Got Refrigerator?

I know this doesn't look like your typical Sears Kenmore, you may have to use your imagination. It will however, resemble an antique icebox when finished. This 1929 Travelers was designed by Mr. Ford to be a RV, you know like a motorhome. It had many modern (for the time) conveniences, one being an icebox and two a bed....I think there are a few others, I will keep you posted on that! Here is the beginning of the "icebox". It will be constructed to use for storage, but it will have the stainless steel tub in the top in which you could store some ice....

This is the front or looking at it from the front. Below it is laid on it's back and the doors placed in place. I hear there is a surprise with those...stay tuned!
This is the side view. I have to show this because I left Saturday morning to run to town, I was gone almost 5 hours, when I came back I initially could not see all that had been done, so I will help you. The top (which we didn't take a picture of had to be cut out to allow access to the tub and he put the top on. Look closely you can see the joint. The opening is all rounded and smooth (he assured me he had done A LOT of sanding). Also this little box has to fit inside the back of the truck. He had to custom cut the large notch for the wheel well and the little notch for the bracket above. They fit very nicely!

Here is the back before placing the cabinet.
See how nice that all fits in, so all his time was well worth it. (I knew that anyway...just wondered what he had done....). The seat will come back, but does not touch the cabinet at all.A close-up. There is also a lid that goes on top, that took some time also to make it fit to the opening.
The other day he put the back windows in place. The back doors are completely finished. The windows mounted from the inside, and then another moulding was placed over them to hold them in place, and then screwed to the door.
A close-up of the details...I love the maple wood!
So there was a crisis on Saturday night. Apparently some metals can't be bent! Uh, that was learned the hard way, and although I think he really knew it, he was just going to bend it a bit. Yeah, it didn't work and he broke one of the hinges for the tailgate. All is well, another will be ordered. The tailgate is an added feature to this particular vehicle. Seems they didn't have these originally but Grandpa wanted one so he had somewhere to put his stuff when you were traveling...a place to cook from mainly. She is moving right along, the list is being marked off and slowly it is being finished up. They even have her farewell date in place!

Doors

I just have to say Gary has spent a ton of time out in the garage, however this progress is slow right now. Before Grandpa went home they did add the canopy or visor to the front window.
Another view of the front visor. Gotta love the hood cover! Is that authentic???

Actually we have to keep her fairly covered and the roof has a covering over it always. We live in the desert southwest, it IS dusty and dirty here. Right now with the temps changing the wind blows everyday. Lots of dust, lots of dust! Not to mention that the wood shop is in the third bay of the garage, and produces some dust also.

They also cut the openings in the back doors for the windows and framed them.
Gary worked on varnishing the back doors, adding the hardware and mounting them this past week.
Isn't this nice looking?
He took pictures of both doors and the hardware to open them. It is a regular little vehicle.

I just have to point out some details here that I find fascinating. I have to say I am very proud of my husband and the beautiful job he has done on this car. He has taken many hours to do this project, he has loved the work, it has had challenges, but he has done his best. IT IS BEAUTIFUL! Notice the details in the wood, how the sections are divided on the doors and the side panels with different wood, how they match.
He, of course, is out working tonight again. He is working on windows and varnishing the tailgate (which is an added feature, not part of the original). He worries when wood chips out, when there are runs and has a page list of things yet to finish on this car with a deadline to finish. I hope he makes it. I will be sad to see the little car go, it is fun to have her out in the garage, but she has some work yet to do....at the very least a road trip. Stay tuned they are not done, there are still several things yet to finish, but she is looking more and more like the car she was hoping to become!

Top This!

Friday brought a trip to town. The airlines "misplaced" the package of screening that Grandpa brought with him. Friday they headed to town to pick that up at the airport and a trip to the hardware store for nails, wire wrap and other items.
Thursday night they had run the electical wiring. They debated how best to hide that in the ceiling of the car. Friday they decided they would use a spiral wire wrap. It does look nice and is nearly invisible, as evident in this photo.

It will have a light in the back of the camper area.
Grandpa has been working on the electrical, while Gary has been making trim pieces for the windows.

There is glass in several spots, in the front doors, the long openings along the side will have the screening and glass and the back doors will have glass. (I think that is part of Saturday's project schedule). They determined that they wanted trim around all of these windows. Here are pieces that have been cut and routered for the trim.

And the big project for today was the vinyl top! These pictures DO NOT do this top justice. Because it is black, it is not photographing well. It is beautiful. First they laid a cotton fabric (felt almost like a poplin) on the top, then a thin foam and then the vinyl. They pulled it tight and nailed it on. They trimmed it up evenly (very scientifically I might add!). Then a trim piece called "hide-em" was added. It has two ridges that come together in the middle that are pulled apart to put the nail in and then they come back together to hide the nail. This was a long process. Everything is done holding your arms up over your head. Chad came and helped, he said it was hard to get the hide-em opened up to allow for the nail. Here are some pictures of the top.




Notice the front section is not complete. They are working today on the canopy for over the front window....maybe visor is a better description of that piece.

We're so glad when Grandpa comes!

Grandpa is back for a long weekend of work on the woodie. Here is what he found when he arrived this afternoon.

She has slowly been put back together. First the left side,

then the right side,

In the above photo you can see the white protective paper has been removed from the fender. There is a vinyl beading that was stapled to the wood, it finishes the edge off.
Then the top,

so it isn't on in this picture, but it was by the time Grandpa arrived. The top is very heavy it takes two of them to hoist it up.
Here is what she looked like from the back when Grandpa arrived. It didn't take him long to get started working on her.

The side front doors need some work still.

Stay tuned, I'll be posting some more progress later tonight!

Day Two and the progress

At the end of Friday night here is what these two men had accomplished. You may find it hard to see the progress, but I will help point it out. They were exhausted by the end of the day. It is truly a project that requires hours of work, but may not much progress sometimes. Grandpa told me this morning he loves to work, I believe him...he said "The day I quit working I will be dead". We laughed and said, "No, the day you die, you will quit working!"

Below you will notice the black topped screws, this is what Grandpa has been working on all the metal parts and assembly. I believe the box is all secure at this point on the frame.

Maybe hard to see, but you will notice the black bracket in the center, part of the door latch. The black bracket in the left hand corner. There is also a black brace, bracket along the wheel well. and up the sides there is a brace to hold the wood box to the frame.

Here you can see the hinge for the back doors.

This is a top view of the TOP! It is almost complete. You are able to see how the slats had to be bent. An old iron, wet clot and some clamps. I see glue was probably used and some screws.

Once again you will notice black headed screws...holding the assembly together.

I am hoping tonight to have a large picture fest out there and lots of explanation from Grandpa and Gary. I will post again tomorrow.

Grandpa Arrives

Gary's dad (Grandpa) flew in Thursday morning. Gary arrived with him back at the house about 11:30. Anxious to see the progress, they made a beeline for the garage. I think he was impressed, surprised, she truly is much more beautiful in person that pictures could ever express. I heard the word beautiful pass over his lips more than once. Not sure who was more pleased with himself, Gary for a job well done so far, or Grandpa at having thought to create this masterpiece with his son. Here is what Gary had accomplished when his Dad arrived.

Remember those front corners, all cut and rounded. Sanded to a smooth finish here is the left side and below is the right side, which gives a better view of the work.
These next two pictures show the top or roof. You can see slats being added to either side. This is a long process. Each of these slats has to be hand bent and attached to the bows. After this step then the top is ready for the vinyl.

Here is a close up of the slats attached to the bows. At the front they angle down towards the front of the car. It is quite the process to install these.
The two of them spent all day, long into the evening out working on this car. Grandpa did all the metal work, the box is all attached together and Gary worked on the top. It is remarkable to me how hard this grandpa can work and how much he can accomplish in a day.

What's in the box???

What is in the box?
I don't think you will be able to guess which car part arrived in this box! I will give you a hint....It is black, and it is soft.

Okay it is the roofing material. Here is a picture of it after it had been laid out flat in the family room and then rolled on tubing to keep it as flat as possible.
It is very interesting. I could best describe it as a type of vinyl or naugahyde. It is textured with long lines running parallel to the long sides. It has a foam underlining that is a separate piece. There is also a black liner that I am told will go in the inside, to make things look good....I love the wood look myself.

Well Saturday here is what she looked like late in the morning. Front view:

Side view:

The dust is our fault, the garage is dusty with the wood shop in the next room. Also Arizona is dusty and dirty, and it has been extremely dry lately. Well Saturday was a hard day for Gary. He made what he thought was a huge mistake...it all ended up being just okay though.


These long top sides have taken him hours, literally hours to make. He has had to custom make each and every cut, some cuts taking several times to be exact. You see this is not a kit, nor do they have instructions or a pattern. They have pictures from another that has been restored (apparently there were only a few of these made, not sure on the exact number). They have reproduced this car from the pictures.


Here is a picture of the top front side. It runs the full length of the car. Well Gary went to make a cut in the front part of this piece and cut it wrong...30 hours down the drain. He was so distraught and frustrated with himself. Not only that, and this I don't entirely understand, but he now lost an angle and felt like it would be next to impossible to reproduce this piece. Well after much consideration, he did patch and glue (doesn't every piece of art have to have some sort of imperfection...And this is truly a work of art!) Well here is a close up of the "mistake". Can you tell? I had a hard time finding it, it will be just fine I think.

Next he glued the top part together in the back and sanded it. This raw maple wood is beautiful, just absolutely beautiful with it's soft subtle grains.



A close up of the details at the back corner.

This is the front header to the roof assembly. It was a piece that was purchased.

Here it is laid up where it will go. The "corner" or area where the side and front meet have to be put together, rounded and sanded.

Lots of hours getting everything just so. Accuracy is a priority, and it takes time. This has kept him busy and he has thoroughly enjoyed every minute...well almost every minute...there were a few minutes of stress on Saturday.