Smashing Christmas

It has been a great Christmas. Just the right mix of family and friends with time to yourself in between and even managed to get in two Christmas dinners, but not on the same day.

Working on the cutting list for the skylight I realised that there would be a lot of routing involved so decided to streamline the router bit storage. You know how it is, you accumulate sets and individual bits over the years until you spend half an hour looking for the right bit for the job. Plenty of off-cuts around at the minute so decided to run off a box from what I had to hand.

It’s meant to be wall mounted but can be closed off to become a case if I need to take them down to the boat

The only cost has been the foam to line the doors.

Looking forward to the new year and hoping it will be as good as Christmas.

Happy new year everyone. J

Knock Knock

Is anyone there?

Still waiting for it to get light today so I’m wondering if the world did in fact end yesterday and nobody’s told us. J

Having a forced period of idleness as Karen’s car has started making strange noises and the local garage cannot fit her (the car that is) in this side of Christmas so she is using mine to go to work.

Even so, managed to get down to T-A yesterday to check everything is all right. Oops – water on the bathroom floor but not coming from the newly connected plumbing. There is a leak from the right hand porthole coming in around the frame and running down behind the wall lining and dripping out at the shoulder. Easy enough to trace because I have not yet replaced the capping under the gunnels after the rewire.

Up on the roof and worked some heavy grease in around the frame to seal it for now. Looks like it will be a job for next year when we are out cruising because I will need to get alongside to remove the frame which I can’t do on these short finger moorings. Hopefully the grease will keep the water out for now – we don’t need the floorboards curling up like the last lot.

In the meantime while at home I’m keeping things moving by drawing up a cutting list of parts for the skylight, got some nice pieces of 22 and 34mm sapele board that should do the job.

Things Are Changing.

At last it seems as though we are moving forward rather than one step forward, two steps back, after all there can’t be many more problems to find.

The under bed storage has been finished.

As was  

and now.

No ballast to be seen. The only ballast that may go in there is trim ballast

Made these up out of some bar steel that I had lying around (as you do). Each weighs just over 30lb with a handle for ease of movement.

In the bathroom the vanity unit has been reinstalled

And no longer has unsecured water pipes coming out of the floor and just flopping around

 

Even though there’s lots more to do it’s starting to feel as though the finish is in sight – but I’ve thought that before.

Trouble is that I'm enjoying myself so much that I will probably always have some project or other on the go - though I think Karen may direct some of my efforts towards the house.

Floorings Down

At last all the flooring has been laid (big sigh).

 

It now goes into the cupboard and vanity unit bottoms so we will no longer be faced with spray foam spattered base board every time we open a cupboard door.

All the bare woodwork where the cupboards were mounted is now varnished as are the walls behind the radiators.

At the moment I’m remaking the vanity unit base as it seemed very flimsy when removed.

The braces are made from bits of old oak flooring and all pocket screw holes have been plugged save for those that are still required during the fitting – they will be plugged on completion.

I know they will not normally be seen but to my mind a job should be finished off properly whether it’s seen or not. Always been a bit of a finicky so and so but that’s me.

The original 270^o turret is reduced to a 90^o corner. The original looked pretty but served no purpose other than to increase the footprint of the unit and there is not enough room on a narrowboat to waste space.

Been out buying toys again.

This router bit was on special offer and it seemed rude not to get one. It’s for making finger joints like this

And even without any glue it makes quite a strong joint. It will come in handy joining boards together when I come to remake the cupboard in the saloon. Never was to keen on the original glued butt joints.

Other than that there has only been time for two Christmas gatherings with old railway colleagues – nowt like a good old reminisce.

Something To See At last

Down to T-A every day this week and at last the flooring base is all down and the new flooring has been started on.

 

The boards go all the way across from wall to wall and not only where you can see them.

Under the sink as was.

Now – still got to tidy up the pipe work but at least the pump is not flapping about now.

The weather has been cramping my style somewhat, not so much with the short days (got plenty of lights) but with no heating at the moment the cold has been getting to me.

Central heating will be a priority job when I start on all the bits under the wheelhouse.

 

It all looks like a bit of a bomb site at the moment but everything is having to be moved around as the flooring gets done –why can’t we have a Tardis in narrow boat style.