Endcap redux

A major milestone is looming ( ie getting the skins back in) so  it is time to work on the endcaps as they are the first pieces to go in.

The biggest change is that I despised the molded shelf in the front.  To me it looks clunky and way too modern.  And since the current plan is having  wood end caps it had to go!  By the way, all that speckling in the photo is not zolatone, its mold and crud and schmegglies.

No, I did not make that word up! According to the urban dictionary its a piece of dirt, grime, or grotesqueness that appears on a object or often ones self. I like to use it as a term of endearment, but do that at your own risk!

Usually I start with hand tools,  and progress up the chain of evolution for tools.  I like the control I get from hand tools.  I started with a coping saw but it didn't fit next to the curved shell,  I moved on to a flexible hand saw but the fiberglass was chewing up blades and spitting them out....Should I now confess that I actually first started with a exacto knife ?  I was clueless to the relative hardness of old school fiberglass!





Okay, onto power tools, my dremel with the right angle attachment and this bit did an okay job but didn't really have enough power and the bit was bogging down.  By this time, my lawn had tools and blades scattered all over it and I was 3 hours into a job that I thought would be 30 minutes top!  AND I was maybe only a third of the way done . :(



Out came the big boy,  my rotozip.  Another trip to the hardware for a new bit (I think this was my third trip for blades of various types!)   Honestly, I think I cut the rest of the shelf off in under 5 minutes! Obviously the right tool for the job, huh.... I used the regular bit for wood and plastic.

A little trimming with a grinder stone on the dremel and DONE! If I get the time I may patch this up and smooth it over.  Or I may just leave it ugly and consider it my motivation to do the wood end cap!

Then I cleaned and sealed both endcap backs with West system Epoxy, just like the floors.  Unfortunately, no amount of scrubbing was going to get these clean.  I'm happy I took the time to do this because they no longer have that peculiar pungent pee smell.  Go ahead say that ten times fast I dare ya!

Then onto the fronts, despite my fears they'd dissolve into a pile of goo,  I used Citrastrip to get the paint off.   Lots and lots of plastic razorblades later....

 This angry little fellow watched me the whole day....What am I? Squirrel television? Gheesh. It's funny he happily coexists with the large garter snake that lives under my front doorstep.  They even use the same tunnels!