Adventures of an Imperfect Man In Search of a Handmade Life
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.
H.A. sent me a couple of photos from his vardo build. These were taken back in August. It looks to be a beast of a wagon and is being towed by a unimog camper.
Check out this and other photos on his friend’s flickr page.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11894392@N04/4921649118/in/set-72157624668253269/
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.
The hearth area is starting to feel more organized as shelves and hooks find their place and uses. The shelf above the stove is primarily a lantern spot with enough room to put a second next to it. Not visible from this angle is the divider in the plate holder that can either hold a cutting board or more plates. The lower right area is sized to hold olive oil bottles or tea tins.
This is a small bedside container for keeping wallet, glasses, keys or a book. I think as the wagon gets more use, there will be many more small additions like this.
A friend spotted this nice little sheep wagon in Payson, Arizona recently. It’s for sale for $6000 and appears to be in good shape. Canvas cover looks fairly new. It would be a decent cowboy camp if you had horses or burros.
Running gear looks decent from the photo.
Side boxes and steel wheels.
Large rear window and kitchen box under the bed.
Rustic, but with a lot of great potential.
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.
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.)
Just returned from a 10 state 3400 mile shakedown run with the little Snail. Fortunately, about 2/3rds of the trip was work-related so not all of the expense was mine. Lots of ideas for finishing out the wagon over the winter.
Click the photo for the Vardo page.
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.
A view inside the vardo. Put together from three shots. It is so small, its hard to get a perspective through the lens. Enjoy. Also, more photos can found on the Vardo Page including a stove fitting and other fun stuff.
Preindustrial Craftsmanship 