We have been looking to add to our boating options

[zipper]

We are doing our own version of social distancing by working on the boat. Last year we bought two sheets of 1/2" 4' x 10' cherry/holly marine plywood to replace the main cabin sole. The existing is the original dark Mahogany/black with two of the biggest panels, in the galley and nav station, seen below, being a mismatched teak/black that was worn out. We have been wanting to lighten up the interior some as I already replaced the mahogany panel holding the radio's and AC & DC breaker panels with black cherry.







We brought the first two unfinished cherry/holly panels out to the boat for a test fit yesterday, replacing the teak/holly ones. One minor adjustment and it is good to add reinforcement, epoxy and poly.





I also brought the rest of the panels home to trace them out and replicate them.



This is the test of one coat of epoxy, after sanding, on the sole. I will be thinning the epoxy for application, so it my be just a little darker than the photo.



I really like the figuring in the cherry having a "quarter sawn" like finish during the veneer making process.

 

[tdonoughue]

Nice! Good distancing project!

I was just getting back to the board (after being very busy with all manner of things) and was just thinking.... I wonder what update @zipper will have. I am positively jealous of the look that all of the wood gives your boat. Absolutely beautiful. Not sure I would presently have enough time to keep up with replacing and refinishing it all, but the results when you do so are undeniable.

Sail on!

 

[zipper]

Interested to learn how the foam cutter works for you. I have heard mixed reviews...

The foam cutter worked well. The only hang ups are using the wheel base with the cutter across seams between the tables. It cut this 2" closed cell foam easily. Although it is obvious by the audio, she does speak fluent Sailor.

We went out to the boat today to test the fit of the first two cockpit cushions. They float, using closed cell foam, and can be tossed overboard to mark a position in case of a MOB event. They feel much nicer than parking my boney backside on teak and FRP.

 

[tdonoughue]

I turned off my music just to listen to the audio...

Thanks for the report! Does look very easy (other than the seam on the table thing). And good results on the craft. Nice.

 

[zipper]

I am glad I have boat projects to occupy my time during all this BS. I still need to sand a few edges to line up the stripes and make them fit perfectly, they fit great together on the saw horses. Not as great but not that bad on the boat, then make one new sole board that was an 1/8" too narrow, the big one in the galley, on the left. No big seam gaps. No problem, I have plenty left over. I think even this unfinished new cherry/holly sole looks better than what was there before. A few coats of West Systems 105/207 epoxy and then more coats of Epifanes 2-part satin polyurethane are going to look great.

New


Old worn out, chipped mismatch of teak and mahogany sole boards

 

[zipper]

With the deadline approaching for the stay at home order at 5PM today and my need to do another test fit of the sole panels, I went to the boat this afternoon. I brought both my belt and orbital sanders to make any last adjustments there. The lines match up and the panels fit well.
I can start the layering up of epoxy and polyurethane now



With little time left...at least I had my priorities straight. Boat first! Food and TP whenever.

 

[tdonoughue]

Purdy. Sorry to hear about the stay at home order. Houston & Harris County have it here, but we are just north of there. So I can still visit my baby (now that I have her back). Was debating going up tonight, but decided I am tired...

Anyway, good to see the progress!

 

[zipper]

I have a couple of related side projects going on in conjunction with the new Cherry sole. First one is a new Cherry cover on the liquor cabinet. The original was gone and a PO had made one from plywood. I don't like it. So I am making a new and improved one from a piece of dry Cherry I cut on my sawmill years ago, that will be reversible and have recesses on one side to prevent sliding stuff. Using the same finish as the sole panels, but I may use a glossy finish for this as the table around it is a gloss finish.



Top



Bottom



The other one is related directly to the new sole (floor). Three of the eight panels have S.S. pull-ups mounted flush with the top surface. I needed to make a modifiable jig to run the router in twice to make both of the rout outs so the hardware will fit.

The test fit panel, used both sides during the jig refinement. Fits good finally, leaving it just a bit proud.



This is the cut-out I copied.



The plywood square is the jig I will use to cut-out the 3 panels. Recycled it from the previous sole.



First panel pull installed in the real galley access panel, 2 more to go.

 

[Betik]

Purdy. Sorry to hear about the stay at home order. Houston & Harris County have it here, but we are just north of there. So I can still visit my baby (now that I have her back). Was debating going up tonight, but decided I am tired...

Anyway, good to see the progress!

Not to make anyone jealous or anything but I sleep 15 feet away from my boats stern

 

[tdonoughue]

Stay home order in effect here, now, too. So, definitely jealous, @Betik . Definitely.

 

[2kwik4u]

@zipper Your craftsmanship is amazing! These pieces look great. All your work looks great.

I really appreciate you taking the time to document and post your progress for the rest of us to vicariously through.

 

[zipper]

Made the Liquor cabinet cover, "The Bar". I always make test passes on scrap pieces of wood, except this time. And I paid for it. I started the routing of the underside of the cover and checked everything three times except the tightness of the collar holding the router bit. The bit started slipping out and before I knew it, I ruined the piece of Cherry. I went down to the barn to get more and start over. Good thing I have stockpile of dry hardwoods accumulated from my sawmill over the last 20 years.



Persistance and tightening the fricken bit paid off. Now to just finish sanding/shaping the cutouts and smooth out tool marks. The grain pattern was nicer on the original piece, but "shit happens", carry on.





Some will say why bother. Well, because I have to look at it and we have done so much re-woodwork already and I why let one ugly piece of "wood", poorly stained plywood, screw it all up. I think there is no questioning the difference, sand and finish with epoxy and poly.
But I need to go to the boat for a test fit first, which is hard to do with a stay at home order tightning today, no travel further than 10 mi. from your house for essentials.





It's the small things in life...

 

[zipper]

Willow finished making the cushions for the stern perch seats. She does not like how they turned out, I think they are great. I am putting snaps on the tabs to fasten the cushions to the seats.









And then screwing the other half of the snap to the bottom of the seat.

 

[tdonoughue]

On the cushions, if you have a thin piece of foam (say about 1/2") and add that in there, I bet that tightens right up and Willow will be happy. I'm on your side (I think they look great), but mom was a seamstress and reupholsterer... Learned a couple of tricks.

Too bad on the Cherry, but looks like excellent results in the end. Hope you get to test fit soon.

 

[tdonoughue]

I was thinking a 1/2 plate-type piece on top of the entire existing foam piece. The problem now is that you don't have foam 'pushing' out on the fabric enough, so the fabric looks loose.

Yeah, wait until she is gone...

 

[Scottintexas]

. I always make test passes on scrap pieces of wood, except this time. And I paid for it. I started the routing of the underside of the cover and checked everything three times except the tightness of the collar holding the router bit. The bit started slipping out and before I knew it, I ruined

Persistance and tightening the fricken bit paid off.

thank you for sharing the failures also, seeing the great work you accomplish and comparing it to some of my projects is very humbling but knowing your mistakes gives me attitude to try more,

When my daughter and i were learning skeet the gentleman who helped us and continually put up rounds of 25 straight told us "good shooters just make it look easy, you don't notice their focus and attention to detail they put into each shot that make it successful"

 

[zipper]

thank you for sharing the failures also, seeing the great work you accomplish and comparing it to some of my projects is very humbling but knowing your mistakes gives me attitude to try more,

When my daughter and i were learning skeet the gentleman who helped us and continually put up rounds of 25 straight told us "good shooters just make it look easy, you don't notice their focus and attention to detail they put into each shot that make it successful"

Everybody makes mistakes. Like the one I just made when Willow looked at my post above with @tdonoughue about waiting to do something until she was away. Even though it was a joke. Deleted that BIG mistake.

 

[zipper]

Day IDK of "Stay at home" order. Waiting on a mail order for another qt. of West Systems 105 and the Epifanes polyurethane Epifanes PUCS.750 Polyurethane Clear Satin 750g
So I have been wetsanding the 3-coats of epoxy smooth with 3m-400 w/d paper on all the cabin sole boards and the "bar" cover to prep for the poly. It is nice using the bathroom sink on the small pieces, a lot less mess.



It will match the cherry/holly sole's color and finish. The wetsanding will not take long. So...while I am waiting for shipment, I started a project I have had in the back of my mind for a year. I saw this come across my news feed a year ago. Folding Teak Dock Step
Well, yesterday I sketched out the design, and then a scaled drawing that I can pull dimensions from. It rained all day.



I went down to the wood shed, aka, hay loft, and cut and planed some cherry stock then went home to the jointer and chop saw, I need to put my "shop" in one room or building. Just starting the shaping of the stiles and rails.



This one is going to take some time as I am not a cabinet maker by trade. I think I need to go shopping or maybe just make jigs for mortise and tenon joints.

 

[2kwik4u]

@zipper What about Pocket Hole Construction. It's not quite as elegant as mortise/tenon joinery, but it's still pretty strong, and with some planning ahead it can be hidden fairly well. I use a Kreg Jig with a lot of my wood work (that isn't NEARLY as nice as yours), and it seems to work really well.

Just a thought.

 

[zipper]

@zipper What about Pocket Hole Construction. It's not quite as elegant as mortise/tenon joinery, but it's still pretty strong, and with some planning ahead it can be hidden fairly well. I use a Kreg Jig with a lot of my wood work (that isn't NEARLY as nice as yours), and it seems to work really well.

Just a thought.

Thanks, don't look too close. I have thought about Kreg system on other projects. I have an issue I guess with metal fasterers. I would like to do this one with as few as I can. IDK, I look at the oak frame put together with oak pegs that I live under and knowing it is strong into the wind. (60mph) last night. These steps are folding, many piano hinges, and will also be enclosed in epoxy/poly, to keep moisture out.