Hal The Van - Page 11

**WVvan** · 02-24-2010, 09:49 AM

Panel Installation

I've got a couple panels covered with cloth so it's time to install in the van. First check the weather.
Yep, still cold.

Take the first panel and screw it into place.

In the photo the fabric might look stained. It's not. This fabric has what I think is called "nap" so depending on which direction you smooth it with you hands it will have a slightly different look.

There is a metal ridge that runs horizontally along the van wall. I'm attaching the panel to that ridge with #8 1-1/2" sheet metal screws. At first I tried to use the same holes I used when I first test fit the panel before covering but it wasn't worth the trouble. With all the insulation on the wall of the van you either can't find the hole or if you do it's too hard to line up again with the fabric covering the old entry point on the panel.

Use a drill to create new small pilot hole through the panel and ridge and screw into that. I'm not using a powered driver to attach the screws. Just do it by hand. Any kind of a powered tool could drive the screw head right through the fiberboard too easily. That's also why I'm not using self-tapping sheet metal screws. Don't want to take a chance of going through the fiberboard.

Since I'm using #8 screws the pilot hole in the metal ridge isn't vary large. With the fabric/fiberboard/extruded_foam covering layer I sometimes had a problem finding the pilot hole I had just drilled. Had to drill through just the metal ridge again but not to worry. A few extra small holes can't be seen and won't cause any structural problems.

I present the Pillar Panel previewed in a previously post. Ready for installation.

Presto!

If you remember all the edging pieces I installed on the Pillar Panel this is the final results. Not bad.

Here's one mistake I didn't make, for a change.
I had cut, insulated and test fit the next panel in line and it was ready to go. The thing is it fit perfect BEFORE I fabric covered and installed the first panel. I was going to go ahead and cover this panel when I thought I should wait. Good thing I did. It was a close fit before but with the fabric and added fiberglass insulation in the back it's TOO tight. In the picture you can see an overhang along the lower left side.

Table saw works real good at slimming it down just a hair. Wouldn't have been so easy if it was fabric covered.

So Lesson Learned is complete and install one panel at a time to be sure of a good fit.

**WVvan** · 02-27-2010, 12:05 AM

Battery and Biscuits

Time for some woodworking. I'll start with something simple. A battery box.
But before that a couple cautions.

WARNING: I'm not a carpenter and have had no woodworking training since 8th grade wood shop. I have no idea if I'm doing this the right way much less the best way. You've been warned.
WARNING: Power tools are way dangerous. You can't be too careful. Understand how the tools operate. Read all the literature. Be sure to wear your safety gear.

As you can see from this picture I always wear my safety gear whenever I'm using power tools.

Oh wait, wrong photo.

OK, this one is better. Be sure to wear all of the below gear. Your eyes, lungs, hearing and hands will thank you.

On with the project.
I'm building a box to contain my battery bank. They will be located inside the van. I'm using flooded cell batteries (AKA wet cell or Lead-acid battery) so this will have to be vented. Another design consideration is since it will be located under the sofa-bed it's overall height has be to as low as I can make it.

The batteries will be arranged in this fashion.

Mistake number 1. When you are sliding these 65 pound blocks of lead filled hard plastic around on the floor DON'T GET YOUR FINGERS BETWEEN THEM! Luckily this is not a audio posting.

I'm using furring strips as spacers between the batteries. Since batteries will heat up as they charge I wanted some space between them. Scrap furring strips happen to be the perfect size.
With the spacers the box will be 32" long by 11-1/2" wide and 8-1/2" high before I attach a base.
I'm cutting the box sides from 19/32" exterior pine plywood. The plywood I'm using is left over scraps from the sofa-bed I've also started building. Since it's scraps I won't charge the wood to this post.

After I've cut out the four pieces of wood that will be the sides of the box I have to join them together. I'm be using a biscuit cutter/joiner.
Here's what one I'm using looks like.

This is what the biscuits look like. They come in different sizes.

The way it works is you hold the cutter up against the wood. Then as you press it forward this circular saw blade extends outward and cuts a crescent shaped hole into the edge of the wooden piece.

Into this crescent shaped hole is placed one of the biscuits.

Since this is the first time I'm joining boards this size I had to adjust the joiner so it cut into the center of the board. A piece of scrap works best for this.

The next step is to figure out how many biscuits, what size biscuits and where you want to place them.
I'm thinking three #10 biscuits would be best centered at 1-3/8", 4-1/4" and 6-7/8" measured from the bottom.
This knob adjusts the depth of the cutter head. The deeper the cut the bigger the biscuit.

Since the biscuit cut-outs on each side of the joint have to line up be consistent with your measurements.
Measure and mark the board.

The biscuit cutter has a mark you line up with your mark.

After three cuts and inserting the biscuits it looks like this.

Now that I've made the cuts on the END of the board I have to make corresponding cuts on the SIDE of the other board that will make up this joint. The reason I've bolded the text for END and SIDE brings me to:
Mistake number 2. Don't get confused about which you should be cutting on the board you are working on. Should you be cutting the END or the SIDE? In my case it was back to the table saw for new board.

Here's the underside of the cutter. You'll see this when you cut into the side a board. There is a guide groove you line up with your marks

Here's what the two sides of a joint will look like if you do it correctly.

That's it. Do that again for each of the other three corners. Then just paint wood glue in the cuts, on the biscuits and along the edges where the boards will meet. One advantage of using biscuits is you have some "slop" so you'll be able to move the boards a bit if you need to make adjustments. Use clamps to hold it all together. The more clamps the better.

Be sure to check that all four corners are square. I find that a "speed square" does a great job at checking for this.

Let sit overnight.

continued -

blkjak · 02-27-2010, 02:11 AM

nice going

blkjak

Nomadcat · 02-27-2010, 08:35 AM

Darth, eh..WV...great series.

As always, I stand in awe of your woodworking, your plans and your great shop space.

I am really bumming here, with the latest 17 inches of snow, in that I really cannot work on the van yet. My friend with garage space in Brooklyn is too busy for the next week. I even looked into renting a garage for a month, but there is nothing I can find and I'd rather not spend the money, anyway.

I have to wait and I hate it.

Can't wait to see the couch build. I am not going to go with the following plan, myself, but figured I'd post a link because it's another interesting take on couch design:

http://astrosafarivans.org/bb2/viewtopi ... a846ab98f5

Paul

**WVvan** · 02-27-2010, 08:15 PM

Thanks guys,
I'd actually thought about a sofa-bed design similar to the one on the Astrovan site but it had the same problem as some other designs I looked at in that you have to stand in front of it to pull it out. With cabinets on the opposite side the space would be too restricted and especially hard on the lower back. At least for me it would.

Speaking of snow, look at the bright side. Davis WV which is southeast of me but higher in the mountains has had 240 inches of snow so far this year. I had been considering going skiing there this weekend but they had a state of emergency because of the wind/snow.

I just looked it up. First day of Spring is exactly three weeks away. March 20th. Wonder if all the snow will be gone by then?

Dave

**WVvan** · 03-02-2010, 08:10 AM

After all the snow shoveling I've been doing lately, including working from a ladder to clear a friends roof, I've developed a rather nasty case of tendonitis. The first time for me. I'm going to have to halt van work till it gets better. It seems rest is the best treatment but who doesn't want to use their arm for three weeks?

Anyway progress postings might be few and far between for a while. Maybe come up with some little things that need done. Wouldn't you know it this happens just when the weather starts to improve. Oh well.

I don't mind getting older, it's the getting old part I'm having a problem with.

blkjak · 03-02-2010, 09:43 AM

get well soon

blkjak.

Nomadcat · 03-02-2010, 09:58 AM

Yes, get well.

I just jammed a wrist a few weeks ago - not even sure how - and it's just starting to feel better. Youth truly is wasted on the young.

I am also still deciding between foil-backed jute from JC Whitney and reflectix. Actually, I am thinking of a combo now of the two.

P

**WVvan** · 03-03-2010, 09:12 AM

Thanks guys,
Hopefully I'll bounce back before too long. Since I've more time to think I've already done a redesign on the sofa-bed. I need to get better so I can really built the darn thing so I'll stop spending time thinking up different ways to built it.

Dave

saabman · 03-04-2010, 12:48 AM

Get well soon

Spring will be here soon to thaw out all that ice on the Van