I’ve been thinking about changing platform and starting a Youtube channel. This blog started as a boating forum post way back in late 2007. After the paperwork SNAFU got cleared up in late 2012, I transferred the content to WordPress and started blogging. Like the refit itself, the blogging has been a labor of love so far. But I’ve been thinking it’d be nice if there was some return on the time investment, and Youtube looks like a better monetizing option than a WordPress blog.
There are risks to changing the platform. The time commitment for a Youtube vlog could be a lot more than a photo journal blog. And after the rat bastard thieves burglarized the tent a few years ago, I’ve been very careful taking pictures so I don’t show where the motion sensors for the alarms and surveillance cameras are located. Also, pix don’t show the layout of the boat. In a video format, I might be giving potential thieves the advantage of knowing the exact layout of the boat and where all of the goodies are located. It’s also entirely possible that I will suck as a Youtuber. lol Seriously though, I try to keep the blog tightly focused on the specific project I’m working on. With Youtube, the presenter’s style seems to be as important (if not more so) than the actual topic of a particular video. I don’t have a video presenter style…I’ve never needed or wanted one. If anybody has thoughts on this or experience with monetized Youtube channels, please comment below.
With that said, I got the walls and floor of the laundry closet painted.
First, I mixed up some brown-tinted US Composites 150 series epoxy
The 150 series epoxy is more viscous than their 635 version, and it’s specifically intended for coating. The missus said she wants brown walls and floor, but she wants a white back panel, so that’s what she’s getting.
Before
After
That lays on pretty well for one heavy coat
The next day, I mixed up some white epoxy and coated the back wall.
Nice!
The reason I’m using epoxy here is that it’s the fastest way to coat panels. I’ve also seen how poorly plywood coatings hold up when only primers and paint are used. Unlike epoxy, which soaks in and binds the grain in a plastic matrix, primers and paint don’t hold together as well, and eventually the grain breaks the coating. I never, ever want to have to touch this again, so epoxy is the way to go. The only weakness for epoxy is that it doesn’t do well in sunlight. But in this laundry closet, there will be very little sunlight. I think the epoxy will do just fine.
Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: The Final Panel In the Laundry Closet
1969chriscraftroamer46 
OK, I’ve read all of your posts, and I’ve marveled at your carpentry skills, and I’ve been chagrinned when comparing my finished projects with yours. That said, I must ask you, why, oh why did you leave the pocket holes around the dryer vent so prominently displayed? I’ve lost sleep worrying about this. Did the Detail Fairy abandon you? Please tell me there will be something to hide this egregious assault on the visual senses. 🙂
HA! I’m totally and completely busted!!! lol
When I installed the vent box, there was the total amount of epoxy I mixed up for the assembly, minus the amount required to wet out the joints and pocket screw holes, leaving the amount that can be used to mix with wood flour…and the thickened epoxy wasn’t sufficient to fill all the pocket holes completely. I wasn’t happy with the obvious dents, but it occurred to me that this is the back end of a laundry closet. A stacked washer and dryer will be all anybody sees in this closet unless they break down and have to be replaced, which means that no living soul will likely ever see this visual travesty! But it will haunt me and (apparently) keep you awake, so presumably there’s balance in the universe. 😉
Seriously, I thought about roughing them up with a die grinder and applying a bit more filler before painting, but I figured ‘what does it matter? It’s the back of a laundry closet…who’d notice?’ Well…now we know who’d notice. LOL
What’s funny is, you didn’t notice the equally sloppily-filled holes on the bulkhead panel in the same space! Maybe the missus was onto something when she decided on brown epoxy for the side wall!!!
Cheers James!
Q
🙂
My Two Cents– Stick with Blogging.. Youtubing would probably take up valuable time that you could be spending on the Refit..
I like your Missus dark color in the Laundry Closet– It will show lint that will inevitably collect..
Hard to believe that I have been following your Blog for 10+ Years now– Maybe make a video once she’s underway..
Thanks Kurt! I appreciate the input, and the missus says you’re on her good side. lol
Cheers,
Q
I like the current format, highly doubt I would follow the YouTube version.
You could do YouTube videos on techniques and product reviews, that is more than half the reason I follow this project. You have some really creative uses for tools and using products in ways they may not have been intended.
Keep up the great work, l like others have commented always look forward to your posts!
Thanks, Scott! I appreciate the input and the kudos.
Cheers,
Q
Love the blog. Longtime reader. I would watch a youtube channel if you make it. Especially like all the details that you post.
Thanks Kirk. That’s good to know. I’d actually been thinking of expanding it to more than just a boat refit vlog. Even if a Youtube channel didn’t turn out to be profitable, operating it as a business could have some positive tax benefits.
I’m going to keep pondering on this…
Cheers,
Q
Q, the only way YouTube becomes profitable is if you have a minimum of 100K subscribers. YouTube is notorious for demonetizing you, if the “feel” you don’t have enough subscribers. Total PITA and not worth it. Plus, as you said, do you really want to give some scumbag the layout of your boat? Check out FriscoBoater’s Garage, if you’re really hellbent on going the YouTube route. He’s one of the better boating YouTubers, IMO.
Fred
By the way, I love this venue for following the refit much better than I would in video. Besides, you might be tempted to start talking about your Z, and I’d have to turn it off, LOL!
HA! Don’t mention the Z…it’s so sad! LOL
Thanks Fred! I appreciate the input. I’ll check out that FriscoBoater’s ditty.
Cheers,
Q
I’m with Bill. My son seems to think he can make money by posting videos of himself playing video games and he spends a huge amount of time making them but so far hasn’t made any money. From my perspective I usually read the posts at work (I have my own firm so it’s OK) or in bed and I wouldn’t play videos in either of those places because I don’t want to disturb other people.
Hi Chris, and thanks for the input. It’s good to hear from somebody who has personal (albeit indirect) experience with a wanna-be youtuber. It seems there’s a strong preference for the blog format, more than I expected.
Cheers,
Q
Based on my experience with You Tube, that may not be a better way to communicate the remaining refit of your Roamer 46. You Tube requires quite a few views of any particular video in order to “monetize” it. Viewers can leave extensive comments that take time to read and sometimes to compose a response. Editing, if done carefully, can take many hours to complete even a 3-4 minute video. Again in my experience, it’s fun and sometimes useful to share video boating information with others but hardly a practical way to make any money, if that was your goal. If it was to simply share your experience with your Roamer, WordPress may still be a better bet. That said, I certainly enjoy each of your WordPress posts. I never miss one.
Thanks Bill! I appreciate your informed input and kudos. I have very little experience editing video, so it’s good to hear from somebody who does. Two aspects I didn’t mention were the potential tax benefits of setting up a channel and operating it as a side business, and that it would involve all sorts of stuff I do.
In any case, the majority of comments I’ve gotten here and also via email clearly lean in favor of the blog format.
Thanks again for the thoughtful comment.
Cheers,
Q