Thursday, September 29, 2011

A grand day out




We couldn't have asked for better weather for the door job on the 'Nicolaas Mulerius' in the Zuiderhaven in Groningen. Jeroen fires up the angle grinder and we're up and running.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Good news first




The good news is that the doors fit the frame just right and close quietly against the rubber strips.

The bad news is that the previously trusty Asser Glas en Verf have let me down (twice) on the delivery of the glass. I'll now fit the doors on Thursday but have to go back in the weekend to put the glass in.

And who pays for that? Piggy-in-the-middle.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Em Club Champion 2011




Em recieving the trophy and burgee as winner of the Summer Season competition for Optimists at VWDTP.
Next year Team Kwark goes National. This means a lot more kilometers for the team driver.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

It's such a perfect day




... so while Claudia cycles to the market I've removed the hatches.
The roof of the new bathroom container will get a final sanding and a first coat of paint today, while we enjoy the late summer weather.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Good morning Groningen




I'm not so happy that it's almost dark when my alarm goes off in the morning, but the sun coming up as I walk the dog is a pretty good way to start the day.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

I'm done




But as everyone knows it never works out like that.
Got the lock fitted in it's mortise, the hinges in little rebates and then the last bits and pieces fitted and glued up.
Tomorrow a bit of sanding and the first coat of varnish can go on. The frame has had all four coats of undercoat varnish.
Lets hope it all fits together next week. Somehow things never quite go together the way they were when you took them apart.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Am I on the line?

Today we practised getting on the line and staying on with the kids from the VWDTP OptiTeam.
Here we are doing a dry run in the classroom, learning about transits through the pin end buoy.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

All glued up

Got the doors together with plenty of glue (except where the panels are loose in their rebates).
Now on to the fiddly bits.

Tenon and Mortise

Tenon and mortise sounds magical, could be a shop on Diagon Alley in a Harry Potter book.
The Dutch call it 'pen en gat' - pin and hole. Can't get more down to earth than that. Though the mortising tool I use is called a 'square hole drill' here.
Maybe a bit of magic after all.
These are the new doors for the klipper 'Nicolaas Mulerius'.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Surprisingly difficult




I knew the new doors for the klipper Nicolaas Mulerius weren't going to be easy, but I had allowed for that.
What I hadn't reckoned on was how much trouble I would have making the new door frame to fit the existing opening.
One of our clients always says 'see it as a challenge' in a situation like this.