I wish I could have polished the entire thing before caulking, but I had some leaks to take care of. The caulking that I did after I finished polishing looks a thousand times better than what I did before.
This is what has bothered me the whole time I'm spending so much energy getting the caulking to look good! My husband is a caulking connaisseur so I had a lot to live up to!!
I think I found my leak though........>>>>>DUH<<<<<<<<<<<
There's an exterior outlet, that I've glanced at a thousand times. The gasket thing underneath looked decent ... from the bottom. It turns out there's a 1/4" gap on top slurping all the water and sending it down the interior of the wall, onto the wheel well, and onto the floor!!!! When I removed the plate it was wetter than my boys diaper... sorry... and muddy... I'll stop.
I HAD to caulk too. I must wait to polish.. I HAD to caulk .
I am such a bozo. I wanted to do these curtains sort of production-style.. I've thought about it so much, I thought I had it all figured out. So I took my 12 yards of curtain fabric and my 12 yards of black-out liner and began to sew one side together. The plan: have one side done, cut lengths and widths as needed- simplify. I checked and double checked that I was sewing the right sides together.....WRONG. uuugh. Oh well, such is my story.
I finished the front window panels after a long day of wrestling pins and scissors from my toddler!! The little bugger is very enterprising when he's getting less attention !
What I have learned:
1. Pretend to be someone else checking what you're doing- so you don't do something you know you're not doing .
2. DO NOT (unless you're a professional, or have endless money &/or patience) cut all your panels to start with- even if you think you've got it all figured out!! Disregard if you're imaginary friend says to.
3. Finish one set of curtains from start to finish. You learn a lot about little things that pop up which makes the rest easier. Like when you've never used the blind hem stitch on your machine and you drink a mocha, and you could of used an extra 1/2" to work with....After you've done that, then do them all production-line (less thread/presser foot/ stitch changing)!!
4. When doing the pleats: remember if you have a pattern (flowers/ stripes/ etc)- there will be an up-side down. I figured since there are pleats on both ends it won't matter... IT DOES. I used the old panel for a pattern... One side has a wider section- to attach to the wall & the end- is the middle of the window and is smaller. I have to fix that- cause I DUH-ed.
I put them up with a flash light last night!
Oh and Things the Husband Should Learn:
Say, with glorious excitement (hands slap cheeks), " WOW!! They are beautiful! They look so professional!! I can't believe it!! You are amazing! Now let me cook you dinner.!"
Last edited by sequoiacoast; 11-10-2006 at 10:05 AM.
Since you are thinking of me anyway, and its not THAT far past my birthday, wanna make me a set of drapes too? . Just foolin, Im sure yours look fantastic though, cant wait to see them.
__________________ "If a man does not have an ideal and try to live up to it, then he becomes a mean, base and sordid creature, no matter how successful." Letter to his son Kermit, quoted in Theodore Roosevelt by Joseph Bucklin Bishop, 1915
Since you are thinking of me anyway, and its not THAT far past my birthday, wanna make me a set of drapes too? . Just foolin, Im sure yours look fantastic though, cant wait to see them.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Are you freezing yet?? How about that furnace? You're supposed to figure it all out so I don't have to !
Wow, am I empressed. Doing your own curtains. If you have noticed there have not been too many who have tried that. Also there were several things on my rig that I had to do over. You know the learning process. How about pictures of the curtain making process. Some of us guys could use a lesson or two. Keep us posted on the great work.
Don
Thank you boys!
I'll take pictures, good idea. I'll pretend to be a photo-journalist interviewing myself for a new show on HGTV.... "How long can one woman go without a shower".. no..."Airstreams and split personality disorder"...
I had to laugh when I read your description of the curtain ordeal, because I have been there. The only difference is, after a few failed starts, I neatly folded all of the fabric, placed it in a bag, and drove it to my mother's so she could finish them. Learned my lesson, too - on the second Airstream, I just gave her the fabric right from the start. More power to you for finishing them - looking forward to the pictures!
__________________
Mel
1960 Caravel "Boris"
1967 Safari "Sparky"
WBCCI BC Unit #4258
I bet your daughter loves having a huge chalkboard!!
For the fridge I used a 1/4" plywood panel, decoupaged the old maps and vintage travel decals (which I printed off the internet), then wrapped another piece of ply with chalkboard oilcloth (didn't yet think about paint), and glued it. I figured it would be an activity the kids could do without bringing along anything extra- except chalk. Plus it's different and personalized!
Another whacky idea I have is a hallway runner made from painters dropcloth painted to be a bowling/ beanbag game on one side and a street course to a campground on the other- that way I can justify the airstream hotwheels set I need from ebay!!
And my magnet fetish: I painted over the water damaged UGLY fake wood pocket door with magnet paint and silver glaze... and now I have a huge magnetic surface for a collection of retro magnets... and the cool US map from Camping World that I have attatched to magnets. The kids can learn, play, and we could even display where we've been... without uglifying the exterior! When I finish cutting out the magnets I'll post a picture. It's funny how psycho one can get... when I'm into something, everything I see can turn into that (magnet). Everything. You should have seen my clock phase.
Well, Christmas has taken my attention these days, but I did finish sewing the new folding door/curtain. The old one was plastic/vinyl? and I couldn't decide on fabric so I bought black vinyl. Sewing vinyl in those lengths proved to be toooooo difficult, so I scrapped that and bought the funky fabric I really liked- I'll post a picture tonight or tomorrow.
I had to sew the thing standing up!! It was NOT fun!
Or maybe never - but I have good news!! >> We took her in to the RV repair place and had the new converter, fuse panel, brake-away, and actibrake hooked up. We now have lights!!! And as soon as I hook-up the battery, we'll have brakes!!
After putting in all the new interior lights, one light, centered in the kitchen area, doesn't work. I tried new bulbs, and two different fixtures- nothing. The guy spliced in two new wires- one for the display on the refer, and one for the carbon monoxide detector ( which I haven't attached yet).
Is there anyone with ideas on what's happening? I also tried the mystery switch (one of two by the door) and it didn't do anything.
-----
We're currently working on the counter tops. I ordered what I really wanted... and it was toooooo exciting for the tradewind... so I had to order new Formica, and will have to find a home project for the other$$$$!!! Darn!!
Sequoiacoast, just thought I'd say Hi. I had an electrical problem that took some hunting. Your could be different but just though I share. We lost all of our lighting on our second outing. The converter shut off and I couldn't get it to function again. After spending some time checking one wire connection at a time here is what I found. As you know wire has several strands of smaller wire that makes up the finished wire. I'm told the purpose of this is to make the wire more flexable. Originall when I was making one of my wiring connections one of those strands got bent backwards along the back side of the wire insulation. Because it was in the back I didn't see it. After two trips with the trailer the wire moved enough to come in contact with the outside aluminum shell. Whallah a short. Remade the connection and everything has been great. I have found that with wiring it the small thing that will get you!
Good luck finding your problem.
Don
Well, I just can't believe I solved my electrical problem! I searched the forums and read about others having problems with their two light switches. I had tried the switches (I'm sure of it) but decided to start over.
I removed the porch light (scare light) entirely, and took it apart. I sanded the contact and pulled on the spring to make it more springy. Then I put it back and wallah- it worked!!!
Then I rewired in one of my old fixtures (still need a new one from VTS) and the switch by the door does in deed turn it on!!!!!! I think the connections were loose before or I never had the switch "on" when turning the fixture on?? I just don't know what the problem was.
In other news, we have formica'd 3 of the 6 surfaces we'll be doing! And the black we ended up going with looks pretty cool with the aluminum trim, polished stainless sink and chrome fixtures....
And somehow I have bought 1000 flamingo swizzle sticks which I'll bring to the first rally we go to and hand 'em (well some) out!!!!
WOW, I am amazed at your dive in intensity and work that you have done. I just ripped out the 30 year old carpeting and put in new flooring, getting ready to do seams...
I need to find repair person to fix a rip, and get refig working again...who did you use?
My business partners husband is also a finish carpenter in McKinleyville!
Thanks
Dianne
Quote:
Originally Posted by sequoiacoast
Or maybe never - but I have good news!! >> We took her in to the RV repair place and had the new converter, fuse panel, brake-away, and actibrake hooked up. We now have lights!!! And as soon as I hook-up the battery, we'll have brakes!!
After putting in all the new interior lights, one light, centered in the kitchen area, doesn't work. I tried new bulbs, and two different fixtures- nothing. The guy spliced in two new wires- one for the display on the refer, and one for the carbon monoxide detector ( which I haven't attached yet).
Is there anyone with ideas on what's happening? I also tried the mystery switch (one of two by the door) and it didn't do anything.
-----
We're currently working on the counter tops. I ordered what I really wanted... and it was toooooo exciting for the tradewind... so I had to order new Formica, and will have to find a home project for the other$$$$!!! Darn!!
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. Just foolin, Im sure yours look fantastic though, cant wait to see them.
which I'll bring to the first rally we go to and hand 'em (well some) out!!!!
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