For some reason I did not check the weather forecast first thing as I usually do and this turned out to be a mistake. I was in my office working when I heard the sound of rain tapping on the skylight. I hurriedly checked the forecast only to find that it was saying that it would rain for most of the day. I had left Shoal Waters partially out from under the cover and she was going to get wet.
Not that this is a problem per se, but I can’t work on a wet hull standing in the rain. So I went down to the hay barn, took the trailer off the blocks and pushed it back into the barn such that Shoal Waters’ prow was again under cover.
I climbed into the boat, pulled the pin in the sampson post, checked that the bearers had stuck, they had, then went back out and tried pulling the post out of the fordeck. I was able to get it out entirely due to having shortened it by about 4″ when cutting it down to size.
This is good news as I could work on that in the workshop.
Here is the sampson post being worked on. I used the portable heater to blow hot air on the post for a while and then slathered the top of the post, that part that is not below the deck, with the medieval wood treatment/polish stuff.
It has soaked in quite well, but I left it in the heat for another hour or so before checking to see how well it was doing.
The working part of the heater was close to the door, still out of the rain, but close enough that the exhaust could be placed outside.
Time for a cup of tea.
After the hour had elapsed I checked the post and found that it was going well. I rearranged the post and heater such that the post was upright, more or less, and the hot air directed at the mortice. I need as much of the finish to soak into the end grain f the Oak at the bottom of the mortice and the only way to do that is to have the post upright. It also help the end grain at the top of the post.
I further directed the hot air with two “wings” of plywood. Again, I left like that for a while before checking it again.
Time for a cup of tea.
After some time I used the hot air gun to really heat things up for a minute or two, wiped off the excess and this is the result. Not at all bad.
Time for a cup of tea.