railing

On the mountain, we have been sleeping in the loft of the machine shed.  Every time we go up, we have been doing a little bit more to it so it is more livable.  First it was a counter for cooking.  Then walls to protect the sleeping portion from so much weather.  Then it was more counter.  Now, one of the railings we have been talking about is installed.

The railing really got a push after on the people on Alaska The Last Frontier fell off their second story porch and died.  It is a boy thing to pee off the porch at night instead of maybe going someplace safer.  Also, there is the thought that Blue may be coming up to the mountain at some point.  I will be putting some netting up then but this will help.

The boyos really wished to use round wood so they did.  Again, all the supplies were either from the mountain or from another project.  I did not help much but I did sweep.  Pee holes in the railing were something that was a requirement and they were measured and tested.

I do like how it turned out even if I laugh the whole time it is being built and tested. :)

I built a bed that has storage!

What can I say but I am very proud of myself.  I built a bed.  A storage bed at that.  Now, I am going to give credit to Ana White. 

I used her plans up to a point.   They were very straightforward.  I was going to put a different headboard and footboard on this base of the Hadley bed because I wanted the storage but liked those pieces on another of her plans better.  But I was putting this bed within the above loft space.  There was not room for a headboard and footboard!  How disappointing.

Since I was doing this by myself, I had to do some jury rigging to be another pair of hands.  All other hands I would have asked were driving.  The Tall Short Person is here.  I would say moved in but not unpacked.

I was left with most of the lumber precut.  The thought was that if the lumber was precut, I would able to have an easier time with the time constraints I was under.  Not that I cannot run a saw mind you because I ended up having to make more cuts.  The cut list was a bit off and I also cut all the backing for storage out of some quarter inch plywood I had had for another project.  That plywood was well repurposed here because I really did not need all those boxes.

It was then just a matter of me putting everything together.  I used both nails and wood glue while I listened to the last three months of Wait Wait Don't Tell Me pod casts that I have missed.  They made me laugh which was a good thing.  

It just took time and patience.  I wore myself out two days running.  Make myself sick worn out but I have not really mentioned that to my here family.  They do not really read the blog so it will not be noticed.  My away family does read the blog so all of you shush!  I got the job done.

I did run out of 2 inch finishing nails before the bed was all put together.  I had a box of 1 1/2 inch finishing nails.  I used to use these nails all the time when I was small.  I do not remember them being this fragile to a hammer.  I must have bent six.  And my hammer's handle was split so I could not really get the leverage to pull them out.  I had use a hacksaw.  It was a bummer.

Once it was done, I covered it with a colored poly.  If I had more time, even though some of the trim had been purchased primed, I would have sanded much more.  The time constraint got in the way.  The poly dried in time for me to put the mattress and linens on the bed before my Beloved and the Tall Short Person walked through the door from their cross country drive from Oregon.  That was the goal and I made it.

I would do this again.  I will probably never buy another bed frame.  To move this one, may take a chainsaw to cut it out of this space but I know how to run one of those as well.  I have an old box that my Dad built before I was born.  I wanted a dollhouse so bad for my doll Sara when I was small I drew on the insides to make it one.  It may become a step.  I have no problems getting out of this bed but I do feel a step would make it easier getting in.  For Koda Bear too.

The next build is a co-sleeper or cradle for when Ziggy Monster is here in about a month.  I had a friend as if I sleep.  I starting to wonder.