"Jackal" 5x10 TD Running water.

[JmsCaverly]

Great Progress!
Back in early January I thought you might not get it done for Shasta, and was going to tell you to put the pedal to the metal.
But, now it is me that is falling behind in my build |(Kermit) and you look like you are on schedule!
Can't wait to meet you guys and see your new Teardrop!!! :
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

You best get going I want to see the Kermit. I really want to see how you make cars into campers I've always thought that was a cool idea. We should be on track I've just ordered the last bit of parts, and the cabinetry to finish up. Just a few final details I'll be finishing up in about a month.

[JmsCaverly]

Now I'm getting excited, finally I get to get into the work I love wood working. Over the last 7 months I feel like I've been doing so many other things other than what I know I'm good at. Wood working has been a passion of mine ever since I was just a little kid stealing wood from my grandfathers work shed.

I love some of the things that I've learned over the last few months, but now is time for me to move into my comfort zone and enjoy the milling and finishing that I love.

I have had plans on doing a bumper that was solid wood from the beginning but I didn't have any ideas on what it was going to look like my first thought was to use some walnut and maple then I thought about some blood wood with a contrasting wood but as you know I have choose a nice large piece of Purple Heart and maple well today the fruit of my labor is done. I had a blast milling again, I bought a 10" wide 6' long 4/4 quarter piece that I knew I could get everything I needed out I of one piece. Most of you have seen the front trim piece that I made a few weekends ago and that came out really good but man did this bumper come out nice.

Well I'll let you guys decide ......





I got around to doing some much need shop maintenance, I have been neglecting my shop for some time now and I need something I could move around but had everything I needed in one place. Luckily I came across a project that Adam Savage (Mythbuster) did called "F" Drawers. He built a rolling tool cart that would keep everything out in the open and useable.
I'll post the link in case anyone wants to watch

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TWQAYfGxsPE

Mine is much larger than what Adam built but I needed a place to keep everything so it's not all over the garage.





I still have a few things I want to add to it but the base will have all my paint and lacquers and thinners, I have fold away side shelf for plans and notes but I made is small enough and weak enough to keep myself from putting tools on it.
I made the backing to hold all of my clamps to keep them with me as I'm working.

[Vedette]

We all love neatness! It is what makes for great camping!
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[noseoil]

Nice job on the bumper!

[badschnauzer]

Clicked on your sig's build thread link to check out your TD. Looking good! Your freshly milled bumper has got me thinking. I have a nice slab of Padauk in my shop looking for a home...

My last assignment was AFRICOM in Stuttgart, Germany. I really enjoyed the trips down to Africa. I never had to deal with klepto monkeys though.

[JmsCaverly]

Nice job on the bumper!

Thanks Tim! By the way are going to make your way up to northern cal this year. I sure would like to talk tears and beers!

[JmsCaverly]

Clicked on your sig's build thread link to check out your TD. Looking good! Your freshly milled bumper has got me thinking. I have a nice slab of Padauk in my shop looking for a home...

My last assignment was AFRICOM in Stuttgart, Germany. I really enjoyed the trips down to Africa. I never had to deal with klepto monkeys though.

Ya know Padauk was in the running when I was trying to decide what kind of wood I wanted to use. But ultimately I felt like the purple went better with my black trim work.

Yeah I've been to Stuttgart a few years back buddy of mine was in a car accident and he was treated at the clinic there. Good bunch of people he was in and out in no time. Funny thing is my flight chief was telling me to watch my oil cans but I really didn't believe him I thought there was no way they would come that close with all the noise and all the movement.

Thanks for the kind comments!

[JmsCaverly]

So I got a little gift in the mail today and I may or may not have made a small change to the design of my build. Of course I will mirror it on the other side but for now it has a nice place to sit in the garage till then.

[JmsCaverly]

So today I thought I would try my hand at some metal working. And well I not so sure it went so well. I tried to fabricate my own third brake light.





I don't own any metal fab tools so this was done with just the edge of my tool bench and a hammer.

So does anyone have any ideas how to do this a better way. I don't own a metal break and I'm thinking I just might ask someone to fabricate it for me someone with the proper tools and skill.

But on a good note the tail lights are working from the TV

[badschnauzer]

How wide is your TD? My understanding is you only need the triple brake light for trailers that are greater than 80" wide. Unless, of course, you just want it for extra safety. I'm also planning my rear tail light installation. Why do you have two pairs of stop/turn lights? Are they wired independently (one for stop and one for turn)?

Your TD is coming along nicely.

[KCStudly]

The inner lights look like backup lights, maybe?

On sheet metal forming w/o a break, there are a couple of tricks that might help you out. One is that anything you do will leave a mark, so it is better to do things small a little at a time than it is to give it the "all mighty" whack or bend.

You can use a small adjustable wrench or a piece of flat bar with a slot cut into it with a hack saw (the adjustable wrench is smoother), slip the wrench over the edge to be flanged starting at one end and just pry enough to start a little bend. Then move over a little and bend a little more. When you get to the end the sheet, you will have a flange that is just kinked over a little bit, maybe 5 deg. Now go back and do it again getting another 5 deg or so. Keep going making multiple passes until you get to the angle you want. Then if you need to you can tip tap the corner into shape a little to even things out; but you have to be careful, when you hammer on metal you are thinning it, moving metal away from the hammer strike and stretching it out. If you are using a ball peen hammer or carpenter's hammer they are much heavier than a body hammer and will also have a crown on them; whereas some body hammers are quite flat and are better suited for planishing.

Another technique involves making a hammer form plug (can be from wood) and a clamp board. You sandwich your flat pattern between the hammer form and the clamp board before hammering the edge over the form. The clamp board keeps the "flat" side of the corner lifting or prying up from the plug and maintains the intended shape of the bend, rather than letting it buckle up.

If you want to learn more and see these techniques check out Ron Covell's youtube page.

[JmsCaverly]

How wide is your TD? My understanding is you only need the triple brake light for trailers that are greater than 80" wide. Unless, of course, you just want it for extra safety. I'm also planning my rear tail light installation. Why do you have two pairs of stop/turn lights? Are they wired independently (one for stop and one for turn)?

Your TD is coming along nicely.

My 'drop is only 60" wide, I know I really don't have a reason for a third brake light I just like the way it looks to be honest. KCStudly is right the inner lights are clear white for my reverse lights, again probably not a real need for them but kinda just in case I'm backing in the dark my spotter (wife) will have a way of seeing.

[JmsCaverly]

Thanks for that KC I think I saw something at lowes that might help it looks like vise grips but it has about a 4" wide flat side on it, I might give this a try. I watched Ron covells video on planishing and he might have just help me on another problem I'm having which is bending the aluminum molding for my hatch.

[tony.latham]

I tried making one out of sheet also and settled on this made from angle.



I more-or-less used Halfdome's method: viewtopic.php?t=59328

Mine has a core of epoxy-sealed popular that screws to the 'drop and then the light attaches to the core.

That light, that I bought off eBay, has the three lights, brake light, and indicators.

Tony

[KCStudly]

I've never had great results bending with the flat billed vise grips. They're better at gripping two pieces together than they are at bending, and they don't solve the problem of the far side of the bend bulging up. Remember it is better to move in smaller increments than in one big go.

The 80 inch measurement is taken at the widest point, so don't forget to include your fenders and/or tire bulge, whichever is wider. Also, in my experience, they will round up, so 79-3/4 gets written down as 80 inches, not under.