I continued work on the small head in the aft cabin, primarily prepping and painting the fiberglass liner. It's a lot of work, requiring lots of boat yoga to get it done in a cramped space. So far it's sanded, primed and a first coat of polyurethane enamel applied. It will probably take at least two more coats, wet-sanded between each coat, to get it right. I also continued to work on the "vanity" in the aft cabin. Since I got two "thumbs up" on the oak strip surface for the shelf, I did additional work on the oak strips to make sure the final result was a smooth, flat, and durable surface. It's not done yet, but progress was good. Whenever weather allowed, I've been applying coats of Epifanes RapidCoat to a pair of trim pieces that will eventually frame a mirror on the vanity.
So much for the forward progress. In the remedial department, I found that the additional dampness brought on by the cold, rainy weather was enough for the oak strips with which I so carefully lined the aft cabin to expand enough to cause some to buckle and pop off the wall. While each piece might only have expanded 1/100 of an inch or less, when there are 20 or 30 pieces fitted precisely together, the total expansion can approach 1/4 of an inch! So, in several places I had to re-cut, reshape, and refinish a piece to accommodate the expansion. Hopefully when the pieces shrink back in drier weather, the gap between each piece will only be that 1/100 of an inch!
Up in the v-berth where I sleep, there is still no overhead liner or insulation. As a consequence, when it gets really cold, enough condensation forms on the overhead to start dripping. Unacceptable! As a quick temporary fix (until I put in a new insulated overhead), I tacked up some bubble insulation using double-sided foam tape.
Well, two steps forward, one back is better than vice versa....
Wow, a lot of good work George and the vanity looks beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI like the bucking. Its very creative and artistic. I wish you could keep them somehow. But perhaps you should have sealed the ends so they retain shape? Maybe oak wasn't right because of this issue?
ReplyDeleteMiracle on that head refinish. What a lot of work though.
Love those last photos. Those clouds are wondrous.
Thanks once again for all your kind support, SM! Re: the oak pieces, the fronts and ends are sealed, but not the backs because I didn't want to compromise the adhesion. I don't think the swelling is because it's oak, since all wood swells when wet or damp. That's what makes wooden boats seal up tight when they're in the water and makes them leak for a while if they are allowed to dry out. And you're right: refinishing that head is a LOT of work! Just did the second coat today (after wet-sanding) and it looks even better. One more coat will do it.
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