Techniques and Timing

So it was that a week ago Sunday that I stayed home from the market because I could not bear to be away from our project. Well, after a week of non-stop work in the kitchen, I was glad to have a day off! Not to mention that the weather cooperated beautifully with temperatures hovering just below 90 for the first time in months!! No rain either, however, in the early evening the skies darkened dramatically in the East.

All the more interesting with the sun still shining in the West. I love when the sky turns almost navy blue, don't you?

After Thursday's excitement we got right back to work, however, and this is a good however, Dana insisted on taking us out for a celebratory lunch downtown at Hamburger Mary's on Friday, ordering champagne, as well as my first ever, fried Twinkie!

Dana is a good and thoughtful friend, although I must say I was so embarrassed when she told our server why we were there.

Meanwhile back at the construction zone, we keep putting one step in front of the other. Saturday during their drop-in to see the cabinets, Cheryle mentioned she thought we'd be further along. Blasphemy! If only she knew all the steps each door requires, not to mention the inevitable set backs which come with any remodeling project. I'll tell you about two major ones a little later.

Around our sink the silicon caulk was way, way gross, having taken a lot of abuse in the last ten years. Only Bruce would have the patience for this sort of thing.

Not just one, but two layers of tape, between which is where the new caulk went. Oh my does it look better! Then too, this is not just painting, but moving when you are not moving. I re-filled my drawers in the low cabinet, beginning with my junk drawer. I managed to make it all neat and tidy, but as anyone who has a junk drawer well knows, it won't stay that way for long.

As to techniques, one of the major challenges is how to get a good finish. We are now using the liquid deglosser after serious sanding by Bruce following the spackle treatment.

Furthermore, I've discovered it is best to paint the back of the door first to minimize the drips and runs. Plus, now I'm using two coats of primer before two coats of paint. This, after all the carpentry work Bruce is doing on the doors, and you can see why it is taking FOREVER! I was shocked to learn on Sunday that it was September 14th, the only day I pay any attention to the date.

Saturday, or as I recall, Bruce installed the glass in the door fronts!!

 A nerve wracking job if ever there were one. As well, hinges went on,

using his new driver with the lights--isn't it cool? To install the knobs he uses a block of wood behind the drill to prevent the door front from splintering.

When it came time to put the new hinges on the small upper cabinet, the shelf was in the way. Thank goodness B knows what to do, chiseling some of the shelf away.

I do have the upper right cabinet filled again, along with the glass door ones, and as soon as I finish with this, I'll fill the one pictured above.

Saturday afternoon, while Bruce was laying out the lattice for our new wine rack,

the most incredible thing happened--just as I was coming out into the garage, a HAWK flew under the tent with something in it's claws, moving so fast I did not know exactly what it was. Sadly, it did not take a lot of investigation....

one of many feathers strewn around. :(

After laying the rack out, he went to cutting it out on the table saw using some sort of notch technique, one I won't bother to explain because I could not, even if I wanted to!

Here is what it began to look like:

After taking Sunday off, we were up bright and early, working not long after getting up, hoping for a productive day. We have promised ourselves that once this side of the kitchen is done we are going to take a BEACH day!

Except Monday turned out to be a day of set backs.

I was still working on the bottom cabinet doors, but while they were in the various stages of drying, I began to unload the pantry, followed by sweeping it, cleaning it inside and out, and I began painting the inside. The pantry is skinny and deep, but as we were to discover later, not as deep as we thought! Because it was added later than the original cabinets, the big side, at least, was not in bad shape at all. SO, I thought I would take the promises on the deglosser can at their word. After waiting the drying time, I primed one side. Making progress, or so I thought.

Can I just tell you all this mess is making me a little crazy? It was to get worse, rather than better!

We'd seen a wine rack while perusing the kitchen cabinets at Lowes, figuring it would work nicely on the part of the cabinet you see primed. Measuring from the wall, Bruce had designed it to go sideways. That area has always been a spot of nothing, with the trash can setting on the floor of the pantry, but otherwise, a black hole now to be filled with a cool wine rack. Except, it would not work that way because, years and years ago, when we re-plumbed the house, the pipes run through the pictured cabinet. Bruce tried forcing them back further,

and it was then that he realized that the back of the cabinet was a full three inches in front of the wall he'd been measuring from! Showing the above picture, so you can see HOW FAR we still have to go!!

Anyway, back into the garage he went, while I was putting another coat of paint on the doors, or deglossing, or priming--who knows at this point? I heard what I thought was a bit of cursing outdoors when in walks Bruce with a BLOODY hand. A sharp chisel slipped, cutting deep into his forefinger  along with a smaller cut in his second finger. Oh my--what shall we do?? First stop the bleeding.

I was in such grubby clothes, I quickly changed, and in a GOD send, his doctor, just about a mile up the street, saw him, stitching up his one finger, steri-stripping the other, and a tetanus shot to boot. Well that wasn't part of the day's plans now was it? He was a trooper, and it won't surprise you one bit that once home he went back to work after taking a couple of aspirins.

Set back number what??? The primer on the cabinet did not grip at all. Another tent, and another round with the orbital sander.

See those scratch marks? That will tell you it did not work as planned. Including this one because I like it!!

Actually, before sanding, he cut the hole in the cabinet with a jigsaw.

THEN the sanding, and the mess that ensued, then making the box to hold the rack, then figuring out how deep the holders should be.....then we we finally stopped. And, of course, had a glass of wine.

This morning, it looks like this, but by day's end it will have all sorts of molding, and paint of course. Oh, the glory of paint!

I would be remiss if I did not show you that despite these set backs, we really are making progress.

The timer is going off just now--time to get another coat of paint on those bottom cabinet doors!

Until we meet again...
Gail