Almost done....
And Finished! First coat on the other sides.
With opening the primer can so frequently, the garage sink does get used. That little brush I've been using for primer just might not take another brushing. That primer dries so quick and so hard that I have to use an old kitchen sponge with the one side that has that scraper stuff on it? You know like a pot scrubber, but not steel wool or metal? Yeah. That's what I have to use on my hands to get any primer off. And only with WARM water. After only a few minutes.
The brush gets cleaned with running warm water and a scrub brush shaped like a wire brush. Thereafter, every about three cleanings, it requires a lacquer thinner soak and toothbrush cleaning with LT or mineral spirits, to loosen the dried primer on the brush after just those few minutes.
So I like cleaning brushes after bronze paint and poly because they're mineral based.
But it's easy for a homeowner to get a little sloppy with the environment. And there's a lot of us out there, so I try to do my part. Besides it's cheaper.
So I save my used thinner/mineral spirits. Rather than take it outside somewhere like so many maybe still do, I use it as sparingly as possible and keep the used in a covered can. You can see it there mid photo on the left. The lid kind of says "Thinner".
I pour a little fresh thinner in a pan each use. I use that for small cloth dabs throughout the application process, maybe a little splat on the wrong surface, or on a piece of trim, or on your hand. I use my "once-used hand drying paper towels" for those jobs.
So I have a pan of clean solvent handy, and it doesn't take much. Next I pour carefully off the top of the used thinner. Much of the sediment sinks to the bottom, so if you don't stir it up, it collects. Pour the good stuff (although darkened) off the top into a second pan. Every once in awhile carefully pour off most or all and dump the sediment into the garbage can to harden and absorb into your "previously-used, previously-used" paper towels. Not too much to overwhelm what garbage you have in there.
Wipe out the can with some more paper towels and clean the brush.
Rinse good first in the darker used stuff. Drain the brush good by gently pressing it against the pan sides. Then do the same in the clean stuff and let it sit, brush side down, in a protected spot until next time. I like brush down because "brush up" can create hardening properties toward the handle side, in effect ruining the brush. I like it down. Much of this could cause debate.
The two stage bath seems to really keep the use of cleaning solvents to a reasonable level. Much of the thinner evaporates, not necessarily a GOOD thing for our environment, but I live here too and have to do something. But we try to reduce consumption and try to increase re-use and recycle. Here's our attempt - and it works pretty good. We have another process for aluminum and cardboard as they are bulkier.
This has been today's public service announcement. What else did I do?
Well for one I built a floor. The raised dinette could be one of several designs.
First it could be screwed down tight as original. With the pedestal hole in it's middle, screwed down would be the strongest method for keeping the table non-floppy.
Second, I could latch tight the front and hinge the rear. Then with the pedestal removed I could lift the whole thing and take me a gander at the whole works. But the table might wobble, and I can take a gander with just a little more effort in the first method.
Third, I could fasten tight the right side 2/3's and hinge the left side 1/3 (while facing it) for storage access. Best of both worlds? But it's only 1/2" plywood. See it seems the seam would sag. That's my tongue twister of the day.
No I didn't want my underfoot feeling soft structurally - soft floor covering okay, something for the little tootsies in the cool mornings with coffee, but soft structurally? Not so much.
So I chose the first method, being the simplest. And there is storage access through the pop-off door. I expect water bottles or shoes. And since we are trying to remove as much plastic from our use as possible, I think our old method of hauling drinking water by purchasing cases of those awful water bottle is going to change. So cheap, so easy, and sooooo much plastic entering our world! But I have a couple of really cool ideas for filtering our city/tank water for drinking and cooking. I let you in on it some day in Fresh Water.
So I found the dinette floor board and made an examination. Why not re-use it if it's in good shape? Your first fear with something like this part is a bad sag or bow in the wood. This one didn't have that.
First step, lift the staples.
Next, remove the staples from the gimp.
45+ years of foot traffic debris and spilled breakfast. We remove shoes in our home. The camper will be no different - at least here in the carpeted lounge area. The galley is a kitchen. You have to have ability to wear shoes in the kitchen. But here, in the more private living quarters? In the dinette/living room/lounge/study/guest room portion of our greatroom, one must remove their shoes. We'll choose a nice carpet in a complimentary color to the rest of the furnishings.
Today's plywood on top. Notice the similarities between the old and new even after 45+ years? Think they look so similar when it comes to products like - ohhhh - durable goods? Refrigerators for example? No, I think not. But don't get me started on Kenmore again. Not if we want to keep our blood-pressures under control. Oooooooommmmm.
I ran a belt sander over the surfaces. Cut the widths 3/16" smaller all the way around to make space for carpet rounded over the edge and stapled to the underside. Ran course paper over the edges and rounded the corners.
Test fit it.
Yeah. That'll work!
