Vlog 11: re-cutting the floor ply for my DIY campervan conversion.
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- čas přidán 14. 10. 2024
- After the efforts shown in the last vlog, I was not happy about the panel gaps in my new campervan floor - so I bought a load more plywood and re-cut them, using the "almost right" ones as a starting point. In this video, I describe this process in probably excruciating detail.
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Paddington and the kitchen table :) but looking at it another way.. He who has never failed has never tried :)
I absolutely LOVE how your mind works. That wood lining up will be 100% unseeable ever again but your brain, much like mine, would know its there and bother you to no end. I'm the same way and its irritates me that I think that way lol.
I’ve finally twigged why I enjoy your videos so much. My dream is a canal boat but it’s not that, I only went on caravan holidays as a child but it’s not that either. It’s your voice, I’m a huge cricket fan and you have a voice for TMS, it’s like Johnathan Agnew teaching us to build a camper van or sharing the life of living aboard a canal boat. You are the Aggers of CZcams
Hahaha thank you! High praise indeed.
@@Vandemonium i swore i recognized your voice from somewhere. i said this guy sounds like cruisin the cut. then the camera flipped to you. just bought a ford e250 and im ready to embark on my vanscapades. liked an subbed:}
Sounds almost identical to Barry Davis , on some occasions.🤣
We love your videos! You are doing a great job on the van - your attention to detail makes us mere mortals feel inadequate though lol
:-)
This was by far the funniest of your "Vandemonium" series. Man, you certainly are honest.... and still better than some of the so called "pros"! Thanks for a good time!
I like perfection. However perfection vs being anal about the tiniest gap has made me laugh considerably. Good work and perseverance
Lol your vocalization of DIY tribulations rings real life for all of us DIY'rs. That moment when we are tortured with total awareness of our failure and the extra work weve added to ourselves. You are not alone!!
You attention to detail is unbelievable. I would have blagged it as it’s going to be covered anyway lol 😂
I love your honesty
You only learn by making mistakes
Sellers of plywood must love you by now!
You are so patient to keep reworking things until they are right. I am so impressed you have done all this work yourself.
Love your brutal honesty - with the tools and space you have then you’re going a good job 👍
David you named this series well.... Pandemonium, its a good reflection of yourself. lol
I think you’re doing a great job and I admire your determination to get things right. It’s progressing well. Thanks.
Persnicketyness on the floor seams is going to be a real plus when it comes time to put in the vinyl flooring. Those gaps would have been constant wear points and you'd soon have had matching cracks in the vinyl. AND, if you are at all bothered by squeaks and rattles, getting the initial bits just right will help minimize these. Errors tend to magnify on each step rather than cancelling each other out.
Cheers Mark!
Ah, the joys of woodworking. The trick is making a mistake and conceal such expertly!
You have brought a full depth of understanding to the idea of 'Puzzle'; how and why it was created. Me, I'm worried about the syntax and grammar of my statements with their adjoining punctuation. Puzzling over perfection will either drive a bloke mad, or give him a jolly good time. Thanks for sharing!
looking back to your level of experience at the start of cruising the cut makes me realize you have come a long way very quickly. Well done
Reminds me of trying to put puppies in a basket I’m overwhelmed with admiration for your maintaining control. I’d have lost the plot and the walls of the van would be covered in dents from me alternatively banging my head or throwing a jig saw at them!
I'm loving the series and that you keep in all the parts which show your mistakes... it's all part of the process. Keep up the great work, i look forward to following along with the build!
Approached by a passerby who was curious as to what David was making, David responded "toothpicks of course !"
youre allowed to do some cheating, thats the joy of building your own, you can do it how you like, if it works well its perfect!
Really good save cutting the notch into the front board!
Comming on really well.
I like the slower pace and good detail on each video step, alot of videos steam through the build process and dont show it like this.
Really good series of videos along with the narrowboat ones. [im a big fan of the engines series lol! hence my youtube name haha]
A trick I used to use years ago as a wood floor layer when replacing cleaned wood floor (gaps appeared when dirt removed) was to mix sawdust with wood glue in the gaps, sand down when dry and job done, especially when covering after anyway. Cork was also used on larger-expanding gaps too. But I totally understand that you want it perfect and also understand that templating is not always as straightforward as it first appears.love your vids. Thanks
You're doing a great job. Don't be so hard on yourself.
lol I know the feeling of being totally floored! this van conversion malarkey is a lot harder than it looks! You're doing a great job though! such and inspiration :-)
Thank you :-)
Anyone who has ever taken on the challenge of building out a van will sympathise 100% with the number of frustrations and often in hindsight rookie mistakes that annoy us to the point exasperation. This episode captures that perfectly. A pure joy to watch.
Thank you!
I was thinking Noooooo...use the straight edge for the join but you got there without foul language......Came over from cruising the cut. Well done. Im enjoying the vlogs which are very informative. Keep at it your doing great.
Just a thought. How about retitling this vlog as “Producing firewood for the entire marina. Just a thought.
came out just right and its just a floor.
you do great.
Greetings from Holland,, Kitty.
Warts and all thanks for your honesty, everyone makes daft mistake shame they always seem to cost so much. thanks for sharing.
I understand why some have said, "Why bother being such a with what is literally just floor boards?" However, David is documenting this process. Any "that'll do" workmanship is on record for everyone to see. If David does things the right way, he has literal evidence to show to prospective buyers in the future that the conversion was done properly and to obsessive levels of OCD 😂 (sorry david). Either way, I'd have done the same.
You are very hard on yourself David, many of us would have been delighted with your earlier efforts. Looking forward to watching the whole build.
Keep up with your video blogs. They are very entertaining and professionally done.
Thank you!
You've the makings and mindset of a journeyman carpenter. Time to apply for your G.C. license. Spot on so far,sir, can't wait to see the finished product!
Tip for carpet - get yourself some hooked blades. It's safer, more accurate and won't cut whatever the carpet is on!
I'll look into that, cheers
"Yah, I know! Some thinking this time 'round." Hilarious!
Perfection is a sign of genius, as always, great job with both of your channels.
You have for the very first time disproven the theories and mathematical concepts of Flat Floors, Straight Lines and Square Corners. I never believed in them anyway.
Ha!
The van is starting to look really good. You’re doing a fantastic job
Finally , it's coming together ! looking forward to the next vlog . Cheers !
Its not only me doing this 😂😂😂. Really fun follow you
I have two favourite engineering terms: GE & CE. Good enough and Close enough lol 😂
Consider redoing the ply at 2021 prices. You’d need to win the lotto first! LoL!
Thank you for another informative and entertaining instalment. Your attention to detail says so much about your personality. Good luck in your build. Looking forward to the next instalment.
Haha, it probably does!! ;-)
Another Flawless episode.
Well Done David.
It's like Jacob wrestling with the Angel :) - I have just filled all my gaps/edges with acrylic filler (as used for window edges) flexible, tough, airtight, cheap, safe and available in Brown. So you have added insulation under the floor - it will be interesting to see how the air-gap works.
It's not really insulation though it does have a certain R-value but at that thickness it's negligible. Really it's a radiant barrier and I'll hope the air gap provides the insulating.
Take it easy. Have fun. Next time something isn't perfect take your glasses off,have a shot of something strong,relax. HAVE FUN.
I am having fun! This is me having fun :-)
Vandemonium I'm glad to hear it. Most of us are throwing things and saying bad words when we have fun like that. Keep up the good work.😎
Oh, I'm throwing things and saying bad words too :-)
Maybe the mills are not mechanized in your area but, in the US I have learned never to trust square on plywood and fabric. You need to square it off before measuring. That can be problematic when you need every inch of the wood but it’s good to know that the piece you bring home may be wonky. So give yourself a little credit and don’t fully trust the measurement at the mill, lumberyard or box hardware store. Measuring all four sides and then corner to corner will tell the tale.
Hmm, good point that I had not considered!
Looks like you will have plenty of scrap wood to burn on the boat next winter! You had me howling all the way through. Keep up the great vlogs.
Love your blogs. You are inspiring me to have a go at a van real soon. Your blogs are well made and have great content. Thank You!
Thank you! Yes, get one and have a go. For all the uber-seriousness that some people assign to it, doing a van build is just a bit of fun really!
I like what you’ve done here. It looks completely acceptable to me.
Looking forward to the next chapter.
Best Of Luck
Thanks Allen!
Template solution, Buy a pack of copy paper and a roll of paper tape. Place first sheet up close to the first straight bit, add another sheet tape together. When you get to a curve, bend, corner just use
10 -20 or how ever many sheets taped to each other for the curve. Paper is cheap and if you use 20 to make a bend it will at least be a perfect template. This methods enables you to quickly create
accurate templates as opposed to the trial and error method of cut and check
Working with plywood and a jigsaw is a challenge. Overall I think you did a great job. I think you should not have beat yourself up so badly. I think doing that type of work requires some compromises.I know that most of the work will not be seen by others but it will run like an endless loop tape in the old gray matter.
Before you start any cabinetry, get yourself a mini planer. A manual one that you can work with one handed. Should just about fit the palm of your hand. Use that to take away the millimeters, not the jigsaw. It's perfect for those small adjustments.
Funny you should say that - a nearby boater has lent me one!
David apart from the measuring SNAFUs (which we have all done) I think you did a pretty good job especially as you were using a jig saw -a guided circular saw or even better a track saw would have helped you enormously on the straight runs. Did I miss you checking the battens for ‘level’?
Ahhh ... no. And best not mention that. Sigh :-(
Good lord man, you're doing my head in with this....geez.
Looking Good David...your on a roll.
You patience is creating a stunning and thorough job of it young man... Maybe you're setting the bar a little high for other amateur mortals lol....
Ah, no, that's Greg Virgoe's job!
I think you're doing a great job. Once you're out on the road for a bit you may find that all of your detail work has become slightly adjusted from bumps in the road. You'll still have a great looking van.
Yes, I'm sure you're right but it's all part of the learning ;-)
I learned recently to trust my square and tape measure .
Never my eye.And never use a precut peice as a template.
Use a tape measure and a square.
Also i learned to cut on the outer edge of my pencil line and use the square to check my handsaw blade is not sloping on thicker timber in .
Finally i learned to use a small Rasp . a heaven sent tool . :)
Catching up here since I'm all caught up to "Cruising the Cut". Cutting a straight line is one of the most difficult tasks in carpentry I found, so well done getting there eventually.
It would help if you at least had a circular saw - ideally a track saw, but you can fettle that with external straightedges - instead of only a jigsaw, which is entirely unsuited to cutting straight.
Great work. I love your sense of perfection but on the flip side a small dose of "out of sight, out of mind" might be helpful! Anyway, great work.
Great vlogs.. To do Carpentry and Joinery reasonable well, an encyclopaedic depth of knowledge is required,. I've been doing it and teaching it for over 40 odd years and still only know half of it.
That's quite reassuring because I am definitely still at the shambolic stage after a few weeks ;-)
enjoying this project,been converting a vw t4 caravelle my self over past few months but sadly got nicked monday night,got it back but think it will be a write off
Oh no, that's horrible. So gutting, especially after all the work. Really sorry to hear that.
OMG paul, have you joined the self build camper groups on facebook, you may be able to get some odds and ends cheap or free to get you back on your way
thanks iam on a couple of vw groups but ive not joined that ill take a look thanks
Omg you are tenacious
Another awesome video. Can’t wait to see how you do the solar install.
A long way off! Stay tuned :-)
Vandemonium - the solar is the most important part of it. For most people watching anyway. Most full timers require 500 to 600 watts . Match that with a couple of good lithium battery’s and a 40 amp mppt controller. A 1500 watt pure sine wave inverter to top it off.
Woah, hold on! Bear in mind this is just a weekend van, not for fulltime use, goodness me no. Nowhere near that much solar will be needed or installed.
Good stuff!! I'm doing the same as you, and I'm slightly ahead of where you are now, but you absolutely need to get yourself a budget track saw. Mine was an 'el cheapo' from eBay, but it cuts lovely straight lines and the finished cut is indistinguishable from the factory cut. Then just wizz around the curves with the jigsaw afterwards. Honestly, do yourself a favour and get one sooner rather than later.
I think I will! Cheers
Enjoying this series having recently come over from your "cruising the cut" channel - kudos to you for having the guts to take on such a project largely single-handed David. By the way, I am assuming that all those plyboard offcuts did not go to waste when you have a boat stove that requires kindling?!
I can relate to the frustration of cutting plywood and it not being spot on, even if it's going to be hidden under something else. I know I get as gutted as you in these situations. Even cutting metal for welding I get the same, and the joins will get hidden by the welds and not seen. What's worse is doing long lengths like that, as a small mistake one end will be exaggerated even more at the other end. I try and use the factory cut straight edges where I need a straight edge on jobs and maybe it would of been better with them in the join on the floor, but you did do amazingly well to get those joins with such little gap in them, to be honest. That was a very tricky shaped floor to cut, well done David.
Agreed nothing square odd shapes done a good job
Dave,
First , I must apologize for getting such a laugh from your narrated frustration. We’ve all done it. At least those of us who give such things a try. I’m awed by your determination “to do it right”. I’m afraid I might have tried to convince my self the flaws were fine and quickly tried to cover them over. I’m sure the truth would have come to surface in one way or another as time passed. You get an A+ !
I remember holding two boards very tightly as they were screwed together...yep - I managed to include some finger between them! The only way to get myself free was to stop hopping about and carefully loosen each screw. Ouch! Such things aside, what a great feeling when we are doing and learning !
Ouch, that sounds painful!
I think you’ve noticed it, but in the fast forward I can’t tell whether you’ve acknowledged it verbally, but: spray the wood first, stand it up against the side, then lay down and spray the carpet, and drop the wood on top. Much cleaner order of operations than spraying the carpet first, you very clearly demonstrate :)
Wow!!! I thought I was uber fastidious. I have met my match. 😂😂😂
Good on ya!
I am feeling your pain. That happens to me all the time.
Anything that requires that level of precision on on the top piece is not a cheat.
You are a perfectionist .... I love it!! Keep it up :)
Good progress.
You may get better straight edges if you used the edge of another piece of plywood as a guide for the jig saw.
I would put some thin fibreglass in the space under the floor plywood between the battens. In the US this would be called pipe wrap. This will be better than a large air gap even if the sealing at the edges holds up.
Dave.
I tried using a straight edge and weirdly, though it was straight, the cut was still wrong! Most peculiar. Alas too late now for the fibreglass but thanks for the tip anyway :-)
I'm laughing my bum off because memories of similar situations that I have been in come to the fore of my brain. I see myself all too clearly. . I have been in your place too many times. Sorry! As someone told me "it'll work out. I'm OCD as well.
A good tip is to measure three times then cut once.
Ply is relatively cheap, but once you start fitting the interior units, any mistakes could be very expensive.
In my now extensive experience, things like cutting out plywood always go wrong. It is not your fault at all, it is entirely due to little 'gremlins'. These gremlins are responsible for things like hiding the spanner that you just used, and they are especially skilled at tape measure distortions. This is why they say measure twice because the gremlins can't remember the previous distortion and you always get a different number.
I really like this series, maybe for the wrong reason of enjoying watching someone struggling, but enjoying all the same. And I have to hand it to you, rarely does one see such perseverance.
OCD much? Are you sure the colour is right? Just kiddin, one can only love the attention to detail. Right on.
Oh, I enjoyed that! Thank you 😊
Have you heard the saying measure twice, cut once? Why didn’t you make smaller panels from the miss-measured wood you had already cut, it would have saved you money on wood. Also, if your not very good at cutting a straight line, then clamp a straight edge baton to the wood , then cut against that. If you have gone wonky, then plane it down against the baton and hopefully nice straight edge. Great fan of both your channels. All the best Paul.
I know that saying. I didn't want to cut the panels again and make more joins. I've tried using a clamped straight edge but it didn't work too well. I'm still not sure why.
Consider when templating, starting with some template scrim (a type of plastic sheet with reinforcement so it does not stretch), you can tape it down with double sided tape, then trace all the contours, and join pieces together if you have something wider than 60". I use it a lot in upholstery and cabinet work, saves a ton when you are cutting on $300 a sheet marine hardwood ply. Most commercial upholstery suppliers have it. Also a circular cabinet saw (about $100) will do straight cuts a lot better. Onward.
Cheers George. It was the cutting more than the template, bear in mind I had the original ply floor to work with but my cuts were poor. I definitely need a circular saw or table saw I think
I'm impressed looks great!
Thanks Wayne!
Most ply lining (including my own van) is usually finished with white, blue or black sealant as there are always small gaps in places, it also fixes the panels so they don't rattle when you are driving.
Hmmm, sealant where? Round the edges of the floor or between the panels you mean?
Vandemonium around the edges of the floor and on top and below the wheel arches, up the sides where the panels meet the back of the van and where they meet the front bulkhead. Anywhere there is an edge, not on the floor joins though in the middle of the floor, just the side panels and rear doors if you have ply on those too. Helps to keep them all steady as they squeak a bit when they expand in damp weather.
Ah, OK. Cheers
Vandemonium not essential but helps.
Vandemonium tweeted a pic of my wheel arch with dark brown sealing strip
Feeling your pain brother but I must admit to having a real giggle at this!
I'm very happy for people to have a laugh at my efforts :-)
I think wat you need is a circulersaw for nice strait cuts.
You and many others, it seems.
Vandemonium thanks for the response.
I've now bought one :-)
Vandemonium good job, I'm verry interested in with one you have boud, looking forward to the next video
Hi David! Intresting in more ideas for your project? Look at Pinrest there is legio of pictures and gear that you maybe, could have intresting in or not! F ex. grey wather tank (plastic offcorse ) made as a sink ,perfect for sweping of hands and face and wather gos in the 10l can. Simple and smart ! BarbroSweden
Cheers
People's creativity in this matter, to pimp up vans, seems to be an totaly bottomless well. Drink a Blacksheep Riggvelter for me, they are no more able to by in Sweden! Offcorse if you like the taste! Cheers BarbroSweden
I've never heard of that!
Well, David i am not joking or telling tall tale! Ale, Riggvelter, Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, North Yorkshire. Your frends on new Nutshell even found it down in the naberhood of Panama, I think it is rather corny that it is able to digg it up in South America but to import it to Sweden no.........! Have had a small conversation with the brewery! It is a special one if your have taste for Ale! BarbroSweden
Ah, I'm not a beer drinker but thanks!
Hi David, on those project days that put you in touch with your inner plonker (your words not mine sunshine) sometimes something happens that makes it all worthwhile. Do you know what that something is for you? No? Well let me tell you. At 15.35 as you were panning up the van door who turned up to admire your meticulous handiwork.....only Darth Vader himself. You can clearly see his reflection in the door panel. Best video so far. 👍👍
15:35 is the end of the video!??
My apologies, he appears around 15:16. Guess that makes me a plonker too!
Great video. Carry on the good work
I also learned, many years ago, to use the "factory edge" whenever possible. One learned though, never forgotten. I have no idea what a "plonker" is, but it sounds bad. Is it like a "tosser?" To my Canadian mind, that means "looser." English and Canadian are so different.
Plonker is a foolish person.
Ref Fools & Horses - "You plonker Rodney". You're welcome to that cultural reference.
Now that you have beaten yourself up over your inability to make perfect fitting joints, let me suggest that someday you look at a commercial van and notice carefully their joints. You can’t find them, can you. Sloppy fit is intentionally hidden behind crown molding and padded “head protectors” which are there for covering sloppy work. I used to sell these products and I have visited the factories. I have seen some crooked cuts and some gaps which were huge. Also, watch for where ceiling and walls meet and an additional product is added to the wall and allowed to fold up onto the ceiling. Guess why? We called it “decorative” trim or headache bumpers, but their real purpose was to cover up errors.
I have a feeling there will be much trim added to my van ;-)
I think you're well on the road to becoming a furniture carpenter, sure you'll arrive at a satisfactory solution in good time.
once again - good work sir!
So, was it the right decision to do the floor like this as opposed to Celotex ? Just about to do mine and similarly need the headroom
You are a bit like me David when it comes to DIY. If their is a some imperfection, even if it cannot be seen, you have to redo it because you know its there.
David, have you ever heard of the saying "Perfect is the enemy of Good"? The first floor was good enough. That's why they make filler. A little dab will do ya and cover it up.
No, it really wasn't, which is why I replaced it.
Hi David, you need to look up scribing and spiling and the use of rods, to late for the floor but it may save you a lot of plywood later on in the build. Careful how you google rods, there are some strange people out their.
Hi Kev. I've been watching many scribing videos! Shouldn't have needed it for the floor since I had the existing ply template but as you saw, it didn't quite work out!
Consider getting a handheld circular saw. It makes cutting straight edges much more easy.
I'm definitely toying with the idea but suspect I'd still go off on a tangent. Maybe a table saw could be the solution..?
just buy the dewalt trim saw carcass. you wont regret it. i have the older version, they are a lot more powerful that you think.
Vandemonium it definitely would be, but while also beeing much more expensive and difficult to störe and handle. In my experience, with a bit of practice a handheld one works just as fine. :)
Cheers
Yes, storage would definitely be the issue. And the cost, now you mention it! I'll try the handheld as you say.
You sure do like it to be perfect even though your not going to see half of the parts you are worried about. I use to be like that in my younger years. Then it got to be so expensive I had to watch my pocket book bc of my RX bill. Lol.. Have to have that instead of something being so perfect. When your medication cost over $300.00 US for the month a sheet of marine grade plywood being almost $100.00 you have to get creative with patchwork to the seats of your boat, bc the coverings will cover it & your the only one who cares. Bc your kids just care that the boat works to pull them around on the tube or wakeboard... lol...
But hey you do you & everyone else can suck it... Right... I think so...
I love watching your van build out. I've learned a lot. And really over time thoughts gappes could become a problem down the road when you put your floor cover down with splitting in thoughts gaps. So I totally understand your madness with getting it all right.
You do you & keep up the nice work. It's looking wonderful & I love the color you chose for the carpet.
Nice job,
Chris
Cheers Chris