CNC Build: The Bed and Breakfast at 4 years and 40,000 miles

[pchast]

[aggie79]

I've found that throwing instead of swinging the BFH is more effective. Sometimes I'll add a verbal turbocharged boost to the flying BFH. The only problem with this technique is that it causes the better half to come out to the garage.

Hang in there Cap'n. You're far enough along so there're not too many more mysteries to overcome.

[RandyG]

'When all brains fail, brute force prevails!'
Brute force tends to kick in alot in my shop, maybe I'm missing something...

[KCStudly]

... maybe I'm missing something.

Missing your mark? Then you need to practice more! Marksmanship with the BFH, like any other things (siege engines, firearms, spit balls, rubber bands, etc.) takes practice.

[capnTelescope]

Sometimes, things need a little nudge. Sometimes they need some gentle persuasion. Sometimes adding a little verbal encouragement helps. But when a cuss word and a good whack with the BFH won't do it, it's time to take a deep breath and re-evaluate your strategery.

[RandyG]

Back in my old oil patch days, I was swinging a 20 pounder with one hand while balancing on a beam.
What I'm missing is the patience to not just start beating on something if it doesn't fit. Sometimes it just needs a good whipping.

[capnTelescope]

A roughneck swinging a 20# sledge one-handed is just delivering gentle nudges.

[KCStudly]

A roughneck swinging a 20# sledge one-handed is just delivering gentle nudges.

Yeah, a real man would use dynamite!

[capnTelescope]

I didn't get as much done today as I planned, but I got my hinge blocks mounted.


Part of the big deal about yesterday was to find out just where vertically the hinge blocks needed to go. They go up snug against the galley spar, just like I planned it all along.

Each block gets 4 pocket holes. Two into the bulkhead, and two that were supposed to go into the galley spar, BUT I didn't notice until I tried it that the holes for the galley spar screws point towards the bulkhead just enough that I can't really get the driver into the screw very well. Oh, p p. Maybe I can drive them by hand, although I don't think they're all that important.

The procedure is to glob a lot of glue into the dado, fit the base of the hinge block into the dado, and screw it down. When mounting the companion block, run the hinge pin bolt thru the holes and screw down like before:


Try not to overdo the glue:

It came right off the poly.

Here's where the washer was getting in the way yesterday:


Remember this part? It goes here.

[capnTelescope]

After getting so little done in yesterday's 92F heat, it "cooled off" to about 88F today, and it wasn't so awful. For those of you who think in Celsius, the 70's are nice to warm, 80's are warm to kinda hot, 90's are kinda hot to really hot, and anything over 100 is damn hot. After days in the 90's, 88 seems relatively comfortable.

The glue on the hinge blocks set up overnight, and I was ready to mount the hatch frame. After chiseling away some more irrelevant ply near the nuts, it all came together smoothly. On about the fourth try.

The prop I'm using is a 5' spar. At this height, the bottom edge of the hatch is about 10" above my head. I could wear one of those 10-gallon Hoss hats without having to duck under.

I decided it was now time to start buttoning this puppy up. Up to now, I hadn't expended much glue on the assembly. The face frames and shelves were sitting in their places, thanks only to good ol' gravity. So where things had only been screwed down, they got unscrewed, glued and screwed. Shelves and face frames got the same treatment, less the unscrewing. In the cabin cabinets, I mounted the trim panels on the ends:


Oh! did you know... when you thin down the foamboard, like I had to, it gets a curl to it. I learned that today while installing the trim panels.

About this time, the mosquitoes came out looking for dinner, and I went inside to do the same.

Here's some more pix. Hinges all in a row:


Another view of the cabin cabinet trim panel:


The hatch down:


Tomorrow, I'm going to order my aluminum skin material. I'm going with a brushed/mill finish, unanodized. In the meantime, I got some stuff from Amazon that I needed to do some more wiring, so I'll work on that while I'm waiting for the Al. This is getting pretty close to campable!

Thanks for stopping by!

[KCStudly]

Looks pretty good there Capn!

Now that you have it assembled what are your thoughts on the hinge set up? Does it seem to be smooth and sturdy? Any difficulty getting all of the holes to align with each other, or did it lock into place pretty easy?

Can't wait to see the aluminum gutter come together. Those pieces are looking pretty nice.

[capnTelescope]

Now that you have it assembled what are your thoughts on the hinge set up? Does it seem to be smooth and sturdy?

Yes! very smooth. The frame is still flexy since there's no skin on it, but I expect it will stiffen up pretty good with the top skin on. I'm not planning on a bottom skin just yet. I want to see if it is rigid enough as is, because I think it's pretty good looking.

Any difficulty getting all of the holes to align with each other, or did it lock into place pretty easy?

Horizontal alignment of the ribs to the hinge blocks was perfect. no problem at all. Getting the rib holes to line up with the hinge blocks would've better been a two person job, because the holes have to line up in two axes: front-back and up-down. If the hatch is sitting in downward overtravel, the rib holes get pulled to the rear of the hinge block holes. So you have to lift up on the hatch while jockeying the holes around to match up. Sweaty. Plus, the holes for the hinge pin are tight around the bolt, making it hard to push the bolt in. That does have the advantage, however, that the fit when assembled is not the least bit sloppy. Overall, It fit up very nicely.

I think the biggest challenge remaining is the seal transition from the sides to the bottom. I still don't have a design for that yet. Now that it's together, I can start to prototype something.

[capnTelescope]

I've been working on getting the electrical system in order. All the wiring for the forward cabin and connection to the TV was laid in way back near the beginning, and it's been hanging out in the back and getting in the way since then. I want to get this done while the galley is open, as I don't really enjoy crawling into cramped quarters like it will be when I get the countertop in.

It turns out that the galley floor is just the right height for a sit-down work surface. I should claim that is due to good planning, but I would be telling a whopper. So I'm making the connections out here where it's easy:


My battery charger came in, and I hooked it up and plugged it in. It's blinkenlights are like a first sign of life.

The battery started off at a 75% charge, so it needed that.

After I got the connections made, I mounted the terminal strips, fuse block, etc. on the aft bulkhead. There's enough room back here behind the oven/stove for all this. That was planned.

There's plenty of terminal block space left for expansion, like lighting inside the cabinets and stuff like that. And there are a few fuse spaces still open. I need a good ground post for everything. I went out and got some brass screws & stuff for that today. Also have the running lights to wire up. I'm at the point now where the cabin electrical is done until I get 'er skinned. Then it's just installing fixtures.

I've been working in the garage lately, and people are starting to wonder what's going on. Yesterday, I gave my first two tours to neighbors. They seemed to be suitably impressed. It'll be even better as things progress.

I posted this question over in Teardrop Construction Tips & Techniques, but maybe one of my Dear Readers knows the answer. How much Sikaflex am I going to need to goo the aluminum skin to my walls?

Thanks for stopping by!

[RandyG]

Just one neighbor asked what I was building, one couple out for a walk stopped and took the tour. I guess I'm not all that approachable, people think they will be a nuisance. I wish more peeps would stop by, it's kinda a confidence boost.
Looks like you got your wiring planned already. Getter done!
I almost forgot to mention I'm driving through Round Rock tomorrow on our way to San Antonio, and will be heading back before the 4th, if you want another visiter...

[capnTelescope]

if you want another visiter...

Randy, you're more than welcome to stop by. In fact, I insist. I'd like to get the chance to meet you. Check your PMs, I'll send you the particulars.

That goes for anyone else passing through...