If you've ever spent any time rigging a boat then you know what I speak of. If you've not, then here's a link.
I need one of these. The problem is that rowing specific tools such as this are rather expensive. I have a hard time plunking down $65 plus shipping for what basically amounts to two pieces of square metal tubing and a couple of screws.
Another issue that I have with this is that having used one, it does it's job well but it doesn't necessarily make your job easier. It's probably me and my lack of rigging experience but I don't like having to eyeball oar lock height. The top piece when it's pushed down to oarlock height, doesn't extend far enough into the boat to measure the way that I want to measure.
So having thoroughly examined the one that we have at the boat house I've decided to create my own using the same sort of design - I saw the one that was created by Willie Black but he's smarter than I am and I don't know how to use his - only modified to help me.
I'm still gathering the pieces that I want for this but rest assured that once I get started I'll let you know how it turns out.
Stay tuned.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Boat repair
Welcome to basic shell repair 101. Throughout the season I've been taking stock of what I've got, what I need, what needs to be fixed and what is ok. The boat that I use is a Vespoli shell that saw it's hey day back in the early 1990s. It's still a very good boat - stiff and fast when crewed correctly - but she is in desperate need of basic repairs that have been allowed to slide.
The first project of the year was cleaning up the oars that we use. That was a rather straightforward project that I don't feel the need to put into picture format. This project on the other hand, replacing the track supports, was a three day project.
And so it begins...
These are the tracks from inside our racing shell. There are two per seat and the seats have wheels that fit into channels on the top. They are supported and angled in the boat by wooden supports - now plastic. As you can see here, the wood that has been holding our tracks up has been well used and is in desperate need of replacement. The wood was so soft that you could squeeze it forcing water out of it's depths like a sponge.
The first thing I did was remove the old rotting wood. It was a lot of "fun" pulling off this reeking, spongy, molding, rotting wood and the garage area smelled fantastic. I was lucky and managed to remove a whole one to use as a template to back up my measurements but the rest came off in pieces.
Next up comes the new wood. For the price of a couple rounds at the local watering hole I got a 1x10 piece of pine from Home Depot, measured out 20 replacement tracks - we need 16 but extras are always handy - and got to cutting. Unfortunately the table saw I was going to use picked this exact moment to die. After fiddling with it for a while the decision was made that the saw needed to be replaced anyhow and this was as good a time to do it.
Life is so much easier when you have the tools you need rather than trying to piece meal it together. Having cut the wood to length, I drilled two small holes for the bolts that hold the track to the wood to the boat and then several 3/8 inch holes that would be the guide for the router. Despite having an amazing drill press I had no intention of drilling 20 holes per board to help with drainage.
So instead I went with slots. I drilled two 3/8 holes then used the router to clear material between them. Note that each bolt hole has an inch of play on either side. Despite measuring the distance between bolts on the boat several times I decided that 2 inches of play would make life a lot better in case I missed rather than having to scrape 16 supports and start over.
At this point the tracks are almost done. To get the angle that I needed I used the old track as a guide. I was going to use the router to get the angle but when that proved more difficult than convenient I decided to go back to the table saw. While the cut is less clean it was far more accurate than it would have been on the router, it was quicker - at this point speed was becoming a priority - and because the variations would be small and that this repair is only temporary till we get the real replacement tracks, the table saw was fine for the job.
The final step was the soak the wood for about a minute or so in water seal and then let them air dry for 48 hours.
16 tracks in two days of work. The cost? Not even a 1/4 the cost of the plastic ones on the Vespoli website. And while it did take a little longer than expected, I didn't have to pay for rush delivery. I put them into the boat yesterday and we tested them and they work great.
The first project of the year was cleaning up the oars that we use. That was a rather straightforward project that I don't feel the need to put into picture format. This project on the other hand, replacing the track supports, was a three day project.
And so it begins...
These are the tracks from inside our racing shell. There are two per seat and the seats have wheels that fit into channels on the top. They are supported and angled in the boat by wooden supports - now plastic. As you can see here, the wood that has been holding our tracks up has been well used and is in desperate need of replacement. The wood was so soft that you could squeeze it forcing water out of it's depths like a sponge. 
The first thing I did was remove the old rotting wood. It was a lot of "fun" pulling off this reeking, spongy, molding, rotting wood and the garage area smelled fantastic. I was lucky and managed to remove a whole one to use as a template to back up my measurements but the rest came off in pieces. 
Next up comes the new wood. For the price of a couple rounds at the local watering hole I got a 1x10 piece of pine from Home Depot, measured out 20 replacement tracks - we need 16 but extras are always handy - and got to cutting. Unfortunately the table saw I was going to use picked this exact moment to die. After fiddling with it for a while the decision was made that the saw needed to be replaced anyhow and this was as good a time to do it. 
Life is so much easier when you have the tools you need rather than trying to piece meal it together. Having cut the wood to length, I drilled two small holes for the bolts that hold the track to the wood to the boat and then several 3/8 inch holes that would be the guide for the router. Despite having an amazing drill press I had no intention of drilling 20 holes per board to help with drainage. 
So instead I went with slots. I drilled two 3/8 holes then used the router to clear material between them. Note that each bolt hole has an inch of play on either side. Despite measuring the distance between bolts on the boat several times I decided that 2 inches of play would make life a lot better in case I missed rather than having to scrape 16 supports and start over.At this point the tracks are almost done. To get the angle that I needed I used the old track as a guide. I was going to use the router to get the angle but when that proved more difficult than convenient I decided to go back to the table saw. While the cut is less clean it was far more accurate than it would have been on the router, it was quicker - at this point speed was becoming a priority - and because the variations would be small and that this repair is only temporary till we get the real replacement tracks, the table saw was fine for the job.
The final step was the soak the wood for about a minute or so in water seal and then let them air dry for 48 hours.16 tracks in two days of work. The cost? Not even a 1/4 the cost of the plastic ones on the Vespoli website. And while it did take a little longer than expected, I didn't have to pay for rush delivery. I put them into the boat yesterday and we tested them and they work great.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Catch up
So seeing as how a whole month has gone by since my last update, let's see where we are on the old project list.
1. The headboard is still in storage. I checked on it the other day and aside from it looking a little lonely it was none the worse for wear given that it hasn't been touched since fall.
2. The chest of drawers in the garage is still there and still full of model parts. Honestly I'm not sure I'm going to touch that one for several good reasons most of which have to do with not having places to put said model parts.
3. The S-10. This one actually did get some work. I managed to replace the brakes - I hate drum brakes - and the belt and she got a much needed bath although the birds have since left their marks. All that's left aside from another couple of bathes are the door hinges and then removing the old stickers before she can go onto the market. I'm going to miss this old truck.
I did spend this Mother's Day weekend working on some projects from work. When I get the pictures I'll post them here. And yes I did spend time with my mother.
1. The headboard is still in storage. I checked on it the other day and aside from it looking a little lonely it was none the worse for wear given that it hasn't been touched since fall.
2. The chest of drawers in the garage is still there and still full of model parts. Honestly I'm not sure I'm going to touch that one for several good reasons most of which have to do with not having places to put said model parts.
3. The S-10. This one actually did get some work. I managed to replace the brakes - I hate drum brakes - and the belt and she got a much needed bath although the birds have since left their marks. All that's left aside from another couple of bathes are the door hinges and then removing the old stickers before she can go onto the market. I'm going to miss this old truck.
I did spend this Mother's Day weekend working on some projects from work. When I get the pictures I'll post them here. And yes I did spend time with my mother.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Shake the dust off
Welcome back sports fans. Clearly it's been a long time since I've posted anything on this blog. What can I say? Northwest winters and early spring weather aren't exactly conducive to projects when you've got to work outside - outside outside not outside in a garage or shed.
And of course real life is going on at the moment with the spring rowing season ramping itself up for a chaotic two month stretch. We train for 10 months for 2 months of racing and that's stretching it out. Typically we're talking maybe a month and a half. Dedication.
So what's on the project list?
1. The headboard for my bed. That needs to come out of the storage area and get finished. I've decided that I'm going to skip building a frame and instead settle on getting a metal frame plus a box frame. I've spent my spare moments trying to design the rest of the frame for the bed and I'm either not pleased with the results or the thing would be so big and awkward that I'd probably need to wait till I was in my next apartment/house before starting it.
2. The wood chest in the garage. I'm going to clean it out - it's full of old model parts and such from my days as a young boy - and look into replacing the handles on it with some fancy knobs. This is a very low intensity project but it's one that will be easy to finish.
3. My old Chevy S-10. I need to replace the front brakes, fix a slow leak in the rear axle, put on a new belt and replace the hinges in the door. Despite the complexity that this list lends itself to, the door hinges will be the hardest part and they are relatively easy. Then it needs to be washed something fierce and then get sold.
So that's the project list for now. Stay tuned!
And of course real life is going on at the moment with the spring rowing season ramping itself up for a chaotic two month stretch. We train for 10 months for 2 months of racing and that's stretching it out. Typically we're talking maybe a month and a half. Dedication.
So what's on the project list?
1. The headboard for my bed. That needs to come out of the storage area and get finished. I've decided that I'm going to skip building a frame and instead settle on getting a metal frame plus a box frame. I've spent my spare moments trying to design the rest of the frame for the bed and I'm either not pleased with the results or the thing would be so big and awkward that I'd probably need to wait till I was in my next apartment/house before starting it.
2. The wood chest in the garage. I'm going to clean it out - it's full of old model parts and such from my days as a young boy - and look into replacing the handles on it with some fancy knobs. This is a very low intensity project but it's one that will be easy to finish.
3. My old Chevy S-10. I need to replace the front brakes, fix a slow leak in the rear axle, put on a new belt and replace the hinges in the door. Despite the complexity that this list lends itself to, the door hinges will be the hardest part and they are relatively easy. Then it needs to be washed something fierce and then get sold.
So that's the project list for now. Stay tuned!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Inspired
I spent the last few days up in Port Angeles with my friend Kristin aka KK if you've checked out the blog. The majority of the time I was up there we were working on puzzles, drinking strong cups of tea or coffee, cooking for each other or spending some time outdoors but we did get into a rather heavy discussion of remodeling her house.
KK is a park ranger and she is provided government housing. I'm not sure if government housing always looks like this but this house was awesome in a very eclectic way. It reminded me a lot of my dad's place in California with multiple versions of wood paneling strewn throughout the house, some old cabinets with odd fitting doors and beautiful wood beams covered by paint. Over all it's a very charming house with new windows and appliances but it could use some work. Ok a lot of work.
Sunday night we wandered through the house, first on a tour and second a more in depth look at what she had, knocking and pressing on the wooden panels, talking excitedly about what could come down or go up, scraping corners of paint with sandpaper to find out what was underneath and in general mentally tearing the house apart to start over.
Since it is government housing there were some guidelines she needed to follow. The first was that it had to look good. The second was that this wasn't always going to be her house so there was some stuff she didn't want to invest in. Thirdly and probably more important, money and time. I told her that it's always tempting to start in the kitchen but that she should start in the bedroom or bathroom - smaller places - so she could get an idea of what renovating felt like. The last thing, the very last thing you want to do is tear something apart and realize that it's harder than you thought it was - it always is - and that you don't have the time to do it - you never do - and that you can't use the space you're currently renovating. People get divorces over renovation projects and while I'm sure her dog Coho won't leave her, renovation always sounds fun on the surface but once you get started, it doesn't always remain so. And while she is closer to town - 20 miles rather than 40 minutes - the closest Home Depot is another 20 minutes beyond Port Angeles. That puts quite a crimp in a quick run to the store if needed and Port Angeles is a unique town having no box stores like most cities/towns so you can't run to Fred Meyer or Bi-Mart in a pinch. All things that you must take into consideration.
That all being said - I think warning people before they start is a good thing - renovation can be a lot of fun especially if you've got the drive to do it. It'll also be a lot more fun when it's not 30 degrees outside but that's another story. I showed her pictures of what I did in California to my dad's place and she really liked it. I did let her know that we had some driving motivation for that house.
1. Time. I couldn't be away for a long time - 6 weeks was pushing it - so I came down and after an initial planning phase, starting in on it. And I got to dedicate whole days to what I was doing rather than working then coming home to work.
2. Good news. Everything that could have gone right for me did go right. I had a friend and my mom helping me out, keeping me sane. The inspections on the house revealed very little in the way of what needed to be done. Everything that could have and probably should have set us back didn't. The roof was in great condition, the walls were sound and the insulation was excellent, the plumbing was in good shape, the water heater simply needed to be replaced, the windows were the only source of heat/cold loss, etc.
3. Money. I had access to a ton of money so when it came to a hidden cost or needing supplies or something on the fly I simply had to pull out the wallet. I think this is the key to any renovation. You know there will be hidden costs - or you should - and you know things will take longer than expected but having the money makes it so much easier. I didn't run into a problem where things came to a stop because the money wasn't there. 8 new light fixtures, extra gallons of paint, new hardware, whatever it was, out came the wallet.
So having talked with KK about renovating her house I told her that if I don't get another job this summer, I could come up and live with her and help her renovate her house while she is at work. Despite the work and frustration from that summer, I did really enjoy working on my dad's place and looking at the pictures or having people rave about how the house looks from the before and after brings a certain amount of pride to the table.
KK is a park ranger and she is provided government housing. I'm not sure if government housing always looks like this but this house was awesome in a very eclectic way. It reminded me a lot of my dad's place in California with multiple versions of wood paneling strewn throughout the house, some old cabinets with odd fitting doors and beautiful wood beams covered by paint. Over all it's a very charming house with new windows and appliances but it could use some work. Ok a lot of work.
Sunday night we wandered through the house, first on a tour and second a more in depth look at what she had, knocking and pressing on the wooden panels, talking excitedly about what could come down or go up, scraping corners of paint with sandpaper to find out what was underneath and in general mentally tearing the house apart to start over.
Since it is government housing there were some guidelines she needed to follow. The first was that it had to look good. The second was that this wasn't always going to be her house so there was some stuff she didn't want to invest in. Thirdly and probably more important, money and time. I told her that it's always tempting to start in the kitchen but that she should start in the bedroom or bathroom - smaller places - so she could get an idea of what renovating felt like. The last thing, the very last thing you want to do is tear something apart and realize that it's harder than you thought it was - it always is - and that you don't have the time to do it - you never do - and that you can't use the space you're currently renovating. People get divorces over renovation projects and while I'm sure her dog Coho won't leave her, renovation always sounds fun on the surface but once you get started, it doesn't always remain so. And while she is closer to town - 20 miles rather than 40 minutes - the closest Home Depot is another 20 minutes beyond Port Angeles. That puts quite a crimp in a quick run to the store if needed and Port Angeles is a unique town having no box stores like most cities/towns so you can't run to Fred Meyer or Bi-Mart in a pinch. All things that you must take into consideration.
That all being said - I think warning people before they start is a good thing - renovation can be a lot of fun especially if you've got the drive to do it. It'll also be a lot more fun when it's not 30 degrees outside but that's another story. I showed her pictures of what I did in California to my dad's place and she really liked it. I did let her know that we had some driving motivation for that house.
1. Time. I couldn't be away for a long time - 6 weeks was pushing it - so I came down and after an initial planning phase, starting in on it. And I got to dedicate whole days to what I was doing rather than working then coming home to work.
2. Good news. Everything that could have gone right for me did go right. I had a friend and my mom helping me out, keeping me sane. The inspections on the house revealed very little in the way of what needed to be done. Everything that could have and probably should have set us back didn't. The roof was in great condition, the walls were sound and the insulation was excellent, the plumbing was in good shape, the water heater simply needed to be replaced, the windows were the only source of heat/cold loss, etc.
3. Money. I had access to a ton of money so when it came to a hidden cost or needing supplies or something on the fly I simply had to pull out the wallet. I think this is the key to any renovation. You know there will be hidden costs - or you should - and you know things will take longer than expected but having the money makes it so much easier. I didn't run into a problem where things came to a stop because the money wasn't there. 8 new light fixtures, extra gallons of paint, new hardware, whatever it was, out came the wallet.
So having talked with KK about renovating her house I told her that if I don't get another job this summer, I could come up and live with her and help her renovate her house while she is at work. Despite the work and frustration from that summer, I did really enjoy working on my dad's place and looking at the pictures or having people rave about how the house looks from the before and after brings a certain amount of pride to the table.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Cripes, he's gotten industrious
So noticing that my head board project is on hold till it gets warm enough to work on it again - I don't have the shop space to finish sanding and staining - I've decided to take a look at this chest that I've owned since I was a little tyke. It's not really serving any purpose other than a landing spot for a lot of tools but it used to house all my clothing, complete with pictures of what was supposed to go in each drawer. It was my mom's idea and it didn't really work that well since I wasn't exactly a laundry person and stuffed everything I could into a single drawer. That's all since changed.
What inspired me was wandering through Anthropologie with a friend yesterday looking for random Christmas gifts when I stumbled upon a rack full of knobs and handles for chests and drawers. And while the prices were a bit extreme - $8 bucks for a tiny handle! - I was thinking back to this chest and it's rather plain looking standard wooden knobs. Interesting...an idea forms. So today I decided that I would tear through this chest and empty it out of all sort of random odds and ends - it kind of became a hobby chest full of my old trains - and see if it were possible to replace the handles with something more stylish.
What inspired me was wandering through Anthropologie with a friend yesterday looking for random Christmas gifts when I stumbled upon a rack full of knobs and handles for chests and drawers. And while the prices were a bit extreme - $8 bucks for a tiny handle! - I was thinking back to this chest and it's rather plain looking standard wooden knobs. Interesting...an idea forms. So today I decided that I would tear through this chest and empty it out of all sort of random odds and ends - it kind of became a hobby chest full of my old trains - and see if it were possible to replace the handles with something more stylish.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
The Bed Frame pt. 7
It's been a very long time since I've updated this blog but that's most because I've had nothing to update it with. The bed frame has taken a back seat to coaching - as do most projects - and the weather around here certainly hasn't helped much. It's been nice the last couple of days but that's due to change soon so it's a matter of finding a way to finish up as much as I can before things get really bad outside.
The task list:
1. Sand down and apply a second coat of stain to the posts
2. Sand and stain the head board.
3. Sand and apply a second coat of stain to the head board.
Really what's slowed things down is the head board. I'm really not looking forward to trying to stain that piece with the grains of the wood running several different directions and it looking like I might need to add a couple extra pieces so I can avoid having any dark spots on the cut wood.
I've also decided to use a different brush to apply the stain and have moved over to foam brushes hoping that this will help make things a little more even. I've also considered using a rag but this stain seems to resist pretty much every solvent made to clean it up.
Hopefully next week with us moving over to winter practice where I get a little more time and things are less stressful I'll be able to knock out at least the posts and then look at designing the remaining bed parts.
The task list:
1. Sand down and apply a second coat of stain to the posts
2. Sand and stain the head board.
3. Sand and apply a second coat of stain to the head board.
Really what's slowed things down is the head board. I'm really not looking forward to trying to stain that piece with the grains of the wood running several different directions and it looking like I might need to add a couple extra pieces so I can avoid having any dark spots on the cut wood.
I've also decided to use a different brush to apply the stain and have moved over to foam brushes hoping that this will help make things a little more even. I've also considered using a rag but this stain seems to resist pretty much every solvent made to clean it up.
Hopefully next week with us moving over to winter practice where I get a little more time and things are less stressful I'll be able to knock out at least the posts and then look at designing the remaining bed parts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)