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All I can say is, WOW! You must be a Pro Weatherly, eh? I will hand sand all the old wood. Maybe, I should sand the gap between the old ply and trim before I try to pop out the old top piece, no? That will allow me to get rid of the original three coats of Polyurethane?
I am a retired bridge carpenter, and I have not made the precision cuts that may be required to cut the new sapele. I am pretty fair with the Skill saw, however. Any advice on that?