So--you're ready to build your own gypsy wagon...Before you begin, maybe you would like a few helpful hints from someone who has Been There...
1. NEVER EVER put all your weight on a hammer handle to remove a bent nail if you're standing atop a ladder. (You will find yourself flying through the air until the ground rises up to meet you.)
2. The ground gets harder as we get older.
3. NEVER step out the wagon door onto a step stool (or upside-down milk crate) in the rain.
4. SEE #2.
5. Contrary to popular belief, milk paint WILL keep for several days-- especially if stored in a recycled margarine tub. (I use I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT BUTTER).
6. If you are attempting to fasten one board on top of another with a screw gun or impact drill, always put the center screw in first. NEVER put the screw in either side first. (The direction the drill is turning will swing the board around like a helicopter propeller and clock you in the head. Or knee. Or stomach.) You get the picture.
7. **Please note: Traditional gypsy ledge wagons are 4" wider at the top than at the bottom, which gives them a lovely--and easily recognizable--shape. That being said...If you build your wagon walls in sections like Siobhan and I did, be sure to use temporary rafters for bracing the side walls together until your bowed rafters (or clerestory roof) are in place. Otherwise, weight and gravity will cause the walls to lean out considerably more than 4". Like most things, this is easier to fix beforehand than after-the-fact!
8. If you choose to build a clerestory roof, (as we did originally!), BE SURE to consider the combined weight of ALL the building materials before you begin. Not just the wood framework and roofing--EVERYTHING. All transom windows, brass awning hinges, brass handles and latches, wood framework, wood siding panels, plywood underlayment, tar paper, metal roofing, roofing screws. Everything. Blindly guess at an estimate, and you may end up like we did--with a perfectly lovely clerestory roof that is too heavy for your walls to hold up. When you get through throwing tools and cursing, you will first need to re-design, tear apart and salvage what you can--and then you can re-build. THAT'S WHEN THE FUN REALLY BEGINS...
9. Take your time. Work on your wagon only when you WANT to--never feel like you HAVE to. Resist the urge--Don't set a deadline...Unforeseen circumstances will inevitably pop up and delay construction. Don't stress over it. Above all, take pleasure in your work. Enjoy the weight of a well-worn hammer in your hand; find joy in the smell of fresh sawn wood...
10. kushti bak! (Good Luck!)
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