Solo, so low, so far, so what!

On Monday I got Ben to the airport. It seems that flying is the epitome of nuisance fees. The flight was relatively cheap, but if you wanted to check a bag, it's $25. If you wanted a carry-on (carrion?) bag, it's $30. If you wanted service at the counter, it's $20 to talk to a person. I think meals are charged. Hey, they forgot about paying for the toilet- shhhhhhhhhh! The crowning event: I drove in, spent 60 seconds dropping him off at the terminal, drove out and was charged $2.00 for "Parking" And you wonder why I'm building a boat!

Not much progress this week. The weather was rainy and humid: no epoxy work. Budgetboater and I determined today that epoxy is great stuff with only one flaw: ease of use. It adds steps, is headstrong and fussy.

I sanded the Mirror and applied one final fairing coat to the low areas. Then Budge's kids, Grin and Bear It, got their smudgy little fingers and a badminton racket to the coat.

This necessitated another sanding and a final final coat. Grrrrr....grubby little fingers. I got the Mirror pretty much ready to apply glass. The weather wasn't cooperating. This morning was 75° and 94% humidity. Instead I worked wood and made some shelf front molding. I couldn't coat the wood- humidity and the wood should be encapsulated when it has less moisture in it. Next week should be better. Tomorrow, tomorrow....................

I also organized the fillers with some spiffy new boxes.....

Hopefully this will keep the beetles from committing hara-kiri in the silica. Nothing like applying a crushed up bug in a fairing coat! Now for a treatise on epoxy. I hate the stuff. In woodworking you sand your piece well, apply a varnish, scuff it up and  apply varnish again, repeating the process as necessary. With epoxy, you apply a coat, wait a day, sand, apply another coat, wait a day, sand, then cover the epoxy with paint or varnish (see above). Epoxy must be protected from UV radiation (sunlight). See where this might be a problem on a friggin' boat??? Topping it off, this alleged miracle substance does not flow or self level like paint or varnish. Instead it kinda clumps into miniature hills and valleys. No matter how much you tip it out, it still needs work. Some pictures to illustrate. These are pictures of Mirror parts that are mostly sanded, The shiny spots show how the epoxy still needs to be sanded down more.

Again, this is mostly sanded. It was a lot worse. Next after this is the paint/varnish stage.

Needless to say, me 'n the epoxy have come to an agreement: I don't like it; it doesn't like me. There ya have it; another week in the life of a boatbuilder stumbling through life.

The Music ♪: Iris Dement "Let the Mystery Be"

Continuing with the religious themes, This sums it up succinctly: quit trying to figure it out!!