Projecting, tinkering, fiddle-farting around: whatcha building? (4 Viewers)

[65swb45]

My wife and I bought a van to replace our third Suburban for glamping. I knocked out a platform, version 1.0, in a few weeks which we have been happily using for the last three and a half years.

Last October I sketched out and made a couple of custom, low profile crossbars that span the fiberglass roof, to hold an awning and a couple of solar panels. Last month I finally got around to ordering the panels after talking @royal cake ear off about the project. Spent one weekend installing and wiring the panels, another making a battery holddown, isolator, and a 1.0 distribution panel and a third building a fridge slider. As of yesterday:

We’re not sure if we will be comfortable with this size fridge. The plan is, once we know what we WILL be comfortable with, to build out the rest of the cabinet around it.

 

[DRANGED]

Quite the conversation piece. Did you talk to the owner?

Sadly no. It was late, I was tired, he didn't get out to fuel up very quickly despite my stalling...

 

[DRANGED]

so.... You know how sometimes you put something down in an odd place... like your wallet in the fridge, or the milk in the cabinet. . . .

This morning I did this one:

 

[waiting for time]

so.... You know how sometimes you put something down in an odd place... like your wallet in the fridge, or the milk in the cabinet. . . .

This morning I did this one:

View attachment 3116532

That would be at least one bad week for me and it would come back in a negative way for at least a year.

 

[DRANGED]

Wellp.
I impulsed a sub $200 amazon plasma cutter.... I saw HF has a 20 amp one for $400, then kept googling and came up with this gem for home projectin' and tinkering as I do

I really liked this review line, "very happy with this little guy, for the price, i mean shesh, i could throw it in the garbage if it breaks and just buy another one."

so WTH, Dropped that in the cart with some consumables and pulled the trigger!!
I figure borrowing the neighbor's Miller is going to bite me eventually

We know how THAT goes. . . .

reviews to follow. . . .

 

[firestopper]

so.... You know how sometimes you put something down in an odd place... like your wallet in the fridge, or the milk in the cabinet. . . .

This morning I did this one:

View attachment 3116532

Along the same line

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

Making an old 250 gallon propane tank into a smoker.
With as much scrap material as I can come up with.



I actually think that it may have been an air tank of some sort, I don't think that access hole on the side would have been permissible if it was a LP tank.

 

[DRANGED]

Making an old 250 gallon propane tank into a smoker.
With as much scrap material as I can come up with.



I actually think that it may have been an air tank of some sort, I don't think that access hole on the side would have been permissible if it was a LP tank.

View attachment 3120708View attachment 3120709

Inspiration (you probably have ideas anyway, but check it).

 

[greenbeast]

Cool, will be watching you progress for sure. Land Cruiser builds are kinda cool but smokers well that’s a whole different level!

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

Cool, will be watching you progress for sure. Land Cruiser builds are kinda cool but smokers well that’s a whole different level!

It’ll be like smoking a brisket, a long process. Crap I might end up being one of your neighbors before I get done.

 

[DRANGED]

Made a bike rack From Scrap pipe:

Now I need to make A shade roof for that outside area. . . .

 

[DRANGED]

I had a think...

"I'm on 7, you?" rather than counting notches.

 

[firestopper]

With a tight approach to the auto bay, I would have to jockey a few times to get a vehicle centered for lifting. When I installed the Bendpak, I used the widest option to allow the front doors to open as wide as possible, that said, the better centered the safer, and less wear and tear on the lift.

In researching lasers, I found the green carries further and the human eye can see it better than red. I found a green laser with a wavelength of : 532nm with an output power of : 50mW for $40 shipped via ebay.

.125 aluminum was used to make a simple bracket for mounting. Drilled and tapped three #6-33 and two 1/8' holes for #8 x 1/2" self tappers.

The adjustable double ball joints mount to bracket.

Centered over the top brace.

 

[firestopper]

Securing the power cable. 3M tape and Zip-tie brackets keep it clean.

The forty's hood has a nice guide for the line.

The distance from front fender to post came to L = 27-3/4" and R= 27-3/4" for a centered lift.

The yellow/black vinyl safety tape gets me close but the line gets me dead nuts.

The line splits the rear doors.

$40 bucks well spent.

 

[Waorani]

Great idea. Just ordered one off ebay.

 

[LDowney]

Thanks for sharing. This looks tremendously better that the tape on the floor that I gauge tires against.

 

[PAToyota]

I had a think...
View attachment 3136574
"I'm on 7, you?" rather than counting notches.

Some time ago I saw the suggestion of marking the teeth with different colors of paint. Makes it really quick to set the heights - particularly for older eyes.

 

[DRANGED]

Hard wired a mag-base light to drill press.

https://a.co/d/0cbg3vj

 

[KLF]

Replaced the 30 year old deck/porch on the front of my house. Just finished today.

I've decided I'm not a good person to build decks. I treat those projects like a woodworking project, overthink all the joints and hardware, making everything perfect and sanding all the edges smooth. Every crosscut got a coat of linseed oil to seal the end grain.

 

[DRANGED]

Replaced the 30 year old deck/porch on the front of my house. Just finished today.

View attachment 3146807

I've decided I'm not a good person to build decks. I treat those projects like a woodworking project, overthink all the joints and hardware, making everything perfect and sanding all the edges smooth. Every crosscut got a coat of linseed oil to seal the end grain.

Nah, just sounds like you're doing it right.

Well done!