Suzuki 2 1/2 HP Visual Inspection

 25 Nov 21:

A few things to look at before performing annual maintenance on our Suzuki 2 1/2, including reasons as to why a motor won't start.

Broken Trailer Light Wire

 25 Nov 21:

The little shop stool WALDO helped.

We plan a more in depth post on trailer lighting and a few other trailer tips, coming soon. Meanwhile here is a  video. https://youtu.be/oXflO5ajVEs

Flex Tape PVC Repair

 25 Nov 21:

I repaired a broken PVC guide post light bracket with Flex Tape. Should hold up great.

Carriage House Outfitting

25 Nov 21:

We started finding places for tools and materials in the Carriage House. First spot was for the pencil sharpener.

Found a spot for the John Gardner Boat Shop Stool templates.

Handy spot for battery chargers, so they don't take up shelf or workbench space. 

There's a flow of work in the shop, and this may be how we lay out the tools and materials. 

Folding tables make flexible work benches, outfeed tables and tool holders, but they take up a lot of space. 

Log of the Carriage House. 

Pralines

 25 Nov 21:

Skipper made 5 pralines...

Christmas Yard Art

 25 Nov 21:

First test for the Carriage House, we cut out some 1/2 inch marine ply that will be painted and added to the yard art Christmas Train. This year we'll add a Seaboard Railroad diesel engine and a Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Post Office (RPO), with proper Christmas colors.

Later I borrowed Skipper's mower and wagon while she wasn't looking and hauled the train out to the front yard. 

Lawn Mower Front Hitch

 26 Nov 21:

Here's a good shot of the hitch we added to Skipper's mower. It's working out great.

Wilcox and Crittenden Bronze Bits

 23 Nov 21:

We bought some bronze, the halyard block and cleat came off of an Alcort Sunfish, so we knew it was made by Wilcox and Crittenden. The pleasant surprise was the other batch that showed up, it was W&C as well. Our plan is to use the bronze on our catboat, the turnbuckle for a forestay, and the jam cleat and block maybe for the gaff rig. Sprayed the turnbuckle with WD40 and it turns freely.

Tiedown Strap Test Run Take 2

 24 Nov 21:

We needed to clear out the flotsam from our recent boat yard project so it was a good time for another test run for the new tiedown straps.

The straps were easy to use and got speed checked up to 55 mph. All good. The recessed tiedowns are working great as well. I feel connected to my days flying my UH-1N utility helicopter, it was loaded with tiedowns and straps and was easily converted for multiple missions. 

SUPER POKEY Tow Vehicle Tail Light Wiring

 23 Nov 21:

Our Thor Daybreak 22DB tow vehicle SUPER POKEY had some issues with her tail lights, one had moisture intrusion inside the light assembly and the other was that one assembly was wired wrong. So much for quality control at the light manufacturer and the RV plant. 

We checked around to get it fixed, turns out that neither the chassis manufacturer or the coach manufacturer could get around to even checking the issue until 2022. So I took matters into my own hands and ordered new tail lights. The old lights had 8 wires and the new lights, from the same manufacturer, had 6 wires. 

Luckily a wiring scheme was available.

Through the process of deduction I ganged up the grounds, and guessed that black equalled purple on one wire. The I dusted off my Marine Corps Avionics Technician skills and did what I could to the wire bundle.

So far the dim/running, high/brake and reverse lights seem to be working properly when selected.

Now maybe we can get the State vehicle inspection signed off and SUPER POKEY will be back in the mix for tow vehicle duties.

Carriage House Window Installation

23 Nov 21:

Buy a new shed and immediately cut holes in the wall, makes sense, right? We used a cordless circular saw to get as straight a line as we could, then the sawzall to cut the studs. Once the 32x36 hole was cut we added back new studs for framing the sides of the window. In this photo we still need to add a horizantal framing piece above and below the window, which involves trimming the old studs a little. 

At Galloping Horse Marine Construction, even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then. Our goal was to get the new window framing mostly square and level, with the knowledge that the new window can be adjusted a bit during final installation. 

With the first window installed we added a second stud to offset, then cut the next hole. The old piece of wallboard is being saved for possible use as shelving.

All the cuts could be made with hand saws or portable tools, but we rolled out the sliding bevel to make a nice square cut on the new framing pieces.

Second window framed and taped with Pella window tape, that helps create a weatherproof seal around the framing before the window is installed, The bottom horizontal strip of tape is added first, then the sides, then the top, so that there is an overlap that helps moisture flow down and away from the exposed framing. 

The windows have nailing/screw holes on the outer flange, we used exterior grade wood deck screws to secure the windows. 

More Pella window tape was applied to the exterior, trim and silicone caulk will follow.  The window placement nestled nicely just under the roof's drip edge

A small folding card table is always useful, in this case to keep the many tools corralled and handy. 

It is a given that the shop will never be as neat and tidy as this ever again, at least that is our hope. Every shop has stories to tell, and we are excited to start telling those stories. The little waxed canvas tool tote just showed up in the mail from the WoodenBoat Store, it got pressed into service almost immediately. Skipper got a canvas version that she says she might use as a purse, but I'm hoping it becomes a snack bag.

Through serendipity our workbench top sits level with the bottom frame of the window, exactly what we hoped for. This shed has 6 foot walls topped by a barn style roof, our preference would have been 8 foot walls but with pandemic material and labor shortages we were happy to get this shed in a timely fashion.

The Usual Visitors keeping an eye on happenings.

So at the end of Day 1 Window Install we were thinking, wow, look at all the windows! Anyone can see right inside now and see all of Skipper's tools...so I found an old Sunfish sail to fill in as a curtain.

I kind of like the look but Skipper wants blinds eventually.

When I first built the workbench from scraps I varnished the top, thinking that I would keep it nice and clean and pretty. That lasted about a day. Our Shop Rules require that any spilled paint be turned into Sunfish logos. Speaking of scraps, we decided that the workbench should be named either SCRAPS or Dave, because our friend Dave asked what the name of the workbench was.

Shop stool WALDO sighting.

Day 2 of windows, the third window is installed.

We had rain all day, so stud cutting and hole boring was accomplished inside the shop, somewhat of a Carpenter's Christening. My paternal Grandfather was a woodworker in his spare time, and my Father a Ship's Carpenter in the Navy. Capn Jack also was a maritime woodworker in the hobby sense, along with Skipper's maternal grandparents, so when the woodworking tools get pulled out we always feel a connection with family. 

Log of the Carriage House. 

Tuesday Tool Of The Week: Ratcheting Brace with Auger Bit

 22 Nov 21:

We needed to drill some holes so I comshawed Skipper's ratcheting brace and auger bits.  Of course I first tried to cut the hole with a burnt up spade bit. Skipper inherited the brace from her Grandpa, and it has been passed along to our son, so it has been used by 4 generations now.

The brace drill can ratchet either way, for use in tight corners, or can be locked.

A shop tip is to drill most of the way through on one side, stop and feel for the pilot screw to come out the other side, then flip the piece and finish the hole in the opposite direction. This eliminates tearout. 

Tuesday Tool Of The Week.