Update on "Toybox" trailer project
- Thread starter barry2952
- Start date
Sergmark
Dedicated LVC Member
Lincoln must make some that will look right.... Just my thoughts!!
5-14-2006
Not much happened this week until the weekend. Bill was busy making a living so he had little time to spend on this project.
During this lull I ordered stainless steel piano hinges for the floor access hatch and the doors between the cabin and lounge. I ordered the hinges from McMaster-Carr and they arrived by UPS the next day.
I took the hinges to Lyndon Fabrication and supervised the modifications that met my needs.
They use huge presses to form metal.
These two workers worked in concert to produce perfect bends.
The hinge on the left is for the floor hatch and the other is for the bulkhead doors.
Installed all the floring around the new floor hatch which is hinged at the front of the trailer.
The new flooring barely sticks above the door threshhold less than a 1/16".
We removed the new hatch door and used it as a mandrel to bend the aluminum edging and then installed it in the floor opening.
We installed the hatch planking to line up with the rest of the floor and removed the hatch again to install the hatch edge molding.
Reinstalled the hatch and stood back and admired our work.
Just wanted to see what the furniture will look like.
Not much happened this week until the weekend. Bill was busy making a living so he had little time to spend on this project.
During this lull I ordered stainless steel piano hinges for the floor access hatch and the doors between the cabin and lounge. I ordered the hinges from McMaster-Carr and they arrived by UPS the next day.
I took the hinges to Lyndon Fabrication and supervised the modifications that met my needs.
They use huge presses to form metal.
These two workers worked in concert to produce perfect bends.
The hinge on the left is for the floor hatch and the other is for the bulkhead doors.
Installed all the floring around the new floor hatch which is hinged at the front of the trailer.
The new flooring barely sticks above the door threshhold less than a 1/16".
We removed the new hatch door and used it as a mandrel to bend the aluminum edging and then installed it in the floor opening.
We installed the hatch planking to line up with the rest of the floor and removed the hatch again to install the hatch edge molding.
Reinstalled the hatch and stood back and admired our work.
Just wanted to see what the furniture will look like.
Update 5-21-2006
Lounge area almost finished. I selected lighting that would mimic what was in the trailer and to compliment the antique Howard Miller "Bubble Lamp".
Installed aluminum trim around doors. Bill is gone for a week. His last task will be to trim the windows in poplar and I'll do the finish trim. While he's gone I'll install the rest of the cabin windows and alter and polish the rest of the furniture.
We added a horizontal band of the verticle cut flooring to the material on the back wall. It worked out as a nice detail.
This was shot from my perspective of the space.
I really liked this shot.
Lounge area almost finished. I selected lighting that would mimic what was in the trailer and to compliment the antique Howard Miller "Bubble Lamp".
Installed aluminum trim around doors. Bill is gone for a week. His last task will be to trim the windows in poplar and I'll do the finish trim. While he's gone I'll install the rest of the cabin windows and alter and polish the rest of the furniture.
We added a horizontal band of the verticle cut flooring to the material on the back wall. It worked out as a nice detail.
This was shot from my perspective of the space.
I really liked this shot.
I've set a completion date of August 19th, 2006, the day of the Dream Cruise.
6-25-2006
Since the failure of the paint to adhere to the shined aluminum surface I decided that a vinyl application of the Royal Spartanette logo was the best way to go.
Since Nick hand cut the original mats and created the vinyl from the same pattern, the new logo looks hand painted. The material he used is a bit thicker than normal and has the look of layered paint. You be the judge.
I documented tha application of the three color logo. Note the face of the Spartan emblem. It is the shined surface of the aluminum skin. I have some experience with the creation and installation of vinyl lettering, but nothing of this maganatude.
The first picture is the white background of the emblem and the lettering for "Royal" in original script.
With the installation mask removed you can see the face and the base or the rest of the emblem.
This was the trickiest part. Lining up the second layer, black vinyl, was easy because each layer has its own registration marks. The hard part was removing the mask from the lace-like black outline without ripping it.
Starting to look like something.
The red was applied as the last layer.
The final touch replicates the lettering that was on my original logo.
The finished product.
Chair restoration project:
This is the rust remaining after cleaning with OXYCLEAN.
This is the remains after 4 treatments with WHINK.
The triple bench seat I'm using at the nose of the trailer has lesgs that are too close together to sit on ither side of the floor hatch so I extended the width of the legs by 9" by adding to the center of the chair support. I'll grind down the welds and paint it flat black. Unless you're looking for it you'll never see the alteration.
6-25-2006
Since the failure of the paint to adhere to the shined aluminum surface I decided that a vinyl application of the Royal Spartanette logo was the best way to go.
Since Nick hand cut the original mats and created the vinyl from the same pattern, the new logo looks hand painted. The material he used is a bit thicker than normal and has the look of layered paint. You be the judge.
I documented tha application of the three color logo. Note the face of the Spartan emblem. It is the shined surface of the aluminum skin. I have some experience with the creation and installation of vinyl lettering, but nothing of this maganatude.
The first picture is the white background of the emblem and the lettering for "Royal" in original script.
With the installation mask removed you can see the face and the base or the rest of the emblem.
This was the trickiest part. Lining up the second layer, black vinyl, was easy because each layer has its own registration marks. The hard part was removing the mask from the lace-like black outline without ripping it.
Starting to look like something.
The red was applied as the last layer.
The final touch replicates the lettering that was on my original logo.
The finished product.
Chair restoration project:
This is the rust remaining after cleaning with OXYCLEAN.
This is the remains after 4 treatments with WHINK.
The triple bench seat I'm using at the nose of the trailer has lesgs that are too close together to sit on ither side of the floor hatch so I extended the width of the legs by 9" by adding to the center of the chair support. I'll grind down the welds and paint it flat black. Unless you're looking for it you'll never see the alteration.
Frat-man-du
Dedicated LVC Member
Gotta luv it. Keep sending the pics!
Will do!
5-28-2006
Furniture obsession.
I acquired a furniture grouping from an abandoned lobby of a CSX Railroad corporate office. I traded an energy audit of the facility for the furniture. The lobby had been locked up for 20 years when they remodeled and added a new lobby. It was like walking into a time capsule.
There was the triple gang seat with a long narrow coffee table in front of it. I'm using one of the sets of legs from the coffee table in front of the triple. There were also two single chairs on either side of another coffee table that was a 3' round fiberglass drum topped by a spun aluminum disk covered with plate glass. No room for that one.
I spent the last three days restoring and altering the triple as the legs were too close together and would have interfered with the floor hatch. I widened the central support by 9 inches and repainted it flat black. I had to drill two new 5/8" holes to reattach the seats.
There are only two seat supports. The third seat is hung between the other two. All the aluminum pieces had a highly polished finish when new and I found the finish easy to restore to a high shine.
The original fastener holding the chairs together were 1/4" roll pins at 8 critical attachment points. Many of the pins were installed on an angle so they couldn't be driven through the holes, they had to be driven back out. I had to fabricate some special tools to extract the pins. I replaced the roll pins with 12-24 flat head stainless screws countersunk flush duplicating the original appearance.
I bought some vinyl convertible top cleaner. It was a slow process but you see the difference once the crud was removed.
This is my new favorite picture. I spent three full days restoring the couch so I could finally put it in position and actually sit in the space. The front legs of the couch will be secured to the floor leaving about a 6" gap behind the seating. Sitting in the space I was able to formulate how the rest of it would be used.
[/img]
5-28-2006
Furniture obsession.
I acquired a furniture grouping from an abandoned lobby of a CSX Railroad corporate office. I traded an energy audit of the facility for the furniture. The lobby had been locked up for 20 years when they remodeled and added a new lobby. It was like walking into a time capsule.
There was the triple gang seat with a long narrow coffee table in front of it. I'm using one of the sets of legs from the coffee table in front of the triple. There were also two single chairs on either side of another coffee table that was a 3' round fiberglass drum topped by a spun aluminum disk covered with plate glass. No room for that one.
I spent the last three days restoring and altering the triple as the legs were too close together and would have interfered with the floor hatch. I widened the central support by 9 inches and repainted it flat black. I had to drill two new 5/8" holes to reattach the seats.
There are only two seat supports. The third seat is hung between the other two. All the aluminum pieces had a highly polished finish when new and I found the finish easy to restore to a high shine.
The original fastener holding the chairs together were 1/4" roll pins at 8 critical attachment points. Many of the pins were installed on an angle so they couldn't be driven through the holes, they had to be driven back out. I had to fabricate some special tools to extract the pins. I replaced the roll pins with 12-24 flat head stainless screws countersunk flush duplicating the original appearance.
I bought some vinyl convertible top cleaner. It was a slow process but you see the difference once the crud was removed.
This is my new favorite picture. I spent three full days restoring the couch so I could finally put it in position and actually sit in the space. The front legs of the couch will be secured to the floor leaving about a 6" gap behind the seating. Sitting in the space I was able to formulate how the rest of it would be used.
[/img]
Actually, I'm going to hire a professional mover to tow it the first time. His feedback will tell me what I'll need. I'm of the opinion that I won't need a huge tow vehicle because there's so little rolling and wind resistance.
Sergmark
Dedicated LVC Member
Wow..
It's really lookin like a blast from the past Great job...
It's really lookin like a blast from the past Great job...6-3-2006 Early update. I usually post on Sunday but tomorrow I am participating in the Orphan Car Show in Ypsilanti. It is the first year they are recognizing the '56-'57 Continental Mark II.
Bill was gone most of the week. I restored one of the chairs and started on the last one.
I installed the gas stut lifts for the cabin hatch. Now you can see why I widened the couch legs.
I also built a battery rack of galvanized Unistrut. There is room for 4 batteries up front and additional space in the rear should I need to offset some front weight.
I needed a means to attach multiple wire rope cables to the hinge axle. I ordered a cast aluminum pully with a 3/4" keyway bore and tapped it out to match the hinge pin thread shaft size of 7/8-14. This will allow mw to fine tune the width of the pullys.
The center pulley is gets the garage door spring cable, the inner gets the cable that pulls the lower clam shell into place and the outer pully will snag the cables that restrain the opening of the upper clam-shell and draw the door closed as the ramps come to rest. It's a little Rube Goldbergish but it works consistantly.
Movies of that soon.
The piece of metal to the left of the pully is a stainless steel tube that decoratively covers the threaded ends of the spring bolt. The axle is a hardened truck spring clamp rod but will rust. Can't have that!
The piece of metal hanging off of the axle shaft is one of four supports that will attach to two "feet" that will make contact with the ground and transfer the weight of the car off of the hinges and to the ground. I made these with my cut-off saw with 80 tooth blade, router with round-over carbide bit ans stationary belt sander for a finished appearance.
The roller device that the cable passes over is a McGyver-like use of parts. The plate that mounts to the wall is an electrical fitting that is used to make a threaded 1 1/4" hub at the top of an electrical box. I used an 1 1/4" to 1/2" reduction bushing to create a mounting surface that a garage door cable pully attaches to.
Bill is working on the mullions for the cabin windows. Tricky work as no two windows are the same. I'm going to work on attaching the upper clam shell permanently.
Bill was gone most of the week. I restored one of the chairs and started on the last one.
I installed the gas stut lifts for the cabin hatch. Now you can see why I widened the couch legs.
I also built a battery rack of galvanized Unistrut. There is room for 4 batteries up front and additional space in the rear should I need to offset some front weight.
I needed a means to attach multiple wire rope cables to the hinge axle. I ordered a cast aluminum pully with a 3/4" keyway bore and tapped it out to match the hinge pin thread shaft size of 7/8-14. This will allow mw to fine tune the width of the pullys.
The center pulley is gets the garage door spring cable, the inner gets the cable that pulls the lower clam shell into place and the outer pully will snag the cables that restrain the opening of the upper clam-shell and draw the door closed as the ramps come to rest. It's a little Rube Goldbergish but it works consistantly.
Movies of that soon.
The piece of metal to the left of the pully is a stainless steel tube that decoratively covers the threaded ends of the spring bolt. The axle is a hardened truck spring clamp rod but will rust. Can't have that!
The piece of metal hanging off of the axle shaft is one of four supports that will attach to two "feet" that will make contact with the ground and transfer the weight of the car off of the hinges and to the ground. I made these with my cut-off saw with 80 tooth blade, router with round-over carbide bit ans stationary belt sander for a finished appearance.
The roller device that the cable passes over is a McGyver-like use of parts. The plate that mounts to the wall is an electrical fitting that is used to make a threaded 1 1/4" hub at the top of an electrical box. I used an 1 1/4" to 1/2" reduction bushing to create a mounting surface that a garage door cable pully attaches to.
Bill is working on the mullions for the cabin windows. Tricky work as no two windows are the same. I'm going to work on attaching the upper clam shell permanently.
6-11-2006
EUREKA!!!
After six months of pondering I happened on a solution for my extending ramps. I was inspired by the movie "Back to the Future". My office manager came in Friday and told me that there was a trailer in the movie that has ramps that are identical to the mechanized ramps on my trailer. I said, "No way!" She was right! I rented the move and, sure enough, the large box truck lowers its rear door as a seconsary set of ramps kick out as the whole assembly is lowered to the ground on cables attached to the ramp hinge points, just like mine!
They never really showed any of the mechanism in the movie but they either made it work, or they faked it. I went back and rethought the problem and found that the newly installed hinge support was just the answer I was looking for.
I attached a compressed gas shock to the upper part of the ramp and pushed on the new hinge support. It, in turn, pushed on the lower ramp section kicking it well past the angle needed to let it roll out on its own.
The piston will attach to some sliding brackets to allow for fine tune adjustments to unlevel ground
Bill built new window inserts. These will be painted black and trimmed in aluminum. In the front the frames will be color matched and grained to match the bamboo.
Before and after the repair of the vinyl surface. I had all the seating surfaces done to match each other. I can't tell the fronts and backs apart. It was a fairly expensive repair, but the furniture is certainly worth it.
EUREKA!!!
After six months of pondering I happened on a solution for my extending ramps. I was inspired by the movie "Back to the Future". My office manager came in Friday and told me that there was a trailer in the movie that has ramps that are identical to the mechanized ramps on my trailer. I said, "No way!" She was right! I rented the move and, sure enough, the large box truck lowers its rear door as a seconsary set of ramps kick out as the whole assembly is lowered to the ground on cables attached to the ramp hinge points, just like mine!
They never really showed any of the mechanism in the movie but they either made it work, or they faked it. I went back and rethought the problem and found that the newly installed hinge support was just the answer I was looking for.
I attached a compressed gas shock to the upper part of the ramp and pushed on the new hinge support. It, in turn, pushed on the lower ramp section kicking it well past the angle needed to let it roll out on its own.
The piston will attach to some sliding brackets to allow for fine tune adjustments to unlevel ground
Bill built new window inserts. These will be painted black and trimmed in aluminum. In the front the frames will be color matched and grained to match the bamboo.
Before and after the repair of the vinyl surface. I had all the seating surfaces done to match each other. I can't tell the fronts and backs apart. It was a fairly expensive repair, but the furniture is certainly worth it.
6-13-2006
Found the perfect fabric for drapes, pillows, napkins, tablecloth and apparel. Since the minimum order is 15 yards, you'll be seeing a lot of it.
Anyone have a source for a smaller quantity of "Big Kakuna Fabrics" products?
Found the perfect fabric for drapes, pillows, napkins, tablecloth and apparel. Since the minimum order is 15 yards, you'll be seeing a lot of it.
Anyone have a source for a smaller quantity of "Big Kakuna Fabrics" products?
Excellent progress Barry, i like the idea for extending the ramps and it came from a movie cool. The fabric is a good choice it flows well with the style of furniture for the trailer, how long before completion?
The fabric is a good choice it flows well with the style of furniture for the trailer, how long before completion?I've been invited to show it as a static display during the Dream Cruise on August 19th. I'm shooting for that as a show date but I'm hoping for a shakedown cruise in about a month. It's already been invited onto the showfield at several Concours.
I don't think I got the idea from the movie but it certainly gave me the confidence that the problem could be solved.
I really enjoyed watching the movie again after 21 years.
Actually, someone on another site had suggested gas shocks awhile ago but I couldn't figure a way of making the geometry work. It wasn't until I built and installed the hinge supports that I figured out that I could use one of them to give the lower ramps the shove they needed.
I don't think I got the idea from the movie but it certainly gave me the confidence that the problem could be solved.
I really enjoyed watching the movie again after 21 years.
Actually, someone on another site had suggested gas shocks awhile ago but I couldn't figure a way of making the geometry work. It wasn't until I built and installed the hinge supports that I figured out that I could use one of them to give the lower ramps the shove they needed.
billcu
Dedicated LVC Member
Looks great. Excellent work.
By the way, I tried to send you another PM but your box is full. I guess I got some wrong information about the EOD show. Sorry.
By the way, I tried to send you another PM but your box is full. I guess I got some wrong information about the EOD show. Sorry.
