Nb "Shropshire Lass"
Anyone who's done one of Terry's popular RYA accredited hemlsmans courses on "Shropshire Lass" will have noticed that she's started to look a bit tired recently. I've been asked to smarten her up with a paint job.
These jobs being all about the preparation i think well forget about sanding for the moment and start with a hammer and chisel!!
Removing all the windows and cabin fixtures for the first time in decades exposes some exciting rusty bits.... luckily the toy box is well stocked with a variety of abrasives to play with!!
Preparation
develops into a two man job and "Electra's" captain (formerly of the
black pearl) has come over to join in the fun at Stafford Boat Clubs
excellent wet dock
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| Luckily the dressing up box contains plenty of dust masks! |
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| Former "Black Pearl" captain still looks like a pirate! |
Large portions of the boat were completely stripped back to the bare metal before sanding could begin.
After five days of rubbing down, the wet dock was a good inch deep in dust and rust. It made sense to pull the boat out and hose the dock down so that the painting could begin.
I use the traditional coach painting technique of brushing on and sanding down between coats by hand.
Especially on older boats, working with a three inch brush enables you to quickly and efficiently paint large areas with much better coverage than a roller.
The finish between coats is also much better, meaning that you don't fall into the trap of sanding off all the paint you've just applied before the next coat. More efficient use of paint coupled with cleaning and re-using your brushes and not having dozens of rollers to discard arguably make this a more environmentally friendly way of tackling a paint job.
With the cabin sides nearing completion its time for a touch of the signwriters art. Trevor Counsell has signwritten boats in his own distinctive style for years, and is something of an institution on the "Shroppie".
In this case Terry just wanted plain lettering. To see some of Trevor's fabulous shading look at the Nb"Owl" post on this blog.
Could do with corporal Jones shouting "DONT PANIC" whilst carefully removing the masking tape from the finished coach line. Any cock ups in the preparation will bite you back at this moment as the top coat can be pulled off with the tape.... Both sides were unmasked without any problems!
Windows and cabin fixtures refitted the boat is ready to go the evening before the dock has to be vacated.
New Chromed vents and deck boards complement the shiny new paintwork.
I hope the next few training courses manage to steer away from the bushes Terry!
