Today we built two boxes that will connect to form a 6 ft sofa. The first section will be moveable so that it can double as a table or chair. The other section will house the electrical system. Courtney and her mom are going to sew cushions at some point. Took most of the day; lets just say we discovered the wisdom in the ole "measure twice, cut once" aphorism.
The electric has been the most, oh, what's the word--dangerous--undertaking so far. I’ll admit, I was intimidated from the start. We’re trying to incorporate AC/DC wiring, and the extent of my previous electrical experience was trying to fix an iPod with superglue a few years back. After 2-3 months of research, we’ve gathered most of the components, and we're starting the trial phases of the installation. Trial one: We’re using the Progressive Dynamics 4045 charger/converter ac/dc as our “motherboard.” This arrived with scant instructions; perhaps they would have made sense to an actual electrician? After scouring the internet, I decided to do an initial trial phase of the AC side in the back yard. Trial 2: AC in the bus: Success in the yard. Now to try this on an all metal, very conductive bus. Courtney had her iPhone handy for filming and calling EMS, in case the experience proved jolting. Everything went smoothly, and after successfully not electrocuting myself, I beat my chest and ate ribs as a reward for taming the electric beast (potential for pride and fall syndrome acknowledged). Note: Don't hate on the exposed wires, etc: this is just a test. Now to run a few wires and outlets:
Once the paint fumes cleared, it was time to frame the walls. After a bit of trial and error, we settled on running 2x4s horizontally along the base of the wall and underneath the windows. Then we cut vertical support beams, which we notched to fit around the steal beams that the seats were attached to. We used 2" self-tapping metal screw to attach the studs to the walls. Incidentally, "self-tapping" metal screws work a whole lot better if you drill a pilot hole. We also started cutting the framing the shower. We're using a Dreamline 32" x 32" shower base.
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November 2016
AuthorsBen and Courtney MacDonald - We married in September 2014 and just do our best to live life in gratitude every day. As Ram Dass writes, "We're all just walking each other home." We enjoy figuring out where home is. Categories |