Entries in carpentry (7)

Saturday
Feb092019

The cradle is finished!

I will say it has been an interesting week.  Next week is my last official week in an office situation currently.  There are rumbles they hope to extend for two more weeks or have me come back.  It is the quietest space in my life right now so I can see the positives.  I am not sure what not being there will mean.  I was used to a very quiet house before I went back to office work.  I was very happy in that space.  It is not so quiet anymore so I do not know.  I was thinking I may need a camping trip with a bag of yarn, a hook, and a pile of books when it is warmer.  A present to myself.  

A present like sitting down to the computer first.  I was getting things done yesterday but mid day decided to clean up from working on the cradle.  I was a bit filthy but sore too.  I could feel crud starting so I decided to take a relaxing bath.  My body said "Relax?  You are relaxing??  Time to rest!"  I just stopped.  Oh well.  At least my voice sounds better then most of the family this morning.

The cradle is done.  Koda Bear and my Beloved stained it for me.  They also stained an Adirondack chair we had built together many years ago because it is now outside.  The rearranging of furniture due to the addition of people.  That chair fits me well and there is not a current place for it inside.

I did more sanding and coated it with polyurethane.  Twice.  It turned out well.

My thoughts on it.  I took advice on what materials to use and next time I think I would use wood instead of plywood.  I would not have been so concerned about damaging the surface while I was working on the finish.  Also, I would have gone with dimensionalized 1" by 12" which really comes down to 3/4" by 11 1/2".  I think I would have cleaner connections.  There are a few nails that came through on the bottom.  I find that I hammer better on onside usually. 

The plywood chipped a bit when I used the circular saw on it.  I think the blade needs to be changed out but I did not realize that until after the cutting was done.  I was truly just happy that I had enough skill to use the circular saw as well as I did.  I started the curves on all the egdes with it and they were finished on a grinder.  Yes, pulled out the knife making tools because that was easiest and what we had.  I may invest in a reciprocal saw if I do more of this type of work.

I still have lots of projects.  Being out of an office will help.  But then I always have lots of projects.  I just got asked for shirts this morning.  I have fabric picked out for four.  And I really need to finish my yarn boxes.  I might get a bit done on those today too.  It is cold enough outside to make it hurt your hands to work outside for very long.  I may get there.  I may not.

This is my life.

Saturday
Feb022019

The monster has arrived!

Ziggy Monster has arrived.  About a week early.  Because he is a pound smaller then most of the babies that have been born into this family, he seems very small to me. 

I did well though.  I had gone to the thrift store to look for clothes for him.  Babies just grow so fast when they are small I thought why not.  I had found a elephant printed onesie.  It has been the only thing that has fit.  He will be coming home in it.  

With him being a week early, most of the projects I am doing for him are not done.  I enlisted Koda Bear's help to sand this morning and I got the cradle put together.

All the edges are sanded so even though it is not stained or polyurethaned, it can be used.  It does not rock very well because I just had a circular saw to cut all the corners.  The boyos took a grinder to it and helped me with the hand holds.

The cradle can be picked up but there is a hope that it will be able to be swung.  I felt the hand holds might be a way to do that.  Because it sure does not rock very well.  I will see if the Tall Short person wishes for me to stain and polyurethane it.  It will be up to her.

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