Getting Through The Task List

Still chasing my tail. Every job sorted seems to make one job more. The new pedestal for the toilet has been made in oak to match the floor

But while I was at it, it seemed sensible to move the toilet as I was fed up of sitting with my nose against the shower cubicle.

 

Still got to be finished off but you get the idea. It actually takes up less space but gives the feeling of more elbow room. In this position there is more room behind the toilet so I was able to replace the copper single step plumbing reducer with a tapered reducer from Vetus which hopefully will reduce any back pressure. Either way it can’t do any harm.

The gang plank was showing signs of going rusty so it was brought home and rubbed down before a good coating of silver Hammerite.

When the covers were taken off the self tapping screws were also found to be going rusty so all the holes were re-drilled and tapped.

Brass machine screws now hold down the tops.

Also been doing a few bits of panelling on the control desk which is now nearly complete.

The seat lockers in the wheelhouse have now got new ash faced tops. Once again made more jobs by deciding it was a good time to paint the inside of the lockers and line them with rubber sheet that I had left over from the step treads down from the wheelhouse to galley. While I was at it also made some rubber liners for the roof bars to protect the new paintwork from getting scratched J

The new paintwork is starting to look grubby already do gave it a quick wash down but it is ready for a good polish to stop the muck sticking.

New water filler cap fitted so the fore deck is fully watertight again.

At home the new driveway gates still haven’t been fitted but have had six coats of paint applied and are ready to hang. Held up a bit by the drizzly weather we were having last week, seems a long time ago now.  Looking at the old hinges it was decided to get a complete set of new gate furniture as heaven knows how old it is.

Out at an old colleagues retirement party in Nottingham last night and felt obliged to point out how much hard work is involved in this retirement lark.

 

Another Busy Week

Bank holiday Monday was a long day for all the people who turned out for the Grantham Canal Society trips from Harlaxton wharf. Even while Tony and Rosemary were setting up the stall people were turning up despite the weather in the morning. All trips were full bar the odd seat left over for the whole day.

Even the locals brought out the kids to show what the strange humans got up to.

A mixed bag for me with one run on ‘Three Shires’ and a bit of dog minding before taking ‘Centauri’ back to Woolsthorpe. Ian made use of the journey cleaning up and treating some of the paintwork.

The weather in the afternoon was kind and it was calm and pleasant as the boats were moored back at Woolsthorpe before being secured and prepared for their next outing.

No pictures since then as most of the time it has been dealing with items already covered. The gates are now in white primer, but still waiting to be hung. That will happen after a few more coats of paint.

All the turning tools and chisels have been sharpened and some of the turning tools have been re-profiled for different cuts. The band saw has had a thin blade fitted ready to cut blanks for turning.

Karen has managed, despite the weather to get the last of the crops in, just leaving me with another row of potatoes to plant but the ground is just too soft to use the plough on the rotovator.( At least that’s my excuse)

Spent a morning cutting willow and weaving it into the hawthorn hedge to the side of the garden as Sox has decided he likes to go exploring through the gaps.

Friday was down at T-A taking back cushions and such ready to for trips out but ended up bringing back the wheelhouse locker tops to be remade as they had been marked by water ingress in the past. The plan is to use the old ones as patterns and remake with ash edging and facing instead of plain birch ply. The new water filler cap has arrived at last so that will be one job for later in the week.

Cried off the GCS work parties last week to try and catch up on some of the jobs at home but was down at Woolsthorpe this morning with John cutting the grass in the depot. Luckily for us the weather was kind and the rain held off. This afternoon it has been in the shed making a new pedestal for the toilet on T-A in oak in the hopes that it will help the flow as at the moment  the blackwater tank inlet is higher than the toiled outlet. Also started cutting the new locker tops.