Repairing Hunter 40 damage from Hurricane Matthew

[Will Gilmore]

A guy who ran a high school shop class showed me that a few years ago. Amazing.

I was hoping, before I played the video, that the guy didn't demonstrate with his own fingers. I'm glad to see he used a hot dog.

I heard a story about a realtor who was selling high rise office space. He was demonstrating how the floor to ceiling plate glass windows were so solid, you didn't have to be nervous of the great height when looking down at the street below. He threw himself against the glass pane to reassure his customer, and the glass, along with him, popped out and dropped the twenty stories to the ground.

That's a life lesson I hope to apply without direct experience, to all kinds of analogous situations.

So glad you didn't lose a whole finger Capt'n.

The closest I've ever come to losing a finger was when I was about 13. I felt the tickle of the teeth of the bandsaw I was using on the pad of my thumb. No damage, but a wake-up. All my other accidents have been with hand tools. Each were 100% my fault and completely avoidable by any normal moron.

-Will

 

[Marmalade]

I was hoping, before I played the video, that the guy didn't demonstrate with his own fingers. I'm glad to see he used a hot dog.

you didn't watch to the end...

Spoiler alert... no blood.

 

[Will Gilmore]

Systems fail.

I'm glad I stopped before the end. I hate watching stupid. BUT, I love the product.

However, it is a phenomenon of human behavior called Risk Compensation. People practice riskier behaviors when they feel safer.

-Will

 

[JRacer]

Ouch. Have a hunting buddy, contractor, we now call 9 finger Jim. Lost the tip of the index finger to the first joint. Table saw!

 

[DArcy]

My shop teacher in high school lost a finger to a table saw. I wasn't in that class but the news travelled very quickly through the school.
It can happen other places too. My sister severed a finger when she was portaging a canoe, she slipped and the gunwale landed on a rock with her finger in between. They were on the last day of their trip and there happened to be people at the portage site that had ice so they packed the finger in ice, paddled out and went to the nearest hospital. The doctor in the small town hospital managed to reattach the finger.

 

[BrianH]

Mark, I had a similar accident with a circular saw as well. Backed out of a cut and right over my thumb. It tore a chunk of a tendon in my thumb. When they reconnected the tendon, it was a little short and because of that I can't get as good a grip as I could before it happened.

 

[B757Captain]

Ironically, the table saw will be retired soon as I have already completed probably 90+% of the construction where it's needed. I had heard of Sawstop and wondered how good it was/is - maybe I'll break down and get one but at this point not sure if the need is there. On the other hand (finger?) ?

Here's a treat - after I wrapped up the mangled finger and went back to the garage to clean things up, I noticed a chunk of clear plastic laying next to the golf cart. Hmmm, then saw this:

What a shot! The offending piece of wood kicked out of the saw shot out the garage and hit the golf cart windshield! Oh well, the current windshield was getting pretty hazy and weathered anyway so time for a new one





5

 

[JRacer]

Well, at least it didn't hit the Vette

 

[Tally Ho]

I had a block of wood kick out of my saw so hard it broke the plastic guard, and hit me in the chest hard enough to break the skin through my shirt and give me a heck of a bruise.

hope those fingers heal quickly. I really enjoy seeing your progress on your rebuild.


Greg

 

[B757Captain]

Working with a few fingers not fully functional:

The finger is healing but slow going - and it looks gross! Strangely enough, it has not and still doesn't hurt. Probably damaged a nerve in there somewhere . Still, I can do some light work in the meantime. The root cause of all the finger damage was this:

I had been making trim pieces for the port side and cut and fit the fiddles for the settees. If you look close at the forward corner you'll see a corner trim connecting piece. This one cost me two bloody fingers on my left hand. The corner piece I was cutting for the forward seat fiddles is the one that put my right middle finger out of action:

So, taking stock: Between the settees and all the cabinet tops that need fiddles (and corner pieces) and assuming each piece will cost me 1 1/2 fingers per, I backtracked since I have far fewer fingers than corners to make. Plan B:

I will cut each corner end at a 30 degree angle and fab up a filler piece that will just cover the ply in the corner. Much safer!

Before the blood started flying I cranked out the pieces to fill this corner:

And part of my light duty recovery has been painting and finishing them:

The center divider is removable by taking out 4 screws - the idea being that the solid part of the panel will house various electronics so I can easily get to the backside for wiring.

I also started disassembly of the starboard cabinetry and have been painting and clearcoating the parts & pieces in the garage. Turned out to be good timing to do that weather-wise since it has been cold here for the past week. And yes, not like up north, and yes, I am a wuss, and yes, I'm proud of it!

Cheers,

Mark

 

[nightowle]

I endorse "Plan B".

 

[Will Gilmore]

Much easier to clean if you spill your drink, too.

-Will

 

[Hayden Watson]

... since it has been cold here for the past week. And yes, not like up north, and yes, I am a wuss, and yes, I'm proud of it!

Cheers,

Mark

Keep and eye out for the falling iguanas!

 

[B757Captain]

Powering through while fingers heal:

Can't let a little saw accident get in the way! I worked on deconstructing the starboard side, thinking I could do it in sections. Unfortunately too many of the boat systems integrate (and congregate) around and through the galley. As I removed pieces I could take them to the garage for painting and clearcoat, which (sort of) cut down on the clutter in the boat:

The galley had to come apart also and with the galley pieces out of the way I could finish a few things which had been on the too-do list for a long time. First up was cutting hatches in the floorboards in the galley:

Lots of bracing underneath - I hate soft floors! The hardest part here is yet to come - trimming the hatches and integrating the flooring when the time comes:

Next up, turning this:

Into a functional fresh water system !

Cheers,

Mark

 

[B757Captain]

Plumbing and painting:

I left off last episode trying to finish up the fresh water plumbing. I discovered something in the process: after submerging equipment and fixtures in muddy salt water, then removing said fixtures from the salt water, throwing them in a box and storing them in the attic, then 5 years later digging them out, don't expect said fixtures to work!

A trip to pick up a new water pump later, I now have a functioning fresh water pump! Amazing I also took a hard look at my old water tank manifold:

And decided new valves would be in order:

During all this plumbing drama I did some painting. First was inside and outside of the A/C enclosure, inside of some of the galley panels I had not previously removed and the floor panel areas under the galley cabinets:

For the few days it took to do the painting it was a wee bit crowded down below! On top of that it was pretty cold but the new propane heater made it nice and toasty .

Next, I had to paint and clearcoat the fridge enclosure in place since the bulkhead is tabbed in, so a few extra swipes with the brush and roller:

Next up, I can start putting things back together! Well, some of it anyway

Cheers,

Mark

 

[B757Captain]

I don't have to tip-toe around the boat as much!:

With all the cabin and galley parts & pieces temporarily displaced from their normal locations, it has been a feat to not trip over something and break my neck! Finally, reassembly - if for no other reason to make space:

I insulated the a/c duct in the cabinet and ran the wiring for the fridge, the breaker panel and the propane controls and mounted the fridge. Of course, afterward, I realized I forgot the propane hose from the solenoid to the stove (!)but that can be fixed later .

Next up was finalizing the fresh water plumbing by making a new tank manifold:

Then mounting the new pump and accumulator (the accumulator is mounted to the bottom of the air conditioner platform):

And connecting everything. I left a spot on the bulkhead to plumb in a secondary filter eventually. The final part of the puzzle was the hot water heater. Needed a few mounting pads:

Then paint and the HWH is installed, plumbed and wired:

With that completed the settee and some of the cabinetry reinstalled:

Now I could reassemble the a/c enclosure. Note the filter - two thumb screws on simple brackets should make for easy replacement .

I'm currently a few weeks behind on the updates - we've had more good weather days lately and I have been taking advantage of them, so a few days ago I hit a big milestone (for me anyway). When I started the deconstruction oh-so many years ago I reclaimed and saved as many of the screws and fasteners as I could. By far the most common of those were 1 1/4" #10 screws. I finally used up my supply and had to buy more. Real progress!

Next up, some work on the headliner.

Cheers,

Mark

 

[kappykaplan]

Well done, Mark. It's really coming together!

 

[Capt Robbie]

looking great
Energizer Bunny!
You never seem to slow down, even after injuries.
Wish I had your energy!
its almost as amazing as your craftsmanship!

 

[B757Captain]

Thanx guys!

 

[artboas]

A guy who ran a high school shop class showed me that a few years ago. Amazing.

I was hoping, before I played the video, that the guy didn't demonstrate with his own fingers. I'm glad to see he used a hot dog.

I heard a story about a realtor who was selling high rise office space. He was demonstrating how the floor to ceiling plate glass windows were so solid, you didn't have to be nervous of the great height when looking down at the street below. He threw himself against the glass pane to reassure his customer, and the glass, along with him, popped out and dropped the twenty stories to the ground.

That's a life lesson I hope to apply without direct experience, to all kinds of analogous situations.

So glad you didn't lose a whole finger Capt'n.

The closest I've ever come to losing a finger was when I was about 13. I felt the tickle of the teeth of the bandsaw I was using on the pad of my thumb. No damage, but a wake-up. All my other accidents have been with hand tools. Each were 100% my fault and completely avoidable by any normal moron.

-Will

Ok, here is the actual story that happened. It was in Toronto, and I remember the day very well. It was a horrific accident.
Now,,,, there will be a tendency to insert jokes or wisecracks about this. Let’s just keep in mind that someone died…
It was a lawyer.
He was teaching articling students in a tall building called the TD centre.
He taught this class annually, and did a “stunt”, just for S&G for the class on the first day.
The room had floor to ceiling windows, typical of skyscrapers.
At the beginning of the class, he would say (to the effect), “and if you want to get out of this course”… and he would take a run at the window, and just bounce off of it.
Of course this would happen, as this stuff is (aporox) 3/4” thick. I mean… it’s skycraper glass. Meant to withstand huge forces.
Unless it had a stress crack; which this one did.
And he just went sailing right through it.
The poor students were absolutely horrified, and were undoubtably affected.
I remember the photos in the paper that day very clearly.,
Fortunately, most media respected the horrific loss for his family, and kept the reporting civilized.
if you search the Toronto Star archives, it’s in there.