Sanding

So, this week the new supply of sandpaper arrived and I was able to finish up the rough sanding of the butcher block counter tops. The belt sander was too wimpy and the DA left some dimpling but I figured better to be dimpled than to leave the surface uneven with glue puddled in the low spots. I sanded, keeping the surface as smooth as I could until I had just nice looking wood showing.

I ran into the same high end carpenter friend of mine that helped me out earlier and the first thing out of his mouth was 'when are you coming by to plane that butcher block down?..." I explained the counter top was too wide for his 20 inch planer and he just said, "bring it on by and we will see what we can do". I figured he could only make it better and it would only cost me a breakfast tab so I stopped by later this morning.

He was right. There was a tool in his shop that would work much better than my DA.

It is good to have friends with industrial tools... Thanks Barry :-)

With the countertops sanded smooth I decided to cut them closer to the final dimensions. I need to go back to the boat for final fitting.

I didn't glue the two halves of the starboard side countertop yet figuring I might not have to and it might be nice to be able to take them apart independently later. Not sure how that will work. I cut and glued a piece of 3/8 inch okoume plywood which will form the bottom of the storage section aft of the starboard countertop. My plan is to store my dishes here under the 'bridge deck'.

The outboard drop down storage bin is on hold until I have a chance to check the dimensions in the boat. I am thinking of about a 6-8 inch drop to accommodate bottles of oil, vinegar, dishwashing liquid, maybe cooking tools etc. with a shallow storage shelf above. It will be easier to explain when I build a mockup in the next few weeks.

Next week I should be making a trip to Jenny to do the final fitting of the counter tops. I think they are going to look really sharp.