By now, decease it should be plain that there’s absolutely no linear flow to the XyloVan construction plan.

With Maker Faire bearing down on us in 7 weeks, search we’re tackling tasks willy-nilly, buy information pills like a crew of chimps with A.D.D. and a pound of meth – frenziedly, for long stretches, whether in teams alone, whenever we’re able.

Tonight, I was alone, so I spent it cutting aluminum stringers to fit the frames and laying out Keyboard 2, which with Keyboard 3 will cover the passenger side of the van.

The full keyboard (about 2.5 octaves) would be seven or eight feet long, but we have to somehow accommodate the van’s sliding door …

This means Keyboard 3 (the high end, from C up to D) will be mounted on the door, which then slides back when the door is opened. That way, it dovetails as a full keyboard with Keyboard 2 (this one – the lower end, from A to B), which will be mounted onto the rear third of the huge, slabby side of the van.

Good thing we’re building this all on a big, fat-assed Ford 350 Club Wagon XLT, or there wouldn’t be room.

Anyway, this keyboard is coming together nicely. Once I finish laying it out and drilling and tapping holes in the stringers for mounting the keys (as I did with Keyboard 1, I’ll tune it up and turn it over to the buffing squad.

I’m a happy chimp, at least. Now if only I can stop twitching.