[RHClarke]

Today was blistering hot at about +30oC (you Aussies can stop smirking - for us Canucks, the swing from -30oC to +30oC has it effects). Despite the weather, it was a good time for some rust therapy. I spend the morning taking on the weeds that grew in my absence, while Bob spend the best part of the morning in the big field mowing the weeds. The heat and the dust drove him back to the barn in time for lunch.

The hot, sweaty and dirty gang drove to Rockland for lunch at the local bistro- I always get a kick out of the way the locals sneer at us when we saunter in for our repast. Once they get used to the smell, they tend to ignore us. The gals at bistro put up with us as we tip well.

Back at the barn, I convinced Bob to move my pilot model HUP roof over to the door of the barn where I can start working on it. After a careful rigging job, the roof was flown to a set of racks near the front of the barn. There, I surveyed the rust damage. The center portion of the roof skin will have to come off as it has rusted away from the ribs and is quite thin. The good news is that the hand-tooled curved sections are (for the most part) intact. I then started to take out some of the dents along the roof line.

In the meantime, Bob and Grant cleaned out the front of the barn so that Bob could start his science project. In no time at all, Bob backed his truck out of the sea can and into the barn. Grant got back to work on his CMP nose (or front clip). The transformation from the old to the new is quite amazing.

As I was leaving the barn, Grant was setting up for some sandblasting. Bob was preparing to strip down a 60+ year old gal. Stay tuned for updates to the Great Hammond Strip Show.

Photos:

1 - Grant at work
2 - Flying pilot model roof
3 - Setting up the work station
4 - Bob coming out of the closet
5 - Wrapped up until next week