Tiki build-along, pt. 2

I haven't posted much in the way of updates on my tiki build-along of late, but rest assured progress is being made. It's just tough to juggle everything when multiple projects are demanding my attention. My office build-along in particular. But I've been able to piggyback the two on occasion. For instance, remember when I applied polyurethane to all the shelves going into my office book case? I do, and I have the photos to prove it:

I can assure you, that was not a lot of fun. But I was able to include some tiki work while I was at it. The Wife's been picking up little tikiesque items here and there for a while now, and some look cool but are not designed to be exposed to the elements (we've watched several disintegrate in short order). To remedy this, I applied polyurethane to various bamboo and thatch items that we want to display outdoors. This tiki-hut-bird-house-cum-wind-chimes, for instance. It would last maybe 18 months to two years, tops, exposed to our sun and rain.

I like this coconut-bamboo wind chime guy even better. The polyurethane waterproofs it and will help it hold up longer outside. Unfortunately, polyurethane isn't resistant to UV radiation, and we've got that in spades during the summer. So later I went back and coated them with spar urethane, which is softer and less durable overall, but resists UV. Eventually, I hope to get some actual marine grade varnish, which is UV and water resistant in addition to being hard and durable, but it's not terribly common around here, so I make do.

Ah, now here's my favorite acquisition thus far. It's a Craig's List find I got from a person in Austin. I coated it several times to ensure its protection from the elements, because I plan on keeping this rack around a good long while. Isn't it cool? It's got brackets on the back to hang on a wall, and I expect that's what I'll eventually do with it. We have a wine safe in the house, so I won't be keeping wine bottles here--wine doesn't like the extreme temperature swings we get outside, anyway. Instead, I plan for this to become part of my rum library. It'll easily hold 10 or so bottles plus tiki mugs... not a bad start. Tiki cocktail culture is all about maintain a broad assortment of rums, so I've got to work my way up to that.

Now, admittedly, this doesn't show much actual build. I understand that. I have been building, though, and will show some of what I've accomplished in the next installment. It's a slower process than I'd like, but Rome wasn't built in a day, right?

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