Bet you thought I'd never get back to the trailer project. It's going to be the focus of this weekend. Even so, I won't get much done. This is turning into a humongous enterprise because I really want to get things right. I do plan to use it that much.
First serious issue resolved. That gave me a much-needed squirt of positive thinking because almost everything else just leads to more and more problems. Well, when I get it down to nothing but a fiberglass shell I guess then the only way to go will be "up." And it's looking like I'll have to take it down that far. At that point, I almost would consider new windows. We'll see.
Anyway. The latch-with-no-key problem turned out to be really easy. Took it to the local locksmith who simply made a new set of keys!
Removal of this cupboard turned out to be a serious project, but I got it done today. I think this was actually a factory installation due to the long staples holding it together. It took a lot of work, and there wasn't much worth saving when I got done- a couple of 2x2s and maybe the shelves, although the plywood pieces aren't very big.
Then I turned my attention to the beast-- that housing the previous owner built in for the air conditioner. It took up so much space it was ridiculous.
First I removed all the electrical connections and the two blowers on the sides. Now we are down to the nitty-gritty.
The issue is how this box was constructed. A frame was made of 3/4 inch plywood. That was fitted into the angle iron bracket base. Then the whole thing was snugged up to the trailer wall and a 2x2 fiberglassed to the wall above the box. Then the entire inside was fiberglassed about 1/8 inch thick on all sides except the front opening where the unit slid in and the two holes on the sides where the blowers were.
Time to deploy my new tool. This spring I bought an oscillating saw, but I hadn't tried it out yet. Today was the day. How many ways can one fall in love with a tool?
I managed to pry the front plywood loose on the box, but the fact that it was set into the angle iron made removal impossible. So I tried cutting it off with the oscillating saw. Easy as pie!
Doesn't look much different, right? That's the fiberglass lining. You can see how much substance it has.
Next, I tried the saw to cut the fiberglass patches that hold the 2x2s to the wall. Worked great, and I got that off. (It does make your hand tingle and go numb it you use it very long.)
Where I ended for the day does not look any different from the picture above the saw picture, except that 2x2 on the top is gone. That is not to say I didn't do anything. The directions say not to force the saw, but let the blade nibble at the material. Works great, but slow. Then I learned you can turn up the speed. Wow! Big difference.
But I bought the saw used, and it came with 2 used blades. I quickly worked all the teeth off the rectangular one for deep cuts. So then I had to make a trip to Lowes. Spent more on new blades than I did the tool, but that's OK, I got an assortment, including sanding pads, that should get me through this project. Came home and spent more time working on cutting that box out. I'm getting there, but it doesn't look any different.
Talked to a guy at work this week who has done more fiberglass repair than I have. He told me how to patch that big hole that had a vent cover over it behind the air conditioner. Now I feel as if I'm back in the groove and am not facing too many things I don't know how to do.
Hope to be able to show you that box removed tomorrow.
(BP -19 and counting)
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1 comment:
It's always nice to know people who have experience with things you're just learning about. You're doing good with this.
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