It's almost over. 12 July 2008, #10 of 12

January found me sanding. And sanding, but more on that later.

Now I was ready for the staining. I spent from the 4th of March until the 12th of April testing by trail and error the color of different stains I wanted to use. I stained and varnished samples by the dozen.

I finally had the color I wanted. The planks on the right would turn out the way I wanted them to.

While I was sampling, I was doing other things, like rebuilding the engine, new wiring inside the boat, working on the trailer, I spent from 9 Jan 2008 to 8 July 2008 sanding the hull. It had to be perfectly smooth. If I didn’t do this right, all the rest of the work would be in vain. I would sand for an hour, my arms got tired, then go do something else for awhile. This was all hand sanding with a long board, first vertical with 60 grit, then 80 grit. Then horizontal with 80 grit to sand out the vertical lines, then 100 grit sandpaper. I would draw lines with a lead pencil all over the planks about an inch apart. Then when I sanded, the high points would be removed and erase the lines leaving the low places with lines. That is why it took 6 months!

Finally on 9 July I applied the stain to the hull sides. They would be stained and varnished first because I had the boat jacked up high. Later I would set the boat on the floor and do the deck.

The staining took six hours. The next day I applied CEPS as a sealer. The next day the first of 14 coats of varnish. I varnished in the cool morning before breakfast. Leave the shop for 2 or 3 hours until the coat was tack free. Then I would go back and work on other things. Early the next morning I had to lightly sand the previous coat, wipe it down with a solvent and apply another coat.

I tried three methods of applying the varnish. A special $35 brush that is never washed, just put overnight in kerosene. I tried spaying. I had 10 coats to experiment on. The brush left little hairs and varnish residue. The spraying was either too dry and left a sandpaper feel, or to wet and it sagged and ran terribly. And it took two coats to hid the sag or run. My final and best method was cheap 99 cent 4 inch throw away foam brushes.

It took 4 coats before it started looking like this.

More sanding, more coats.

I was only going to put on 12 coats, but the 12th and 13th were not perfect. Number 14 was.

I lowered the boat to the floor and installed the deck molding.

Then sanded everything perfect, including the bull nose.

Then the stain, 12 coats, you know the drill.

It is now 7 September 2008.

I am now going to digress and show you other things that I was doing in my spare time. You know, while the varnish was drying.

Rebuild the carburetor.

The engine. Disassembled and rebuilt, including more power and painting.

The last picture, it is ready to start on the bench.

Seats. I had them done by my friend Ray’s Upholstery. This a before.

Whoops, the piano is a different ptoject. The finished seats will be seen at the end.

Chrome was done by Rayco in Rigby. This is the before photo.

Gauges. I did these myself. The tach (not pictured here) was sent to Clawson Classic Instruments in Washington. You will see it in the finale.

Next time I'll start with the carpet.