The Poet Creek Express - Foamie Hybrid

[RandyG]

Kc, you spark new ideas in my head time and time again. Welders and machinists have a way of looking at projects and put their own spin on it. 'Why didnt I think of that' moments. Thanks for the inspiration!

[Mary C]

KC, you do beautiful work. I wish I had the tools to do wood work with. maybe some day. In the mean time thanks for the light idea I have some lights that i need a way to mount, I will keep it in mind. You have inadvertently given me a couple of other ideas too. Your TD will be one of the best for sure!!!! and hopefully I will get to see it in person when I make my 2017 Big North trip.

Mary C.

[KCStudly]

Glad I could help, RandyG. Was it something in particular or just in general?

Thank you for the kind words, Mary. Having tools and access to tools does come in handy and speeds things along most times, but ya know? I get a lot of personal satisfaction working with the simple hand tools, too.

Thanks to everyone for following along and contributing!

[RandyG]

Your light and switch spacers gave me a different way of thinking about how to mount mine. I may not use your way but it got some creative juices going.

[linuxmanxxx]

I used the outlet boxes for internal conduit. I embedded all worrying in walls painted the plastic boxes to match my interior and mounted over the wiring hole. Clean and looks factory that way.

[KCStudly]

RandyG, I'm glad you have been inspired!

Linux, I'm not sure I get it exactly. Feel free to post a pic. Sounds like you used a commercial electrical box nested into the wall (all or part way) and painted the cover to match your inside wall? I see how that could have worked in place of some of the wall blocking I did, but on the other hand, I am very happy with the way the wood trim is coming together, and the overall "furniture" quality that it will give my cabin.

Wood is good.

Yesterday was nearly a complete bust. I started out by experimenting with a "simple" little wood working project that I thought I might turn into a Xmas gift for someone (...so no details at this time), but it didn't work out so good. And the loft only got up to 37 deg F.

I did manage to true up the redo on the curb side switch plate blank and that was about it.

Today, Yvette and I ran some errands, went out to breakfast (that is something we used to do often and it has been a while... grilled cinnamon scone, ginger bread french toast with a cream cheese sauce drizzle and a bit of powdered sugar, eggs over easy with a sprinkle of shredded cheese over asparagus and ground sausage on sourdough toast w/ home fries, and a cup of coffee... we shared), then we went and got our Xmas tree in the snow (I was glad that I thought to bring the socket cup thing from our adjustable tree stand; they were all too happy to trim the tree to my desired height and prune just the right number of branches so that the cup could go on, sleeved it and tied it to the roof of the Ford form me; excellent service from mom & pop deal. (On a related note, please, after you take your tree sock off ... or your six pack plastic rack thing, or your rats nest of tangled up fishing line, etc./whatever, please take the time to cut it up into small pieces so that it does not become a hazard to wildlife that may come across it in the post consumer world. I wadded my tree sock up, stuffed it into a quart zip lock bag and THEN cut it up with kitchen scissors. Kept all of the bits from going everywhere and will hopefully keep it all self contained until it meets its demise at the trash plant.)

Very cold (18 deg F by the Ford) and snowing all day, so I am content to sit for a bit, sip some scotch, and do QC for the baked goods and confections that Yvette is working on in the kitchen.

Tomorrow is another day, but I'm logging some 'teardrop time' today.

[KCStudly]

Last night was 27 F when I left work, 24 F up on the hill, 32 in the loft, and only got to 37 F by the time I left 2 hrs later. I had the radiator right up next to the bench with me, ditto for the turd.

I am content to keep working on wood trim for the lights and switches, since I can't glue or apply polyurethane in this weather.

I chiseled out the curb side switch plate spacer. See if you can spot the discrepancy between the two. Karl figured it out before I even pulled the protective film off.




Hint: the grain of the brushed finish on the stainless plates does not agree, they should both be running across the short way (top to bottom). Not that big of a deal, we'll just fire up the time saver and regrain them both so they match (Karl spotted it so he offered to help fix it ).

I need to take some time off from the build to prep for the holidays, but I will probably be able to find time to start on the pillow light/switch mounts, maybe pick out my coat hooks and see if I want to trim those out, too.

[RandyG]

You can buff that enough so you cant even see the grain, but I bet you would have been the only one that noticed if you hadnt said anything. Wish it would warm up for ya, we wanna see some more progress. You're getting closer!

[KCStudly]

You can buff that enough so you cant even see the grain, but I bet you would have been the only one that noticed if you hadnt said anything. Wish it would warm up for ya, we wanna see some more progress. You're getting closer!

Thanks for the kind words of support, Randy. They are well appreciated.

The time saver,

... a really big sander (like a planer) with the correct grit belt (a really big/wide belt) will put the finish true. We may need to adhere the switch plates to something a little thicker, but that is no problem. Doing it by hand would not give the same uniform effect.

Karl deals with this decorative stuff all of the time and he knows all of the tricks... and that's why he noticed it first! As you can see in the pic's, there is a little smudging from sanding the corners round and the heat that put into the plastic film, but that is pretty typical.

Details, details. Sweat the details.

There was a post recently where a first time builder was concerned about how he was doing and whether his project was going to come out good enough. It seems that everything is relative. I too am a first time builder. Like I said in the beginning about consistency; if you work to a certain level and maintain that level throughout, everything will fit and look good. If you allow a big wart to fester, it will stand out like a sore thumb. The rest is in how closely you look; binoculars or coke bottles... and how much time you are willing to spend.

Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich-man, poor-man, beggar-man, thief. Where do you fit in and what makes you happy?

[GPW]

“ I too am a first time builder. “ .... Yeah Right !!! Mr. Super Fabricator/builder /Engineer ... ... You do raise the bar for the rest of us ...

[KCStudly]

“ I too am a first time builder. “ .... Yeah Right !!! Mr. Super Fabricator/builder /Engineer ... ... You do raise the bar for the rest of us ...

Thank you (I think?).

Like I said, we all work to our own level of ability, and each have a relative bar that we hope to achieve. Having the knowledge of something and doing it are two decidedly different things. We all have some level of self doubt. I've never done a project like this, using wood and wood finishes to this extent. This is also my largest project, from start to finish, where ergonomics and aesthetics play so heavily into the design. (Those are so often expendable compromises in the industrial world that I work in for a living, although I do always try to keep them in mind.)

You guys razz me some for being too particular, but I'll take that. It is a blessing and a curse working on details. Maybe Sharon was right way back when she said things will change after the first scratch (the practicality of it being a camper first and a piece of furniture second), but this process is so much more to me. It is a healing, an introspective journey if you will.

I'm trying to be humble here, but it keeps sounding like I'm being pompous! This weather is really starting to throw me off, way too much time to ponder and wax words.

Also, the knowledge and support of this forum, my friends and family, and especially, Karl, can not be overstated. You all are the ones that have made this possible. Couldn't have gotten here without you.

GPW, I want to give you a special thank you. Your dedication to this community and my projects in particular mean a very lot to me. A few days back we hadn't heard from you for a while and I was starting to get worried! But like the sun, you are here again, almost daily to offer support and camaraderie. Thank you.

[GPW]

KC, just sayin’ .... your work is MOST IMPRESSIVE .... by any standards...

Yes, still here.... Just taking time off to do the wife’s Holiday bidding ... Seems her idea of a holiday is doing something together ...which usually means me doing a lot of work , and her directing ...

Too Cold for cajuns to be outside ... 43F now .... Brrrr !!!! Everybody here dressed like Eskimos ... True !!!

[oakinteriors1]

Oh My Gosh an Old Time Saver Wide Belt Sander....Those and Ramco sanders from the 80's..
I don't know what the big shops use now, being on my own so long...Mine is a 38'' woodmaster drum sander.....

[KCStudly]

Thanks for chiming in, Oak. I can't say what a modern shop would use, but I know that Karl sought out the Time Saver, perhaps because he had prior experience with one(?). I think he may have mentioned to me what the advantage was to him, but I don't seem to recall at the moment (perhaps the belt lasts longer than the drum when working metal instead of wood?). If I think of it I will ask him the next time I see him.

[Wolffarmer]

My sanders are both Armstrong's. but they both need lots of lube and high voltage these days to get going.

Randy