Today - Continued poly application and orange interior painting, entry door, window screens, smoke detector.
I went out to the trailer and used the oscillating tool on some ceiling and cabinet wood for 120 Volt electrical purposes, and generally made a mess for DW to vacuum up. Of course I had to empty the shop vac after SHE continued filling it LAST time. We'll yes, it was I who had mostly filled it with patio leaves and debris before SHE ever got HER hands on it, but still... So there's that.
Anyway, I finished up my job and gave over the trailer to her. She vacuumed that mess and got back to putting up wet stuff, starting with a little more orange on those spots still showing the white primer through. Then she did the drawers and these little kick stands I made for the cabinet doors, seeing as how they are hinged on top, unlike Lil' Queeny's opposite design where they hang.
Here's what she found at the store.
First try. She loved it - for the ceiling. So she didn't get the vintage camper restore experience I got with Lil' Queeny, where I became "one with Queeny" in that as Queeny got covered in poly, so did I - up to my elbows. No, DW didn't get that!
And she put it on with this.
Oh she still uses a brush! That's two days out there now - all day long! 95 degrees. But it's a dry heat - and Tow-Mater sits under some shade trees, and about 5000 Robins and their "new this year" chicks, all eating these friggin' Choke Cherries and pooping purple poop!
Reminds my of a childhood poem my Mom used to say, "Thirty dirty purple birds, sitting on a curb, chirpin' and a burpin', and eating dirty worms!" Yeah baby!
Let's see, where was I? Oh yeah.
So while she poly-ed, I went shopping. That's the perks of the supervisor! Coffee, eggs, bananas, a prescript. A light switch. The kids are getting little tweaks we wouldn't do, you know like the silver instead of brass, modern over traditional - when it can be allowed, like for instance, finishing the original wood paneling can have touches of modern, but must remain traditional in character. So think Decora, over traditional light switch.
Now the white Decora light switches were only $2. Dark Bronze? $6. But the new nickle color -$8! See how the manufacturers do that to us? Supply and demand. They had white, but I bought nickle. It's our own faults, I tell you, our own faults! But oh how we love to blame others.
When I got home, DW was laying down on the job. Literally. She was on her back on the top bunk, applicator in hand and putting finish on the ceiling. Yeah, she has a similar problem with her vision as I do. Corrective lenses, and we can't see with 'em, and we can't see without 'em. It's hard to get a good finish when you paint and poly by feel!
At least she doesn't have to carry around the 60 watt light bulb in a mechanic's trouble light like I did with Lil' Queeny, and she has ventilation. Even so, she was pretty goofy later! Both days.
But no, she was still working hard all day. So I busied myself elsewhere. Starting with the window and door screen frames. Yeah, more wire brushing. Ugh!
Then I did the door screen first.
When I took it out to the camper, I looked at the entry door, pretty much for the first time. Oh we had seen it, we just hadn't examined it. Pretty good shape. It was easier to remove the two window sliders and get them on the bench to clean.
The rubber parts could all use replacement - windows too, but for now that gets left alone. All in all, the door is in good shape, and shuts well. I tightened screws and cleaned it (brass wire brush) and sprayed the movement parts with silicon spray. Check!
And then with the screen in.
And from the inside.
And with the screen in, windows opened. I love the window top down, bottom up feature! Ventilation pluses, as well as "who's there visuals".
Then I went in and did the rest of the screens.
And now that we are getting the interior to where it is, maybe I could throw out the removed ceiling wood I was saving for that "extra piecing" we might need. Keeping the Jeep top parts though. They'll be laying right there in 20 years, but the problem is, as soon as I toss them, I'll need a bit of clear vinyl for something. See what I'm up against? I had rubber bladders from two leaking water pressure tanks too (water well parts). I finally hauled them off last week. I'll be needing some thin rubber sheet now any day.
So end of day status on the wood finishing?
That's two applicator coats on the ceiling, and almost two brushed coats on the rest. The old dry wood is still sucking it up like crazy. DW will evaluate time available against need and do three coats where she can, but it's coming to a close. Then she'll move into the garage to get the doors and drawers, etc.
I'll move out to the trailer to start putting things back up.
But, the screens and windows are done! And the door!
And the smoke detector.
Countdown to camping - 4 days!
