24/7 Chat About Anything

[maki2]

Tomorrow my new countertops will arrive. I am wondering if I'll like them. Time will tell. They are epoxy/resin custom poured by a man in Yreka. I have no idea what they'll be like.

Can’t wait to see them. That sounds very interesting.

 

[Happy Camper]

Tomorrow my new countertops will arrive. I am wondering if I'll like them. Time will tell. They are epoxy/resin custom poured by a man in Yreka. I have no idea what they'll be like.

Well if names mean anything you're in luck. I mean you're looking at a guy named after Eureka. It could have been a guy named after Yucca valley...

 

[travelaround]

Mysteries like this are nerve-wracking.

 

[travelaround]

The countertops are installed. It is not a surprise that they didn't meet my stringent concepts of perfection... but they look okay and will do for now. I haven't taken photos yet. I spent time today watching videos about pouring epoxy on preexisting countertops. It looks like a big project - something I'll put off for a while. I might practice by pouring epoxy on the workbench in my shed. If that gets messed up, I can always pour more epoxy.

Also the appliances were delivered and installed today. I live so far out in the boonies that Home Depot won't offer deliveries, so the contractor had to get everything and put it into the house. I figured three strong men could do it and I spent most of the day hiding, laying low, in my trailer, only to emerge when all the work was done. [Sorry Maki, I know this is not your way.]

 

[jacqueg]

When a group of men is on a mission, I also find it best to lay low! Depending on circumstances, I have been known to offer cold beer, then retreat again...

 

[NctryBen]

Um, I wouldn’t just accept good enough for now. If they are not to your liking, I’d at least say something... like, is this it? Are they sealed good to a backsplash??

 

[maki2]

The countertops are installed. It is not a surprise that they didn't meet my stringent concepts of perfection... but they look okay and will do for now. I haven't taken photos yet. I spent time today watching videos about pouring epoxy on preexisting countertops. It looks like a big project - something I'll put off for a while. I might practice by pouring epoxy on the workbench in my shed. If that gets messed up, I can always pour more epoxy.

Also the appliances were delivered and installed today. I live so far out in the boonies that Home Depot won't offer deliveries, so the contractor had to get everything and put it into the house. I figured three strong men could do it and I spent most of the day hiding, laying low, in my trailer, only to emerge when all the work was done. [Sorry Maki, I know this is not your way.]

Sorry Linda but you misunderstand me and my motivations. I am not crazy, I do not move heavy stuff myself. I hire people to do that or accept help from friends. When I was acting as a general contractor on projects for the houses I used to own and I hired a work crew to do something for me then I would coordinate and state what needed to be done and then get out of their way but let them know where I will be if they need more information. I have never felt compelled to do all such work all by myself or even hang around watching while other people I pay do the job. Over the years I hired out lots of things to subcontractors but many projects I did myself or worked with a husband or friend on them.

Epoxy countertops can be very beautiful and they are very popular now. How they will work out to meet your needs is something that is only going to be found out by using them.

I know poured epoxy counters would not work for me in my trailer because my counters also need to function as workbenches. I am rough on them and consider them as replaceable surfaces. I am not going to invest a lot of money in or cry about it if they get scratched, stained,, etc. They are already that way and in addition they are made from plywood pieces leftover from other projects. They do not even match each other as to the type of wood species or exact thickness.

 

[RonDean]

In my latest van build, I used a hollow door as my countertop. It looks good and is very light. Hollow actually! Then I keep a large piece of wood (like a huge cutting board) stashed upright at the end of the cabinet that I pull out and do any actual work on that might damage my door/counter. When that gets messed up it's really easy to replace.

 

[NctryBen]

In my latest van build, I used a hollow door as my countertop. It looks good and is very light. Hollow actually! Then I keep a large piece of wood (like a huge cutting board) stashed upright at the end of the cabinet that I pull out and do any actual work on that might damage my door/counter. When that gets messed up it's really easy to replace.

Good idea… I used a solid door for a workbench… in my garage at home.

 

[bullfrog !]

I simply glue a piece of 1/4” birch plywood on top of a hollow interior door. At 200 lbs I can stand on them without damage, if it does get damaged I just glue on another layer. You can easily laminate any plywood surface. I use Airbake insulated cookie pans screwed to them in areas where heat or spills might be an issue.

 

[RonDean]

Good idea… I used a solid door for a workbench… in my garage at home.

Yah. But did you get it for $5 at Restore?

 

[maki2]

I do not need to use heavy weight plywood for countertops because I have aluminum angle cross bars supports that act as stiffeners. So on a 4’ counter there are the two at the ends and 3 in between. Even my bed platform is constructed that way and it has 1/4” thick plywood removable sections that are held down with some Velcro strips at the front and rear allowing for easy access so I can reach rarely used items and also access the wiring chases that are wall mounted.

I think a bit differently than other build designers because while I do have experience with standard house construction I also have significant experience in building structures out of aluminum angle and am familiar with engineering principles for keeping things strong but lightweight. I used 3/8” ply for one counter and 1/2” ply for the other because at the time that is what I had in the leftover plywood selection in my workshop. They look like they are 3/4” because I trimmed out the edges on 3/4” x 1/4” oak edge trim molding pieces. An easy to find material at Home Depot in the wood moldings section that creates an easy to install nice looking finished edge on plywood.

Using hollow core doors as countertops in my trailer would not work for me as my 51 year old fiberglass trailer does not have straight walls so I have to scribe and trim the edge of the wood panel for a gap free back edge against the walls. It would work fine for countertops in a box truck though.

My workshop partner in Seattle used a hollow core door resting on milk crates as his bed platform in his van but that door did not hold up over time when used in that orientation. The interior core structure in hollow core doors is made out of honeycomb cardboard and the ply skin is very thin. It is not meant to be a weight bearing structure. It works as a bed platform for a while. How long it holds up depends on the weight it has to bear, quality of the product, moisture levels, temperature changes, etc. it might last for years or it might not.

 

[bullfrog !]

One of the tricks besides gluing 1/4” plywood on top is to drill holes into the inner compartments and fill with spray foam then use wooden dowels to plug the holes. Seal and paint them with semi gloss exterior house paint on all sides some of mine have lasted over 15 years now.

 

[travelaround]

I appreciate all the good information I just read and found a few ideas that will help me in upcoming projects.

Today the HVAC is being installed and electricity transferred from the temporary power pole to the house. That means I'm running off the trailer's battery backup now, and the Jackery 1000 I bought in 2021. The Jackery has helped multiple times since then.

Often I've found skills and information learned through vandwelling and this forum have helped me through the last few years since the forest fire. Also the van's chest refrigerator has been my only fridge for the last year since the trailer's food cooling system failed.

I'm amazed by the refrigerator that just got put into my house yesterday. Never have I ever had such a large refrigerator/freezer. It is a small house but I feel I'll be living in luxury compared to what I'm used to. The house reminds me of the two bedroom apartment I used to live in, in Idaho. It is about the same size. One of the bedrooms is smaller, but there's a laundry room instead of a laundry closet.

 

[Happy Camper]

One of the tricks besides gluing 1/4” plywood on top is to drill holes into the inner compartments and fill with spray foam then use wooden dowels to plug the holes. Seal and paint them with semi gloss exterior house paint on all sides some of mine have lasted over 15 years now.

I think you have convinced me over time that you love anything with foam lol.

Foamie trailers
Insulation
Shelves
Foam filled donuts
Etc

 

[bullfrog !]

Funny thing is used or damaged interior doors are cheaper than foam so I’ve usually had to use them instead of foam board insulation for building! Lol!!!

 

[travelaround]

Strange thing about doors... today I read all your messages about using doors for work benches and then this late afternoon I noticed the contractor put an extra door in the overhang area of my shed. Nice. Now I'll have a new workbench soon.

 

[maki2]

Strange thing about doors... today I read all your messages about using doors for work benches and then this late afternoon I noticed the contractor put an extra door in the overhang area of my shed. Nice. Now I'll have a new workbench soon.

That is great! Now you have the chance to make a workbench that is the perfect height for your height!

I had a lot of work benches in my last space in Seattle. Some of them used the rolling steel shelving as bases so I could move them around and join them together in different configurations. The tops on those rolling benches were freebies, desk tops from cubicle furniture left behind by a business that used to be in the upstairs space. Behind those green doors at the end of the front room of the workshop was another big space with the tablesaws, routers, planers, drill press, lathes and such. The back room had the heavy duty workbench with the big vice and thick hardwood top.

 

[travelaround]

Nice workspace and good inspiration. I'm facing a dilemma ... no electricity except the Jackery and trailer battery. I haven't used the propane option for the water heater for the three years I've lived in the trailer but now I'm thinking I need hot water.

For some reason the Tribe that loaned me the trailer locked the hot water heater door. They didn't want me touching it. And in the prior place I lived, an apartment for seniors, the water heater door was also locked. I'm so glad I'll be living in a place that doesn't have a wall around the water heater with a door I can't enter.

I really want a shower, but perhaps I should wait until I move into the house - hopefully in a few days.

Alternatively I could take a Polar Plunge type shower. It wouldn't be the first time I've done that in this town.

 

[maki2]

Nice workspace and good inspiration. I'm facing a dilemma ... no electricity except the Jackery and trailer battery. I haven't used the propane option for the water heater for the three years I've lived in the trailer but now I'm thinking I need hot water.

For some reason the Tribe that loaned me the trailer locked the hot water heater door. They didn't want me touching it. And in the prior place I lived, an apartment for seniors, the water heater door was also locked. I'm so glad I'll be living in a place that doesn't have a wall around the water heater with a door I can't enter.

I really want a shower, but perhaps I should wait until I move into the house - hopefully in a few days.

Alternatively I could take a Polar Plunge type shower. It wouldn't be the first time I've done that in this town.

Just a few days away… heat water on the stove and take a sponge bath. Heat water on the stove, use a pitcher and pour warm water over your head for a shampoo. About 3/4 of a gallon of warm water is sufficient for a shampoo. An empty gallon sized water or milk jug also works fine for pouring water over your head or for rinsing off after a sponge bath. You can do these things in your trailer’s shower space. Just a little more creative solution thinking for a few days longer and these issues will go away.