Gideon's eagle project

On a hot July day the first phase of Gideon's Eagle Project began. 

It started with boys cleaning, scraping, wire brushing, and scuffing the exterior of this Artillery Gun mounted in a park in our local town.

 Next was the washing, including pressure washing. 

 George Howlett was here with us and helped out a lot!

 Uncle Jordon got in on the action too, along with Tim Lane.

 All 'clean', but still a mess.

 
Pressure washing the dirt, debris and 30 years of broken glass out of the nooks and crannies of this gun was no easy feat. They kept thinking they got it all then if they hit it at a different direction more just kept coming out! (It took Karen over 2 hours of walking around in the grass and picking up the glass that was washed out of this thing.)

 Insert Jeopardy music here...

 It took two months between the pressure washing and the priming/painting because of MULTIPLE variables needing to be met. The weather had to me not too hot and not to cold, the humidity had to be low, and they needed enough time before to be completely dry, and enough time after to fully cure. It was a two part paint that needed to be mixed right before applying and if it was two high of humidity it would peel off and waste the whole job. Also the weather changed like a fickle girlfriend so they would plan days ahead and get the special painter lined up to be there (the one who know how to work with the paint and had the equipment to apply it) then the weather would turn and ruin all the plans. This happened over, and over, and over. Then the days that the weather was supposed to be yucky were in actuallity perfect and our painter was unavailable because he had work etc. I was tearing my hair out it was so frustrating! When they finally just decided to do it without the painter it took 3 times as long as it was supposed to and we had to buy our own painting guns. So we are out a couple hundred bucks, and a lot of time, but it finally got painted.

 Get ready, get set, GO!

 Big difference in the before and after, all in one shot.

 Nice and clean new look! Almost all done priming!

 As you can tell Gid is pretty happy about it!

 Finishing touches.

Dan and Gideon actually got a replacement flash hider sent from a navy warehouse in Florida. It still needs to be attached. They are also working on a plaque stating the history of the Gun and which boat it came from etc.Wow, so great it is almost done!

The motley crew who accomplished the feat!  

Dan liked slinging a gun on each hip.

He really does think he was born in the wrong century.  ;)