Update 6/13/03!!!
After
more head scratching, measurements and pondering...we decided to build
the dinette a new frame...except for the two doors & existing
hardware which we will re-use.
A
friend who is a professional cabinetmaker and has a wonderful
commercial workshop. He let me use
his tools, equipment and spray booth to fabricate the
dinette pieces and helped me out a bit when I ran into
difficulties. Major power tools...I loved it! Thanks Tim!
The
most difficult thing about building the bench seats was the
curves. The left and right sides are not the same either
vertically or horizontally, so both sections had to be built
differnetly and scribed to the walls.
The second hardest part was matching the 39 year old
stain. The exisitng cabinets are a "pickled" or "tinted" oak
which is impossible to match exactly...so we did the best we
could!
The
frames were made with oak and the panels were
made from 3/8" beech plywood which was then veneered
with white oak...
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I
used Old Master's Stain Controller in an attempt to keep the grain from
absorbing to much stain...then layered two different colors of
Bartley's Gel Stains...Fruitwood & American Oak over
that. And then a spray tint to give it that slightly opaque
look. Finally everything was sprayed with 2 coats of a
clear-coat lacquer to finish |
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As
difficult as it was to acheive, I'm pretty happy with the
finsh...besides, the existing panels have aged differently in different
areas and hardly match themselves! So this will blend right in... |
Time to start putting it all together!
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First the frames...here's the right side...
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...I found some plastic bins from a "newer" old Airstream...they are going to work out perfectly!
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This photo shows the re-used door from the original gaucho.
It matches the rest of the original cabinets. I did
remove & re-finish it after these
two photos were taken...looks much better now!
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Then the seat was scribed to the wall...
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We added a 12-1/2 degree angle panels attached to the seat & wall to support the back panels...
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The
end panels are fabric wrapped and have a "headliner material" padding
and utilize upholstry tacks for a finishing touch |
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Here are the end and back panels attached...
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Off to a rally...so we used some temporary patio chair cushions...just a bit of "cush for the tush"
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Between
our vacation schedules and Steve & Kathy's, we had to have the
cushions made in phases. Here's one of the permanent seat
cushions...4" "Q-foam" (pretty firm) with a dacron layer on top
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The table was next...
Matching 39 year old finishes is nearly impossible!
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We ended
up selecting a Wilsonart laminate that blends with the
existing solid "mocha-colored" laminate.
Brune Slate #1763
click on icon for link
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The table top drops down to make into a generous twin-sized bed... |
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...using the back cushions on top of the table.
There are also two small wedge shaped cushions that are stowed when using the dinette. |
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Back cushions & t-mold in place...here's the finished dinette!
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When
we went to get more of the stainless steel t-mold used on the counters,
we discovered it had been discontinued. So we decided to use
a fluted aluminum t-mold instead...we purchased it from
Outwater Plastics,
it's not shown in their catolog, however they supply it to Tape-Ease and are about half the price!
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We plan on replacing all the flat stainless steel molding so it all matches... |
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We purchased the table hardware from Nolan's RV in Denver
click on icon for link
A typical RV folding adjustable leg and the Perko #172 brackets for the wall
click on icon for link |
