We spent part of our summer dismantling Red Ranger to get at the chainplates. They seem like massive blocks of steel. Except. While stainless is chemically tough, it's not really all that stiff. I learned this while westling with 12′ pieces of bar stock.

See Week 46: Deltaville Days, Week 47: Deltaville Weeks, and Week 48: More Deltaville Weeks.

This week, we finally got in contact with the local machine shop on Lover's Lane, here in Deltaville.

Wes said that he'll see about put it on Freddy's list of things to do.

I pulled 8 of the 16 chainplates: almost all the mainmast plates. Rather than wait for a phone call, I brought them over to Wes' shop on Monday to talk with Freddy myself. I figured it was good to have the stuff queued up on Wes' desk rather than wonder if Wes was going to call me back.

Freddy didn't have the ¼″ by 1½″ 316 stainless bar stock required for the job.

I went back to where Wes was working (painting a boat) to talk with him about raw materials.

Wes suggested I drive his truck up to BMG Metals in Richmond.

So I went back to Freddy, got the details on ordering bar stock. Who to talk to. What to say. Freddy gave me backup directions in case Google Maps quit on me.

I spend the morning driving Wes' truck to Richmond to get bar stock for my chainplates.

It was almost like working for a living.

I may have to make a second trip to get 12 feet of ¼″×1¼″ stock for the mizzen. Or Freddy may be able to cut down the stock I already bought. I may have to get four feet of ⅜″×1¾″, or Freddy may have this already on the shelf.

A 12′ piece of ¼″ bar stock is surprisingly flexible. Not rope or chain flexible, of course. But it seemed like it was about as flexible as a long piece of wood molding.

Since Freddy had me drop the steel on the shop floor, under foot, I'm hopeful he'll get to it early this week. We've dawdled away a big piece of the summer and need to pick the pace here in the last three weeks before we leave for the winter.