Shepherds Hut

Shepherds Hut

Thanks to everyone for looking at and sharing my blog posts to date. After a busy year of work (not to mention some unprecedented global upheaval) someone has spotted my activities and engaged me in a new kind of project... 

I am constructing a shepherds Hut.

 It seems that the temptation to hide from the options of soft or hard boiled Brexit as waves of eggy Trumps roll in across the Atlantic, has made the alternative of sitting in a pre industrial shelter in the middle of a field  an attractive enough proposition to provide me with my latest endeavour in work!

The design is carefully and precisely worked out on the back of a napkin. Always the professional I mopped up the spilled beer and pork scratching crumbs from the table to ensure the highest level of precision.

 

Local metal sculptor Julian Childs has provided me with a very high quality steel chassis on traditional cast iron wheels.

Beautiful attention to detail includes scrolled beams and seperate fixings for floor bearers to avoid drilling into the chassis itself.  

 I dismantled  the chassis upon delivery to paint it and thoroughly grease all the friction surfaces

Painting the underside of the floor for longevity before turning over the sheets.

Cavity insulation under the floor will ensure toasty toes when sat in peaceful refuge from the bizarre developments in the world outside!

Unfortunately too cold for the leotard, my beautiful assistant casually models these solid oak double glazed windows. Thanks to lovely Gaynor in Much Wenlock for offering these on Gumtree... I think they will look good in their new home.

 In creating the solid but light superstructure I stick to screws rather than nails, and reacquaint myself with my old ally... Thixotropic PU woodglue. Cant escape those boatbuilding habits I'm afraid... Then again I'm aiming for quality and longevity rather than the bog standard "shed on wheels!"

More insulation and the hut begins to take shape.

  

The first milestone is achieved with covering the entire structure in a breathable waterproof membrane, and the fixing of the traditional "wriggly tin" roof.

Look out for the next post in the new year... progress to include the huts' fancy lining, woodburner, and twiddly bits!

Please like and share as lets face it... even my wittering has got to be better than reading the news!X

 

NB "Kelsarusue"

Kelsarusue

So begins another post about boat painting...

 Please feel free to browse the extensive archive on my blog which outline my method and working practises.. 

Kelsarusue is the pride and joy of an experienced boating couple from the black country, and my most recent endeavour. Superficially in reasonable condition, bitter experience meant that what I uncovered during preparation was no surprise!

Removal of all the windows and cabin fixtures revealed this lot:

 

"Rust Rust Glorious Rust, Sand it or Scrape it Remove it you Must!"

A week of solid graft usually sees the back of this demanding but necessary part of the job.
 Between sanding, grinding, scraping, shouting and clawing at the surface with fingernails the stuff comes off..

 Trust and honesty are essential between client and customer in any job, but particularly in the cottage industry of narrowboat painting. The Mrs found a consumer website the other day which appeared to diagnose me as a "Cowboy Painter" on the basis that I required a deposit before starting work, wore trainers, and did not have headed note paper!
To say that I was rather pleased is an understatement, as I've always loved westerns... All I need is a holster for my paintbrush!

Whilst applying the first of six coats of paint (for those that followed the link I made sure to hide the tins of cheap paint I'd poured into the empty expensive tins the night before)...  I just had to get rid of those bloody spurs 'cos they just kept making this damned distracting jangling noise.

Getting the coachlines straight is pretty crucial otherwise my scam will be blown and the Sherrif will run me out of town..
 


  

 Coat number three and the dock is providing adequate protection from the tumble weeds careering down the dirt road outside.

Three coats of gloss later and the undercoated coachlines unmask perfectly, I'll have to keep my head down... don't want to get a bad reputation with any of the other outlaws in this territory!

 Gasping to hit the saloon I resist, and steal myself with a steady hand to mask out the coachlines again top and bottom before chucking on two coats of cheap gloss with an old brush that used to belong to a fella I shot once.

The Sign Writing talents of the notorious outlaw Trevor Counsell lend a stunning finishing touch to this act of total deception, notice i have taken care not to show his face as he's been on the run for over sixty years and is wanted DEAD OR ALIVE!
 

Pride in the Boat restored its time to mosey on out of town. 

Thanks to Kelvin and Sue for being fantastic customers.

To all those thinking of embarking on a boat revamp beware, the cook at the saloon swears by the old addage "cheap goods no good, good goods no cheap".  In the unregulated wild west of the narrowboat world you pay your money and take your choice. Whether you get John Wayne or Jimmy Stewart to do your job for you you can only be really certain of one thing...
They are a bloody Cowboy!

 

Boat Blacking

Boat Blacking

Time to engage in the thankless labour of love that is "Blacking the Bottom" on our own boat Barden!

Earlier in the year we had the boat hauled out at Stafford Boat Clubs super slipway for a week. The actual state of the bottom is always a mystery and the subject of much conjecture until the hidden part of the hull finally emerges from the murky depths!

Thankfully we had nothing to worry about in terms of corrosion which can happen... even on boats that are only 4 years old!

Unlike normal boat jobs I was being managed by the Mrs on this one... and meeting her exacting standards is tough I can tell you!

Not content with the generally accepted approach of pressure washing the hull and chucking some bitumen on then going to the pub, my itinerary comprised the following:

1. Pressure wash the hull

2. Scrape the hull by hand to remove remaining algae

3. Wire brush the whole lot with 2 grades of wire brush attached to big angle grinders (a day of this results in feeling what I imagine it must be like to have been trampled by a herd of cows!)

4. Cut off part worn anodes, re-weld on at intervals in middle of boat

5. Fork out for and weld on NEW anodes bow and stern

6.Prepare and paint counter bands and gunwhales.

7. Three coats of Intertuf whacked on with a 4" brush!

 

 

As is customary when blacking, a bit of a helping hand from family or mates was called upon.... in our case Brother in law Neil popped down to both muck in, and mediate!

 

 With good humour and high morale the job was SLAIN! A real labour of love it is though... Its a tough job to do properly, not to mention being lucky with the weather! 

The sense of satisfaction is immense once the boat is back in, not to mention the way the boat slips swiftly through the water on the return trip with a nice slick clean bottom!!!

Fantastic!!