Sunday, August 02, 2009

Rub a Dub Tub caboose update

So last week it was determined that our ancient claw foot tub was WAY past due for refurbishment. Fortunately, the bathtub refurbishing guy is only about 2 blocks from our house and was open on Saturday and Sunday. So I spent Saturday afternoon uninstalling the tub, and with the help of my neighbor the artist, we got it out to the front porch. Sunday, about noon the refurbisher hauled it away. We got a call later in the week that he could deliver it on Friday, which he did along with some tips on reinstallation.

I call them "plumbing days" and I hate them. I have found plumbing days require a minimum of three trips to the hardware store and some kind of angst. This took four. Who would have guessed that you could not buy a replacement washer for the braided stainless steel water supply lines, but instead, you have to buy a whole new line? Or that two other washers that were worn and needed to be replaced, would have to be fashioned from new washers cut down from a larger size?

So all in all I was a little sore for my 4 hours of paint stripping on the caboose the next day. I did a few other things as a break and because I finished the "worst" of the paint stripping. This is actually not good news. I have finished the beams with their copious amounts of paint that could be easily taken off with a heat gun. What remains is the ceiling, with less paint, that needs to be sanded off. Oh won't THAT be fun?

These are bolsters, they sit on the springs of the trucks. One more iron piece goes where the lads are drilling, and that is where one end of the caboose sits.
This large heavy piece of iron is attached to the underside of the caboose and is where the missing piece of the bolster sits. I hope I don't have to put it back on. (Sorry I'm busy stripping paint!) I'm guessing they took it off to fabricate another one since the caboose only came with one and needs two.
Other guys are working on the cat walk. There is one more board than shown. The catwalk jogs around the cupola. Must have been fun in the show or rain!

Work on the new cabinets is progressing, delayed occasionally by visitors.

3 comments:

  1. Do we get to see a picture of the bath tub once back in situ ? On the principles of if you show me yours etc etc ?
    What colour will yours be by the way ?

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  2. White White White. I should have taken a before picture to show why it needed to be done, but I was all mentally wrapped around what I needed to do and how to get it out and then back in.

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  3. Its ok I can imagine . I have one peeling nicely in my own bathroom thank you . And the thought of taking it out ... maybe in another fifteen years ?

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