Utility Room Upgrade...

We've done without any type counter top in the utility room for 2.5 years, and decided we could put one in ourselves between the washer and the wall to its left, underneath the small window in that room. We went to a number of places and price compared, and were looking at 36" wide cabinet bases. We saw an ad on TV about a builder's surplus supply store, and since it was very close to where I was headed for an appointment with the eye doctor, we went by the place to check it out. They carried many choices, and one of those had cabinet door millwork very similar to the wall cabinets which were already in the utility room above the washer and dryer. The price was much more reasonable than anywhere else we had looked, so we bought one on the spot.

Unfortunately, this cabinet base already had a stain finish applied with some sort of sealer on top of that. This meant sanding off most of that so that the paint I was going to apply (to match the wall cabinets already in the room) would adhere nicely. We returned home that afternoon and I commenced to sanding everything...

With all the surface areas sanded clean, I decided to get the 1st coat of paint applied that same evening so it would have time to dry and a 2nd coat be painted the next day...

After a second coat, and another day of drying, we moved it into the utility room to size things up. Fortunately for me, the corner where we were installing this unit was very square - and the floor was very level as well. The floor molding had a tricky design to it, but I was able to copy those curves to a template and shape the slat that would cover this side crack so it all fit very snugly.

Here is the unit in place, screwed into the studs in three places at the back. First attempt at this I tried to just put the cabinet base against the back floor molding. Unfortunately, since I was just buying a stock/prebuilt cabinet top to go on this base, the dimensions were all precise to a certain standard, so leaving it like that would have meant a 3/8" crack along the back where the cabinet top would meet the back wall. So, I had to pull the unit back off and cut out the baseboard at the back so that the unit could be flush against the sheetrock wall.

Here's a close up of the baseboard molding cutout. A slat was cut and applied along this back edge as well, shaped at the bottom to fit the contour of the baseboard. That covered up the "rough" cut of the baseboard, and with a bead of caulk applied it all looked very nice.

By far, the toughest part of this whole job was trimming the cabinet top to the proper width. The stock tops came in various widths, with 4' being the shortest. The piece is much too big to try and cut on my table saw, so I had to resort to my handheld power saw. In order to make a smooth cut of the laminate, this required cutting from the bottom side. These counter tops are made of a dense particle board, with the laminate surface applied. Using a very fine toothed blade, it was extremely difficult getting a straight cut through all that very hard glue used to form the particle board. After numerous passes, I finally was able to get a pretty straight cut on that end resulting in a top with the proper width...

With the right hand side trimmed, we then applied a piece of laminate to the "raw" edge of the counter top. This laminate piece was pre-made to fit the contour of the counter top. It was applied simply by laying it in place and then applying a hot clothes iron all along it to activate a glue which was already on the back side of the laminate piece. We were a little unsure if this would really work or not, but Nancy worked the iron as I held the piece in place and we then let it cool off. The bond took, and it seems the laminate strip is holding fast. The piece they provide is actually a little bigger than the top itself, so a fine wood rasp was used to stroke upward in the position you see below to remove the excess. When all is said and done, the piece of laminate ironed onto the end mates up nicely with the laminate which was already on the top. (I think I could have bought a special bit to go in my router that would have made this step much quicker and easier, but I didn't think to pursue it at the time...).

And so here is the final product installed. The slats on the front left and back right are in place, and a bead of caulk finished off the remaining little cracks against the walls and the baseboard molding. Not only do we now have a nice counter top area for folding clothes as they come out of the dryer, we also have two additional drawers and storage space behind the two doors you see where we can put things!

As usual, difficulties were overcome along the way - but it turned out very nice and it will add function to the utility room...

Tom

Conflicted

We had a very busy June and July so Tom and I are just now trying to get back into the swing of swimming at our neighborhood pool in the mornings. We get up at 7 which is an improvement over last year's 6 or 6:30. (I'm just not a morning person!) BUT, with the breeze out of the south, we smell the donuts cooking at the local donut store across the field...

So far, we haven't bought any.
~Nancy

Book Racks

I've had this "to do" on the list for quite some time. Nancy wanted a set of book racks mounted in the bedroom where the grandkids' toy closet is located so various reading books could be at hand at all times - at heights that each grandchild could reach without adult help. My driveway pad makes for an ideal project area to do my cutting and sanding. Cleanup at the end is very easy - I just break out my leaf blower and blow all the dust off my equipment and over into the grass. Of course, this time of year it can get really hot out on the cement - so I make use of various porch umbrellas to help break the direct sun...

A bit of carpentry glue along the edges make for a good bond, in combination with brad nails...

Some "smallish" clamps hold things together very nicely as the glue sets up, and enables the pieces to be nailed together without problems...

I used my air brad nailer to assemble the book racks. A little glue and a brad nail here and there make for an easy assembly. I can't believe I worked various projects for so many years before I found out how much easier it is to assemble wookworking projects with air nailers!

I backed the cars out onto the driveway, then hung these three book racks in the middle of the garage and proceeded to use a couple of cans of green spray paint to get them covered...

I left them hanging overnight so they would be dried completely, then began the assembly process on the wall in the bedroom. This little section of wall is between the toy closet door and the window which looks out on the driveway. No finding studs here - just inserted sheetrock anchors and four screws for each of the three book racks. Plenty of strength there to support the needed weight...

Making careful measurements so the three book racks would all line up nicely...

Mounting the third and final book rack...

And the finished product!

From a bit of a different angle. A different height rack for the three different sizes of grandchildren we have!

They came out looking pretty nice, and I got them installed just a couple of days before the Memphis grandkids came for their two week summer visit...

Tom

Easy Sneezy Breezy

The back porch at our home is very nice. But, Nancy decided one more item was needed to make it not only nice, but more functional. A ceiling fan, dropped down a couple of feet from the high ceiling, was needed to provide a nice breeze when you are trying to enjoy the outdoors in the evening. Not only does it feel a bit more comfortable on hot days, but it can also keep mosquitos at bay...

I've installed a number of ceiling fans, but I think this is my first one for an outdoor application. You have to look for one specifically made for outdoor use - the motor housing is sealed a bit better - but the major difference is the paddles are molded plastic rather than wood. Apparently, humidity fluctuation, heat, etc., cause a real problem over the long haul with wooden paddles.

The first step in this process is to open the box and take inventory to ensure all the needed parts are there. Since this was a drop down installation, I also had to buy a 2' extension rod. That also required an adapter since the only drop down rod available was a different diameter than the fan expected to have...

Removal of the existing light fixture was the next step. As you can see, my tall stepladder was required for this high-ceiling application. I was not sure if I had enough wires running to the existing electrical box. Ideally, you would want two different "hot" wires at the box - one to connect to the lights and the other to connect to the fan. I soon discovered, to my good fortune, that a second wire was available in the box already that I could hook the fan to...Some preliminary connections with the wiring and the drop down rod are made on the table prior to climbing the ladder...

The actual hang of the unit and making the final wire connections is quite simple. Then it is simply a matter of connecting up the collar at the top and the paddles on the fan itself...

I had to make a slight change to the switch arrangement inside which (up to this point) controlled the back porch light. Inside this switch box in the house, I just had to move that extra wire which goes up to the electrical box where the fan is connected to the "hot" side of the terminal/switch so that 120 volts would be fed up that wire at all times (the fan is turned on/off via the pull chain out on the fan itself)...

The finished product! Now Nancy can enjoy the back porch on those evenings when it is not too hot!

This project was completed by Tom near the end of May...

Fish Fry!

A friend of ours moors a floating "house boat" in a slip on Lake Ray Hubbard located on the eastern edge of Dallas (at least, I think it is still in Dallas...). Here's the humble abode...

He invited out a number of friends from church and elsewhere for a fish fry. Here are but a few of those who were able to attend...

This is Paul, our host and chief cook. He fried up catfish fillets, pieces of chicken and jalapeno wrapped in bacon, french fries, and various other vegetables to go along with potato salad, slaw, and other sides which folks brought to the feast.

A few decided to try their luck. This is Carole, the winner of the "evening gown fishing" category...



The girl caught a couple of little ones, then a nice sized sand bass. As is apparent, Carole really loves her fish!

Though summer seems to have made an early appearance in the Dallas area, once the sun got down low and finally disappeared, it was a very pleasant evening on the water at Lake Ray Hubbard!

Tom

Lay Down to Stand Up...

The cabinet area over our double oven is as shown here... One horizontal shelf divides the whole area; so cutting boards, baking lids, cookie sheets, etc., are just stacked up on top of each other. It makes for a real pain to dig out what you need sometimes. Reconfiguring this cabinet area is another one of those things that has been on my "to do" list for quite some time. Our prior home had vertical dividers in the area above the ovens, so this is what needed to be done here. With Nancy gone to Searcy and then Memphis this long weekend, I decided to surprise her by tackling this project while she was away...

The first order of business (after emptying everything, of course) was to cut out the existing horizontal shelf. I just ran my hand jigsaw along the edge of the inside cabinet walls on either side. Once that was done, it was a simple matter to lift up and down on the front of the cut-out piece to disconnect it from the ledge it rested on along the back wall of the cabinet.

The 1" or so strip of the original horizontal shelf which remained on the sides was easy to work away from the walls by clamping on some channel-lock pliers and rocking it up and down. This pulled the remaining side strips out of the nails which were nailed into the horizontal shelf's edge from the outside of the cabinet by the manufacturer. Using some cutting pliers, I just clipped the nails along the right side (I couldn't just pull them through, because that side was visible on the other side of the cabinet wall...) and then used a grinding wheel in my drill to smooth off the sharp little point that was left. Here's how things looked once I completely removed the horizontal shelf, including the 1"x2" board which had spanned the back and supported the shelf.

All I had to do then was to cut some 3/4" MDF to fit in the bottom of the cabinet, and one for the top of the opening - and then cut grooves to receive the 3/16" hardboard which served as the vertical dividers. Since this wood all is set back in the cabinet, I went "cheap" on the paint step and just found a can of spray paint near the color of the stained cabinet doors. Here is one of the two pieces that will receive the vertical dividers which I painted out in the garage. I also did a good bit of taping around the cabinet itself so I could carefully cover up the unpainted areas showing where the edges of the original horizontal shelf had been...

At this point, I stopped for a while to get some lunch and to cool off - giving the paint time enough to dry to the point that I could nail up the two pieces with the grooves cut in them. Once they were in their place, then I could measure the finished length required for the vertical pieces and cut them out in the garage. Here's the finished product. I'll probably let Nancy put away all the various items that go here when she returns from out of town. The paint will be completely dry by then, too...

As most of the projects I tackle seem to do - this took a little longer than I expected. I think I got started around 8AM and completed around 4PM (with and hour or so break in the middle) - so it was awhile getting done. But, the area will be much more effective now, and getting out that cutting board or cookie sheet you want will be much easier!
Tom

Wascally Wabbit!

I've been slow getting all my pots planted this year. This pot is what's left of the winter pansies. They are overgrown and spindly and need to be changed out for some hot weather plants. But, hey! Wait! Maybe HopHop (our granddaughter's name for all rabbits) will take care of them for me! While getting my camera ready with a different lens, this rabbit pulled off and ate three stems with flowers.
~Nancy~

Water, Water, Everywhere!

We've lived in our nice Murphy home just over two years now. There aren't many things to complain about how this structure is laid out and the building construction that was done. However, its one fatal design "flaw" has always been the poor placement of the external water faucets. There are but two, one near the front corner on the northwest, and one on the east side about halfway down the driveway, before reaching the garage doors. You have to drag out a 100' garden hose from either faucet through a gate in order to get all the way around to the back and water plants on the back porch.

Fortunately, our water heaters are located on a platform in a back corner of the garage. Just on the other side of the garage back wall from the water heaters is our back porch. I'd decided long ago it should be quite easy to tap into the cold water line feeding the hot water heaters and install a faucet through that garage back wall to service the porch and back yard. Yesterday was the day to get 'er done!

After measuring and re-measuring several times, I finally decided I was in just the right spot to make the breach through the wall. I began by using a 1" diameter hole saw. I didn't have one made to go through brick - my Lowe's was out of that particular item - so it was pretty hard going. I ended up grounding down the teeth of the hole saw about the time I had made it through the front half of the brick. So, I then switched to a regular masonry bit and proceeded to drill holes through the back half of the brick until we were all the way through...

Once I had drilled multiple holes in the back side of the brick, it was just a matter of using a cold chisel and tapping out the rest of the brick on the back half.

Back in the garage, it was very convenient that the plumbers who installed all this placed cutoff valves for the cold water pipes feeding the water heaters. I didn't have to cut off water to the whole house while I worked - just right here at the water heaters. I've used a torch to remove a pressure relief tank (not pictured here) from the existing piping, and inserted a "tee" inline where I connected the feeder line going down to the faucet end which comes through the garage wall.

Here is the back end of the faucet where it came through the garage wall. The end of the "freeze proof" faucet had pipe thread, so an adapter elbow was needed to screw onto the end of the faucet, and to present a place where the 1/2" copper pipe could be soldered. Just had to apply some teflon tape on the pipe threads to secure it to the faucet end.

Here I'm doing a "dry fit" of the 1/2" copper tubing feeding off the "tee" that I soldered earlier.

The 1/2" copper line needed to be cut to fit - a small tubing cutter tool was used to accomplish that task - it makes for a nice clean cut.

Here I'm soldering the line coming off the "tee" joint. This project was the FIRST time to ever solder copper joints - but I've seen it done many times on TV so I decided I could handle this!

Here's a little closer shot. The torch flame is applied back on the copper "tee" itself, and once it gets hot enough, you just "wick" the silver solder around the mating edges and the solder melts and flows back toward the heat/flame. Please note: the solder "drips" you see in this picture on that vertical piece of copper tubing are NOT my doing - it previously existed! (not that all mine were drip free!)

Here is a picture of the installed faucet on the porch/exterior side. Note the handle and the "guts" of the faucet are removed at this point. Due to the heat, you don't want the rubber gaskets (which extend all the way back to the back side of the faucet fixture) anywhere near where the line is soldered in at the back side.

Here's a picture of the completed plumbing connections. At the very tip-top you see the expansion canister re-installed as well. And most importantly - no leaks!

Water now available on the porch!

Installed a hose hanger and now you see the final product on the exterior...

Installed insulated pipe protector on the new plumbing, and now you see the final product on the garage interior...

Nancy is very pleased - now she doesn't have to make numerous trips between the porch and kitchen to fill milk jugs to water her potted flowers on the back porch. I'm pleased because I'm now experienced at a new skill. And, I'm pleased it only took one trip more to the plumbing store than the minimum 3-trip quota required whenever doing plumbing!

Cheers,
Tom