|
Gypsy |
|
 |
So, on to the exterior. It turns out that above mentioned weekend of downpours was just the beginning. It has been raining for weeks now--even flooding in some areas. I've been moodily staring out the window at my wagon, totally unable to do any work on it. Today was the first time in ages where I had both a forecast of sunny AND a free day, so I was finally able to start painting the outside. My yellow trim wasn't really historically accurate, so I used the paint to mimic the carved trim I've seen on real wagons. It seems to have worked pretty well. It keeps some of the yellow color but looks more like the real thing. The colors are richer in person, but this is a beginning. Just three more walls to go. Sigh. |
 |
I've gotten most of the painting done since that photo was taken. I have some lining to do on the opposite side, but I should be able to finish before Pennsic. Darren brought his vardo over to do some work on the interior. I couldn't resist getting a picture of them together. How often do you have a driveway full of gypsy wagons? |
 |
2007: A couple of updates since last year. Now that the wagon has been on its shakedown cruise, I had a few minor repairs and upgrades to take care of. The first of these involved tracking down a couple of leaks we discovered during an extremely rainy drive home last year. Water came in from below-- probably around the support frame, which I never really sealed up. That will teach me to get lazy. I closed up all the doors and windows so it was dark inside, then I crawled around on my belly and stuffed caulk into any little chink that dared let light through. That ought to take care of things... |
 |
This was an exciting upgrade. The winch system seemed a bit overtaxed by the weight of the roof, and it always made me a little nervous. Our friend Stephen suggested gas springs to take some of the load. (They're the things that help lift the hatchback of a car.) They can lift several hundred pounds, so it seemed a reasonable plan. We installed one at each corner and it makes a huge difference. We're going to try the next weight class up and see if maybe the winch can be done away with entirely. They're light, effective, and so unobtrusive that I don't even have to change my current curtains--they'll cover these right up with no problem. |
