Kiwi bushblock life - look at my shiny deck

vitesseefi we've even got this fine bit of Triumph lurking in the yard....

A fine car that Triumph - I learnt to drive in one of those.

We had a mark 1 and a mark 2 estate in the family at one point - Dad was a bit of a fan!

I'd love a 2500S estate!

Too many projects lined up as it is though; even getting time to do routine maintenance can be tricky some times. Ah well, when I retire....

Since the last update work had continued making the studio area a bit more finished looking. Boxed in the ugly steel framework and finished the ceilings. This really made the place feel more like a house and less like a shed...





Few more little bits to add, trims around the chimney. Really looking forward to selecting paint colours and getting some colour in there.

So we've now moved out of the little cabin and into the workshop mezz. The cabin was getting a bit chilly, the bed a bit tiny now that the cat has decided he wants extra warmth and snuggles in between the pillows. Plus its getting boring walking from the shed after watching a movie, late at night, in the cold or rain, to a cold cabin. So we have continued on at full steam building the frame work and a bedroom.

First thing was to suss out the position of the doorway frame before we started the main framework. We rummaged around in one of the woodsheds outside where we had stashed a few old doors. Picked out this one here...



We'd bought this and another door for $20 together. Bloody bargain because this door is brand new, never having had any glass fitted nor any door locks or handles. Solid cedar, made in NZ. Would have been an expensive door back in the day...



I scribbled some pencil lines on the floor...



thus working out where the door would work best because it was going to have three positions it could be left in. Then we started frame work...





insulation...



Then plywood lining. Now that there was framing in the way we had to get the plywood upstairs another way. We couldn't use the stairway. I knew this was going to be an issue, along with future furniture, fridges, ovens, pianos etc. I allowed for it like this...







Sorted :-)

I didn't take any pics of the plywood going up onto the walls but you can probably use your imagination.

I had an idea on how to frame up and hide the steel framework in the bedroom and also set the drawers in under the kitchen benches so that way we had maximum amount of bedroom space around the bed.



Its not a large bedroom but big enough to sleep in! Pretty nice to finally have a bedroom you can stand up in. Opulence for a couple who have been living in vans/housetrucks/cabins for the last 20 years.

Bedroom aint finished yet but works. Rimu trims to add, wardrobe to build and some bedside shelves/cabinets. But Kevin loves it and its his go to place to feel all snug. It has a cat door the leads from the kitchen into here, past his doorway.




A bit of wiring went in to suit various lights, sockets and we had to work out a suitable doorway point for our boss, sir Kevin fluffcat. He likes his new cat door with a plank he has to walk across from the bank outside..





With a cat hole sorted we brought in one of the two stainless benches we had stashed away outside. One bought cheap for $40 and the other gifted to us by a customer. Sensible choice stainless bench and sink. No pi$$ing about. They just work forever. I cut the splashback down removing the bit with two old wall mounted tap holes and then cut a new hole to suit a shiny new mixer tap...





The kitchen is almost finished but for drawers and cupboards which we will custom make ourselves to suit. I'll snap some pics of it tomorrow. Damn its nice to make a cup of coffee/cook without going downstairs or up to the cabin. Not long from finishing this project and I can actually hook back into that flat six sitting on the bench under a sheet. Whoop

Oh and also I suppose I could do some more actual paid work, which there is quite a long list of jobs from patient customers up on the whiteboard.

yay.

Shed was well utilised over the last two days. There's a Triumph 2500 wagon that's been with us for over 14 months due to covid lockdown among other things stopping the new owner from collecting it.

On Thursday four likely lads flew down from Auckland and after two days of solid tinkering, carb fettling, mild levels of bodging and number 8 wire thinking they got the old girl on the road and took off today to drive back to Auckland. The movie theatre got utilised last night with many old car adverts and classic racecar youtube clips being watched.













Fun times.

Okey dokey, because its a bit rainy and glum outside we are chilling out inside and enjoying just lazying back in the comfy sofas and cosiness of our new pad. I have just taken some pics of the kitchen (some of which show off my superb culinary skills at the fine art of perfecting toast)







Here is pretty much the most essential culinary toasting device...



and a most essential coffee thing...



The serving hatch (is that the correct name?) needed a nice surround. Remember that lovely bit of acacia timber we found in our pile of rimu? Well it was perfect for the job and looks sweet...





Still loads to do but its now a nice usable kitchen and way bigger than any van/truck kitchen we've had before. We'll make a roll out pantry to fit beside the fridge, yet to be bought. Cupboards and drawers are the next thing to build though.

The doorway, kitchen closed off...



Whole lot opened up..



Looking down the hallway, bedroom door on the left...



Super happy with the door, another bargain from a recycling centre. This one I have mounted on rollers and it opens into a hollow wall...





I have ensured that there was enough storage space above the bedroom roof to fit a Lancia Stratos windscreen for my planned future dream LMP styled sportscar build. I can get a screen now and store it up there. This I see is a sort of way to commit myself to actually building said car (but a fair way in time before I can start that) :-)Currently there is a Bedford TK headlining stashed up there - not really quite as exciting as a Stratos screen....



We also need to build a toilet setup in the space here. Will be a small vented composting setup which will mainly be there for emergencies/night time use because the existing outdoor bathroom is working so well.

Hopefully no other quadruped visitors will discover the comfort of that plank and cat door.

I keep enjoying this thread very much (thank You btw.).

I will be following with interest the building of Your kitchen drawers, since I have to furniturize a kitchen too.
My wife asked for drawers rather than doors. The weakest point in drawers are the floors, expecially when You want to store pots and pans in there.

So I rather plan to build some storage racks on wheels to draw out sideways from under the working desk.

But maybe You will show a better way for building robust drawers?

Cheers Grizz. Glad you enjoy. Kevin says meow.



Yep no probs- drawer building will be happening today. Please don't expect cabinet maker levels of quality but they'll be smart and functional. I'll take a few extra pics. Have you got a table saw?



Yeah its fully flashed- I'll get some pics from the outside when the rain stops. Its been a heavy bit of rain for the last 24 hours! Temps have dropped down to as low as 13 degrees!!! brrrrr.

Yep- we'll be painting most of the walls and the floors will be either varnished, covered in vinyl (kitchen) or carpet (upstairs lounge bit)

I can appreciate why setting that space aside would be a priority -

Living space is coming on a treat. Just don't make it too comfortable or that future dream may never get started

Just thinking you will need to be able to pull up the house truck and have a board/human flap door just like the cat one to enter in. Sort of like an escape pod to the mother ship.