More bits and pieces, and counting the cost.

Well, we’re almost done. I’ve still both handrails to recoat following the disastrous use of cheapo masking tape, and the front deck cants are going to need rubbing down and repainting. I got the final coat on yesterday, an hour before a two-minute shower which gave the finish a bad case of acne....

But all the door frames are done, and I made a start on the bow flare decoration.
The off-white panel will have a red inset, then the diamonds and circle will be applied over that. It will take a few days to complete.

We moved from Burston the short distance to Sandon on Monday. Here there are good moorings above the lock and a winding hole, so I can turn the boat around to get at either side.

The mains socket and a ventilator are mounted on the rear cabin panel, and are crossed by the coachline around the “mouse’s ear’oles”.
Rather than paint them in just one colour I decided to try to camouflage them…
I think it worked out rather well. The offset of the stripe on the socket is because of the depth of the case. Viewed straight on it lines up… honest!
Now do you believe me!

Tomorrow we’ll head off to Great Haywood, I expect we’ll meet up with “The Lifers” there.

I’ve been through all the receipts I’ve saved since I started this job, and am able to make a pretty accurate assessment of what it’s actually cost. So here goes…

Paint, including primer, undercoat and topcoat.     £368.65
Brushes and rollers                                                £36.18
Abrasives, discs for orbital sander and
wet & dry paper                                                      £20.62
Sundries (white spirit, masking tape etc.)               £108.21
Hire of paint shed for a week                                  £210
Signwriting, 2 days work                                         £400 

Total                                                                      £1143.66 

Just about smack on budget. Of course, there’s the aching shoulders, sore back, rubbed-off fingerprints, tender knees and hour after hour of graft, but they’re all free…

I didn’t keep a record of hours worked, I didn’t dare. But I started in early June on the roof, and have worked on the job most days to a greater or lesser extent, weather permitting.

  Finally, lessons learned.

DON’T USE CHEAP MASKING TAPE
I‘ll say that again… DON’T USE CHEAP MASKING TAPE!!!
It’s liable to lift the fresh paint, just like on the handrails. They’d be done by now, otherwise. Use quality low-tack stuff.

 If you’re painting to a masked edge, don’t stick it all down. Use a tough, flexible blade (Rob gave me a tool used to apply vinyl lettering) or a thumbnail to just press down the edge. That way it’ll come off with less risk, and the edge will still be sharp.

Towards the end of the job you’ll be using a can of paint for the odds and ends. Be aware that this paint will slowly deteriorate as the solvent evaporates each time the can is opened. It will be less and less likely to flow out and give a good finish. Also, if you’re dipping in with a brush (I know, you shouldn’t) the rim of the can will develop a crust of semi-dried paint which will inevitably finish up on the brush and from there to the finished job, in the form of lumps in the surface. If you’ve got a bit to do that’s particularly obvious, bite the bullet, open a new can and unwrap a new brush, or use one that’s been thoroughly cleaned. That’s what I’ll be doing when I repaint the fore end cants…

On the subject of brushes, use quality no-loss brushes, the best on offer, and for the big panels lay-off with the largest you can manage, I used a 3”, after putting the paint on with a mini-roller. If your favourite brush starts to look like an afro, bin it!

I know it was nearly 20% of the cost, but the use of the paint shed meant I could crack on from sparrow fart till owl hoot, and not have to worry about dew, rain, dust, bird poo, dead leaves… Well worth it, to my mind.

And finally, personal preference, but I preferred to top the job off with a professional signwriter. It makes the finished job look great.

No apologies for sticking Rob up here again. He couldn’t have done a better job for us. 

Locks 0, miles 1