm going to smear it into the grout lines and create a Goldilocks level flexibility within my tiled surfaces. At least that's the theory. ๐
So I'm hoping this adhesive will allow a tiny bit of flexibility. And of course the (less than) 1" tiles may allow for that too!
The tool is with "cutter wheels" for glass tiles (as opposed to the nipper type for ceramic tiles). The trowel is a small v-groove applicator. Don't want too much adhesive squeezing up into the grout lines.
The other thing is the grout. A cement based grout is brittle too. Both grout and thin-set have latex additives you can add for greater flexibility, but I decided I might need more than that - enter the tub and tile caulking.
I've run beads of this type of stuff between tile walls and tub surfaces, sinks and counters, exterior stuff on siding gaps and cracks, etc.
Now some people just lay a bead and walk away. And some people can do that, and end up with an awesome application! Not me - too perfectionist, too unskilled, I don't know. And I've noticed sometimes you get a better bead by pushing, rather than pulling. I don't know what is considered "right".
But I typically come back around with the wet finger and a pail of water and paper-towels and smooth that stuff down right fine. I've learned just how nicely you can manipulate this stuff when wet. Too much water - problems, too little - problems, but there's a Goldilocks level. So I'm going to smear it into the grout lines and create a Goldilocks level flexibility within my tiled surfaces. At least that's the theory. ๐
Some time back ago, DW picked up this Copper High Heat paint, typically used for fixing up old outdoor grills I suppose.
Originally she was thinking "new color" for the avocado green range (she's a copper girl). Me? I feel strongly both ways. New color choices vs traditional, classic pieces, and their associated colors - each have their benefits.
Now I don't see a robin-egg blue range working out very well, what with all our other color choices. The spare range we trashed (it was terribly dirty and still installed in a previously mouse infested cabinet - it went away) was a tomato-soup red or orange. Now that's a color that MIGHT have worked! But Lil' Queeny's range was avocado, and that works quite well with our other colors - I think. So does DW, and she didn't like the plastic off-white trim stuff either, but she eventually caught my vision.
However, the range hood was a bit ugly, not being appliance porcelain or epoxy surfaced and all. And she just felt better using "high-heat" on the vent hood and the stove cover. So that's the way we went. As it turned out, the same color choice also worked well for the metal frame around the fridge face.
Let's start with the folding stove cover.
You can see the pitted chrome plating if you look close. I've never tried to re-finish a plated surface, so this is an experiment. I started by simply laying down a 220 scratch - you can see that done on the left side.
I couldn't remove the chrome nubs (I think they are used in preventing a flat surface something-or-other covering up the oven vent opening), because the studs on the reverse were a bit flared and the nuts wouldn't spin. So I just taped them.
And here's the finished product. Now of course the painted surface simply won't hold up to being used as a counter top. It will get ugly quick. I intend to fasten some sort of grill to the tops which will fold and stay out of the way, but which will protect the painted surface. Ideas are still gelling.
And the vent hood, the chrome trim ring came off and got some steel wool attention, while the rest of it received a sanding with 220 grit.
And the finished unit.
Then it was on to the fridge. I had been scraping rust from the surface of the magnetic door seal. Got it back to white and in pretty darn good shape! I was quite pleased. And it still seals really well.
But here's what happens after many years of use, often without proper cleaning and storage upon return from those weekend camping trips.
And we have to keep in mind, this appliance came out of the parts camper, which wasn't treated as well as Lil' Queeny, I don't think.
Now on this one (away from heat use), I primed first with this red primer.
These are the primed hinge brackets. Two for the hinge pins, and one for the opposing side "hold-close" pin.
The color choice turned out pretty fine. It's amazing how well it goes with the stained and finished birch paneled walls.
And with the door mounted.
Now before we end today, let's just give info on one more finished surface - the tiled stove surround. Originally it was plastic laminate, countertop stuff, or what many call Formica (using a trade name). We used these 12" square sheets in our home, so I had the tools, the experience. The thinner 1/8" glass tiles are half the weight of 1/4" tiles - and that's important. Now if I can just get it to stick to a "moving down the road" wall surface. We'll show that when completed over in Chapter 10. Galley & Greatroom.
Originally she was thinking "new color" for the avocado green range (she's a copper girl). Me? I feel strongly both ways. New color choices vs traditional, classic pieces, and their associated colors - each have their benefits.
Now I don't see a robin-egg blue range working out very well, what with all our other color choices. The spare range we trashed (it was terribly dirty and still installed in a previously mouse infested cabinet - it went away) was a tomato-soup red or orange. Now that's a color that MIGHT have worked! But Lil' Queeny's range was avocado, and that works quite well with our other colors - I think. So does DW, and she didn't like the plastic off-white trim stuff either, but she eventually caught my vision.
However, the range hood was a bit ugly, not being appliance porcelain or epoxy surfaced and all. And she just felt better using "high-heat" on the vent hood and the stove cover. So that's the way we went. As it turned out, the same color choice also worked well for the metal frame around the fridge face.
Let's start with the folding stove cover.
You can see the pitted chrome plating if you look close. I've never tried to re-finish a plated surface, so this is an experiment. I started by simply laying down a 220 scratch - you can see that done on the left side.
I couldn't remove the chrome nubs (I think they are used in preventing a flat surface something-or-other covering up the oven vent opening), because the studs on the reverse were a bit flared and the nuts wouldn't spin. So I just taped them.
And here's the finished product. Now of course the painted surface simply won't hold up to being used as a counter top. It will get ugly quick. I intend to fasten some sort of grill to the tops which will fold and stay out of the way, but which will protect the painted surface. Ideas are still gelling.
And the vent hood, the chrome trim ring came off and got some steel wool attention, while the rest of it received a sanding with 220 grit.
And the finished unit.
Then it was on to the fridge. I had been scraping rust from the surface of the magnetic door seal. Got it back to white and in pretty darn good shape! I was quite pleased. And it still seals really well.
But here's what happens after many years of use, often without proper cleaning and storage upon return from those weekend camping trips.
And we have to keep in mind, this appliance came out of the parts camper, which wasn't treated as well as Lil' Queeny, I don't think.
Now on this one (away from heat use), I primed first with this red primer.
These are the primed hinge brackets. Two for the hinge pins, and one for the opposing side "hold-close" pin.
The color choice turned out pretty fine. It's amazing how well it goes with the stained and finished birch paneled walls.
And with the door mounted.
Now before we end today, let's just give info on one more finished surface - the tiled stove surround. Originally it was plastic laminate, countertop stuff, or what many call Formica (using a trade name). We used these 12" square sheets in our home, so I had the tools, the experience. The thinner 1/8" glass tiles are half the weight of 1/4" tiles - and that's important. Now if I can just get it to stick to a "moving down the road" wall surface. We'll show that when completed over in Chapter 10. Galley & Greatroom.
After posting the progress of painting the color band on the access doors over in Chapter 13. Exterior, Skin & Openings, I realized in past I had placed that subject (color band on the camper body) here in Chapter 7. Finishes & Finishing. Oh well. I'll finish up that here now.
Here are the access doors, Chestnut done. Now I'll let this cure for a few days and mask the brown in prep for white on the two larger doors, and of course the same thing for the entry door.
Here are the access doors, Chestnut done. Now I'll let this cure for a few days and mask the brown in prep for white on the two larger doors, and of course the same thing for the entry door.
It's been a good week to leave Lil' Queeny's new color band to cure; I've stayed occupied with Mom's visit. But I have gotten out into the shop for a little work here and there.
Another finish to reveal has been the interior window frames. These are the pieces that both cover the rough opening edges, and hold the screens for the windows that open.
Why now? Well - I plan to enlist these to assist my masking efforts in painting the exterior body color; a frame to lend support for the paper.
The frames are made of extruded aluminum - like the rest of the window metal, but with our interior color scheme we didn't want the detraction of the original aluminum mill finish. DW suggested early on, after she came around to actually LIKING the cream plastic trim (she hated that at first), to paint the aluminum window trim the same color as the interior plastic molding.
I've never been big on covering a perfectly serviceable non-rusting metal with paint, but I kind of liked her suggestion for the matching color, even knowing that some of the window aluminum would be visible as well, but that would be behind the screen, which would act as a visual boundary.
The first step was to clean the pieces. I have tried a variety of aluminum polishing techniques to ease labor, but haven't cared for any of them except the results from standard old-school elbow grease. Adding a bit of lubricant to 0000 steel wool seemed to work best, the lubricant being in the form of mineral spirits, Naptha, or some such.
I even tried the 24 hour soak in an acid bath (we had a bunch of remaining Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi from a party we had two and a half years ago. It didn't work; I dumped two cases down the drain).
But here's the stack after cleaning.
Sparkly! It wasn't too difficult; you just have to put in the time. But it tells me the exterior windows can be done well, although they will be much harder with more metal and harder areas to get to.
That was all before Mom got here. Later, I'd sneak out a little at a time and the first step was to get the self etching primer on.
And upon drying, the color. This was again a Rustoleum product in spray can. Antique White Gloss Enamel to be exact. The tone was almost a perfect match to the interior cream trim, but the finish was wrong. The plastic trim originally had a gloss finish but became satin or matte through use of steel wool to clean years of discoloration and buildup from it's surface. So I toned down the gloss enamel with a Matte finish Clear Coat Enamel.
And it would have worked too! Had I followed the instructions. Aww but alas and alack, I felt hurried. Why? Stealing moments in the garage while Mom is visiting? I know, but it's just me. That's an example too of why I work alone. When someone is helping me, I feel I have to keep moving, and end up rushing or not thinking it through fully, or whatever, because I don't want to use up their time.
Someone helping generally ends up costing me greater difficulty. Like the extra electrical work I had to do after my neighbor buddies helped me with kitchen demo. Yes, they wield a Saws-All very well - no doubt about it.
So the instructions (checked later) say to use the matte clear coat within - I think - one hour of the paint coat, or to wait 48 hours. And to use 2-3 thin coats instead of a heavy. I ended up spraying AFTER one hour, but WELL before 48 hours, AND I sprayed a relatively heavy coat too! It can be hard to see clear coat go on if the light isn't just right, so I purposely laid it down heavy enough to see the nice full coverage.
It lifted the antique white. But I walked away and let it dry unmolested.
Next day, upon close inspection, it actually was a pretty cool look. Most of it was just a very light and even alligator skin effect. But, there were some "worser" spots.
Also, I had painted one frame that I hadn't intended to paint, that of the bathroom window, which due to that room's color choices, I had wanted to leave in the aluminum mill finish.
Those frames that had the bad effect (about 4 smaller areas) got some smoothing sand paper and were resprayed correctly - and those came out just fine. The worst frame was one of the three same-size small windows (cab-over side windows and bathroom), and so it got the paint remover.
Which worked very well. It's now back to mill finish, and the rest are finished too. I didn't get pictures.
Tomorrow I'll show the added screens over in Exterior.
Another finish to reveal has been the interior window frames. These are the pieces that both cover the rough opening edges, and hold the screens for the windows that open.
Why now? Well - I plan to enlist these to assist my masking efforts in painting the exterior body color; a frame to lend support for the paper.
The frames are made of extruded aluminum - like the rest of the window metal, but with our interior color scheme we didn't want the detraction of the original aluminum mill finish. DW suggested early on, after she came around to actually LIKING the cream plastic trim (she hated that at first), to paint the aluminum window trim the same color as the interior plastic molding.
I've never been big on covering a perfectly serviceable non-rusting metal with paint, but I kind of liked her suggestion for the matching color, even knowing that some of the window aluminum would be visible as well, but that would be behind the screen, which would act as a visual boundary.
The first step was to clean the pieces. I have tried a variety of aluminum polishing techniques to ease labor, but haven't cared for any of them except the results from standard old-school elbow grease. Adding a bit of lubricant to 0000 steel wool seemed to work best, the lubricant being in the form of mineral spirits, Naptha, or some such.
I even tried the 24 hour soak in an acid bath (we had a bunch of remaining Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi from a party we had two and a half years ago. It didn't work; I dumped two cases down the drain).
But here's the stack after cleaning.
Sparkly! It wasn't too difficult; you just have to put in the time. But it tells me the exterior windows can be done well, although they will be much harder with more metal and harder areas to get to.
That was all before Mom got here. Later, I'd sneak out a little at a time and the first step was to get the self etching primer on.
And upon drying, the color. This was again a Rustoleum product in spray can. Antique White Gloss Enamel to be exact. The tone was almost a perfect match to the interior cream trim, but the finish was wrong. The plastic trim originally had a gloss finish but became satin or matte through use of steel wool to clean years of discoloration and buildup from it's surface. So I toned down the gloss enamel with a Matte finish Clear Coat Enamel.
And it would have worked too! Had I followed the instructions. Aww but alas and alack, I felt hurried. Why? Stealing moments in the garage while Mom is visiting? I know, but it's just me. That's an example too of why I work alone. When someone is helping me, I feel I have to keep moving, and end up rushing or not thinking it through fully, or whatever, because I don't want to use up their time.
Someone helping generally ends up costing me greater difficulty. Like the extra electrical work I had to do after my neighbor buddies helped me with kitchen demo. Yes, they wield a Saws-All very well - no doubt about it.
So the instructions (checked later) say to use the matte clear coat within - I think - one hour of the paint coat, or to wait 48 hours. And to use 2-3 thin coats instead of a heavy. I ended up spraying AFTER one hour, but WELL before 48 hours, AND I sprayed a relatively heavy coat too! It can be hard to see clear coat go on if the light isn't just right, so I purposely laid it down heavy enough to see the nice full coverage.
It lifted the antique white. But I walked away and let it dry unmolested.
Next day, upon close inspection, it actually was a pretty cool look. Most of it was just a very light and even alligator skin effect. But, there were some "worser" spots.
Also, I had painted one frame that I hadn't intended to paint, that of the bathroom window, which due to that room's color choices, I had wanted to leave in the aluminum mill finish.
Those frames that had the bad effect (about 4 smaller areas) got some smoothing sand paper and were resprayed correctly - and those came out just fine. The worst frame was one of the three same-size small windows (cab-over side windows and bathroom), and so it got the paint remover.
Which worked very well. It's now back to mill finish, and the rest are finished too. I didn't get pictures.
Tomorrow I'll show the added screens over in Exterior.
