Vardo Gypsy Wagon Build-modern

[Dan_Shade]

Very nice 

[samandothers]

Missed this the first time round in January.  Great project and thanks for doing the thread on it.  Lot of different skills being used for sure.  Great job.

[DMcCoy]

Thanks for the kind words guys, and your welcome samandothers.  There is a lack of information out there imho.
btulloh - I'm going to cut the tung oil 50% with mineral spirits and apply with a brush, several coats, but only to the floor framing.  I'm not looking forward to that step.

The black walnut dowel-
I'm going to 'stack' the vertical framing members.  This caused a bit of an issue with fastening the ledge bracket to the floor.   I added a cross dowel for the lag screw to go through, the wood working equivalent of a barrel nut.  Otherwise it's just end grain holding it.


 

I watched an interesting UTube on making your own dowel.  A block with 2 holes- one is the finished size and the other the size of the square stock diagonal dimension.  Using a drill, a bunch of extensions and a 8 point socket I spun the square stock through the block.  It's a little fussy to get the saw at the correct height.


 


 

[btulloh]

I like that dowel jig.  Hadn't seen that particular approach before.  Looks like it does a good job too.

[trimguy]

I haven't seen that before either and also like it.

[Bruno of NH]

Very nice work Sir

[DMcCoy]

Cargo Doors-
I need 2 cargo doors, one on each side, to access the forward area under the beds.  The structure will provide rain protection but there is always road spray and the occasional wash down.  I decided to make a door assembly that could be removed for repair.  I'm going to use 3/16" x 3/8" adhesive backed foam gasket.  When the door is closed it should be compressed about 1/2.  I also cut a slope to allow the door frame to drain.


 


 


 
The inset panel in the door is 1/4" DF - T&G.  It is a very tight fit but not glued in place.

[Dan_Shade]

What keeps the frame from rotting out where the groove is on the bottom?

[DMcCoy]

Frankly, I'm not sure.  We really only go places when the weather is pleasant which should help, after that it will be under cover.
I plan on finishing the door/frame with a UV rated finish,  likely a marine spar varnish.  I plan to caulk the door's door frame to the vardo siding and the door inset panel to the rails and styles.  It's about all I can do.  The varnish would likely seal the joint but I suspect it may crack over time.

[DMcCoy]

Wow it's been a year since I've posted any updates.  I have been very busy with our wholesale nursery as everyone decided to stay home and fix up their yard. 
I will try and get as many pictures posted this morning as I can.
I built a long base router table and added a power feeder for making T&G flooring and V groove T&G siding.  The flooring is Douglas Fir, which in hindsight I should have spent the money for some hardwood.  It's a little soft but will hold up fine.


 


 

 Quick dip in the glue bathtub.  Shop built tweezers made from an old power hacksaw blade.


 

[DMcCoy]

Floor framing was given multiple coats of pure tung oil mixed with mineral spirits 50/50.  I put it on until it wouldn't take anymore over several days.  I took a block of wood that the frame was sitting on and cut it to see the penetration.  I was shocked and disbelieving so I did it again - same results. 


 
Having an oily frame I decided to use cedar strips to hold the Styrofoam insulation in place with an air gap(air gaps add .88r).


 



 

[DMcCoy]

 

 


 

[DMcCoy]

Knee wall, ledge brackets, ledge board.
Together these 3 made an inverted L shape and reinforced each other. The knee wall framing I built as a truss, I believe it is called a Howe Truss.  Mortise and tenon studs to plates with glued in webbing.



Knee wall truss also insulated.  Rough floor plan. Bathroom on right(composting toilet). Galley kitchen along wall. Table at end.  2 beds not shown- 1 crosswise (elevated), the other on right becoming a couch


 
Ledge bracket.  I used bondo to fill in the rough spots from my welding and painted with rustoleum paint.  Siding is Western red cedar coated with Flood brand stain.  The idea of sanding to refinish made the choice to use the flood product - no sanding required.


 

[DMcCoy]

I choose to make the ledge board of glued up pieces of 3/4" x 2" T&G douglas fir.  The pieces are end joined with a taper scarf joint. The bottom side was treated with the flood product before installation.


 
The ledge bracket and it's associated hardware.



On the siding butt joints I treated the ends with roofing tar.  Vertical batten strips cover the joint.


 

[DMcCoy]

The upper wall tilts outwards at 3 degrees.  I cut the taper on the bottom plate so the wall could be built flat simplifying construction.  The ledge board needed a 3 degree taper so the siding could lay flat over it.  I cut this in with a hand plane.  Batten strips on knee wall.


 
Lag screw goes up through the ledge bracket.  Note cross dowel for gross grain purchase of lag screw threads.  Wall studs are mortise and tenon joined.



Windows are all mortise and tenon also.  Clear water and grey water tanks in back round.  I used douglas fir studs where I needed strength and stiffness, western red cedar where I could to save weight.


 

[DMcCoy]

The roof structure-
The roof includes a mollycroft - the raised section in the middle.  I must admit to overthinking this- repeatedly(!).  I changed my plan from building curved glue-lams to building full length trusses.  I saw a picture on the internet of a sway back vardo - it needed rebuilding.
I cut all the rafters from single pieces of wood.  The transition curve between the molly croft roof to the main vardo roof really hung me up.  There are no pictures of the frame that I could find with this design.  It's all mortise and tenon joinery with Urea Formaldehyde glue.  The upper junction at the ends of the mollycroft has 4 members coming together in one place, mortise and tenon joinery.


 
This sweeping curve has a 3 degree bevel cut onto the top.  The same 96" radius flows down from the mollycroft roof to the main vardo roof.



I had considered building the mollycroft as a unit and hoisting it into place.  Instead I test fit and then assembled it is place.


 

[DMcCoy]

I added a truss to the front of the upper wall to help with the wind pressure of towing.





 
Finding a simple way to make the mollycroft ends was anything but simple.


 


 

[DMcCoy]

I sanded and 1/8" round over routed all the pieces.  I noticed while I was wiping up glue with a wet sponge that water really made the grain 'pop'.  I dug out stains and finishes and ended up using Tung oil 50/50 with mineral spirits.  The matt finish is pleasant and minor imperfections are given an antique sort of look.  I like the idea that the tung oil finish can be rejuvenated at any time with out stripping and sanding.



The front wall got some trussing added to it as well.  I used 2"x2"x1/8" angle iron and 5/16" bolts to build my own brackets to hold the ends of the rafters to the side walls.



That pretty much catches up with where I'm at today.  Rear wall framing needs finishing and then it's siding...

[VB-Milling]

Quite the undertaking and you're doing an amazing job 8)

[samandothers]

Wow, what a project and devotion to such a BIG woodworking project!   I thank you for taking time to post your pictures to capture the progress and detail.

[DMcCoy]

I've been working on siding.  5/8" western red cedar V groove T&G I made.  The side walls and the front are done, batten strips and corner molding yet to build.  The front will get a bay window.


 

I used tar to treat the butt ends, the battens will cover the joints.


 

The rear wall is a work in progress.  Lots going on back here and curved headers.  I stuck the windows in their frames to check for placement - the framing hasn't been done yet.  I found it funny that the windows were the first thing I built. They have been sitting around for a couple of years and are a little dirty.


 

[SwampDonkey]

Interesting thread. Looks amazing to me. You're making art with a function. One of them long haul projects where you do a little each day, but not hurry at it, but work away steady and never give up. Thanks for bringing us along on your journey.

Professor Marvel, Proclaimed by the crowned heads of Europe. :D

[DMcCoy]

Thanks for the kind words guys, I really appreciate it!  You are welcome.
I'm trying to get information out there that I wished were available for me.  This by no means the right way or only way to do this.  It is a big project and it might be more than 2 years to complete.  I asked my wife to take a look and asked for her input.  Her comment was to finish the inside to a point where we can take it out and use it a little and then see.  We built our own house and after we were done we immediately picked out 3 things we would do differently.
I have bought most everything with the exceptions of the sinks and a hot water radiator.  I did buy a cubic mini wood stove but I plan on building a hot water radiator system with fans and a  thermostat.   They make 12 vdc circulation pumps and this way I can use the water heater as a furnace - saving the cost of a furnace.  4 computer fans should move enough air but I will just have to try it.  This covid economy makes me leery of shortages so I am stocking up. 

[samandothers]

  They make 12 vdc circulation pumps and this way I can use the water heater as a furnace - saving the cost of a furnace.  4 computer fans should move enough air but I will just have to try it. 

This is a great idea for space saving too!

[DMcCoy]

I'm done with putting up the siding.  I did have some preconceived ideas about how I would frame the window and door arches,  going so far as to make glue-lams and built up curved headers.



In practice I found cutting the pieces I needed from solid blocks of wood easier.


 


 
I had just enough siding to finish it with the material I had ready,  I will need to make more V groove for covering the roof.