CM Interior Structure

Now that the exterior framework is complete (more or less), it’s time to start work on the interior. My first goal for the interior is to complete the “girth shelf” – a 3/4″ shelf that circles the entire crew compartment at a fixed height but with various depths. I consider this super-important to completing the interior because it will serve as a nice fixed reference for the remaining stuff in an environment with really strange geometry.

I started at the back with the shelf dividing the halves of the Lower Equipment Bay (LEB). It’s nice and straight and attached at a number of fixed points, and would be a great way to help ensure the accuracy of the rest of the shelf. I cut four 2×4 boards with 15-degree angles to support the center. I attached these to the floor with brackets, spaced at just under 22″ apart. This dimension comes from the width of the Inertial Monitor Unit (IMU)/navigation station’s mounting points, which fits into the upper center of the LEB. I cut two 1-foot sections from a sheet of 3/4″ MDF, then cut a 45-degree piece off of each with a 32-degree bevel so it would sit flush against the exterior supports. I gave the inward-facing edges a 1/8″ roundover to get rid of any sharp edges, and installed dowels in the center edges to keep them flush. I mounted the completed shelf onto the four supports, then installed hurricane ties to connect the angled/beveled edges to the exterior support.

I measured and cut two more 2x4s to fit between the shelf and the ceiling, and mounted them with brackets.

More to come!