Wednesday 16th May

Worklist:
Trestles
Cassette shelf brackets
Painting

We continued where we left off making the fourth trestle that will be used to support the fiddleyard at the exhibition. The top of the trestle had been cut to length and the leg unit on one end re-positioned. 12mm studding was scrounged from the bits box and cut to length. Clearance holes were drilled for the studding.

The top rail was drilled and the holes tapped.

The rails were threaded onto the studding. The assembled top was fixed to the trestle top with washers and nuts, levelled approximately. We know the workshop floor is not level and the exhibition floor will have some irregularities, so packers will be required.

After prolonged discussion, we decided on a fixing method for the fold-out cassette shelf brackets. Timber was cut and the holes for pivot bolts drilled. The system relies on the rear of the extended support arm pressing against the underside of the baseboard framework. The wingnut holds the arm in place when not in use.

Finally, aluminium angles were shaped to provide an edge stop for the shelf. (Arms in stored position)

With time in hand, Geoff made a start on a long outstanding project - painting the baseboards. Black had been the first choice when assessing boards at recent shows. However, when a search was made through dozens of tins of paint from numerous projects none could be found, but a tub of dark grey undercoat was discovered. It would make a decent undercoat anyway, so a coat was applied and everyone agreed it was perfect.

The only issue was the paint was oil based with a 16-24 hours drying time. Just the front faces were painted so the boards could be stored under their usual cover. It's going to take a while to finish them.