NEW GENESIS....Let's recap!

Yep, I did it again.  Didn't post yesterday, as we hit the ground running when we came in.  Much to do, and I wanted to get the store stock out of the way (as well as the repairs) before I got back on the truck which was SOOOO near completion!  Elijah helped out, roughing out two rides, a sweet 24" BMX and a "silk purse out of a sows ear" Specialized Stumpjumper, while I continued with the final touches.  Oh, I say "final", but the thing is only about 98% done.  I have a couple more things to do to it but it's ready enough to sit outside so folks can oogle it.  Mind you, it IS for sale, but in the meantime, we will be using it to show off and run the occasional errand. 
So, as there has been a few brakes in between it's transformation and the finished project, I'm going to do a recap slide show for you from the first installment, minus my witty commentary, then walk you through the rest.
Ready?



Okey Doke!  Yes, left out some of the minutia, but you get the general gist of where we came from and where she's headed.  If'n you want all the details, just check out the blog for  March 19th.
OK.
From here, we had to get to work on the siderails for the box.  What fun.  Because, as originally stated, projects like this evolve as they are being constructed, especially at times when what you envision, just won't work.  Because the center support drops at such a slope, and the resulting rear was lower then anticipated, and due to the constrictions in length of the vertical supports, the bed itself was at a 7%  slant.  I wanted the top of the box to be straight and level, so I had to cut the supports accordingly, which made the front (which IS level) interesting to build.  You'll see what I mean.
First, we clean and sand the boards for the lower support...





I believe these were from a tear out of a screen room.  Some scraping and sanding later, they're ready to be chopped into the right lengths.  Then, came the side slats.  This one was easy.  Just some old two by fours, ripped down into 3/4 lengths.  Needed a buckets worth...





Then, cut down into appropriate lengths, we put together the first side.  Toying with position and style (originally I wanted to weave the boards, but given the degree of knots in this wood, after snapping a few, I gave up on that approach) I settled on something a little more traditional.



Notice what I mean about a grade? The bottom slat had to be wedge cut, and of course there is a wee bit of a gap in the back end.  Oh well.  I didn't want to just slap something over it, maybe I'll figure something better, later.  At this point, the hardest part over, I knew which direction the rear and other side would go, so they went up a lot easier.  Of course, once both "sides" were done, I'd run out of the nails I was using.  Remember..NO buying anything new.  So we dug through the tool boxes in the back, and lucked out.  Although, being screws, I had to pilot hole each slat, so that slowed me up a bit!





Had to both eyeball and use the level as I should have constructed them on a "level" surface before installing it!  The things you figure out AFTER you do it the hard way!  Now, it got interesting.  The corner go in at  22.5, then the front is straight, so the connecting slats pitched up, and decreased in size from the top being 6.5" to 5 7/8" on the bottom.  THIS took for some chopping after the install.  Yes, I could have cut each one...but, what the hey!  That's what sandpaper is for! 





Now, with the box finished, and a few coats of stain going on, I went on to prepping the signs for the side.  Ripping down a 1 X 4 into 1X1's, I then cut a recess into it to fit the sign stock.  Wanted a fancy frame for it!





Once finished, the frame was cut to size, then stained black (well, one coat of flat black spray paint in order to allow some wood grain to peek through) and the sign stock was white washed (again, flat white spray paint) then hand lettered.  Sure, I could have done fancier, had a couple offers from sign makers to put something together for me, but everything else was hand done, I wanted to stick with the program!   Now came one of the finishing touches of overkill.  A rear basket!!  Yea, I know, but what the heck!  We got a truck...with a trunk!!  This is where the basket of odd's an end's fastners came in REAL handy!!



  The end result is...





There you have it!  This sucker has been banging around in my head for sometime, and it's finaly realized.  Oh, I have  couple more things I intend on doing, a set of rear fenders for starters, but she is ready to go run about town!  See ya on the road!
OK,  Now here's the more traditional rides we put together yesterday as well!
See ya soon!!

24" BMX!!
ONLY $90.00!!

26" SPECIALIZED STUMPJUMPER!!
ONY $80.00!!!