Bits and Pieces, Dribs and Drabs

I was right, and I wish I weren't.  Working two jobs on weekdays plus a little freelancing whenever I can get it is definitely not leaving me much time to work on the house.

Nevertheless, I manage to sneak in a little DIY on weekends, or every so often between the end of school and the time I need to clock in at the Big Blue Box Store, or after I get home from selling other people the supplies they need for their projects . . .

Let me see.

Wednesday, 24 April:  Worked on getting the last of the black oil-based paint heat-stripped off the tall teak bookcase.

Sunday, 28 April:  Shellacked quarter round for the 1st floor hallway, several coats. 

 And finished heat-stripping the bookcase.

The black spot is a scorch mark.  Oops.

 Monday, 29 April:  Totally fed up with only being able to do one quarter round cope per evening before the battery power in my Dremel would run out, I gave in to temptation and bought a corded Dremel 3000 kit once I got off work this evening.  With the markdown and my employee discount, the price wasn't too bad.  See, I'd found out that I'd cut the quarter round pieces for the south wall of 1st floor hall too short (well, they were fine until I overdid the copes!) and figured my time is worth something.

So I ran home and recut them out of new stock (I'll resize the shellacked pieces and use them in the dining room or maybe the 2nd floor hall) and with my new toy-- I mean, tool-- got both of them coped (both ends) and ready to shellack the next day.

Tuesday, 30 April:  Got two or three coats of shellac on the replacement pieces of quarter round, and applied the finishing coat to some of the other pieces. 

Drilled the 1st floor hall newel post to receive the pegs that are now going to hold it and its cap together.

(rotation fail to be corrected asap)

 Wednesday, 1 May:  In the morning (I taught only a half day that day), slapped more shellack onto the new 1st floor hall quarter round.

And got out into the back yard and ground up some more of last fall's leaves with the rake/vac.

Late in the evening, using a rubbing on tracing paper, I transferred the position of the peg holes in the newel post to the underside of the cap, and drilled the holes. 

Yes, the pegs fit, but no, they weren't straight, and no, the cap doesn't fit on the newel post.  It's what I get for not using a jig of some sort to keep my drill bit perpendicular.  I couldn't get the pegs out, either, even with no glue.  Never fails.

Thursday, 2 May:  After school, pretty well finished sucking up and mulching the leaves in the west back yard border.  Discovered that someplace along the line I'd lost the plastic nut that holds the impeller to the unit, but it made no difference since the impeller was stuck to the bolt shaft anyway.

Friday, 3 May:  Didn't have to report to work till 10:00 AM or so, so I was able to nail in some of the 1st floor hall quarter round and a piece of the new chair rail.

 This little piece tickles me because it ties into the bottom of the spacer between the stair stringer and the wall on the upper part of the stairs.  It's what determines the height of the new rail trim all around the space and on up the stairs.

 The curved quarter round is a resin product.  No way was I going to kill myself cutting kerfs in the oak material, once I learned this stuff exists.  Not looking forward to figuring out how to cope the piece that'll run into it.  Probably just a matter of simple geometry, but my head's not into it yet.

Purchased two more pegs for the newel post.  I figure I might have to cut at least that many flush and redrill.

The next day, Saturday the 4th, I'd intended to get a ton of work done on the house.  But my nephew whom I hadn't seen for over five years unexpectedly was in town, and I had to visit a farm to see about a new source for the raw milk I've become accustomed to, and then on the way home I came across fresh strawberries for 75c a pint.  So what could I do in the evening but make jam?

Which took a lot longer than I'd expected.  And I see this post is getting to be a lot longer than I'd expected, too.  And I will be in in a jam if I don't get to bed ASAP.  Later on,  I'll go on pretending I've actually gotten anything significant done.