Author: peterb51

26th February 2023

The sun was a welcome surprise today, it was still cold, but somehow it felt like spring was just around the corner and then a thousand miles north.

Getting the big dresser out of the thick was the first order of the day, and boy was it heavy.

We managed to get it out and then lowered it or the ground allowing us to remove the drawers. This made it a bit easier to manoeuvre it on on to a trolley.

Kelli had the brilliant idea to clean it up, touch up some minor scrapes and sell it like it was.

So with a cloth and some scratch cover she set about tarting it up.

Once that was done we took pictures and it went on to Marketplace, it later sold, not a bad return.

We also sold the long white dresser that was short of two pulls, fortunately the Amazon van came just after midday with the extras.

A young chap turned up to collect it in the early evening. He said that he intended to paint it black to match the decor of his room.

Kelli almost collapsed with the shock, but he bought it, and can do what he wants to with it.

25th February 2023

Today I was going to do my favourite job, laying melamine flooring. I am joking, I absolute hate melamine flooring, but I’m going to lay some at Greer’s and Dylan’s home.

I loaded my tools into the truck and we headed off to Allandale.

Kelli and Greer were having a girls day out leaving me and Dylan to lay the flooring.

The area that needed covering was a long hallway that housed the washing machine and dryer. The first challenge was to neaten the floor where the old flooring ended, it was pretty rough, whoever laid it must have used their teeth to cut it.

With the help of my newly acquired oscillating saw I straightened them the best I could, the joint would be covered with trim piece anyway.

What followed was four hours of cutting, fitting, cutting a bit more, then refitting. It soon became evident that there wasn’t enough pieces to finish the entire hall. The appliances in the hall were the largest I have ever seen, and they were bloody heavy.

So I ended up doing what I would never do, and that is lay the flooring around them. I cringe every time I think of it. It will haunt me everyday.

I didn’t get to finish as Greer and Kelli had returned from their shopping trip, and there was a table booked at a local restaurant.

I will have to go back to finish the job next week.

I went to put my tools back in the truck and as I opened the tailgate there was an enormous dresser staring back at me. Kelli had gone to the local Goodwill and found it. She told me that half the staff had to help her load it, it will be fun trying to get it out with just the two of us.

24th February 2023

Kelli was eagerly awaiting the Amazon truck, maybe more than normal because the pull handles we due.

The dogs signalled it’s arrival, so she grabbed the package and rushed inside.

She came back into the garage very despondent. The pull handles were correct, she had ten delivered, but needed twelve.

That was a downer, she wanted to have pictures taken and posted for the weekend.

If she was to order more they wouldn’t arrive until Sunday. Things were desperate, she checked the Menards website and discovered they had some very similar.

I was dispatched to buy a couple and save the day.

I went straight to the hardware section expecting to find exactly what I needed.

I searched high and low, but there was none that were the same. My only option was to choose something close and hope that we could get away with them.

I was busy making two tops for the side tables when I was called to clear a iceberg that was blocking our photo shoot area.

Kelli said that it was frozen solid, I asked if she had tried to clear it, she replied “ Well I tried to kick it with my foot” mmm, I thought, I might have to work harder than that.

With the aid of my metal manual snow plough, I chipped away at it until I had moved it to another place, then we were clear to take pictures of the heavy dresser.

That was a job and a half, we pushed it out on two carts, and almost killed ourselves lifting it off.

With the aid of a colourful blanket we tried to hide the different pulls, hopefully we can get some interest, and sell it after Sunday when the replacement pulls arrive.

23rd February 2023

The good old city delivered a new wheely bin this morning. Now we wait for the time when the machine crushes that one, I’ll give it six months.

We had a return customer come to collect the repurposed dresser, she overcame the icy conditions to grab this beauty.

Then we had to drive to Zeeland to collect a small two door cabinet. It’s an okay piece but it did smell of smoke, that we didn’t discover until we got home. So the first thing we have to do is neutralise the smell.

I did some major machining to the side tables to remove some material from the bottom to lighten the carcass.

There are also six drawers in the house that have drying all day, the dresser has already been sold so it’s just the drawers holding it up.

We have been watching Clarkson’s Farm, a small reminder of what happens in the English countryside. I think he has done more to bring awareness of the plight of British farming then anyone else.

He of course brings his schoolboy humour that is his trademark, but mixing it with the real issues is what makes this series compelling viewing.

22nd February 2023

The Michigan weather took another turn today, we were hit with freezing rain. It covered everything with an icy glaze, even the salt they spread in abundance doesn’t work in these freezing conditions. So there was not a hope in hell that we would venture out.

Instead we did what we could in the garage.

Kelli would open the garage door for just about the time it took to spray the dresser she was working on, and for me to freeze my arse off.

I decided to strip the planer down ready for the arrival of the new belt that was due tomorrow.

That was a good time to do a bit of spring cleaning. There was so much crap crammed inside the machine it took many brush pans to remove it.

I also cleaned the pulley that had dead belt residue encrusted in the grooves.

Then the cherry on top was changing the blades, that done, I was ready for the rebuild.

Kelli was concerned about our colony of sparrows who live in the holly bush outside the sunroom. “ They will freeze to death in this weather” she said in a serious tone. “We need to cover the bush with a sheet” and at that she went into the garage to find one.

I was still doing the washing up when she returned. “ Well will you help me? I will need help spread the sheet”

I put down the plates and changed back into my warm working clothes and stepped out into the artic conditions.

“ Won’t they freak out in the morning when they can’t see the sky?” I said slightly amused with the whole saga.

“Well if there is a heap of dead birds under the bush, it will be your fault “ she said in reply.

So that is what we did at 10.00pm, I hope they appreciate what we did.

Anyway according to the weather report we have locusts, frogs and the four horsemen of the apocalypse still to go.

21st February 2023

I managed to modify the two drawers for the shortened pedestal. I think I got away with it.

I went full bore on cutting down the second pedestal, as I still had the saw out I decided to shorten the two dressers for that carcass.

I measured out the required dimension.

I was puzzled, the amount I would have to cut was much less than the other two I already modified. It then dawned on me that the shorter drawers were the ones I originally measured to check that they would fit in the shortened carcass, so I wasn’t a complete plonker.

Kelli was already well into stripping the white dresser we picked up yesterday. Most of the drawer fronts were sanded and she managed to prime the dresser body.

Several months ago I started giving the dogs any scraps from our dinner plates, because I could be bothered to scrape it into the bin.

Which leads me on to a point about rubbish.

The amount of stuff we throw away as refuse is embarrassing small. Sometimes I feel I should raid other people’s bins just to make ours look good. Since we compost, that makes up for most of what used to get chucked away.

Recycling is another high yield, and America doesn’t seem to be making any progress in reducing its packaging.

So back to the dogs. Now every night, after they’ve had the last piss and dump of the day they rush in to see what is in their bowls. Even Dhama drags her back legs over broken glass to scoff what morsels I have left them.

It is often a struggle to remember to save them anything, especially when the meal was good and there was nothing left.

Then there is an urgent hunt for anything edible, if push comes to shove, I could empty what is left in the rubbish bin, but what would I then put in the wheelie bin?

20th February 2023

After another grim night, the only glimmer of interest was Kelli’s doctors appointment and a drive to Zeeland.

On the way I spotted a white dresser by the side of the road. That usually means someone was getting rid of it, or it could have been just delivered, and not carried into the house yet. We decided to risk it, Kelli turned the truck around and we pulled up next to it. There was a “Free” sign taped to the front. It wasn’t in bad condition, all the drawers had roller slides which was a plus. Struggling down a snow bank we got it loaded into the truck, then it was off to the docs for an hour of body balancing.

After filling up with petrol we headed home to unload.

We then headed off to Hamilton to pick up another free dresser.

I say Hamilton, it was so far out in the wilderness that I aged considerably. We drove around in a circle following the damn GPS that struggles to find anything in this country.

Eventually, and quite by chance, we found the place. On the porch was a dark coloured dresser that was bloody heavy.

After straining most of our muscles, we retraced our steps and miraculously got back.

We took it to Kelli’s mum’s garage, better out of sight, out of mind as we had enough to get on with.

19th February 2023

Last night we decided that the dresser that we bought would take too much effort to redo, and because of the quality we wouldn’t get much for it.

So Kelli posted it on Marketplace for twice what we paid for it, and we damn well sold it.

These things always amaze me, but I’m glad we got rid of it.

Now Kelli can use the money to buy something better and easier to refinish.

We finally finished the repurposed dresser.

It was carried inside to take pictures, I was pleased with the transformation, and the price we put on it, so now waiting for a nice, non Dutch person to buy it.

I started on the side tables, we decided to reduce it’s depth by about four inches, so with my skill saw in hand I set about making sawdust. I thought I would start on one, mainly to see how long it would take to modify it.

It then appeared that the drawers stuck out the back, oops! So now I have to shorten the drawers as well, I just haven’t told Kelli yet.

I will quietly do them in secret, and she will be none the wiser.

18th February 2023

An early morning wake up was not welcomed, at least it wasn’t as bad as yesterday.

Kelli announced that we had to drive to Zeeland to collect a dresser and a bench.

The dresser is not the best quality, but I guess we will improve it, but getting a good price for it is doubtful.

I fitted the top and doors to the repurposed dresser, I hate fitting doors, even though the doors are square often the apertures are not, then you spend ages trying to get the best fit possible.

Then I tried to thickness some timber, but there was a strange noise and the smell of burning rubber. I quickly turned everything off and removed the cutter cover, and there jammed between the blades was a knot. It must have dislodged during the last job.

I then turned it on but the blades were not turning, then I saw the reason, the rubber belt had broken.

I quickly went on to Amazon to search for a replacement.

I found one, but $30 seemed a bit steep, but a lot cheaper than a new model.

The tall dresser with the wood top was picked up, and we sold the two tone dresser as well.

So a good end to a Saturday.

17th February 2023

Another restless night, this is getting too regular for my liking. This might be linked to her period, which she hopes will stop soon, but there on signs of that happening.

We were hoping that her hormone balancing would help, but not yet.

There were two pieces that needed to be completed this weekend.

Kelli finished painting the large dresser that became two tone, not a look we usually do, but the design seemed to lend itself to that approach.

I finished off the doors for the repurposed dresser. I had cut two mesh panels to fit inside the frames. I bought mesh that was already painted black, that saved me the horrible job of spraying them.

I cut up and machined some strips of wood to hold the mesh in place.

This should’ve ready for tomorrow.

I took a trip up to Kelli’s mum to pick up the two desk pedestals that will be converted into two side tables.

These were remarkably heavy being made out of three quarter inch thick plywood, and once I got them back I needed to think of what I have to do to them to make them cool,………I’m still thinking.