Author: peterb51

I am a practical person, I love making things, and especially working with wood. I appreciate good design, music and food.

Day 603 Charity begins at Homebase.

2nd April 2019

Rain was falling, so that put paid to working outside, but I had a couple of things to do in the house, so the time wasn’t wasted.

I met up with my friend Rob for lunch and a visit to a few garden centres, oh how I get excited at the prospect of visiting those.

I picked up some metal edging for the new path, so progress moves on.

Rob had a go at some fundraisers at Homebase. His argument was if the charity had money to pay the fundraisers, why did they need the public donations. There is no passion in professional money collecting that you get from those who give their time for free. The causes are genuine, it’s just the approach he had a problem with.

Day 602 Hard Rock

1st April 2019

Well it’s the start of the family birthday season. There are five I have to contend with including Kelli, who still get excited at the prospect of a present on the day. I keep telling her that as you get older the presents adjust to suit the age, and for her to expect support stockings, walking sticks and liniment in the future.

I was at Brandon Tool Hire at 8.00am to collect the pneumatic drill to finally break up the path.

I started at 9.05am and was finished at 9.50, it was amazing.

It took a little longer to break up the walls, and edging.

The drill was heavy, just carrying up the slope was difficult, also there was the step-down transformer, almost as heavy as the drill, so I was pretty much wrecked before I started.

Day 601 Boring!

30th March 2019

I am growing tired of always having tools in the house. Every evening I sweep up dust, it’s always the same. Having wooden floors allows me to see all the shit that settles every day. Every morning there is a dust on the hop that I lovingly remove.

I have been lucky with the weather, it’s great to work outside for a change. That doesn’t stop me leaving the tape measure inside when I need it outside.

Day 600 Another day odour

29th March 2019

I completed the structure for the new lower stairs, I used up a lot of wood that I salvaged from the old house. It was amazing that even after thirty years when I cut the board there was the wonderful smell of pine. The timber I buy today has little odour, it is pale, lightweight, and doesn’t seem that it will lasts for ten years yet alone thirty.

I fitted the threshold, where the front porch meets the lounge, leaving me with the wonderful smell of “Gripfix” drifting about.

Day 599 Three steps to heaven

29th March 2019

I lost another half an inch of my workmate. It fell to the ground along with the good piece I had just cut.

I had made the new lower steps to the main staircase to match the step going into the bathroom, this had taken me much longer than I thought.

On the other hand Kelli has been storming ahead of last years sales with some amazing pieces. Today she finished off a dresser with attached mirror, this is destined for Hudsonville tomorrow.

Day 598 Fatal attraction.

28th March 2019

This was the day to lay up the various pieces of wood into the different panels to make windowsills and steps. I machined up a oak threshold using my trusty router, covering the place with wood bits. There aren’t any jobs that don’t make shit fly everywhere. I sweep the living room floor every evening and there is alway a pile of dirt. I am getting obsessed about how dirty the place gets everyday.

I have been thinking of writing to James Dyson to see if he could invent a static charge machine that would attract the dust, therefore concentrating it in one place rather than deposit it over a wide area. However my son pointed out that the device would have to be so large and powerful that everyone’s hair would stand on end, so maybe I’ll have to stick with sweeping.

Day 597 Wired for sound

27th March 2019

My friend Dave came over to help with some audio issues. I had my Electician wire in cables to connect the upstairs with the downstairs.

I finally got round to plugging everything in, and got nothing, except a loud hum. Dave’s analysis was the problem was bad earthing. He quickly removed the outlets to prove his theory, and he was correct. It got a little worse, all the wires were the wrong type. Instead of shielded cables, they were just speaker wires. This meant a lot of work unsoldering and re-soldering, plus Dave like to talk out loud to himself, checking that he was connecting things correctly. The number of times he declared “Right! That will work” and it didn’t, but he persisted, and finally it all worked , although it was about six-thirty by the time he finished.

I managed to get to Windebanks for the last time to get my timber, as I drove up the hill out of the yard for the last time it was really sad.

Day 595 The Wind has died

25th March 2019

The end of civilisation as we know it, came a little bit closer today.

I had to get some hardwood for window sills, and stair treads so drove over to Windebanks in Box to get it organised. I was horrified to learn that the place was closing down. It has been my favourite place to get my timber being so close, but that all comes to an end.

There was not a lot of stock left, but after scratching around managed to find some that would work.

The chap was telling me that the site will be demolished and houses will be built on the land.

I can’t imagine what would have happened if I had turned up a week later and found the gates locked, I probably had a little eppi.

So another local landmark will disappear, fortunately the few staff have other work, but you can tell they were really pissed off.

I took my sixteen pieces back to Wickes and got a refund. I did not pick any replacement as I didn’t want to draw any attention, I will go back later in the week to select new pieces.

I started digging the new path, I plan to have that completed this week, leaving next week to break up the old concrete.