Making Space for a New Stove

Well our stupid stove seems to have finally bit the big one. Not only does the oven heat vary wildly from what you set it at and the 1 large burner not seem to work around the edge, but the oven just turns off in the middle of cooking for no apparent reason. It’s hard to cook something without checking every 5 minutes that the oven is still on.

As I was getting increasingly frustrated, we decided to bite the bullet and get a new one. It is a full size stove this time with a ceramic top and convection oven.

To get it into the kitchen, some modifications were required as the existing space was only 30” wide. We decided to remove the cabinet to the right to make room. After removing the screws holding the countertop in place and taking off the doors, the cabinet practically fell out by itself. The only tools needed were a hammer and it came apart into pieces. Underneath was a nice surprise, there is a wood floor and at least that section is in good shape.

The stove went into the new hole without problems but unfortunately it is not as great as we thought it would be. The oven takes a long time to warm up and the fan is quite loud. I tried levelling the unit but it made no difference…I think we are going to have to get a repair person in to take a look.

And now we know: it looks like there may be hardwood flooring in the kitchen. Overtop there is plywood, sheet vinyl, cement/adhesive stuff and then vinyl tile, but all that seems to float unsecured to the wood. We are not getting our hopes up but are going to wait and see what condition it is in when we renovate the kitchen in the fall.

Painting the Closet Shelves

After patching and a coat of primer, the new closet shelves were ready for 2 coats of trim paint. They look good and the trim edging gives them a little character.

I was too lazy to get out a roller and do all the cleaning up that goes along with it, so painted it all with a brush. 
And now we know: I think the paint could have used a little longer to cure or a clear coat or a darker colour paint cause the shelves really show the dirt from the shoes. However, as the shoes cover the shelves, I’m just going to let it be!

Cleaning Up the Front Hall Closet

The front hall closet is an eyesore that it always visible as there is no door. The shoe rack is not sufficient to hold everything and the area beside it just becomes a pile of stuff all jumbled together.

To clean it up, the idea was to install shelves that ran the entire length of the closet, not only creating more storage space but being more attractive than the old shoe rack. I started building with some 1x2’s as a frame and then added plywood to the bottom of both shelves.

After screwing the frames in place in the closet, I added another layer of plywood to the top of each shelf and added trim to the front. They need a coat of paint, but I am happy with the way they turned out, they look much cleaner now.

And now we know: install the bottom shelf and the top layer of plywood before you even start installing the top shelf. I had to cut the top layer of plywood for the bottom shelf to get it in place as it wouldn’t fit with the top shelf in place.

Chair Frames Complete

Well, Tom has me on a deadline again. The chairs are close to being done and we have a couple of parties coming up so he is nagging me like there’s no tomorrow. The first item towards completion was finishing off the backs so I added a sheet of 1/8” particle board, shimmed to lie flat with the frame and stapled in place.

From there I added 2 layers of quilt bating and some fabric and stapled it all in place. After sewing another 2 strips of piping in the dark grey colour, I glued them on around the edge to hide the unfinished sides and the staples. Not all the staples are covered, but I am currently at a loss as to how to address that problem.

So now the chair frames are complete, all that is left is hand sewing up the cushion covers, 2 of which are already done.

And now we know: the hand sewing will take me forever to finish…its my least favourite part

A Couple of Pillows

This weekend was all about laminate flooring. Not for our place, but installing it at a friend’s condo. There wasn’t much time or energy for anything else, but I did manage to complete a pair of pillows that will sit on the new chairs. They are red with white polka dots and trimmed in dark blue fabric.

And now we know: installing laminate is easy but tough on the knees and hips…I am so sore

Great Progress on the Chairs

The chairs are almost done and I’m really happy with the way they are turning out! I started work this weekend with stretching the webbing on the 2 remaining frames for the backs. Using shorter staples that I had bought, the work was much easier and went much faster.

Once those were complete, I applied 2 coats of clear semi-gloss Verathane with a light sand between. The finish is really nice, there is a subtle sheen to it and it really enhances the stain.

The next step was to install the webbed seat and back frames into the chair frames. After clamping the seats in place, I drilled into the chair frame from underneath every 4 to 6 inches. For the back pieces I first stapled on a layer of fabric overtop of the webbing then screwed them in as well. This will give a more finished look if the back cushion shifts or is removed. The 2 seats went in no problem as did the first back piece, but the 2^nd back wouldn’t fit into the frame. I ended up taking it apart at one end, cutting off 1/8” on the table saw and putting it back together. It only took 15 minutes and ended up fitting perfectly.

All that is left to do is stuff the 2 remaining cushions, sew all 4 closed and finish off the backs of the chairs. For the backs I will staple a piece of fabric and add piping around the edges. At least that is the plan so far…I could also staple the fabric to a piece of cardboard and use finishing nails to secure it. We’ll see how I feel next week.

And now we know: I think my husband is actually impressed! He asked if I though I had gone into the wrong line of work, which is nice to hear.

A Second Coat of Stain and Starting the Webbing

After a semi­-fun week of vacation, I am ready to get back into the workshop and am determined to complete these chairs before our second Christmas party on February 11^th. First on the list was a second coat of stain. Both frames got a light sand and a wipe down with the tack cloth, before a second coat went on. The red oak accepts stain really evenly and the colour was a pretty deep brown so there seems be no need for a 3^rd coat.

While the stain set, I got started on stretching the wedding on the inner frames. This was a new experience; I read up online and watched a youtube video but was still a little hesitant that I had enough webbing. At the fabric store, the guy told me 3 strips of webbing in both directions were enough for a 24” square seat. I decided to trust his advice, however for the back, which are an extra 4”, I added a fourth horizontal strip.

Using my electrical nailer, I attempted to attach the first piece. After adjustments to the gun and attempts to push harder to counteract the recoil, I realized it was just not powerful enough to staple into the hard oak. Out came the finish nailer and compressor which had no problems stapling into the wood. The only staples for this gun that I had on hand were 1.25”, a little long and sometimes tricky to get all the way in, but I managed to complete the 2 seat frames.

I must say it was new and fun experience to use the webbing stretcher, the tool which allows you to pull the webbing tight. There will definitely be more projects using this technique in the future.

As for the cushions, 2 are now stuffed and ready to be sewn closed. The foam got wrapped in 2 layers of quilting batting before they were inserted into the covers.

And now we know: electric staple guns are not powerful enough for some woods, good thing the finish nailer can also be loaded with staples!