Adventures of an Imperfect Man In Search of a Handmade Life
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).
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.
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.
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.
The roof is on and covered in felt. I really wanted to get to this stage a week ago just in case the weather turned wet. I have been lucky so far but it is a milestone to have it done. The roof construction depends on two oak beams down the outside of each wall and eight poplar purlins on nine-inch centers inside. This keeps the roof structure light but relatively stiff. The bent plywood further stiffens the entire structure and makes it feel rock-solid. More photos here.
For the roof covering… I have long debated with myself over a traditional canvas roof or using metal. Both have advantages and cost is similar for each. I will decide in the next few days.
Preindustrial Craftsmanship 