It’s been a productive few weeks in the shop. The upper cabinets are in, mattress is back in and stowed with the folding bed. Lights are now on separate circuits with dimmer switches on each.

I built a custom switch panel for the Espar heater controller and installed it in the upper cabinet along with some spare switches for future lights… LEDs in the garage or in the upper cabinets.

Next week I’ll install the first iteration of the electrical system. Just 100Ah of lithium ion and a few Victron parts. I’m trying to keep it simple as we don’t have a fridge or induction cooktop yet, power will be for the diesel heater and lights.

Oh. And I copied a design that I liked for a composting toilet. It’s a separating toilet (separator from Free Range Designs). I used 3/4 birch and kerf bent on the front radius. I changed some of the dimensions, but it’s a copy of a Trobolo. It’s made to fit on a shelf in the rear cabinets.

The intention is to laminate the cabinets, but things are moving quickly through the (very small) shop, that I just don’t have room to keep long running projects. And it’s winter here (rain) so I can’t work outside. Next spring I’ll pull all of the cabinets out and laminate and finish the interior. For now, it’s form follows function – with speed of completion. I’ve been trying to work really fast – it’s been really challenging making fast decisions. Definitely YOLO’ing some things. I often don’t have time to set up a tool for the slow way, so I improvise with another tool. Example: My Bosch router motor burned out – it used to be my plunge router… and I keep a Triton in the router table and use a hand held router for small jobs. It’s a pita to take the Triton out of the table, so I’ll just use the little trim router like a plunge router… results vary wildly.

We’re in a Pineapple Express weather pattern, warm and wet. So no skiable snow quite yet. Once the heater is hooked up to electrical – I’m calling it good for the year and will pick things up again in the spring. It’s time to go skiing.