# Caboose Remodel



## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

Well not much going on so I figured I would share some my story of this caboose/guest house that is almost done being remodeled. I have been working on painting it inside and out solo throughout the year, off and on. This is a second job for me, not a side job btw. 
This early model Great Northern caboose is located on a beautiful stretch of waterfront on the Hood Canal at the base of the Olympic Mountains, and sits next to the log cabin/lodge.
The contractor is a wonderful guy and friend who is older than ANY of us here on PT, and he usually works 6 days a week doing an amazing and extensive job. Him and his one carpenter have stripped this thing inside and out, and rebuilt it on a whole new level. They do have an designer making decisions but the contractor designed many, many elements of the build along the way. Had to figure out how to make the interior frame work, how to fit everything. The structure is not plumb or square no matter what retrofits could be done to improve it so every piece was custom made and fit. 
Several subs have lent their expertise and efforts towards electrical, plumbing, copper roofing, flooring, upholstery, powder coating, welding, tape and mud, etc. 
The interior used to have old grey t-111 for lots of surfaces (looked rough). The new interior is sheetrock, poplar and Alaskan cedar trim and such, Sepilla doors and details, premium cedar ceilings, Edison style lighting, and much more. 
I pre-primed and painted all premium clear cedar before installation (1 coat), and prepped and painted in place later as well. There was a mind boggling amount of work there despite the small size of the project. More so for the builder than I, but I had my hands full too through every stage.
Paints are Ben Moore Regal High Build inside and out, Cabinet Coat trim and cabs, Zar Ultra Max satin on ceilings.


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

Interior


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

Interior


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

Interior


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

Interior


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

That's pretty awesome. My wife and I got married on a local farm where the owner (customer of mine) hauled a caboose up onto a point overlooking the lake. He converted it to a dining car but it's certainly not as nice as the one you're working on. Him and his wife have lunch in it every day during the summer. You've done great work on this one.


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

Wildbill7145 said:


> That's pretty awesome. My wife and I got married on a local farm where the owner (customer of mine) hauled a caboose up onto a point overlooking the lake. He converted it to a dining car but it's certainly not as nice as the one you're working on. Him and his wife have lunch in it every day during the summer. You've done great work on this one.


That's really cool, and thanks


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

What a fun project! And it's gorgeous! Nice work!!


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## PNW Painter (Sep 5, 2013)

I'm curious, how did you applied the Zar Ultra Max?

Thanks for sharing pics. This is an excellent showcase of your craftsmanship and ability. It must have been a great feeling seeing the end product as it looks gorgeous. 


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

Thanks for the compliments lilpaintchic and pnwpainter. 
On 4 of the ceilings I sprayed them with an airless with a 410 FF. All surfaces sanded and cleaned first, sprayed, sanded including grooves, then two more coats. I puttied the majority of holes before the last coat.
The bathroom ceiling was oil poly and I brushed that two coats.


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## SemiproJohn (Jul 29, 2013)

Wonderful work. Thanks for sharing.


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

ridesarize said:


> Thanks for the compliments lilpaintchic and pnwpainter.
> 
> On 4 of the ceilings I sprayed them with an airless with a 410 FF. All surfaces sanded and cleaned first, sprayed, sanded including grooves, then two more coats. I puttied the majority of holes before the last coat.
> 
> The bathroom ceiling was oil poly and I brushed that two coats.




Really neat job, thanks for sharing it. 

Couple questions out of curiosity. 
What did you putty the holes with on the Zar ceiling and why did you use oil in the bathroom? 


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

Jmayspaint said:


> Really neat job, thanks for sharing it.
> 
> Couple questions out of curiosity.
> What did you putty the holes with on the Zar ceiling and why did you use oil in the bathroom?


 Thanks Jmays, I used minwax wb puttys. Mixed up about 6 different colors with mahogany, golden oak, white, walnut. 

There is a shower in the bathroom and the ceiling is close with limited space so oil was specced between the builder and paint store.


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

Wow!!! Totally impressed with the whole thing. Truly a job to be proud of.


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

Wolfgang said:


> Wow!!! Totally impressed with the whole thing. Truly a job to be proud of.


Thank you. It feels good to hear from such talented people like you all. 

Just a disclaimer: I can't take credit for all paint related items. The door shop stained and toned the Sepilla interior side of their doors they built. The lead carpenter actually did priming prepping and painting as needed in my absence, even stain and pro fin stuff on the sepilla inside. Another paint shop was needed to prep, prime and paint the sepilla wood landings on the roof at the top of the 2 exterior ladders. All black metal outside was powdercoated, as well as gloss red flashings on exterior by a shop.

I am super proud of my boss, his carpenter (who does everything beyond carpentry too), boss's son who helped (another master craftsman), and the designer, an extraordinarily talented person, and all the other individuals and shops that put this thing together. 

I thank them for the opportunity and the blessing to work with them.

It was a wonderful project and location to work at. I enjoyed the time spent out there, and with such an inspirational person as my boss and his crew.


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

This was my office on the first day on the job. 
Do you guys mind some other shots...


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

Watching paint dry, not really. Bonus points if you can tell what vehicle is in the reflection.


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## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

ridesarize said:


> Watching paint dry, not really. Bonus points if you can tell what vehicle is in the reflection.


Looks like an astro


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

journeymanPainter said:


> Looks like an astro


Ok you got it pretty easy. It had quite the shine. Notice the cross artificially made in the reflection?


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

More pics please!! Especially of the view!  I ♡ the PNW.... we just finished a job out in Quilcene a couple months ago....beautiful out there...


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

lilpaintchic said:


> More pics please!! Especially of the view!  I ♡ the PNW.... we just finished a job out in Quilcene a couple months ago....beautiful out there...


That's where this is at. So I've been going over there from Feb to current... I hike and mtn bike that area also. Mt Walker and marmot pass.


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## Joe67 (Aug 12, 2016)

This is awesome. I'd love a job like that, and would love to think I'd be able to live up to that quality.


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

I went out to the caboose yesterday, working til 10 o'clock pm.(late start though)
I pretty much finished the interior stuff. I had to paint the screen frames 2 coats of Cab Coat, puttied remaining nail holes in cupola ceiling and bath, fixed some wall repairs I though would have crown covering but didn't. Taped and caulked shower up to the ceiling.


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

So what is the intended purpose of the caboose? Perhaps I missed it in earlier posts?


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

lilpaintchic said:


> So what is the intended purpose of the caboose? Perhaps I missed it in earlier posts?


It is like a guest house. It is sitting next to the 2 story log home which itself is completely amazing and which is their getaway/vacation lodge. The log home is Huge, sleeps a bunch of people, and the caboose is just another place where the family will fight over to sleep in. The deck connects the two. The deck is also being rebuilt.


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