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WEEK TWENTY: Curved Base Cabinet, Bedroom Opening & Floor Repairs

Curved Base Cabinet Some time ago I came across a curved base cabinet/peninsula design on the VTT forum I joined (here is the image however I haven't been able to trace the actual thread). While this was built for an Airstream trailer I fell in love with the idea and feel like the small gesture added a lot of usable space without taking up much square footage. I drew up the framing plans in SketchUp and got to kerfing. I did run into a conflict with the sink vent which led to some floor repairs and notched cabinetry (see below for more info). I've already been using it as a table while I work and am really happy with it; the plan is for it to serve as a bar though I've still got work to do and who knows if it'll transform between now and then.

Flooring Repairs When I set down the bottom piece of the cabinet I realized that I cut away the subfloor for the sink vent a bit too far and the opening extended beyond the cabinet. The hole was inevitably going to have to be sealed from moisture and insects but I'd been putting it off. I cut a piece of the 3/4" DryPly sheathing to fit up around the pipe and sealed all edges/exposed wood with Proflex flexible sealant to assure no open gaps.

Bedroom Opening In my previous blog post I had mocked up the rear bedroom as having a high opening with a single step and storage below (see here). I've since decided that I would like to maintain the rear sofa/pull-out bed and I now pulled inspiration from the '50's Shasta camper models for the full height opening profile (it mimics the curved high cabinets as shown here). Using the RotoZip wood cutting wheel for the rough cuts and the plunge router for the curves. I pre-cut the profile onto 1/2" plywood which was used as a guide and allowed me to use an end-bearing 1/2" straight bit to cut through the wall framing. There were a number of small dings and imperfections, so I'm currently filling them with Elmer's ProBond wood filler in order to sand to a perfect finish.

Front Window Removal While the camper was outside I had left the front window/skins intact because I wanted additional rain protection. Now that it's inside I removed the window and took down the skins, carefully pulling the staples and finally ditching the rotted wood framing, leaving only the roof in place.


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