Day 402

Somehow today I found time to make the rest of the hatch locks, 17 to be exact. It's always easier if you "mass produce" something. Some of the handle lengths are longer or shorter, but basically they are all the same. My artistic rendering of the hull in the sand is to keep things in order.

Shown is one of the skylight hatch locks for the aft. I decided to make the handles in a way that it would be easier to reach as it is quite high. The bolts are just normal hexhead that can be ground smoothed to flow into the handle as shown the other day.

The latch plate was welded on to the bolt using an angled hole in a piece of wood, then the handles bent and added later.

Jig for smoothing locks


After some smoothing and polishing they look presentable. I could have taken them to a high polish but hey, they'll be covered with sticky fingerprints most of the time anyway so why bother? Oops! Forgot the ones I had in the dining area hatch! Guess those will have to wait until the next time I want to cover myself with black polishing goop.

We had originally decided my job for the day would be the remaining anchor roller pivot frame, which has been put off and put off for ever. Over the winter we found bits and pieces of it in the house, and the car, in the truck, and outside. It's amazing they were all re-united with such ease!

It took a couple of tries, not used to heavy SS welding anymore, but finally I managed to make something with right angles.

It even resembles the other one! A little grinding and polishing and they will need to have stickers saying "port" and "starboard".

I still need to figure out the bolt that will hold down the anchors. I had it all planned but can't find my notes on it.

Gena persisted in removing engine parts and painting them. I must admit they look much nicer painted blue. I can't understand why she doesn't paint them according to what they are. Red for hot things, black for oily things, green for watery things, yellow for expensive things... you get the idea.

I'd have to have pink in there somewhere lol. Maybe for the electrical things like the starter or alternator. I understand those parts. They would be pink for me. :)

Below is a stop solenoid ( see? I know electrical things! ) which must be used to stop the engine. It will be plucked off of the parts engine as ours doesn't have one. It must have been a manual stop or located elsewhere in it's previous life.

Me holding heavy pivot roller

Day 402:
10 hours - Made latches, polished, "finished" 2nd anchor roller ready for polishing, moved engine parts, painted them.