Tom & Shelly's build

[Tom&Shelly]

Somewhere along the line...

So... what cussword burst forth? Anything extra-coarse that I could add to my vocabulary for one of my future screw-ups?



Tony

Nah! Shelly and I are taking a French class via Zoom, but we didn't get to that chapter yet, so I resorted to the Anglo/Germanic vulgarities already well known to woodworkers, at least of my caliber.

Tom

[tony.latham]

Somewhere along the line...

So... what cussword burst forth? Anything extra-coarse that I could add to my vocabulary for one of my future screw-ups?



Tony

Nah! Shelly and I are taking a French class via Zoom, but we didn't get to that chapter yet, so I resorted to the Anglo/Germanic vulgarities already well known to woodworkers, at least of my caliber.

Tom

Holler if you need something like “dog eating mother....”

I’m an expert. Well seasoned.

Tony

[KCStudly]

Soldier on. The strut interference solution will be easier than the torment that you are putting yourself thru at the moment. Take a moment and work thru the issue. The solution will present itself.

Build on.

[Tom&Shelly]

Soldier on. The strut interference solution will be easier than the torment that you are putting yourself thru at the moment. Take a moment and work thru the issue. The solution will present itself.

Build on.

Thanks KC. I took the day off today to shovel snow (and look up French swear words, just in case.)

Now I'm thinking maybe a new box design, with a slanted front for the meter, controller, and switch, starting above the PD 4045, may be the way to go. I'll need to make some sort of jig for the router table to cut the top and front edges at the right slant...

The wood working is, after all, the fun part. But this box put me a month behind--or would've if I had a schedule.

Tom

[tony.latham]

I took the day off today to shovel snow...

What elevation are you two at???

If I get down on my knees and squint, I can see some green. I think.

Tony

[Tom&Shelly]

I took the day off today to shovel snow...

What elevation are you two at???

If I get down on my knees and squint, I can see some green. I think.

Tony

About 7100 feet. I heard on the news that Albuquerque (~6000 ft) got a dusting. It was in the mid-70's down there on Saturday and high 60's here, so the ground was starting to warm up. Here we had 8 inches on our porch rails, but it had melted down to a heavy few inches in the driveway. Spring in New Mexico.

Another month or so until it's reliably above freezing each night. Even then. Our scrub oak is usually a late riser, but one year they got caught out by a late freeze and didn't leaf again until July. the plants up here have to be tough!

Of course, if we prefer somewhat mild camping to winter cabin life at this time of year, there are places an hour or two south of us at 4000 feet enjoying Spring right now.

Tom

[tony.latham]

Spring in New Mexico.

7100'? You should be able to watch NASA's Ingenuity helicopter from up there, eh?

It's trying to snow here... but 58º on the forecast this weekend.

Tony

[Tom&Shelly]

Spring in New Mexico.

7100'? You should be able to watch NASA's Ingenuity helicopter from up there, eh?

Tony

Hmm, maybe that was the noise we heard this morning?

Since I once worked in the space industry, folks sometimes ask why satellites take something like two orders of magnitude more money than a similar machine on Earth. The reason is we don't want something like this happening once in orbit



That was a bi**h, but at least I'm not 10,000 miles from the toolbox!

Tom

[Tom&Shelly]

I think I solved the "two things occupying the same space at the same time" problem



Performing some highly sophisticamated testing, it appears I have almost an inch of clearance



Good enough!

Cutting the angles was interesting. For the top, it just needed a slight bevel, which I accomplished with a jig and careful cutting to the line on the bandsaw



Cutting the lower front panel was trickier. I tried the same trick, but it was too much of an angle. The upper guide bearings on the bandsaw had to be raised too high and the blade flexed, creating more fire starter (from the scrap of AC plywood I experimented on before going to the expensive Baltic birch). I started to try sanding the required shape, but in the end the answer was the old fashioned 14 inch block plane. Did the job in four or five strokes.



Just a little tear-out from the inner two layers where I cut cross-grain. (I shoulda cut the other direction!) I'll fill the gaps in the end with wood putty.

Was thinking of reinforcing the front-top interface with a scrap of fiberglass inside the box, but it doesn't seem to need it. I used 3/8 x 3/8 inch spruce stock for most of the edges, with 3/4 inch pine where the PD 4045 and solar controller screws in. (Have to use wood screws as there is no way to reach back in to hold the nuts.)

Anyway, a bit of sanding, about 4 coats of varnish, and I can spend half a day getting the guts into the box.

Tom

[tony.latham]

and I can spend half a day getting the guts into the box.

Quite the job. I like the way you checked the clearance.

Sometime, on a black night after the flames of the fire have died to cherry-red coals, tell me why I need 120 volts.





Tony

[Tom&Shelly]

and I can spend half a day getting the guts into the box.

Quite the job. I like the way you checked the clearance.

Thanks Tony.

Sometime, on a black night after the flames of the fire have died to cherry-red coals, tell me why I need 120 volts.





Tony

Up here (in elevation), we don't. Down where we are going (particularly after the language I used last week) air conditioning may be a plus!



Not necessarily comparing that place with where my Mom lives, but she's between the U and G, just over the line in Upstate NY.



Also, the electricity at Mom's camp site is free.

Tom

[Tom&Shelly]

OK, now the electrical box is done and we can close the hatch simultaneously



The only absolute necessities left are to connect the brakes and put the fenders back on. We plan on adding some candy-canespicuity tape around the trailer frame first. Then we have to figure out the registration thing for New Mexico.

Once it leaves the workshop though, it would be tricky to put it back, so I'll try and finish the lights above the galley counter first.

Tom

[noseoil]

Electrical box looks good, glad it fits!

We chose to register the trailer first, prior to the build, then once it was finished, it's still just a trailer. That was just easier for us with the Arizona vehicle inspection rules. It was originally a utility trailer. Since it was originally a commercially built trailer, at least you have the bill of sale & a VIN number. That may help in the process.

When we went to insure ours, the insurance carrier would only insure the cost of materials (no labor) as the "full price" replacement cost. The only way around this would be to use a "straw man" type of transfer, so there's a bill of sale showing the full cash value on an invoice or transfer amount.

Let us know how the registration process works out in New Mexico for a home build. I still need to transfer ours to NM, but for now it's still wearing the original Arizona plate, since it's a "lifetime" plate on the trailer now...

[tony.latham]

the insurance carrier would only insure the cost of materials...

Tim:

Did the fact that it was insured as a utility trailer affect that?

Tony

[Tom&Shelly]

Note to self (mostly): Tongue weighs in at 208 lbs. minus food and water in the galley, and camping equipment in the front. That should be about right for a 1400 - 2000 lb trailer (15% - 10% of trailer weight).

We jacked up each side this morning and took the tires off to put conspicuity tape on the frame, and solder the wires for the brakes. Shelly and I have a chore this afternoon (there is a cat and a vet involved ) so hopefully I'll get the fenders back on tomorrow and take some pictures (if I'm still in one piece).

I need to weather proof the solder joints for the brakes, and I think some old fashioned silicon gooped over it is probably the best, though not the prettiest.

Far as registration, I thought New Mexico had the same process for all trailers, but the guy who built it for us told us to bring it back when we had the teardrop finished and he'd fill out the rest of the paperwork. (We're pretty sure he's still there doing business.) He did tell us to bring it in and let him finish it if we gave up, but I don't think he'd finish it the way we did. Anyway, Tim, I'll let you know how it goes for us.

Tom