MOBIUS Trip

[GreatPumpkin]

Lower bulkhead pulled back out to straighten and skin.



Upper bulkhead skinned. (upper part of the picture, this part will be between the galley cabinet and the cabin cabinet.

[GreatPumpkin]

Got a little ahead of myself, here's some more pictures of the bulkhead framing sans skins, and the countertop in place to see how it would fit.

Lower bulkhead framing.


Bulkhead framing in place with counter resting on it.



Close-up of countertop and plam pattern. Cool little oval sink placed at an angle. (Picked it, and a bunch of other parts, up at a junk yard for $8.00!)

[bve]

You are making some great progress there. What are your plans for covering those tight radii on the bottom of the profile?


Burke

[GreatPumpkin]

You are making some great progress there. What are your plans for covering those tight radii on the bottom of the profile?


Burke

Burke -

Thanks.

You're referring to this?



After reading quite a few other posts, I was beginning to think I had chosen to tight of a radius.
However I have since test fit (bent by hand) a piece of 1/8" Baltic Birch around the 4" template and found it fit the profile with little effort.
I will probably use some warm, wet rags when I get ready to apply the outer skin just to make it easier.

The front profile shouldn't be too difficult, as it comes out of the 4" radius to a straight 20" run before entering the top 24" radius.
The rear may prove to be a little more difficult as it will be bending over only 2" of the 4" radius - I shortened the pattern in the rear in order to minimize the overall length. That bend will terminate at the galley floor, so all I'm bending over is the small pattern you see. My fingers are crossed.

[Miriam C.]

I can't believe I missed this. Love the profile! ! ! And the sink! ! ! Can't wait for the finish!

[bve]

Thanks GP -that's what I was referring to.

[aggie79]

GP,

Your teardrop is looking fantastic and your progress is amazing. I think the Mobius profile is great adaptation. Please keep showing us your progress.

Thanks, Tom

[absolutsnwbrdr]

Looks like you're really moving along!! That hardwood flooring has me scouring craigslist!!

[GreatPumpkin]

Thanks all for the kind comments and encouragement.

Wow! It's been awhile since I posted last.

Life sometimes gets in the way... or in this case death. I've had two funerals to attend in the last month. Makes you start thinking about your own mortality. I think that sometimes I forget that I don't really run around in blue tights with a big red "S" emblazoned on my chest.

...anyways, on to lot's of pics and updates on my progress.

[GreatPumpkin]

Some of this may seem a little out of order in the build progression, but that's not necessarily so. Some pics might be details I neglected to post, and some are actually in order, I just had to take a few steps "back" - When I raised the walls this winter so I could continue working, I knew that I would want to take them back down to properly epoxy the plywood edges, so prior pictures of the walls up, and the newer pictures of the walls down are actually in order. Confused yet?

Groove routed down the sides of the walls - this is where the wall attaches to the floor. I know it's not a lot of support, but it interlocks together and makes me feel better.


Sorry if this one's a duplicate. I cut the first wall to my profile, sanded it to where I wanted it, and then used it for a pattern to route the second wall.


Double spar at the rear for the galley hinge. The lower edges of the walls have now been epoxied and raised back into place. I had only installed three spars previously to ease the dismantling that I knew would have to happen.


Quick, simple helper jig to hold the spars as I install them solo.

[GreatPumpkin]

Here's a picture of the maple cabinet face frames in the galley with two light coats of poly. The maple came from leftover maple flooring used for the top floor in the teardrop. (Craigslist score!) As a testimonial to Bruce hardwood flooring, it's a great finish - takes quite a bit of effort to sand off! The shelf and back bulkhead wall are birch with just one light coat of poly so far. I'll probably end up with 4-5 coats before I'm done.



There's two drawers there and the space to the right that I haven't totally decided what to do with. I can't put another drawer in, or it won't be a fully opening one as the faucet would be in the way. I'm probably going to just install a false drawer front that pulls off for access to the storage there. Can't afford not to use every bit of available space...

ok. this one is out of order, it's a pic of the galley in progress, with the face frame just propped in place prior to sanding and building the rest of the cabinetry. You also see the black plam laying in place that is now installed on the galley walls.

[GreatPumpkin]

Another one out of order - sorry, I'm trying to play catch-up on the postings...

These show how my wheel wells are semi-recessed. I really like how this turned out.

[GreatPumpkin]

Another score (evilBay this time). An RV door complete with lock and keys. It was advertised as "new", but it looks like it could have been a pull? Seller bottomdollarsurplus. Some of their stuff is advertised as "pulls" some as "new". I'm pleased with it though and the price I paid.

As bought.


They are too large for a 48" wall, but I knew that when I bought it. It still gives me a great frame, lock, seal, etc.

Here I've cut the frame down and finally made the cut in the wall - another reason I hadn't previously installed all the spars, I've been entering and exiting from the front while I decided what to do about a door.

Door frame cut down.


The door was a little more of a pain in the butt to cut down and get the angles cut just right without fully removing the frame from the door sandwich. I removed about 7" from the door before putting it back together.

Door cut down. Actual door opening now around 29" w x 35" t


Door isn't fully installed, just propped in place. I'm planning on removing the outer white fiberglass layer and replacing with aluminum when I skin the teardrop. I also still have to remount the lower hinge. I haven't decided if I want to: 1) leave the frame white, 2) paint it black, or 3) remove the paint with aircraft stripper and polish the aluminum.

Decisions, decisions... Sometimes I think I spend more time faffing about than actually working on the teardrop.

I actually picked up an identical lock and hinges at the same junkyard I got the sink from. They were off an identical door, but the frame was just too destroyed to salvage.

[GreatPumpkin]

Ok I've been bad about updating, so here's the overloaded update:

All spars installed. Heavy duty double spar (maple) installed for hatch hinge attachment. Ceiling skinned with 1/8" Baltic Birch. Ran 16Gauge wiring to the front to power two small lights, and two additional wires for speakers. Insulated the roof with recycled commercial fiberglass ceiling tile. Skinned the outside roof with 1/8" Baltic Birch. Fiberglassed the two joints. Built the inner wheel well cover frames. Obtained my 3rd stovetop, built a slide out for it and installed it with full extension slides. Started the inner light/speaker shelf.

Pictorial:
Spar header

Power for lights

Speaker wire

Power Converter cabinet

Insulated. I sealed each "compartment" with liquid nails to keep it from leaking fiberglass particles into the cabin, and to better hold the ceiling panels to the spars

[GreatPumpkin]

Partially skinned

Skinning finished. Held in place with cheater strips while the glue dries

Front, lower radius glued and screwed

Front detail

Rear profile curve is the same (4") as the front, but a little tougher in that it is just a short piece. I prepared it by placing hot, wet rags on it and then clamped it to a piece of 4" EMT overnight.

Close-up of clamping

Rear radius skin installed