Mike, for his sins, has taken on looking after the lodge. One of the challenges that has developed in recent years is that when the lodge was built double bunking was an acceptable and effective method of cramming the punters in. Accordingly, the lodge has lots of double bunks and not so many singles.
In the new fangled error people are apparently less than enamoured with the idea of sharing their intimate sleeping space with a complete stranger or even a nodding acquaintance with dubious personal hygiene. The ratio of double to single bunks is therefore no longer hitting the sweet spot - someone had to do something.
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| The genesis |
Mike figures that by ripping out a settee, installing new single bunks and redesignating a double bunk as a king single then all would be sweetness and light.
So, one weekend he turns up at home with some dubious numbers and scribbles on a piece of paper and my drop saw reclaimed from our brother-in-law. We set to designing and it soon became clear that the numbers and a couple of blurry photos on his phone weren't quite enough input data for the precision sleeping platform we were intent on building. A phone call to the lodge elicited a few more measurements but the dubiousness was only heightened by the fact that the chap wielding the tape measure had had a drink or two.
The design is two 50:100 timber frames with slat bases screwed to the wall studs on two walls and held up the ladder. MDF sides complete the whole affair.
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| Just build one of these - dodgy design photo |
With executive decisions made and the design complete we potter off down to the Mega and fill one of their trailers with timber. The shop floor chap thinks the whole thing is hilarious but clearly has plenty of time on his hands and is happy to provide input into a few more executive decisions.
Back at home Mike drops the trailer back, via the waste transfer station (no sense wasting the opportunity) while I set to work. Over the next day or so we cut the timber to length, shape the sides, cut rebates and build the ladder (scaled off the blurry photo using some creative flying estimates).
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| Steps cut |
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| The ladder takes shape |
The ladder is a thing of beauty. As a result of compounding conservatism through sequential executive decisions, it is sturdy enough to bear the weight of a large man carrying a small family sedan.
On arrival the first item of business is to inspect the space. A built in settee with a storage locker incorporated into the base inhabits the corner in question. In the interests of not upsetting the owner of the locker we will have to somehow incorporate it into the final design. Something to think about over night.
Meanwhile Sue takes charge of the punters who will be giving the lodge a top to bottom scrub.
On the Saturday morning Sue organises the cleaning frenzy while we rip out the settee carefully to retain the locker - but then have to take it out anyway as it has to be trimmed to size. It turns out to contain lots of old club photos, christmas decorations of dubious vintage, an old projector, a printer and a lemon, lime and bitters that expired in 2010.
Next up we confirm measurements and discover that our sides are slightly too short given the need for a packer at the bed head. The only solution is some packers but that will have to be done last.
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| Sergei - licensed to drill |
It's at about this point that we realise that the one tool we are missing is a hex bit for the big screws that will hold the whole thing together and to the wall. Fortunately, for some inexplicable reason I have brought an angle grinder so the appropriate allan key gets sacrificed and ground to fit into a drill chuck.
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| Tool making |
Whilst Sergie and I glue and screw the two basis together Mike gets on with sanding the sides. By lunchtime we have the bases curing and ready for assembling and Sergei is getting on with staining the sides.
The existing bunks are stained an attractive dark brazil nut brown. With the orange carpet the effect is mildly depressing but we elect to match the decor lest we earn the frothing outrage of club members incandescent at the prospect of upstarts having the temerity to drift from the cultural norm.
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| The bases take shape |
In the afternoon we screw the bases to the walls and clamp them to a temporary 4 by 2 before installing the slats in the upper bunk then attaching the ladder as a temporary measure. This gives us sufficient stability to attach the foot boards then remove the ladder and attach the side boards. Reattaching the ladder for the final time proves to be somewhat of a sweat: learning point - bring an 11mm bit for 10mm bolts! Oh, and bring long drill bits so you don't have to disassemble joints to drill sufficient depth holes.
In the morning Sergei sets off to climb Ruapehu bright and early and I get on with rebuilding the storage locker while Mike does lodge leader duties. By lunch time Mike has built lids under the bottom bunk slats for the locker and after lunch the final acts of staining the ladder, installing the packers to cover the gap from the short sides and cleaning up are dealt with in plenty of time before our target departure time.
The finished product looks like it will be serviceable and is not completely unlike the existing bunks. Time will tell whether they hold together but duty done and now to get a van full of punters back to Wellington.
I should mention that whilst we have been immersed in bunk building the lodge has become sparkling clean and the punters have even had time to go off on various walks. And all with absolutely stunning weather.
Loading the van is a lot easier with out the timber. We head down the mountain on schedule to pick up a bunch of punters led by Aimee who have followed a track down. They turn up on time and we have another uneventful trip back to Wellington.
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| Done .... |
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| Top ... |
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| and bottom |
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| Beautiful! |
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