Chasing Tails

Well it’s been a bitting and bobbing week again. The driveway gates are well on the way to completion though I am not looking forward to painting them as that is one job I do not enjoy. Volunteers please apply.

It has been very much a week of working to what the weather is doing. When it is raining it’s into the workshop to sharpen every tool in the setup and bring them all up to scratch. Have invested in a 4000 grit stone for the Tormek to give a final edge to those tools that need it. The result is a mirror finish that is scarily  scarp yet keeps its edge – amazing!

Fortunately we have had a lot of fine weather this week so took a day off gate building to pop down to Trudy-Ann on Monday with the TV which has now been remounted on its bracket. The new aerial has been connected up but I realised that there was no cable between wall socket and TV as we had never needed one before having had to rely on a DVD player which uses an HDMI cable. Ah well – fix it next time, and hopefully we will have a working set. Made a new mains hook-up with the remaining cable from the rewire but sod’s law prevailed and it was 6” too short, so the old one will have to stay. Took the opportunity to tank while I was down there ready for when we can get a week-end away.

Otherwise it has been a case of enjoy this remarkably fine weather – the Barbie has been on the go for the previous three eveningsJ

Time Just Flies

I really must get a grip of time management. As it stands the weather has been causing a few problems on the planned work front.

The original intention was to make some new driveway gates and allow the new paint on T-A to harden off before climbing all over her.

Over to Bassingfield for some timber twice because I can’t add up when I run out of fingers. Brought 45ft of T&G for the panels and then realised I needed 90ft and also needed some 6ft timbers to make clamps long enough to assemble the gates.

Well most of the parts have been made but I just need to assemble them to measure up for the diagonal braces.

The trouble being that the gates are each 5’ square and too big to assemble in the workshop.

So I have had to make do with a smaller project to make a work station for sharpening tools and the like. The guides on the Tormek system are brilliant and even allow for rotating turning gouges on the stone.

I’m quite pleased with this as it is all made from scrap and off cuts. The castors were given to me as the base of an engine delivery crate, with the only purchase being the drawer handles. I know – little things ……….

Otherwise there were a couple of afternoons over the bank holiday week-end down at Harlaxton Wharf with the Grantham Canal Society plus time spent on the usual hum drum items around the house.

Today being a decent day was down at Pillings fitting the new tabernacle and mast. It has been finished a while, just not the weather to fit it.

Poshest TV aerial in town.

So much time – so little done – must get more organised.

Keeping this diary/blog up to date more often wouldn’t hurt. J

Turning, Tinkering and Pottering

Last Wednesday it was a case of modifying the stand-off so that it would grip the post. Not much of a job so I continued the work making the new mast. Decided to go for a band in ash half way to the cross and bored through the centre to take the TV aerial cable.

Main components

The decision has been taken to go with a Moonraker aerial from Maplin, the people who I know have it reckon it works well and is much smaller than most.

Thursday was down at T-A fitting the new stand off and this time it worked. Clamped it to the mooring post without managing to fall in but it was close at times.

Following days were assembling the mast and catching up with a few jobs round the home.

First coat of Impreg

The cable exits under the mounting arm to give a loop should it be necessary to rotate the aerial though I’m told that should not, and to prevent water ingress to the woodwork. Likewise the entry at the base which was diverted after I realised that the pivot point and cable would clash. The diversion achieved with a pocket hole jig to allow a steep upward angle.

Haven’t done any wood turning for about 15 years after we got burgled and most of my wood turning equipment disappeared with a pile of other stuff. I had forgotten how enjoyable it was to the extent I have ordered a new set of chisels and gouges, I intend to do a bit more of this.

Saturday was with the GCS again, this time tidying up around the depot and lock 16.

It was such a good turn out there was enough bodies to man the work boat ‘Centauri’ to do a waterborne clean up and check on ‘Earwig’ the dredger.

While waiting for ‘Centauri’ to get back we managed to get some practice in on ‘Duncan’ the digger

Finally today has been spent cutting the timber to make the stops and chocks to secure the mast in the tabernacle along with a bit of work in the garden. That will probably be the order of things over the next few days whilst waiting for deliveries of new toysJ

Back On The Water

Another busy few days has left me playing catch up again.

Last week was spent adding a few more bits such as the anchor,  bow fender and a new TV aerial inlet.

Also had a problem with the inverter playing up.  It turned out to be a loose crimp on the positive battery terminal. It has been on my to do list for a while as the battery leads to the inverter are the only wiring which has not been replaced. Fortunately I have all the new cable and crimp terminals ready, but it still is annoying to have faults from the original build jump up and bite me on the bum.

Been a busy week on the Grantham Canal front as well. Had a litter pick on the canal side at Gamston last Wednesday and managed to recover half a dozen bags of crap and a metal pram frame.

We really should take life more seriously.

On Sunday and Monday it was an odd few hours helping out with the trip boat running from Harlaxton wharf. Thoroughly enjoyable and raised more funds for the society.

 

Nobody is safe –(Punter)” I can’t go I’ve got my dog with me” (GCS)” That’s all right we’ll mind it free of charge” – Another ticket sold. More trips planned for future bank holiday week-ends as they seem to be very popular.

Otherwise it has been in the workshop turning down a new mast on the lathe. Unfortunately it is having to be made in two parts(Well four if you count the cross tree) and I’m trying to decide whether to try and hide the join or make a feature of it by inserting an ash band. Still got to bore out the centre to take the cable for the TV aerial. Pictures next time.

Today it was back in the water with T-A and round to the mooring without any scratchesJ thanks to some help by Garry and Wayne fending off.

Only problem was that the new stand off didn’t fit. I now find out that the posts out to moor the bow to are a smaller diameter than the posts on the pontoons. Burgher.

At least the strap  can be shortened easier than if it had to be lengthened.

 

Looking Sweet

The old girl is now out of the paint shop (No not Karen). Just the last coat of paint to go on the roof handrails, but these will only be done once there is no more work to be done top side. The skylight is now all complete and the old mushroom vents have been replaced by stainless steel ones.

The windows have been refitted using stainless security bolts in place of the old ‘pop’ rivets and Garry has made a better job of lining up the front porthole. (Compare with header picture) He had his work cut out owing to some of the holes were only half into the steelwork and you can’t tap half a hole but he has managed to move things around to find good fixing points. Debbie, Andy, Garry and Wayne at Clean Sailing have certainly done us proud

I think it appropriate to point out at this point that now there seems to be agreement in the pipeline over the Pillings NAA CWDF seems to be throwing up other bits to try and unnerve people mooring there. One of which is that mooring under power lines may induce corrosion in a hull. See the picture above. T-A has been moored there for four years now and those are the original anodes, no sign of pitting in the hull.

New gas locker top in place and the name is now on the gas locker where the builders name was originally. The name across the stern was quite often subject to chafing from mooring lines, so it’s better to be where it is.

Large stainless steel lifting eyes are now fitted to the front mooring bollards to take a stand off bar I have been making over the week-end.

Heath Robinson would be proud.

The theory is that the strap will clamp round the post at the head of the mooring and the shaped rubber bush will bolt through the lifting eye, thus holding T-A away from the post and protecting our new paintwork. The bent stretcher bar is to allow the stand off to drop close to the post when not in use.

Behind, the front fender has been soaked in detergent and pressure washed to bring it up as best I can.

Still plenty to do but we’re getting there.

Time to play catch-up in the garden.

Things Progress

Plenty of tail chasing going on at the moment.

Firstly the old camera appears to be terminal and has been fixed with a new one. Gone for a little Lumix this time as the old Fuji crossover was really too bulky to take out on work parties etcetera. This one sits nicely in the pocket and is less likely to get wet.

The clamps are off the new gas locker lid and it is taking shape nicely

It's just two pieces of sapele coffin board joined with dominoes and the laminated edge that was hidden by clamps last time.

 

Trudy-Ann has had its last coat of gloss which has been brush painted on, and she is looking a treat. Wheelhouse is back on and windows and other things are being fitted. Had to smile as anybody working where the new paintwork is were just in their socks to ensure no marks were left. Today the signage is being painted on and we will have a name on the bow as well as stern when she comes out of the paint shop on Monday after a final blacking to finish things off.

Next week promises to be another hectic time as we will be on hard standing for a few days before being slipped and return to our mooring. The delay is so to give us time to clear out the dust sheets and finish replacing all those little bits and pieces removed for the paint shop. Not least it will give time to make a standoff bar to stop this snazzy new paint job rubbing against the mooring post. She’s looking like a boat to be proud of and we want it to stay that way.

On the home front Karen has been busy after work in the garden and

 

the greenhouse but is catching up after all the poor weather.

 

Out with the Grantham Canal lads only the once just lately. Down at Woolsthorpe tidying the depot and playing with Duncan the digger.

Apart from being a useful tool it has the same control setup as the 360 on Mudlark so it also a useful training tool.

Things are progressing on all fronts at the moment – I just hope I can keep up.

Mundane and Momentous

Playing catch up again.

Brought home the wheelhouse and skylight off Trudy-Ann for varnishing while she is in the paint shop but the weather is proving a bit of a problem because I don’t have enough space in the garage to keep wet varnish away from the woodworking. Also came back with some portholes where the double glazing units had failed. No problem there, Lee Glass in Nottingham soon made some new units up which are all reassembled and are ready to go again.

Decided to make a new gas locker top in sapele as the steel one weighs a tonne, but the problem here is that the corners are round which means bending wood. Came up with the plan of making plenty of  thin strips to go round the edge and laminating them to make a solid lip.

Knew all those clamps would come in handy.

 

On the Grantham Canal front. Went to remove the last piece of fallen tree from Vincents Bridge only to find the local yobbery had rolled it back into the cut. We had left it only partly cut through so that it would be too heavy for kids to be tempted.

An indication to its size is that it is sitting on the bottom so it certainly wasn’t pushed in by toddlers. To add insult to injury while we were down there some ignorant toe rag chucked a large cardboard box over the bridge parapet and drove off. The box was for a self assembly Wendy house and was full of polystyrene. Ian took it down the tip but why oh why couldn’t that have happened in the first place?

The big event though was the trip boat being worked through the Woolsthorpe flight to bring it alongside the depot.

Exiting 18

In 17

This is the first time a boat has been through this millennium. Sounds grand but it is about 20 years since they were last able to be used.

Unfortunately  the camera failed during the move through lock 17 so no shots of lock 16.