There’s not a lot I can do on the outside of the tinker’s wagon right now, & it’s been chilly anyways, but I’ve been getting a bit done inside every day.
I don’t plan to use the styrofoam insulation for the walls all the way around, but I have some left over from the floor & I’m not letting it go to waste. The nice narrow spot between the front door & the wall seemed like a good spot to use some of the scrap pieces.
I’m putting pallet wood over it, cut to size & sanded just enough that it feels pretty smooth. This is partly because I like the rustic look & feel, & partly because I hate sanding & want to do as little as possible.
That said, my friend Wayne reminded me that flap wheels are a thing that exist. Turns out I even have one, so best believe I’m using that thing. Along with some hand sanding, still, but the combination is way better than using the power sander for five minutes before my hand turns off. Again. Thanks, Wayne! You rock!
I’ve been hauling in pallet pieces every day or so, & propping them up against the walls to dry out. I’ll need to disassemble more pallets pretty soon. I’ve been picking them up when I find them, & a friend is going to bring over a couple he’s had sitting around. Free wood!
It turns out so nice with just a bit of work, though. Now that I know what I’m doing!
I’m totally leaving in the stubs of the old nails, too. The reciprocating saw cuts them off pretty flush & I like how they look. One of the articles on how to finish reclaimed wood was like ‘you wouldn’t want to leave in the OLD HARDWARE, that would look SO BAD & it would RUIN THE LOOK OF THE OLD WOOD’ & I’m like you … you do not have the same aesthetic that I do, & you know what, people like different things & THAT’S OKAY.
… anyway um. Old nails, check. Weird knots, check. Funny grain, check. I’m not even fussed that some of the boards are a bit thicker than the others.
I’m not gonna stain the walls, because that would darken them up & I want the grain & stuff to be visible. I went digging to find alternatives & it turns out that the goto finish in this case is … the clear topcoat I keep around to finish my display boxes.
… well then! I have some of that!
I’ll keep doing a bit at a time, whenever it’s warm enough to get a bit done but not nice enough to work on a big project like the door or the roof. I know I won’t have more than a little of the inside walls done before Estrella, & that’s fine! It’s nice to have enough done to get an idea of what it’s gonna look like. Plus even a little bit of insulation is more than none!
This was posted originally to my Patreon, a little over a week ago.
If you want to see these posts sooner, & not incidentally help support me & my cats in our travels & such, the way to do that is to sign up as one of my Patrons for as little as a buck a month.
I’d REALLY like that.
