Wood and canvas restoration

[KCStudly]

I suddenly have an image of Randy (Wolffarmer) wrapped up in a sleeping bag (straight jacket) in a little padded cell.

[oakinteriors1]

I looked at your kayak photos. The skin on frame ones look so nice.
Here is an interesting Skin on Frame style camper you might like.

There you go...And you don't have to be traditional the front and sides can radius any way you like..



I could envision skin covered doors and hatch.....Plywood frames all scabbed together going from side to side over the top with stringers running the length...Frame in and hinge the doors and rear hatch traditionally ...
The skin of choice.. POLYESTER 8 oz. or 11.6 oz. plain weave * 77" wide
http://www.kudzucraft.net/Fabric-for-skin/

[Alfie]

Here is a treasure my friend is restoring. It has scraps of the original canvas top. It also has a kitchen snugged inside.

[Wolffarmer]

From what I can see on that trailer. And what I have seen in Model A depot hack pickups and other old cars it looks much like how many of those tops where made. I am not sure what they used originally for the top but on can get modern material that looks like it. It is plastic or something so I do not know how it holds up over 20-30 years. Probably better than I will.

Randy

[celticquetzel]

I do some heavy duty sewing and had never seen this. THANKS. This will "sew" do the job.

[Alfie]

Oakinteriors, I know this is not a tight skin by any means but it seems to have some of the characteristics of the frame construction you mention. It is a covered wagon trailer I bought at a yard sale this summer.

[Wolffarmer]

The sheep camps from when I was a kid was canvas tied tight over hoops and those stayed pretty warm. Of course there was plenty of free ( for the cutting ) firewood for the little cook/heating stove in them. And some of those herders could cook. yum yum.
And the sheep sheds we had was covered with untreated canvas and stayed well above the outside temps. At least when they where full of sheep it was pretty pleasant in there as long as you kept moving. Of course there was that one time it got down to -40 for a few days when my dad was gone and I was left to care for the heard that was lambing. I was 12 years old. A ewe would drop her lamb and it was to cold in the shed so I would build a little hut out of straw bales and toss the lamb in there than the ewe went right in and I closed the hut with straw bales. I did not lose a single sheep that cold spell. There was several days the high temp was still below 0.

Randy

[Alfie]

Randy,
That is a cool story.
How did this post trigger it? I am very interested.

[Wolffarmer]

Just the covered trailer. Strange I had not rambled on days ago about the older sheep days. I never did stay in a sheep camp myself but did visit a few. One of my earliest memories is playing in one when I was about 3-4. At least that is what I remember. Now days the sheep camps are hard covered. The new ones are all fancied up but made better than camp trailers ( other than the ones we build ) I still see a lot of the older ones around. built on a 4 wheeled trailer. Canvas has been replaced with some hard material and PV panel on top. Then there are the ones older than those. They where built on the chassis of a car or pickup. Then even older ones was built on an old wagon. I think I have only seen one of those around here. I would say that only in the last 30 years have they been built on a new purpose built trailer frame. And a true sheep camp should have the 4 wheels on the corners so you can just unhitch and drive away without supporting the corners. Unless you really need it level.

There I go again. Rambling on.

Randy

[Wolffarmer]

I suddenly have an image of Randy (Wolffarmer) wrapped up in a sleeping bag (straight jacket) in a little padded cell.

May not be long now.

Randy

[PKCSPT]

"There I go again. Rambling on.

Randy"

A good ramble from someone who has been there is always worth reading or hearing. At least I enjoy them.

[Alfie]

Randy, Are you referring to the Vardo wagon? I have studied many images. They are very cool.

[Wolffarmer]

Not Vardos but sheep camps used out west with the sheep out on the range. They where first used in the 1870s and was little more than a covered wagon but out fitted a bit better. Then developed over the years into an enclosed space for the herder to live and work from. Vardos seem to balloon out from the sides but Sheep camps go straight up and then arch over. I have seen a discussion about not calling them Sheep Wagons or Sheep Camp Wagons. I have never herd anyone call them anything but Sheep Camps.

Here is a link

Sheep Camps

ugh, those philistines call them sheep wagons. You don't haul sheep in them. Only sheep that ever see the inside of one are bum lambs that need some doctoring or a warm place for a day or 2. But that is not often as lambing is done at headquarters and few herders are still living in the camps. There are bunkhouses for them at headquarters. And a there is a kitchen and dining room for eating at most big outfits. Back in the 70s I was hauling hay to a sheep outfit and ate with the men a few times. If I got my timing just right.

Randy

[KCStudly]

Love the covered trailer, Alfie. It looks to be in great condition. Did you do your magic on it, too, or is that the way you found it?

[tac422]

I moved a couple of Shepard's wagons earlier this year ...
I think they only had a tarpaper covering.