The Astroliner

[Atomic77]

Stunning.

How many "extra" details does it take to create a master piece? (vision of the tootsie pop owl going back to the beginning of this thread and starting to count)

How many details does it take?

"All of them."

Thank you KC. The backsplash isn't really "extra" as it's always been in the plans. I wanted a backsplash for all the obvious reasons that one would find a backsplash necessary. But for me, the biggest reason is to "finish" the area behind the countertop where the Galley wall and the Bedroom walls meet. This is the final detail that ultimately separates the two colors.



It's the details that matter and right now that's all I really have left. Details. A bit of trim, a couple doors, (Carrie wants a door on the potty room. Probably a reasonable request!) A couple drawer fronts. We're trying to put back money for the Dinette upholstery but it seems like other things always get in the way. Like groceries. Oh well, we made it this far! It will get there eventually!

Michael

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[OP827]

Michael's A team just pushed the camper build perfection off the charts. She is in a league of its own.

[Atomic77]

Michael's A team just pushed the camper build perfection off the charts. She is in a league of its own.

I actually laughed out loud on that one! Thank you Oleg. Very nice of you to say. I'll post pic's once I get it grouted and finished! Any progress to report?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[Atomic77]

Michael,
I just realized that I made a crazy typo. I should have said that epoxy grout does not stain.

I don't want to derail your thread, but in case anyone is wondering how I attached the tile, here's the sequence:

Squirt on some PL Premium:


Trowel adhesive with throw-away v-notch trowel and apply tile:


Wait a few days to grout. "Squeegee" grout in with rubber grout float/trowel:


Wait till grout sets and remove haze. On epoxy grout, you have to remove haze before the full cure or it will never come off:


Now back to Michael's stunning build!

Very nice! I wish I could have used this technique, but I had limited space, and I had to apply most of the tiles individually. Nice colors too.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[OP827]

Michael's A team just pushed the camper build perfection off the charts. She is in a league of its own.

I actually laughed out loud on that one! Thank you Oleg. Very nice of you to say. I'll post pic's once I get it grouted and finished! Any progress to report?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

No progress yet, just windows design, making a mock-up of awning design with a living hinge on top for a weather seal. The goal is to have a lightest window possible and yet a simple design to make. Doing research for living hinge sources.

[Atomic77]

Michael's A team just pushed the camper build perfection off the charts. She is in a league of its own.

I actually laughed out loud on that one! Thank you Oleg. Very nice of you to say. I'll post pic's once I get it grouted and finished! Any progress to report?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

No progress yet, just windows design, making a mock-up of awning design with a living hinge on top for a weather seal. The goal is to have a lightest window possible and yet a simple design to make. Doing research for living hinge sources.

I had to Google "Living Hinge."

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[Atomic77]

Per Tom's suggestion (aggie79) I located some Epoxy Grout and went to work. As Tom said, the work time is similar to other types of epoxy so you don't want to mix more than you can use before it kicks. Also, you must have it all cleaned up before it goes off! I found a little spot on the countertop that was almost permanent but luckily got it off in the nick of time. Of course, true to my "Swinging-Sixties-Here-I-Come" mentality, I added some silver holographic flake to the grout to give it some "pop." In the light it sparkles like diamonds with an array of colors. When Carrie gets home, she's going to say, "More hooker dust?!" Then roll her eyes and giggle like she always does... But hey I dig the flake, what can I say? Actually I decided on a nice charcoal grey and the flake looks amazing. It's fairly subtle and fits nicely with everything else. I'm pretty happy with the finished result, with the slight exception of the 90° corner but I couldn't come up with anything else, so I'll live with it. Notice the depth of the reflection in the epoxy countertop. Here's a few pix from today, now that the backsplash is complete. Feel free to weigh in on the finished product.





















Happy Building,

Michael

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

http://www.astroliner.blogspot.com

[OP827]

Good call on gray grout, I'd like it better than black as you have black tiles there. Do you have a close-up picture of the flakes on the tile grout? Curious how flakes work with non-clear grout.

Sent from my Moto G Play using Tapatalk

[OP827]

Sorry, my bad, you already did the picture, nice!


Sent from my Moto G Play using Tapatalk

[Atomic77]

Sorry, my bad, you already did the picture, nice!


Sent from my Moto G Play using Tapatalk

I wish I were better at capturing the sparkle of the flake but it just doesn't translate in stills well. I'll see about posting a video.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[OP827]

Sorry, my bad, you already did the picture, nice!


Sent from my Moto G Play using Tapatalk

I wish I were better at capturing the sparkle of the flake but it just doesn't translate in stills well. I'll see about posting a video.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

It's a camera sensor, not you. Sensor doesn't see what human eye does.

Sent from my Moto G Play using Tapatalk

[KCStudly]

When Carrie gets home, she's going to say, "More hooker dust?!" Then roll her eyes and giggle like she always does...

I chortled so hard over this^ my beverage almost shot out of my nose.

It really does look stunning... all of it. You really stuck to a strong theme. At times I have been thinking, any one of the special features that you did... the curved this, the rocket themed glitter that, etc., etc. ... could have been the one special feature that made your camper stand apart. And then there comes the next thing, and the next thing... and more... and all good. At times I started to wonder, "is it going too far? Will people be overwhelmed by the busyness (like at the mall around x-mas time)?", but nope, not at all. You, my friend, have really pulled it off. All first class quality and craftsmanship, and everything complimenting the theme, not clashing or standing out too brightly, just adding to the thrill. Like good art, every time you look you see something new or differently that it catches your minds eye in a new way, or lets you focus on some different details.

Beautiful.

[Atomic77]

When Carrie gets home, she's going to say, "More hooker dust?!" Then roll her eyes and giggle like she always does...

I chortled so hard over this^ my beverage almost shot out of my nose.

It really does look stunning... all of it. You really stuck to a strong theme. At times I have been thinking, any one of the special features that you did... the curved this, the rocket themed glitter that, etc., etc. ... could have been the one special feature that made your camper stand apart. And then there comes the next thing, and the next thing... and more... and all good. At times I started to wonder, "is it going too far? Will people be overwhelmed by the busyness (like at the mall around x-mas time)?", but nope, not at all. You, my friend, have really pulled it off. All first class quality and craftsmanship, and everything complimenting the theme, not clashing or standing out too brightly, just adding to the thrill. Like good art, every time you look you see something new or differently that it catches your minds eye in a new way, or lets you focus on some different details.

Beautiful.

Thank you so very much. Kudos from a Pro like you make it worthwhile. I want others to get a kick out of it, not just me. I've wanted all along to build something that is over-the-top yet tasteful, cosmic yet comfortable, foriegn yet familiar, visionic yet vintage, fashionable yet functional... but most of all I wanted it to fill that Mid-Century, Atomic-Age hole in my heart. I feel like we pulled that off. It's weirdly whimsical, kinda kitchy and tastefully tailored to my own brand of art... I'm honored that you get it. It's my happy place

I'll be posting a short video here in a bit of the Custom Countertops and their art. Let me know what you think to see them in a new dimension.

Michael

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[Atomic77]

I hope the video shows the flake in a little more detail and comes to life more like it is in person!

Here's the link... Enjoy!

Michael

https://youtu.be/vlX_1IblDkM

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[aggie79]

I know I sound like a skipping record - Michael are you old enough to know what the means? - but what a superb job on the backsplash! I love tile colors and the flake in the grout is over the top (in a good way)!