The factory is up and running, full tilt!

My job has ended.  That's not to say doomsday approaches because my next job begins in October and will carry me through June.  The good news, though, is that the line has ramped up production and there's no stopping me, now.  In just three days I've managed a great deal of progress. 

For starters, all three fans now grace the ceiling of the Roving Home.

The Roving Gnomes have begun an early Christmas preparation by rolling out the pre-holiday sparkle via some brand new insulation.

Which leads me to another topic -- crappy tools.  Santa will definitely get a bit of the cold shoulder for the disappointing gifts he left me last year.

My drill...?

Dead!

My jigsaw...?

Dead! 

And, that thing had to die right in the middle of a large circular cut on the rooftop, under a blazing sun, no less.  I had to stop the presses and bolt to my neighborhood Ace Hardware! 

But...this is what I got. 

Like butter!

And...

Sweeeeet! 

But can you believe it that two integral tools poop out within 24 hours of one another?  I'm not a tool beater, I promise! 

So, back to business.

I finished the galley framing, including the water heater placement. 

I carved out some nice little holes in the water heater box for the propane and water lines.  I was going to leave them rough, but then decided that not finishing the holes would be a classic slacker move.  So, off to Home Depot at 9:30pm to get a few short threaded pipes and some collars.  Now, that is a proper finish. 

Here's another view of the heater.

That hole to the outside is comprised of two elements.  I purchased a stainless steel bushing that's made for trash, similar to the hole in the counter top at Starbucks.  You know the metal rim that rings the hole where you drop your straw wrappers?  I bought one of those from a restaurant supply place and found a drain strainer at Bed Bath and Beyond completely by happenstance.  I breezed passed the strainer hanging on a display, while at the very same moment visions of the Roving Home flashed before my eyes.  It was like a deja vu or a stranger calling from a past life.

Or not.

But it sure is cool!  It fit perfectly!  I mean -- like factory made!  I glued the stainless steel strainer to the stainless steel grommet.    

Virtually non existent.

Next!

Like they say in Mission Impossible:  "Your mission, Jim, should you choose to accept it..." 

I brought home a chassis-mounted propane tank.

"Your mission, Jim, is to take that tank and put it...

There!

My first question was whether or not the mounting brackets would actually lin up with those cross beams.  The odds were slim.

A test was necessary.

So I cut some wood to make a template.

Believe it or not, that board aligned perfectly with the cross beams.  No extra supports or metal brackets  were needed.  And the clearance from left to right on either side of the tank was about 2 inches.  Who would have thought?!

The next hurdle was getting that tank suspended in the air so I could fasten the bolts. 

I saw this on another guy's blog.  I'd like to take the credit, but I just can't.

Grabbed the bolts!  Automotive grade!

And, voila!

 

This angle makes the tank appear to hang sort of low, but it actually doesn't.  From the side, you can't even see it.

And, the coolest thing, once again, is that there was already an access hole in the body. 

Below that silver rectangle is a tiny square that was cut out of the body. 

And, look at what lies just behind that cut out square?

The propane fill valve!

The square was fastened with rivets -- probably designed for access to either a waste tank, generator or maybe propane. 

I fastened a little piano hinge to the plate, once I drilled the rivets out.

Propane tank...done!

Luck was on my side, today.