Ian Kemp's back cabin rebuild

Now pay attention if you are interested in the construcion of a traditional back cabin.

This is the work of Ian Kemp who lets me see his work in progress and freely gives tips and comments. This is roughly equivalent to Michelangelo telling you how to paint the ceiling.

At this stage the cabin is almost complete and undercoated ready for graining and decoration.

Being a scumbaholic I am looking forward to seeing this stage of the process.

Although the colour seems to vary it is due to the camera and light conditions. It is a uniform creamy primrose colour throughout.

Here's the door from the back cabin to the engine room with a sliding cover over the decorated ventilation hole.

It reminds me of the upstairs back room of  the Mason's Arms pub I where I went as a schoolboy to the Doncaster Wheelers meetings. The room was also used by the Buffalo's secret society and the door had a little peep hole so the members could see who was outside the door.

The hole top left is for an engine control rod of course.

Table cupboard and "crumb drawer" aperture.

Bed 'ole and baby drawer aperture beneath.

I had the impression that cabin floors were usually red oxide but Ian prefers a painted edge and scrubbed removable centre panel.

Access to storage below the bench and bed end is from from both above and the front.

The corner cut out is where the bed flap will "land" when deployed.

Soap and windlass 'oles and ticket drawer position above

Ian is not a fan of coal boxes which he thinks are unwieldy. He prefers to have a separate bucket which is easier to fill and carry about. As an alternative he builds a removable step as shown above.

Here are the absent components removed for gloss painting away from the cabin.