Been busy and Insulation

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Originally uploaded by LaurieReal

We've been very busy over the last few months and I haven't had time to post any updates. I'll fill in the gaps later but here's our latest entry.


This weekend we put the Spray-Foam Insulation on the boat.


For us this was very daunting as we’ve never done anything remotely like this before. I’d made a big wooden box to put the spray tanks in as they have to be kept at between 24 and 30 degrees, in the box was a little fan heater. I put the tanks in the box to let them warm up while we prepared everything. We got a big dust sheet and laid it out, the idea was we would spray the walls first in 8 foot or so bursts, move everything and carry on to the next bit.


Once the tanks were up to temperature and we’d put on all our protective gear, (paper overalls with hoods, ‘Darth Vader’ breathing masks, goggles, and rubber gloves) we got to spraying. As you have to change the nozzles after about 5 mins, Maureen was on hand to hand me replacement ones, if you leave it too long everything goes off and can become totally unusable. We went down the first side with no major problems, got to the end and had a break and admired our handiwork. It didn’t look to bad. So we started off down the other side. Again no major problems. With Maureen rushing around changing nozzles and moving the big box (on castors, I’m glad to say) behind me while I was busy spraying, perfecting my technique as we went. So by the end of Saturday we had the two long (45ft) walls sprayed plus the two end walls (15ft). All that was left was the ceiling and the upper part on the wall.


On Sunday we returned ready to tackle the next part.





We arrived Sunday, rearing to go. I set the heater going, which by the way is pink with daisies on it, and we had a bit of a tidy up and hatched a plan.


The plan – As the upper section of the wall is quite narrow, about 2 and bit foot high, I would be progressing quite quickly along the wall, what we needed was a way for me to be able to get high enough and to be able to move sideways relatively quickly. So, we laid down acres and acres of news paper to protect the floor, got two Workmates and set them side by side. The idea was that I would get up on the Workmate, start spraying and then step to the next Workmate to carry on, while Maureen ran around picked up the first Workmate put it next to the one I was on, moved the big box, and changed nozzles as necessary. This way we would be able to keep up a fairly continuous spraying action with minimum stopping time.


We had a cuppa and admired our plan. It was good. It would work.


We put on our protective gear.





All this protective gear can make communication difficult as the masks make it difficult to hear each other and the goggles don’t help your eyesight (especially as there is a certain about of foam in the air and sticking to everything)


Off we go. I get up on the Workmate, Maureen hands me the spray gun, I say ‘Ready’. Maureen says ‘Ready’ (sounding a lot like a certain Jedi). I start spraying.


First bit finished, I step across to the next Workmate and continue to spray. I hear some muffled squeaks behind me, but carry on spraying. Next bit finished, I step on to newly positioned Workmate and continue spraying. Another muffled squeak and noise behind me (big box moving), I spray some more, and step on to the newly placed Workmate change the nozzle and carrying on spraying. More squeaks and much noise behind me, I spray like a professional. I look down to my right, no Workmate. Tut, women! So I had to stop and find out what’s happening.


Maureen is bent double pi**ing herself laughing. When she eventually regains the power of speech, she tells me what’s been going on behind me.


It goes like this – I step off first Workmate, Maureen runs up and picks up Workmate, Maureen runs round big box, with about eight sheets of newspaper stuck to each shoe and loads stuck to Workmate. She positions Workmate. Tries to remove newspaper from her shoes, moves big box by which time I’m on to next Workmate. She runs round with various bits of torn paper stuck to her shoes and hands picks up Workmate. Now with another eight sheets of newspaper stuck to her shoes and more stuck to the Workmate she staggers round to place the Workmate. She moves the big box and collapses in a fit of laughter, unable to tell me not to step off the Workmate as she’s not moved it but this makes her laugh even more.


As you can guess we abandoned this plan.


We put a platform ladder on the dust sheet, and as I changed nozzles I got off the platform a we dragged the dustsheet/ladder combo to the next position.


Next week we’ve got the centre part of the ceiling to finish.


The plan – Roller skates and stilts.