My Foamie Build--Updated --Jul 3 I'm eating an elephant

[mezmo]

Hi bonnie,

I just came across this link tonight that has some nice pics of Hobbit
doors. 'Just thought it may be a nice reference for you when you go
to install your round door.

http://tinyhouseblog.com/stick-built/wooden-wonders/

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[bonnie]

Those are so wonderful. I love the door with the little triangle windows to each side. I can hardly wait to get back to the build. My boss has been off sick for almost 6 weeks and I am getting so little done at home. I certainly don't want her back before she is well, but it's been a long haul. I'm working at least part of each weekend. I won't use power tools if I'm tired. Inexperience and tired would make for a really bad day. Hopefully, this weekend I will get the sides cut away fully.

There's lots of ideas banging around in my poor tired brain, though. I've come up with a lift idea that's based on a camera rail. Dropped $ on electrical pipe to give it a try. I need to locate some more parts, but I'm thinking that threaded rod once extended and supported in the frame, would hold the top up until lowered. I'm also planning on making the lifts midship and have bracing rails on the ends. The one thing I haven't figured out fully is how to run the two lifts together and what the fall back plan will be if my motor fails. But as always, it's one step at a time.

I looked at the pulley systems used in pop ups. I'm not sure I could pull that off. The idea I am working on is based on the same lift idea as a tv lift system. The camera rail idea is the supporting parts.

So here's a question for everyone -- do I build drop down walls into the ceiling, or do I fit the walls to lift from the inside of the box? I'm playing with both ideas and may end up with a combination. Whatever I end up doing, it will have to be framed to add enough rigidity to allow the lifts to work properly. Plus the windows would need framing.

[atahoekid]

Bonnie, IMO I would build the walls into the box. Less stuff to lift when trying to raise the ceiling/roof. Sounds like the lift system is pretty involved already, I wouldn't make it any more so by trying to figure out the extra weight or how to keep the walls stored and then released and then restored. I think the less you mess with having things in the air the better. Just my thoughts off the top of the head.

[Wobbly Wheels]

Bonnie, I've fabbed up hideway tv mounts in boats using off-the-shelf electric rams. That might be the easiest way to go if you get stuck on making something yourself. You can make bellcranks out of aluminum or ply to increase the amount of travel (at the expense of some of the torque).
As for a fallback for your system, could you put a machine nut on the (threaded) jack rod?
When the top is up, you could run it down to the pipe as a lock. If you can disconnect the motor by pulling a pin (like a ram), you could lift it up manually and run the nut down intermittently, alternating from side to side till it's up.

[mezmo]

Hi bonnie,

I'd keep the fold up walls attached to the body, not the lift
roof. Keeping the lift roof the lightest as possible is the best
for manual or powered lift. If your're concerned about the
lower body rigidity, one way would be to do a 2-4 inch wide
perimeter ledge/flange at the top of the lower body, i.e
it is 90 degrees to the wall plane. The epoxied wall may be
quite rigid as it is, you'll have to decide if it is rigid enough
for you [obviously].

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[bonnie]

Thanks everyone for the comments. I spent the day in the garage. I have cut almost one side of the top, but the cutting blade on my multitool gave out. So, I decided to do something I hadn't gotten to do in quite awhile. I cleaned the garage. A trip to Goodwill with the excess stuff and I was able to store all the trailer related items together.

Another great happening today was the unboxing of my birthday present to myself. I bought it in June. It's so me.



Now I have some of my tools in a proper tool box.

Oh, and I have a small table I'm going to make into the lavatory for the BUB and my portapottie fits nicely underneath. Just enough to get the job done. No yet. I need to mock everything up. I have all the parts and hope to get it in working order soon. then.

Tomorrow, after I recover a bit, I am going to use my FatMax saw and try to cut away the top. It's not a electric powered tool, only Bonnie powered so we will see how well that goes.

[KCStudly]

Nice box. Is that pink or purple?

Good luck tomorrow, and remember; "If you want to eat an elephant you have to take many small bites", or something like that.

[bonnie]

Pink. Thanks.

I am taking a lot of small bites. I figure I'll get some part of the trailer worked on each time I do something. I still need to build the 2nd saw horse to have a pair to put the lid on when I move it into the basement. That may get done tomorrow. We're expecting rain, so no work outside of the garage.

[GPW]

Just FYI, found this ... a very simple way to build a saw horse ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwAKP3cU ... re=g-all-u

[bonnie]

GPW, that is very cool. I like the look.

[GPW]

Bonnie , some time ago we built a pair of these http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/howt ... whorse.pdf from the Woodright’s shop (PBS) and although a bit more complicated to construct , were very light and Strong and have lasted somehow these good many years ... Thought the Backyard bowyer’s horses were Really Easy to make .. Bit Heavier , and they could easily be modified to give a bit of outward splay in the legs if desired... simple with a chopsaw...

[bonnie]

Bonnie, I've fabbed up hideway tv mounts in boats using off-the-shelf electric rams. That might be the easiest way to go if you get stuck on making something yourself. You can make bellcranks out of aluminum or ply to increase the amount of travel (at the expense of some of the torque).
As for a fallback for your system, could you put a machine nut on the (threaded) jack rod?
When the top is up, you could run it down to the pipe as a lock. If you can disconnect the motor by pulling a pin (like a ram), you could lift it up manually and run the nut down intermittently, alternating from side to side till it's up.

This?



This one of the optiuons that came up when I googled Electric Ram. Couldn't resist. Now back to the build....

[bonnie]

I'm back! I got into the garage today and was able to cut most of the top apart. The weapon of choice was my Stanley Max cutter. Whew! So, to prove that I am actually doing something,

Here's a shot of the back side with the loose edge propped open.



A shot of the interior with half the bed frame sitting along one wall. I'm going to have to remove the two cabinets in the end so that the bed will fit over the wheel well. That will leave me some space at the front for the headboard/cabinet.



This is a shot of the very front. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to cut the window loose, or if I will get the rest of the top cut away and then lift the remaining roof and remove the front window that way. We see what happens the remainder of the weekend. I've been working additional hours each weekend since the end of August, so I'm able to do very little. I'm working tomorrow too.



So at present, progress is very slow, but I'm satisfied with it. I would like to have BUB camp-able for the big gathering in Indiana next summer. This may be one of the last warm weekends, so I really feel pressed to get the top cut away and off. The cutting is pretty straight too, which is also a relief.

[atahoekid]

Glad you're still having warm weather. Keep at it, you'll love being able to look at your work as you're sitting around the campfire.

[coal_burner]

hey bonnie.

i would highly recommend against cutting the 2 cabinets away.

i designed them to lend rigidity to the back walls.
without them, the back walls are VERY wobbly.

i wouldn't trust the back walls to support that door you built without them.

good to see the project moving along again!