Good evening all,
and no, you didn't miss 90 days of posts, I'm just exagerating and it just felt like day 99.
So, with my supplies dwindling, I tackled the port side (that's left for ya land luvers) of the hull. Started by finishing the bow as with the bit of bending and twisting that needed to happen here, I wanted to use full boards.
Then I finished the back but once again, I tried to use as many scrap pieces as I could. I did end up with a few seams but ended up with still a few full boards left. I do believe I'll have enough pine to finish everything except maybe for some trim pieces.
Here is the view inside now that the hull is completely covered. I haven't gotten around to making the hatch cover for that front hatch yet though.
So that was yesterday. Today I woke up to grey skies and some drizzling rain. Decided to chance it and I set up and got going on the railing around the bridge. Mathieu is climbing up there more and more, on top of all the visitors we've been getting so I thought it would be good to get these up.
Several times during the day it rained so hard that I ended up packing everything up and going back in the workshop. Nice thing at this point in the project is that I have some things I can work on in the shop, for example portholes. I'm cutting those out of 12 inch pine, then I'm going to route an indentation maybe a quarter of an inch wide on the inside of the circle and glue some plexiglass in there.
I've successfully cut most of the frames (circles) so the next step is to try and route just the right indentation in them and I also need to see if my rotary tool (multi max) can cut plexiglass, with the right bit of course.
It cleared up again so I set up again and went back to some railings. Then it started to pour again and I made sure Mathieu wasn't around and I muttered something that sounds like "muck it" and packed everything up again. Went back in the workshop and set up the tools in there, so while there was a downpour, I'd be making components so when it did clear up again I could quickly install the pieces I had prepped.
At one point as I'm coming back to the ship with some parts, I see the captain playing with some rope and a few pieces of boards.
He must have seen something like this in one of his books. He told me he is now ready to install some portholes and paint the ship.
So despite the crappy weather, I still got a few things done today. No more putting a step ladder on the deck as the steps to the bridge our now in and just a few boards to go and I'll feel much better about Mathieu going up to the bridge.
With all the rain I also got to see how "waterproof" this ship is. It was never my intention to make this watertight, but I did hope it would be somewhat impermeable. What I discovered today is that the ship is too level, meaning the water does not roll off the ship in any direction. The seams between the boards are so tight and water (swells up wood) makes it so that there's not much leakage there. Where I do have some leakage is at the front of the ship where the deck has some boards butting ends. Those joints are not tight enough and once this thing is painted (or stained), I think I'm going to caulk those joints.
We're still getting a steady stream of visitors (friends dropping by) and their kids. The consensus is overwhelming, this is the ultimate kid's playhouse! Mission accomplished...well almost I guess as there is still lots to do.
Calling for more crappy weather tomorrow so I may only get to work on some portholes and maybe start on some doors.
Until then, thanks for dropping by.
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