More boot box

Hello to all my friends in the Ukraine!!!

Thurs.04.10.07. Applying a lighter, liquid mix of resin, several thin strips of fibreglass have now been adhered to the underside of the box. The joint between the collared frame and the box edge has now been totally sealed. The outer edge of the boot lining has been treated with a combination of PVA and strips of paper to reinforce the overall construction. Being principally an internal assembly these materials are entirely acceptable. They have certain water resistant properties remarkable strength similar to ‘glass and resin’ but are much more suited to internal dry conditions. Once the box is place subsequently coated in ‘sound proofing’ the total unit will be solidly rigid.

Chris has produced an inventory of the sizes plus quantities of the essential nuts and bolts required for the final build: a tedious but an utterly essential task. More importantly, I reported, with a great deal of trepidation, that ‘Richie’ had completed the initial dashboard blank, which Chris was determined to inspect. Returning to Wigan we descended into the cellar, fingers crossed, I wondered if it was going to be one of those ‘friggin’ shite’ moments or ‘at last, a craftsman who knows what he is doing’ instances. Happily, it was the latter, “now that’s what I call a professional job, that’s goin’ to look the dogs in the car, a proper piece of work.” Chris genuinely admired the detailed bevelled shoulders, the simplistic arrangement of clocks, gauges and switches in particular, the decision to use the warm, honey coloured seasoned timber supplied by Master Artisan Alain Luzan of Tarascon. The dash must now be laminated to the plywood before the principal instruments can be introduced to simulate the end result. The undertrim, sadly, still remains the only undecided component. I personally favour the unit covered with BRG leather to reflect the tones of the carpet or paintwork, but Chris feels that using the same maple hardwood would be ‘orgasmic perfection’.

This conundrum reminded me of one evening when I was swaying back from the Oak and happened to overhear two young girls discussing one of their friends, who had recently been on a first date with a ‘gorgeous’ classmate who she wanted desperately to impress. “She looked well, didn’t she!  painted up like ‘Coco’ the clown, definitely death by makeup,” they concluded. 

Fri.05.10.07. The boot lining has been completely covered with paper and PVA for added strength, similarly a layer of filler has been applied to the underside of the box to be later sanded down to form a smooth surface. Chris, meanwhile, has fiddled about, stared seriously, then feckled. This has been a day when eight hours work has generated, seemingly, very little progress.