Galley / Nav Station Renovation

[bstreep]

"Not Sure" - would you mind taking your thread-crapping to a different thread? Seriously, there are people that are following this thread and really want to continue following it. If you want to argue, please open another discussion thread.

[James S]

Not Sure... The router is the only power I tool mentioned…..although I did use a jigsaw for the initial rough shape.

I did not fashion or use any jigs. In my description I did mention a template.....mine was made from a single piece of 4mm MDF cut to the shape of the corner.

I installed the router to the under side of my temporary sole in my galley…that’s a 16mm piece of black form plywood….the sole is two steps higher than the lower cabin so I worked the pieces while on my knees.
That is the extent of my workshop in Lebanon…I’ve attached a picture.

Many of us who follow the refit forum are engaged in doing refits. As such we probably think we have the skills to be successful…but more often than not we find we are lacking.
We are fortunate to have this forum and like minded folks to turn to.
We hope that masters and experts such as your self, can share their knowledge with us so that we might honor our boats by doing the very best work we can.

I like this forum because I get lots of info and tips and occasionally have the opportunity to share something I may have learned.

[Not Sure]

Originally Posted by James S

Many of us who follow the refit forum are engaged in doing refits. As such we probably think we have the skills to be successful…but more often than not we find we are lacking.

Don't sell yourself short. A good part of the battle is knowing when what you're making (or have made) is worthy of keeping, or needs to be abandoned/torn out and redone. There is nobody, 'professionals' included, who doesn't screw up time to time and have to start over. The key is knowing when that is, when it's time to start over, and when its time to alter the design to make use of what you've done so far so that in the end the finished product still looks 'right'.
(And here's the key to looking 'right' .....The eye should virtually never be drawn to the area/item in question other than in the instance of admiring it's beauty as part of a seamless whole. If something stands out in contrast, it usually isn't 'right'. To check for 'rightness', look away, cleanse your memory, and look back at your work as if you were seeing it for the first time as an outsider. If it doesn't jump out at you, and seemlessly blends in and is not noticeable, then you've done your job well and can move on.
In other words, the technical skills can usually be learned by just about anybody willing to learn, while the eye generally has to be taught. Some people naturally have 'the eye' more than others, and some will never gain it no matter how hard they try.)

Some of my best work has come as a result of mistakes or circumstances forcing the alteration of the original intended design or plan. That is just the nature of the beast when working with an imperfect material (wood) in an imperfect world.

The point of this screed is that simply because I may criticize something doesn't mean that I'm being cruel, or unkind, or trying to denigrate somebody or something ...or their work. It's because I think that we've all seen things that caused us to say "What in the world were they thinking, and what made them think that that looked correct?" In this instance, I believe that the nav/galley can be salvaged, and with the correct use of materials and their applications can be a complementary design rather than a detrimental one. The question is....can the builder pull it off in the end? Let's hope so. (At least he's on the right track, as he recognizes that he needs to use wood now to balance the look of all of the corian, effectively canceling it out and bringing the design back into balance. My advice is to go heavy on the wood trim, and go exotic. Not necessarily teak or mahogany per se, but sapele, jarrah, etc., ....woods along that line that are complimentary to the existing woods are what is called for in the trim work now.)

[Christian Van H]

Sweet shop James! I see that it's air conditioned, with a vacuum system and all the latest power tools! Man, you could build ANYTHING in there...even a house! Wait...you build them for a living?

[James S]

I cant afford nice power tools (or helicopters) I spent all my money on fans (there's a third one in the forepeak)