Awkward it's an old T5 not a T6

[Soundz]

But i guess most of this interior is applicable to you guys......I kinda owe a dept to this forum and the electrickery implications i've stumbled into here.......... it's also probably the slowest of slow builds and I'm silly time pressed so you'll have to bare with me a tad.

We are country folk we like soul stealing of little fluffy beasties...IE we me an poppet make images of wildlife.............so the campervan is a means to an end..........it's a way to be places..widen horizons when the light might be nice.....so my end game is this sort of off grid van.

We've never really had much so the bus is a pipe dream cause we are kinda bottom end one learns to make stuff
2 base influences an image from 3 bridge bespoke and a company called cambee.both utterly out of reach so head down make stuff

started here

_S2I8211 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

Tis me base template to fit a cardboard cut out wallas XC duo a 65L fridge a pull out door drawer fingy and this mad 3 hinged door I call the shell door that sort of wraps around a swivling drivers seat in a 2D format.

I so wanted curves in all this.........they give eye lines allow fluidity.but i've never done all that.....so we made a jig got some bendy ply and a shed load of glue......the results sort of threw me there was no pull back.they were just light an hellish strong

Here's ya jig

_S2I8197 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

Then one wacks loads of glue betwixt 2 sheets of bendy and straps it down tighter than a

_S2I8194 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

and ya get left with this

_S2I8199 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

That base curve with a bit of oak edging then led to this on the RHS of the fridge hole

_S2I8206 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

which also does this

_S2I8207 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

and on the other side. (LMAO I'm so out of me depth here ) this shell door thing came about...it's based around a little sort of "kilner" jar poppet picked up and I just saw her fall in love with so I bought all of them and dug in

here's her little jar and the end result..we best not muse the 3 hinges right now

_S2I8216 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

and behind that is this...........ha there's a madness here for sure...........I remeber that moment when I said to myself ok mate you've got nowt to measure off now .........OMG too funny

_S2I8222 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

for the makers....here's that sucker being glued.no nails or screws here.tightbond 3 and pressure.

by the way this is largely baltic birch ply 15mm an some oak edging and an oak worktop from B and Q which was cut incredibly carefully with a step to enable something else later

here's said WT

_S2I8284 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

and finally after so so long we got to see it with the walls in place.......it's still not fitted... but I know one day it will fit

an that'll do

_S2I8294 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

 

[Soundz]

woah soz about the orientation,of the portrait images. and your crocked necks....T6 forum can't cope Mods if you can help cheers....I'm just worried I'm gonna be waved at by a guy in a T6 that can't hold his head straight.....I don't really understand all this stuff .I just make bits of wood smaller

A T series camper is basically a tin box.......so water.condensation is a concern to all of us........I kinda took steps to try and make air move to some degree through the cupboards,naturally it also took out a gnats of weight....here's some of that

_S2I8672 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

_S2I8671 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

_S2I8668 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

_S2I8673 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

We managed to find a sink....and carved up the WT to not loose any space like dis

_S2I8677 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

_S2I8674 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr



guys that's enough blasts from the past from me for tonight..........I'm wading through some mad leccy stuff right now trying to cram things where they have no right to go... too much burning the candle .I think i'm around 18months in to this madness right now.....I simply had no idea how long this would take or how taxing it would be I have no workshop it's done on a workmate in a garden oldskool head down

..just wanted to say thanks and give a gnats B back to this forum you lot have helped me loads

take care out there...... Ta muchly

stu

 

[AKG]

I love it, great workmanship.

 

[JOG]

I love it, great workmanship.

^^ wot ee said!

 

[Soundz]

Ta muchly both just stopped playing elctrickery..too much blue stuff in too small a space...Ha me battery is in blighty happy days.....C'mon customs hurry up !!

Where was we? Ahh.....well you have seen most of cupboard 1 IE behind drivers seat so the middle cupboard is next..........this is all being fitted around a 120cm RIB bed.so there's no rel space for a little pull out table on a runner and frankly it don't work with all this curvy nonsense anyhow

So we came up with this..............it's a sort of drawer at the top.the front of which folds in 'alf with the drawer( probably for cutlery below and a mad 'ickle WT that folds out......Ha soss ( concealed) hinges who knew .........the things ya learn when trying to cobble up a toggiin' bus

Top looks like this closed

_S2I9352 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

Opens like this :

_S2I9354 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

then does this

_S2I9355 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

then dis

_S2I9358 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

and finally dat


_S2I9361 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

soz guys shattered.how all that is in the right order.........hmm I'd never even made a conventional drawer before all this......amazing where being space compromised takes a brin isn't it...back in a mo

 

[Soundz]

Below the above will be a tambour I still haven't ordered it yet as i'm so short of space nothing has been glued up yet and I want to get the measurements spot on.well as near as I can.

I'm using what I call strip joints as a means of joining everything..no not the strip joints you lads visit these are ickle strips of ply sitting in routered grooves.............they will be incredibly strong once clamped up.........I contemplated pocket holes......iddy biddy bits of plastic and teeny tiiny screws were not on the menu...........these joints also allow me to put stuff together fit it and pull apart.

the rear cupboard is fairly conventional...you've seen the shelves above.at the front is a series of pockets.the lowest of which we call the bean store...basically one can stash a shed load of cans in there.the hole just above the WT in the piccy above in me last post

Oh and around this time made up an access door so I can get under the wallas......


_S2I9353 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

back to that rear cupboard.........lol here's a story..............I was going for it and breaking rules.cuase I don't have a proper work bench I used me biggest bit of wood for stability.the front of my rear cupboard and a router bit dropped.left me here..cursing my stupidity and yearning for a get out of jail card

_S2I0231 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr


Card came months later......I sat on this one screaming for eons and then me best mate stopped by and said........"stu get your butt down the industrial estate.the furniture makers have thrown out some wood it's to be burnt.."...it was literally on a bonfire pile

I did and scagged wood I could never buy never afford..............sure it was warped or this or that......but trees don't go straight........

an idea slowly set

I'd flattten out a lump of walnut.done with a router sled ponderously slow and then let that walnut into my cockup.........it would add strength maybe look ok and no one would know........LMAO bar the fact I'm me and own stuff

Ha you have no idea how many hours of "don't F up stu don't drop it mate focus focus focus are in this

cut out with a jigsaw be and and then let around 10mm into the ply.................

focus

_S2I0221 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

nearly there and a lump of the raw walnut I started with for comparison

_S2I0224 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

carving into the ply never got an image..it was harder than the walnut gig if I'm honest......everything was to loose..so here's it let in...........

_S2I0247 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

Think this was around aug last year.............started to go into vanish mode and contemplating 2 100AG lith batteries one under each seat.life kinda started kicking me around then.so the batts went south but kinda dig in and slowly but surely added to the victron gear we wanted for our little off grid wildlife toggin dreams

I guess a snap shot of me scrubblin' about in the mud wouldn't be amiss......I spend alot of time ..ok if I can find said time.with hares or our native little sweetheartdeer aka Roe

one of each

_S2I9395 Opps smj Tdn by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

_S2I8637 BOAB smj Tdn by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

Hmm the latter.made honestly while standing in a pile of bin bags.......no kidding.some scum had dumped on the side of a road in the worlds........FFS why does anyone think that is in any way ok

Screaming abb dabs over back to wooden stuff .init


when all this started and that jig.................. for bending wood around was made...there was a plan for some over head lockers...........as chrimbo loomed an with little dosh to complete build and come back to locker dom as an added extra......... later on so to speak..............little work I started to grind into those lockers.............all the gear was here so I started to set about what have now become the bread bins..................

First up was to grind into that oak WT that I cut in a specific way yonks and yonks back,,,,,,,,,damn this was a tough old gig making it wrap around a pop and the shape of the bus

Sort of started here by taking the back out of the slap of oak at an angle

_S2I0805 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

_S2I0802 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

then added in a second length for depth an' to hide 'erm stuff

_S2I0808 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

back in a mo

Then ripped into that bit to make it all fit

_S2I0815 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

_S2I0814 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

I kinda worked backwards then off the jig to cut down the 2 curved door sections to sommit like 10 bits of preddy much identically shaped ply as the ends and added some bonfire walnut to the door edges cause I could

_S2I0811 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

_S2I0820 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

_S2I0818 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

cut 6 end pieces slightly big glued then together into 3 pairs .ha you can see me strip joints here.which will help bind them into the oak

_S2I0924 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

and also wading into hinges

_S2I0821 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

and how the ends would work with the bit's carryiing the hinges

_S2I0926 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

_S2I0927 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

and that chaps is ya lot for now as I need sleep..........I did get distracted around now in me build by the light diversion of making me own gear knob. without a lathe and a method we could all use...................but it's late for another day

take care

stu

 

[JOG]

Superb work Stuart

 

[Ozi]

You’re a craftsman, that’s for sure and have done a great job on those. You can certainly see that youve taken inspiration from Cambee after looking at their overhead aircraft style lockers

 

[ThreeBridgeT6]

I just make bits of wood smaller

Genius!Great skill and dedication. And photographs of wildlife too - and they're the right way up!!

 

[Soundz]

Superb work Stuart

Thanks bud.call me stu. everyone does........lol I get called stuart when I'm in the doghouse and about to be clattered..............never had a clue just how exacting this would be Jog or how many hours I was going to pour into it..trying to maintain disciplin has been tough................my lady is in love with the ickle bus so for a ragamuffin I'm incredibly driven ..so so trying to make sommit special that she smiles at, is a huge thing for me.........and that works bro.it has to function

thanks mate

 

[JOG]

A labour of love, Stu! And the results show it!!!

 

[dominic4]

This is a work of Art love and beauty. Wow!

 

[Ali-G]

You've definitely got a talent Stu.
This is how a lot of conversion companies start out, converting a van for themselves.

 

[T6ChrisO]

As others have said, great talent you have there!

 

[Georgeo]

This is incredible work and all done on an outdoor bench. Look forward to the next steps. And that hare picture is superb.

 

[Soundz]

You’re a craftsman, that’s for sure and have done a great job on those. You can certainly see that youve taken inspiration from Cambee after looking at their overhead aircraft style lockers

Ta Ozi....I like craftsmanship aspire to it not sure I am able to own it but yeah I aspire..my day job is smash it out.I don't really fit well it's somebody's house damn I try but ahh well.

Yup cambee.aero lockers and of course the ply....... thing is in such a teeny tiny space curves besides looking cool, they also allow lines of sight.......... allow things to move where corners would simply not work and also make me head hurt when if comes to catches and securing......base formats don't work....ya have to go OOTB a bit

I wrote to Ozi a bit back ,I forget to hit submit........ya know how it is write a bit then run off back to something, in my case back to crunching leccy it's what ya do huh?

Guys I set off early today walked into me hovel ,well barely walked in at 9pm.........will you forgive me just saying a heart felt Ta to you ALL for taking your time to write kind fings. I'm at a loss to reply to you all which hurts

I ain't got nowt left really to share more right now.it's just been lovely reading your words and important to me to say Ta................I'm gonna try and find one pic for ya.be way of thanks just cause it holds a sort of irony
this one.............. is it going to be the wrong orientation?

_S2I1124 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

Take care ALL

stu

 

[eetmw]

Lovely work

 

[Soundz]

'ere soz about the leaniing images it's size init.....ahh well no time to adjust onwards and downwards.apologies to anyone with a crock neck right now

Strip joint = _S2I0914 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

bit of oak sort of ended up here......obviously with the addition of the start of the catch mech

_S2I0911 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

this will never be seen but it's kinda purdy for the glue side took some figuring to make.....it's the bit of wood that will hold the sliding catch mounted in the locker door
_S2I0913 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr


like this

_S2I0916 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

The rear of the door where it hinges were made like this

_S2I0922 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

_S2I0923 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

_S2I0927 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

back in a mo

 

[Soundz]

The catch mech gave me more than a few head aches.......but basically.if......if I've figured it right any vibration will tighten the spring loaded catch mech

_S2I0918 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

_S2I0928 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

it's operated by a finger into the back and an inlet lump of walnut.( do like the contrast between the walnut an ply...........isn't it a lovely thing it was going to be burned and it's now been talked to ( read bad words) and ended up loved

_S2I0878 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

and yes I really did slip a slither of oak in behind the walnut,in an effort to ties the build together................it's the little fings init

So basically after god knows how many hours 'n' hours 'n' hours of F'ing about they sat on the kitch table.........and I realized all I'd made was a couple of bread bins It sort of sums up me right there......poppet told me she liked her bread bins and that was lovely an all.......but they are still.............. and will always be.............. bread bins

waddayado
_S2I0883 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr


Obviously at this point I became traumatized and could no longer do anything productive.................hmmm ok maybe I did...............I mean every bloke wants a custom knob don't they so as an aside I fort lets find a method for the lads with a few bits a wood some clamps and some base tools.hole saws drill router couple a clamps some wood glue and imagination...................


oh god dinner

bye

 

[JOG]

The catch mech gave me more than a few head aches.......but basically.if......if I've figured it right any vibration will tighten the spring loaded catch mech

View attachment 164839_S2I0918 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

View attachment 164840_S2I0928 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

it's operated by a finger into the back and an inlet lump of walnut.( do like the contrast between the walnut an ply...........isn't it a lovely thing it was going to be burned and it's now been talked to ( read bad words) and ended up loved

View attachment 164841_S2I0878 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

and yes I really did slip a slither of oak in behind the walnut,in an effort to ties the build together................it's the little fings init

So basically after god knows how many hours 'n' hours 'n' hours of F'ing about they sat on the kitch table.........and I realized all I'd made was a couple of bread bins It sort of sums up me right there......poppet told me she liked her bread bins and that was lovely an all.......but they are still.............. and will always be.............. bread bins

waddayado
View attachment 164842_S2I0883 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr


Obviously at this point I became traumatized and could no longer do anything productive.................hmmm ok maybe I did...............I mean every bloke wants a custom knob don't they so as an aside I fort lets find a method for the lads with a few bits a wood some clamps and some base tools.hole saws drill router couple a clamps some wood glue and imagination...................


oh god dinner

bye

Poppet loves your knob, don’t fret!!!