A quick shot of the oak floor after a coat of stain. The doorway will have a threshold, also of oak. I like the stain enough that it has settled the finish in my mind. All wood will be stained “golden oak”, then varnished. The various woods will take the stain differently and provide nice variation in color (I hope).
Author: George Crawford
Oak Floor
After much debate and pricing, I decided to go with a simple oak floor. I picked up random width, three-side planed Appalachian oak for $3.50/board foot and started installing it after work. It is screwed to the sub floor. The screws are countersunk and pegged over with oak cut from the same stock. This makes for a smoother look and less places for dirt to accumulate. Pictures should be up this weekend. This adds a fair chunk of weight but with all the savings elsewhere, it seems worth it.
Some Vardo and Sheepherder Links
After several requests for information, here is a short list of inspirational sites found on the web.
Romany Style
Tinker’s Wagon pictures from friends & fun photos on webshots
Two New Gypsy Waggons pictures from horses photos on webshots
Gypsy Caravans from The Gypsy Caravan Company
Ingham and Fallon – Caravan Restoration and painting
French Style
RouléRêve : vente et fabrication de roulottes artisanales en bois
Roulotte de cirque, roulottes à vendre, plan de roulotte gitane
roulottes-de-flandre.site.voila.fr
Graine de Roulotte: Artisan créateur et restaurateur de Roulottes
les Verdines, Roulottes Gitanes en Provence – Jeanne Bayol – Saint Remy de Provence
Acheter une roulotte Réalisation de roulotte en bois, vente et location de roulotte pour vos vacances.
Sheep Herder Wagons
Custom Sheepwagons and Chuckwagons from Livingston, Montana
Custom built, Restored Sheepwagons, Sheep herder camps
sheepwagons,woolywagons,campwagons
Housetruck: Housetruck [Polymecca]
Ranch Willow Wagons – Sheepwagons and custom wagon design and restoration
Interesting mix of Traveler vehicles
Traveller Vehicles – Trucks, Buses and Wagons :: Traveller Homes
Shoes
I have begun adding a few more shoe photos on the footwear page. I am still gathering information about pre-industrial footwear, especially prehistoric types. I hope to make and experiment with these more in the future.
Winter Count Again
Some new Winter Count photos available here:
https://paleotool.wordpress.com/primitive-gatherings/winter-count-2010/
Vardo update
Despite the short evenings and annoying cold weather I have been able to get a few things accomplished in the evenings.
More on the Vardo Page.
Details
Spent the weekend adding bracing, reinforcing corners, putting glass in windows, and all the little things. It really needs paint but it has been too cold. Hope to get some photos up very soon.
UPDATE: See the final work at https://paleotool.wordpress.com/the-vardo/

Pieces and parts
Lots of little pieces added to the beast may be hardly noticeable but still critical to the whole. Finally, a door (half), second seat, and under-bed storage. The cold, snow and ice have made it less appealing to work but everything adds up, even on these short days. More on the vardo page.
Window
This window design is is inspired by windows I have seen on British Bowtop wagons. It provides a panoramic view, more light, and another surface to set things. The middle pane will open for ventilation. The rest of the collection is here.




