The Poet Creek Express - Foamie Hybrid

[KCStudly]

Thank you Mary!

While yesterday was “just another build day”, and just 7 more hrs on the clock, it represents a long time coming with all of the work I’ve put in getting the front wall and locker “done” to the point where it has the finish applied and is installed on the cabin. Spoiler alert: Milestone achieved!

Friday I spent a few minutes after work welding the square driver bit extension.


I was a little worried that the heat from welding would take the hardness out of it, but I only need it to drive five screws, so hoped for the best.

I had been feeling punch drunk all day, too little sleep I think, so after that I went home and took a nap.

Yesterday I inspected the PL glue tests and learned that the set glue is a lot less tenacious than I had expected. It’s more like a rubbery GG than a hard setting epoxy and I was able to trim the squeezed out excess fairly easily with the utility knife.

While I would prefer not to have to scrape the remainder off of a good finish, this did alleviate some concerns. (I subsequently learned that there is a very long working time and if you catch it right the PL is easy to “smudge”, or gently scrape away with a chisel shaped stick or the edge of a plastic credit card/scraper.)

I had purposely left the foam uneven so that I could test the gap filling ability of the PL. This left me a small purchase point to get the tips of my fingers between the foam and wood so that I could pull the samples apart. Without this prying action I don’t think I could have got them apart by hand, but with it they came apart without too much effort; though over a much larger area the force to separate would be substantial. The adhesion was very good, with the foam failing before the glue.



Here I have finished the dry fit and run the screws in. You can see the layout I did indicating the wall blocking (on the left) and the over/under pattern I used for the key catcher shelf ledger.

I used 1/2 inch long screws everywhere (to prevent blowing thru the ledgers), but will use 3/4 inch long screws into the wall blocking on final glue up.

The screws in the ledgers are space every 4 inches. The clamps are just there as part of the practice run.


Here, after masking the edges on the inside of the front I have pulled it back off and masked the edges of the walls and along the upper ledger. I decided not to glue the key catcher ledger as it complicated the install greatly and did not seem to be necessary with all of the screws. Also, the areas in front of (“behind”?) the pillow light blocks would be hard to wipe and peel because they are so close to the front, so I didn’t bother masking there. If I couldn’t clean squeeze out there it wouldn’t really be visible much anyway.



To catch any drips from the top shelf ledger, I just laid some chipboard down on the key catcher shelf tacked in with a couple of bits of tape.


Here’s the modified glue spreader with the larger notch in the middle.


The corresponding masking on the curb side of the front wall. The bottom corner where the toe board and Wiremold come together was left clear rather than complicate.


And there was still time in the day, so I went for it! Here it is all glued, screwed and clamped.





Everything when pretty smoothly, except the extended driver bit striped out on the third screw down in the locker well.

I left it for the time being and went back with the proper Kregg bit and 6-way tool to drive the last screws by hand.

After cleanup and unmasking.


Now Sunday, I took the clamps off and gave everything a good once over.


Even though it will get foam board glued to it and canvas covering, I decided to seal the corners with paintable caulk. I figure if any water were to get in it would run down and try to find the seams, so even though they are glued up pretty securely, a little prevention now would not hurt anything.


Finally got around to putting a first coat primer on the locker divider shelf.

It is pine with a couple of big knots in it. I figured that the Zinsser 1-2-3 primer would seal the knots, but they started bleeding thru almost immediately. Read the instructions again and it says to use Zinsser B-I-N over knots prior to priming, so I have some rework to do.

I still haven’t decided which coat hooks to choose (hence I have not taken them out of the packaging). I’m actually thinking about using them both, one mounted above the other like this.


Does that seem stupid and look dumb?

I decided that to truly appreciate my efforts I needed to do some dusting and cleanup inside of the cabin.




Then I went back to making sawdust! These are the slats that will back up the butt joints in the ceiling panels. Each is made up of two shorter lengths of the 5 mm ply because I used scraps and didn’t have any longer pieces that weren’t already spoken for. They are 2 inches wide x 63 long


Moving onward, I am thrilled with the progress and having achieved a big milestone.

[bonnie]

That is so great! You have made great progress!

[GPW]

KC, Really coming together now ... Starting to look like a camper... (a really Nice camper)

[aggie79]

KC, Really coming together now ... Starting to look like a camper... (a really Nice camper)

I'm with GPW...the PCE is starting to look like a finished teardrop!

[wagondude]

You're almost closed in now. So many small details to get to this stage. Soon you will be making another round of bigger steps.

[KCStudly]

Thank you everyone for sticking with me on this. Like I just said over on Lauren's Father-Daughter build, I don't know when it will be done, but I know what I want it to be like when I get there.

Tonight I sanded the locker divider back down and sealed up the knots. Had some runs that will need to be sanded back before moving on. Not much progress and nothing pic worthy, tho I did clamp the hatch rib template onto the side of the galley to check where the edge of the roof skin will need to end compared to how I had drawn it.

[kudzu]

It's taking shape so well, KC. You've worked so hard all this time. It must be nice to see it all coming together this way.

[KCStudly]

Thanks, Kudzu!

[bonnie]

I know I post in fits and starts, but watching you build has been so enjoyable. I got a giddy feeling when I saw how close you are to having it all buttoned up. Well done.

[KCStudly]

Thanks so much, Bonnie, for sharing that!

I got a coat of the gray paint on the locker divider today; filled the screw holes in the side walls with GS where I had screwed into the bulkhead and key catcher shelf from the outside; and added a little wood filler around the door jambs.

It was hot and humid enough to be uncomfortable in the loft this evening, so I set my sights low. I want to finish up the locker door, get that hung and out of the way before I get into the larger roof panels. Also contemplated hinge spars and hatch positioning some more.

[KCStudly]

I put another coat of gray paint on the bottom of the locker divider shelf. On the first coat I did the bottom and edges first, let it skin over for a bit in the hot temps, flipped it over and did the top. The damp paint stuck to the churches just enough to leave a couple of marks, so this time (final coat) I will let it sit and dry fully before flipping it and putting the final coat on top (the side that will show).

While that was kicking off I went around, shaved and sanded the little popcorn eruptions of GS that had expanded out of the screw holes I filled. I used the wide chisel in a slicing motion to shave the high stuff as best I could. Even tho the GS is a lot softer than the GG, it still forms a slightly harder crust than the blue foam, so you have to be really careful not to press when sanding. If you press the GS/GG just compresses the blue foam underneath it and you end up sanding the blue foam around the high spot, and not the high spot. Then it springs back and you still have a high spot, but now it's in the middle of a low spot. Better to avoid that.

[KCStudly]

I fibbed a little. I have been taking a pic here and there thru the week, but in themselves they didn’t seem worth posting each night. I just did a camera dump. They're a little spotty telling any kind of coherent story, but I’ll throw them up here and try to narrate the rest.

This is the locker divider shelf with the initial Zinsser 1-2-3 primer, before sanding the knots back and recoating with the Zinsser B-I-N rattle can spray.




After the B-I-N it was sealed up well, had more like a hard shell, and was very white with no more bleed thru.

Here is the first coat of the gray Valspar.


While that was drying, I shot a squirt of GS in the screw holes that I had poked in the outer wall foam to get to the inner wall blocking where I screwed thru into the galley bulkhead and the key catcher shelf rail. This is the street side bulkhead area looking back toward the galley.


Here’s the street side at the key catcher location. I had inserted the nozzle in the holes, then pulled out while dispensing, but it was so tacky it tended to stick to the nozzle and drag out of the hole, so I used one of the fake credit card spreaders to scoop and press the blobs back into the hole (you can see some of the excess spread out). Then it expanded out into these little “popcorn puffs” seen here.


Some more futzing around, this time with the stainable wood filler, filling some minor seams in the door jamb areas (the fine light colored lines seen here). This will all get fabric glued over it during covering, so it is more about making it nice and fair for appearance sake, than anything else. The fabric might even cover it up well enough by itself, but I felt like puttering.


Second coat of gray on the underside of the locker divider.


Trimmed and sanded the screw hole filler foam.


This one has been bugging me for a while, so tonight I fixed it. I had used double sided tape to hold the red light fixture and wire chase trim up to the bottom of the lower rear cabinet, but the tape just wouldn’t hold; the pieces kept popping off… probably from temperature change… and I got tired of seeing them dangling there or laying on the floor again. So I used some short #6 x 1/2 inch screws to hold them in. First I marked the location on the underside of the panel; used a backer and carefully drilled up thru the cabinet floor; re-stuck the trim using the existing double sided tape; pilot drilled down thru the new holes into the maple trim using my little wood drill stop gauge; then screwed thru the panel and into the trim from above.

Here it is looking up from the floor…


… and the added screws from the top (don’t look too close or you will see some extra holes with putty in them).


Here is the final color coat, the second on the top and perimeter of the locker divider shelf.


And that brings us up to date!

[GPW]

Re: Knots in wood .... Mother Nature’s signature... to prevent wood from looking like Plastic ....

KC , no reason to make excuses for the time spent on this project ... we ALL have thoroughly enjoyed watching you build this from literally the ground up , and we’re in no hurry for you to finish ... then we’d have nothing to enjoy anymore eh ...
Couple questions...
You weighed it yet (so far) ?
We assume this will be Garage kept , although a Foamie (hybrid) and capable of living outside , I think it would be Best to provide a Special place Inside just for this one...
Like keeping the Harley in the living room .... we all accept that eh ?

[Wolffarmer]

Or BMW motorcycle in the living room.

Randy

[GPW]

True Dat Ran’ .... I wish for one (BMW) , but have been banned from MC riding anymore ... Known traffic menace ...