Burn Baby Burn

Well......Once we finished cleanign the shop up, we decided to go ahead and do what I ahve been wanting to do, and we burned the old cabinets. I am not going to o into details, you can see what happened, it was oh so nice.

Back Cabinet finished

So we spent the day finishing the install of the back cabinets complete with shelving and even a back panel hiding the wiring. We made a cut-out for the electrical panel to be in the divider between the way back cabinet and the 1 foot long hallway linen closet. You will see the hole. All in all, I am pleased more than I could have ever imagined. We get more and more done each day and I did not expect to get this far in 5 days. We still have 1 week to complete the doors as well as other items.

Tomorrow we plan on finishing the street side upper cabinet and the front cabinet. I am oing to put a coat of laquer on both cabinets to seal them and finish the 2 other coats and sanding when I get back home to Atlanta. Lots to do in order to get her ready to roll for Spring break....

Here is where we ended today, with the end caps adn dividers cut for the cabinet being made tomorrow.

This past week

This past week has been a long week. One week ago I was prepping the interior for painting. Now I am in Ohio and have built cabinets for the kitchen and back streetside. This has kind of been a roller coaster ride to be honest. I have put alot of pressure on myself to finish this in time for April usage. Not only is every portion of the project different and challenging, the curves make everything more difficult. I keep telling myself that it is OK, that if it were easy, then everyone would be doing it, we would see these tings restored and all over the place. So, it all makes sense to me after I say this to myself.....It takes alot to do what I have done and I am having fun kowing that. So, tht is all I wanted to say. It has been a tough week or so....Even though this trip was labeled a vacation, it has been far from a vacation. I am really hoping to get to the finish line with this trailer so that I can take a vacation. I am really going to need it.

ALSO, I sometimes wonder who is actually reading this. Don't you wonder who is listening out there in the world all around us. I would like to one day, be able to meet some others who are likeminded and of similar nature as myself. That would be cool.

These pictures are some fun pictures including two of my lovely ladies, Rosemary and Atheena.

Streetside begining cabinets

Snow and Cabinets

OK, so today we really made some headway. We installed the kitchen cabinets, except for the blocks attaching it to the wall. We designed the street-side cabinets. This project is definitely a much larger project than I anticipated and I am really amazed at how much we have accomplished in 4 days, especially with this not being the only reason I am here in Ohio.

I woke today with it snowing. So in the past 3 days I have seen everything from sun to rain to snow. Here are some pictures of the majority of the kitchen cabinets installed as well as thing such as what I saw when I awoke and how our day just ended.

My fall

Cabinets in the beining

What a day

What a day it was...We actually spent the afternoon and evening working on finishing the kitchen side cabinets. We used routers and uides and all kinds of things that I had always seen used on The Old House. It was cool...and I am learning some new stuff.

So we started speaking about the design the of the street side cabinets in the back corner tonight. I think my uncle has alot of great ideas. Thins I knew about but was not incorporating into my design, the design I had in my head. Such as vents for the cabinet holding the electrical devices....We will ultimately have a vent down low and one high.

Needless to say, it is going to be very nice to see some cabinets be put together tomorrow in the morning. I think that we are going to be cutting it tight to even get the facial boards completed. I would be most happy if we did, it would pull the trailer together so much. I must return to Atlanta on Sunday for a Michael Franti concert with my lovely lady Miss Rosemary. Can't wait to see her and dance with her and love on her.........You all should check him out if you get a chance. My little sister turned me on to him by gifting me his cd's.

Here are some pics from today. The storms were really kind of nice as they came down the valey. Supposedly it is going to snow here this weekend, I'm out of here if it is. I'll leave the trailer in case you are wondering.

Random thoughts of today

So traveling the country has kind of jolted me into facing the tough times of middle america, central Ohio, Amish country. I am forced to see what others live like and can't help but think about all the travels that will take place in our Airstream. I can see how traveling in a trailer can change your way of thinking, or atleast I am imaining what it will be like. I saw a bunch of little things yesterday that dealt with wildlife. I saw my first black squirell south of Millersburg OH near the Mohikan trail, and the longest covered bridge in Ohio. I saw a dead fox, an animal I have never seen alive, much less thought to see it as roadkill. There were about 24 Dear, and 50 dead skunks. I learned that it is their mating season, so it is normal to see alot of them dead on the side of the road now....So, this is where I am with things. I am begining to think alot about the ife changing experience an Airstream mentality can bring to myself and my loving life partner Rosemary. I love her so much.....Our 3 dogs, Atheena, Katie ad Mr. Marley......Our family is full of great souls that live only what we bring into their worlds, whether that is love, travel, good food, peace, and new sights and a wonderful travel trailer. I can see down the road that Marley will associate a trip with the loading up of the airstream, for now, all he knows is that it is a project.

So I am thinking that today will be a mental inventory day.  I was thinking about how I could simply not have my airstream mirror shine polished.  I like the compounding look and feel of things, even the little bit of polish that is left on the skins is nice in my eyes.  The weather today is grey, rainy, and I am surrounded with the normal day in Ohio, atleast this is what I see in my head when I think of Ohio.  I can't forget to mention that the roads being patched with stripes of tar all over the place also are Ohio to me.  But what I am trying to say is that this place feels like a stereotypical Airstream homeland.  They were built here after all.  The grey skies cater to my dull, slightly rough looking (I think of rock'a'billy style), dented, compound polished with no belly pan 1964 Globetrotter.  On days like today I think it is a boy.  The unfinished look that it has these days remind me of a 12 year old boy that likes to play in the creek with ripped jeans and a rough crew cut, like the boy you see on the wall paper at your physicians office maybe, you know the one, on a stool holding his pants up.  On days like today I think of my Airstream as a hot-rod rockabilly style work in the making......I think I am going to keep the unfinished polish look of the trailer until she is finished.  She is kind of like the Arm and Hammer soap girl, flexing her arm, or like the girl that is the symbol for "My Favorite Mechanic is a Woman" on DeKalb Avenue in Decatur, GA.  So, e is rough like the grey skies are today in Ohio.  

I fell face first out of the trailer yesterday.  Hit my cheek flat on the concrete, messed my arm up, and bruised my ribs area.  I thought I would have been much more sore today.  I will be sore for a while, I am thinking 1 week atleast.  So today is a day running errands and planning for the lanoleum and continuance of cabinet making tomorrow or this evening.  We'll also be planning the desin of the sleeping sofa's and I will purchase a sink and my Uncle has some countertop material left over from a job that is nice.  Looks like marble and is easily replaceable after it gets worn out.  You'll see....So I have my 2nd cup of coffee and am out to finish my day.  pics tonight....

Cabinet design begins

The design stage has begun this evening. So far, we have taken our measurements and drawn lines on the floor of the trailer for the street side cabinets. The design in Autocad is taking place now and shortly we will have a design that can be posted. I decided to go with the same design as was originally in place. The only thing we will change on the street side will be to have an "end cap" next to the door, tying the lower and upper cabinets together, adding strength. We will more than likely cut a portion between the upper cabinets and counter tops out for increased visibility. We have also decided that we are going to use sassafras for the doors and facial boards. I liked this idea especially since the grains look like tiger stripes and it smells really nice. Oh, and furthermore, we are purchasing it from an Amish mill. For me, this is a great story since I am from Decatur, GA and used to seeing Caprice's and cadillacs all jacked up on 25 inch rims with air shocks etc......It is cool for me atleast. So needless to say, this part of the project is starting out well. I am loving it. Tom is the best woodsman and I cant wait to see the results.

Here are some pics of the jobsite. Tomorrow pics will be added of the cabinets begining.

Andrew

Paint Pics

More pics