Category: nomad

Wagon Window

~ George Crawford ~ 7 Comments

Finally getting back to the wagon with longer days and less going on.  Over the weekend I started the new window for the wagon door.  The old one was a place-holder to get it out on the road (as are the other windows).  Now I want to rebuild the whole door.

The frame being built.  It is clamped to the work table to keep it rigid and prevent it from racking out of square.

Detail of how the frames cross and interlock.  I have never made a window like this so this is what I came up with.

Holding the frames fast while the glue dries.

Flipped over and given a final sanding.

Getting a few coats of Cabot’s Spar Varnish for good measure.

Fitted with three types of glass; wavy clear, hammered clear, and red with a lot of break-up.  The widow will be fitted into a frame (pre-hung) so that it can be removed entirely for repair or replacement of the door.  More to come soon.

The rest of the Vardo build can still be found here (https://paleotool.wordpress.com/plans-projects-and-patterns/the-vardo/).

Porch and Rack

~ George Crawford ~ 8 Comments

A photo of the new “porch”.  I didn’t really need more sticking out in the back but it will serve as a bumper and handy surface I’m sure.

And a drying rack over the stove area.  The hooks will be useful for lanterns, tools, cookware, and wet socks.

With such limited space (about 50 sq. ft.) pegs, hooks, and little storage bins tucked away in all the furniture make all the difference.  Click either photo to get to the rest of the vardo photos.

Odds and Ends

~ George Crawford ~ 3 Comments

I finally found the shaving mirror that was perfect for the wagon.  I have seen them in photos of other western wagons.  Local hardware and bath stores only had very cheesy, lightweight mirrors on folding arms.  After some internet searching, I found this one that had good reviews on Amazon.  It is sturdy and appears to be well-built.

Below is the coffee grinder that was the fist housewarming gift for the wagon.  Thanks Mick.  It works well.

Finally, the step porch I have been debating over for a long time.  We’ll see if it works out.

Lantern Shelf

~ George Crawford ~ 2 Comments

After long thought and lots of head-scratching I think I figured out a decent way to hold a lantern on a shelf in the wagon. 

I found some old steel brackets and installed the shelf over the stove.  This fits the newer “Blizzard” lanterns with the large tanks so I think all of my lanterns will fit.

I put a brass insert in the shelf and carved a small knob to fit.  Please excuse the messy workbench.  Of course, the rest of the vardo build is here: Vardo Page.

Horn tooting

~ George Crawford ~ Leave a comment

I am excited to say that I did indeed win the Grand Prize from Instructables and Popular Mechanics in the woodworking contest for my vardo/wagon.  I have to admit that it is not the finest woodworking I’ve ever done, but is possibly the most complex and required the most consideration of layout, weight, and durability.  Anyway, thanks to the committee and voters who made this happen.  There may be some photos in an upcoming magazine issue.

(I eagerly await the tools that come as part of the prize.  There are more plans afoot.)

Some new vardo pictures

~ George Crawford ~ 2 Comments

I put up a few pictures of the nearly finished vardo.  Of course, there are many little things I still plan to do and add, the basic wagon is livable now.  I hope to eventually find a smaller stove to fit as this one could easily get too hot for the space it’s in.

Also, I published my first Instructable and received some excellent feedback.  I tried to put the Vardo build in a sensible order and post it where it can be easily found for a long time.  Here’s the link to the “How to Build the Gyspy Wagon”. If you have an Instructable account, you can vote for the best woodworking project.  I would appreciate a good vote as I could use the tools being given away.