galley idea

[catrinka]

I'm playing with ideas on paper. Using the weekender as a guide, if just the angled piece was the hatch, could you make a swing out door on the bottom with a fold-down counter top? Hope that makes sense. Kind of hard to describe without pictures. I guess my question is...would the hinge take the weight of a counter top? Or would this become too heavy, too expensive, etc?

[mikeschn]

Which way does the door swing? And where is the flip out counter attached, and how does it swing?

One thing you could do is attach a flip out at the rear edge of the counter, hanging down... to use it you lift it up like a drop leaf on a table, and then open the two doors underneath it, and use the doors for support.

Of course, you'll bend the hinges on the doors.

Instead of the doors, maybe you could build in some sliding supports. Kinda like a built in cutting board in a kitchen, except rotated 90 degrees so the thin edge faces up.

Flip up the counter, pull out a support on each side, and set the counter on it.

Mike...

[catrinka]

I was thinking that the door would be attached to one of the sides, probably the driver's side. And the counter top would be attached to the door so that the stove, barbecue, etc. could sit there allowing 2 people to work in the galley. Not sure how practical this idea is, just an idea I was tossing around.

[mikeschn]

You mean something like this?



That's how Steve Frederick did his... you can see all his photos here...
http://www.steve-frederick.com/galley.html

But don't you live in an apartment? Are you going to have the time and the place for all those complex details?

Mike...

[catrinka]

That's something like what I was thinking. And yes I do live in an apartment. We're still trying to figure out where we are going to build. Living in an apartment is all the more incentive to build something so we can escape on weekends.

[mikeschn]

Hey Cathy,

We were in Home Depot today... I looked at the battery powered circular saw, and I thought of you. You know you can do it. A little creativity... a little determination... and "just do it".

Mike...

[catrinka]

Thanks Mike, got lots of determination, just need to get the time and the space together. I figure if I do enough research and planning I can maybe cut down our construction time so that maybe we can borrow a garage from a relative. I would hate to tie things up for too long though. Actually if we pick the right relative then we might even get some help

I've changed our sketches from the benroy look to more like the weekender thinking that would speed things up a bit. Any other short cuts would be appreciated.

[mikeschn]

Plywood construction is the biggest shortcut I can think of. Any time you change from plywood to frame built, like I am doing, you increase your build time by a factor of 10... hmmm. maybe by a factor of 20. You get the idea.

If you have your trailer ready to go, build the body one weekend, and paint it the next.

You can always putz around in it after that, adding a light here, a battery there, or whatever.

Keep up the research, it'll help a lot.

BTW, you have a digital camera, right? We here are all counting on you to take lots of pictures the weekend you build!!!!

Mike...

P.S. You've seen our progress, right? It's going so slow because of the framing... http://tnttt.com/viewto ... =5500#5500

[catrinka]

I was just looking at your pics, its looking pretty good. I can't remember which teardrop, but one of them has a can cupboard just at the back of the counter top. It looks like its sized to be one can deep and high and runs the width of the teardrop. Looked kind of neat when I saw it.

No digital camera yet but who knows before we get started building.

[mikeschn]

Pick up a digital camera on ebay. We're counting on you...

Good choices would be any of the Olympus series, from 2020Z on up...

We have the 5050Z and love it. If I had to make a suggestion it would be the 3030Z.

Like this one for example...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 11520&rd=1

If that's still to steep, try the 2020Z
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 11514&rd=1

You want to be able to take decent photos, which you can then downsize to 640x480 for the web.

Remember, good cameras take good photos, which shrink down nicely for the web.

Cheap cameras take crappy photos, that look like crap, at any size!

Hope that helps...

Mike...

[catrinka]

Thanks for the links to ebay. With the exchange rate as well as shipping and handling its easier to get something here. If the digital doesn't happen before we build I can always use a regular cameral and scan them in.

[mikeschn]

Yes, if you have a scanner, that's a good option. Just please, remember us as you build!!!

Mike...