Rusty 87 build thread

[musigenesis]

Woo hoo! Finally a new page. I feel like Page 90 went on for an eternity.

[musigenesis]

Upholstering plywood experiment using carpet padding.







Kinda wrinkly but I think that's mainly from just doing it on one corner and not being able to stretch the fabric.



The original had a sloped back that was basically just a few scraps of nylon webbing and thin padding. I'm replacing that with solid plywood, although shorter and at a slightly steeper angle, which lets me chop the needed 7" of width.





Weather was lovely last night so I slept in the bus for the first time ever (more than two years).



These are picture clips that I'm using to attach the top of this back piece, which will slip down onto them. This will let me upholster the whole thing and not have to run fasteners through that.



I screwed up the bevel angle on this cross piece and my table saw is threatening to explode if I try any more of this kind of cutting on my crappy 2x4s. These shims get it to the right angle, although the piece will then be a little bit further from the wall than I'd like.



Testing the fit out with a scrap piece.



Perfect, bottom comes to exactly the right spot.



Plywood is expensive, gotta make do with splices sometimes.



Matched picture clips on the back.



Actually did this correctly, it snapped right into place and has a nice positive fix, no wiggle.



Just have to attach spacers for the bottom and then I can pull this off and put on the padding and fabric.

[musigenesis]

These three spacers will remain permanently attached to the board when I take it out to upholster it. Then I'll just have to snap it down and screw in those three screws.



Making sure the cushions all fit.





This backrest is so low here that it's nearly useless for the upper cushions, but at least it will hold the bottom cushions in place.



Starting on the back rest.

[Mountain Gnome]

You've got some good ideas. Thanks for sharing!


Aloha!

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by Mountain Gnome

You've got some good ideas. Thanks for sharing!


Aloha!

Thanks. Is Hawaiian the only language with the same word for hello and goodbye? I guess maybe English does, with "yo".

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

Thanks. Is Hawaiian the only language with the same word for hello and goodbye? I guess maybe English does, with "yo".

It's actually Polynesian, it's like saying "Godspeed" or "Peace", not so much hello or goodbye.

[Mountain Gnome]

It is Hawai'ian. Not Polynesian, that I ever heard, although Wikipedia says so. It is a combination of Hawai'ian root words, with "ha" being "breath" - the essence of life itself. "Alo" is "forward-facing" or "front". So it means presenting/giving your life energy to someone else as a welcoming gift, in a way.



"Peace" is only some of what it means. "Godspeed" is not really it.


Happiness

Love
Respect
Harmony
Spiritual Connection with all existance

mercy, compassion, and pity are suggested by the dictionary, but I find in real usage, to have Aloha, to be Aloha, is to be able to embrace these other qualities within yourself as appropriate.



You have to begin to understand the entire traditional Hawai'ian culture to begin to truly understand. I call it the most beautiful word.



It is used as a greeting, but it is not simply a "meaningless" greeting.


Contrast this with the word haole: "ha", the spiritual essence of life; and "ole", without. This is the Hawai'ian word for mainlanders, especially those from the big city with no connection to the Mana.

[musigenesis]

Sharpies are drawn to this couch magnetically. Three accidental marks so far, fortunately none in places that will be visible.

[musigenesis]

Cut the plywood for the backrest.



Hinged, of course.



I'm attaching the backrest to the hinge support first.



Then I can position it with temporary screws.



Making sure the cushion still fits.



Now I screw in the hinge support and remove the temporary screws.

[musigenesis]

Needed to stiffen the back of this backrest since the corners are bending up a little bit. Somehow, despite all the warped 2x4s I've bought, I couldn't find any seriously warped strips to help bring the plywood back to true. This worked a little bit, but I'm going to have to find a pretty strong cabinet catch to pull this in tight.



Some more upholstered bits for the ends.













I did up this whole piece with the fabric on the wrong side. Oh well, not too hard to re-do it.













Just have to upholster these two and my couch is done.

[musigenesis]

I'm going to change the name of my build thread to "The Couch".



I will probably be very unlucky here and find that gorilla glue construction adhesive melts carpet padding.







I don't have a single piece of fabric large enough to cover the headrest in one go, so I need to splice. I wouldn't have thought that two strips of posterboard and staples was the way to go, but that's how this $4000 furniture did it originally so who am I to think I'm any better?



I started by stapling the paper strip down nice and tight and then working around the edges from there.







Came out not too bad. I want to iron that seam but I'm afraid of burning the fabric or melting the pad underneath.

[TJones]

Wow! Add upholstery ninja to your many skills. The fabric on the couch makes the bus look much more like a house.

Ted

[musigenesis]

I have learned that carpet padding has bits of material that are harder than other bits and this makes it a little bit lumpy when used under fabric like this. Still, not bad, and this will all be under big cushions anyway.

[musigenesis]

Starting on my twin ottomans. $30 just for the seat plywood, sigh.



3" upholstery foam. Youtube sez cut it with a bread knife and it works.



I flapped-disc the corners so that the fabric in the corners will have a bit of a recess to lie flat in, and glued the foam to the plywood.





Playing around with the corner fabric to decide how I was going to fold it.







Eh. It looks OK, I guess. Went with just a single fold-over in each corner.





Fairly comfortable to sit on, although it compresses probably more than I'd like. Should have gone with a higher-density foam.

[Rwnielsen]

Great job so far. I'm seriously thinking of picking up an used sewing machine for various little bus projects. Cushions, curtains etc..

[musigenesis]

Still need the siding and the hinges.

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by Rwnielsen

Great job so far. I'm seriously thinking of picking up an used sewing machine for various little bus projects. Cushions, curtains etc..

Thanks. Yeah, me too about the sewing machine. Stapling cushions like I'm doing is kind of bush league.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

Starting on my twin ottomans. $30 just for the seat plywood, sigh.

Bought some wood to build a 6 x 8 deck. Thought the prices for wood were higher than I remember last paying. Seems lumber prices have increased 250% in the last year.

[musigenesis]

Had to name my ottomans (ottomen?) so I could keep track of which one I made first.



Notches for lifting the lid seats.









With two of these latch thingamabobs for each lid, it keeps a nice positive grip on the lid.



I'm re-using the clips that originally held the two sections of chaise together to hold the two ottomans together.









My ottochaise loungerman is all ready for install tomorrow.



And I still have this much fabric left. So many throw pillows, or I may make matching seat cushions for my desk chair.

[DeMac]

Jajaja.
Mehmed I & II,
The Restorer &
The Conqueror.
The Seventh Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
You're funny.


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Some may have to go back one page to understand your pun.