The Final Countdown

Sanded down the inside of the boat, and got the first layer of white on there. Unfortunately, it revealed several screw holes that blended right in with the mahogany. Going to have to putty those up.

The Joys of Brass

Mounted the brass rub rail along the keel. Screwing soft brass through slightly harder brass into moderately hard oak is NOTHING if not loads of fun (and pre-drilling! and cursing!) Last strips of red along the side. Tomorrow I'll start finishing its insides.

Progress this weekend

Put on the first three layers of the red along the top strip. The blue you see is painter's tape. Never mind the messy garage; I generally don't clean up until the end of the day. Completed this weekend:
* Finished white top coat
* Started red strip
* Mounted oarlock blocks
* Have the yardarm and boom roughly circular
* Finished the daggerboard
* 90% done with the rudder.

Still to do:
* Finish the outer paint
* Sand inside
* Paint inside
* Mount the oarlocks
* Paint the guard rail
* Mount the rudder
* Drill stations in the Daggerboard

Putting the name on the Nutshell Pram

Three hours in the 90 degree heat with a very small paintbrush was, in all likelihood, worth it. Boat is getting insanely close to being completed. Included in this picture: my wife's gardening knee pad. Thanks to it I can still stand like a hominid.

Gilding the Lily

About 80% done on the Amanda Louise's dagger board cap ornamentation. Ordinarily, this sort of thing would only be reserved for the figurehead and stern transom.

Priming the Nutshell Pram

When it comes to boat building, there's little that is more exciting, glamorous or all-around romantic than priming. There's the prepping, the mixing, the rolling, the blast oven that was my garage this weekend, the process of sanding and checking and repairing small scuffs and nicks with auto body repair gel; the smell of the primer (part of a balanced breakfast; the component list includes butane and calcium,) the smell of acetone, washing brushes and buckets and roller pans.And now I've got a boat with three solid coats of pollution grey that I will never see again once the paint goes on. A weekend well spent.

Time Lapse of Carving Name on Boat

Used a dremel tool with engraving and grinding bits I carved the name into the back of the pram, then washed her down with denatured alcohol and sealed her with a very light layer of epoxy.  Spent about three hours on the garage floor.  Sweet fancy Moses, I hope my knees forgive me one day.