Scot's Track Shack - finishing touches - updated 4/26/12

[DesertSkies]

Nice work, and I love your profile pic!

[Facemeltingly Epic]

It's been a few days since my last update, but that doesn't mean I haven't been working!

I added some flooring to the trailer. I could have painted the plywood, but this tile board looked MUCH nicer, and it wasn't that expensive either.


Also glued the walls into place, with an assist from Mrs. Epic (she held the walls up until I had enough screws back in).


I also installed the remaining roof spars and began framing the door openings. I'll have to buy some more lumber to finish the framing.


I'm almost ready to go camping!

[J.Heyboer]

Its coming together quickly..................keep up the good work!

John

[aggie79]

Scot,

You don't mess around, do ya! Very nice progress. I think the way that you're putting in the bulkeads and shelves is the way to go rather than waiting to do it later with the walls already up.

Take care,
Tom

[Sparksalot]

I tried ripping a 2x4, and was awarded with several pieces of horribly twisted wood. A table saw may have given different results.

BTW, I remember when Rose looked like this. Snif, they grow up so fast.

This is the result of ripping 2x6 boards into 1x2's. Here are a few of the boards that resulted from this operation. IMO, they're not the better ones in the batch; I got much better pieces from the second 2x6 (probably as a result of experience, I dunno...).

[Facemeltingly Epic]

I tried ripping a 2x4, and was awarded with several pieces of horribly twisted wood. A table saw may have given different results.

BTW, I remember when Rose looked like this. Snif, they grow up so fast.

This is the result of ripping 2x6 boards into 1x2's. Here are a few of the boards that resulted from this operation. IMO, they're not the better ones in the batch; I got much better pieces from the second 2x6 (probably as a result of experience, I dunno...).

The pieces in that picture were the worst of the bunch. I should have been more careful in selecting the 2x6 I cut those from. The rest turned out much better.

And yes, having access to a table saw helps a lot. More on that below, as I have another update on the way...

[Facemeltingly Epic]

Not a whole lot to report; over the last couple days my build project has been under assault from that notoriously lazy terrorist Bin Slackin.

I finally had to buy a little more lumber yesterday. This all started off as a 2x6 I bought at the big blue box store for $4. After twenty minutes on the table saw it looked like this.


The door openings are now framed on both sides and the top. I did this mostly because the end grain of 1/2" plywood is less than ideal for attaching hinges. And if I were to attach them on the outside of the body, well, that's just asking for it!


Finally, I test-fitted the roof skin tonight!


I'm going to relocate the next-to-last spar (the one before the 2x2 to which I'm mounting the hatch hinge) rearward by 3". For some reason I thought about taking 3" off the first piece of the roof skin, but I've changed my mind. I will also add another spar between the second and (now) fourth roof spars. Once that's done, I begin attaching the skin permanently.

And tomorrow will be the last chance I have to work on the trailer until next Monday, since I'll be out of town impersonating a race car driver.

[Facemeltingly Epic]

Just one picture, but this tells you all you need to know...


My trailer now has a roof. I don't know how to even describe the feeling of accomplishment, but I will say this is one of the parts of this project I was most nervous about. I didn't do the neatest job of it, but I got it done! And after looking at the roof edges I will DEFINITELY trim them in aluminum angle now.

Another little learning moment: The horizontally mounted spar I put under the seam in the roof was a good idea in theory. In practice, it flexed quite a bit when I was driving brads into the skin. Perhaps I should have made that a 2x2 instead of a 1x2; anyway, it's something else to keep in mind for the next build (whenever THAT may be).

This will be the last work I do on the trailer until next week. This weekend I'm playing with cars! Kinda wish I had gotten the skin on yesterday; that would have made today a good day to CPES the exterior and give it the whole weekend to cure while I'm out of town.

Oh well. I'll still git'er done in time for the last weekend of the month.

[J.Heyboer]

Slow down!!!! You are making the rest of us (me) look bad.

No really, your roof looks great!

John

[aggie79]

Slow down!!!! You are making the rest of us (me) look bad.

No really, your roof looks great!

John

I agree. I think Scot is only one month into his build, and he's done more than I did in the first year. (I'm on month #28 and counting at this point in time.)

Great job, Scot! You should feel proud of your accomplishments. It been said quite alot, but I do think, "You'll be camping in no time."

Take care,
Tom

[Facemeltingly Epic]

That's about right, Tom. In fact, as of last night I have been working on it exactly one month.

I have to admit I made most of my choices on this build (especially a HF frame and plywood walls) in the interest of getting it assembled quickly. And except for a couple days where I was either feeling tired or lazy, I've been working on it every chance I get. It's amazing how much you can get done if you just make yourself do a little bit every day... plus that helps keep me interested in the project.

[Sparksalot]

So, the big question. Have you slept in her yet?

[Facemeltingly Epic]

I am finally back to work on the trailer.

This past weekend I was away at driver's school (which was a great time, by the way). Monday and Tuesday I was still tired from driver's school and didn't feel like doing anything on the trailer. Wednesday we got together with my parents and my sister and her family for my sister's birthday. So now I am back to work.

I started working on the side doors tonight. I have one mostly complete, and I really wish I'd done a neater job of cutting them out. It looks like I'll need to find some way of splicing a little more wood onto the edges; I did make a frame on the inside that basically fills the door opening but the door "skin" doesn't completely cover it.

Also, I somehow managed to cut the window opening an inch too wide. Fortunately, I had several short 1" wide strips of plywood I had cut off the sheet I used to make my bulkheads and shelves, so I glued one inside the opening. The window frame will hide that one (at least from the outside). As for all the other stuff I'll have to scab on, I hope wood filler will cover it!

I'll have pictures in my next update, at which time I'll hopefully have something more substantial to post. With all the time I've lost over the last week or so, I'm beginning to doubt that the trailer will be camp-ready by next weekend...

[Facemeltingly Epic]

I put in a bit more work on the door I started on last Friday. Here it is on sawhorses with the window set into its opening but not fastened down.


As you can see, the framing is a bit larger than the plywood. I plan to tack a little extra on and hope it isn't noticeable once it's been filled and painted.

Also I attached it to the body to see how it fits.


I still have some work to do, but it's slowly coming together...

[Deryk the Pirate]

Looking Good!

Im headin down to my friends house this weekend to start workin on the walls. Wish he lived closer but he has tools that I dont have and room to lay it all out.

Keep up the good work...your deadline is coming up but Im sure you will be good to go!