Phase One is coming along, nicely. The pantry and fridge enclosure are done, other than a bit of sanding. The electrical has been moved as well as the water line for the ice maker and water dispenser. I installed a ceiling fixture in the pantry and a switch. I had to move a switch in the hallway since, after closing off the old doorway, it was in a bad spot. Of course, this entailed tearing into the wall, even more. Crawling around in the attic, pulling wires and sweating copper lines was never fun. At almost 65 years old, it is torture. Tomorrow I can finish all of the drywall in the hallway and get a coat of mud on it. I need to finish the inside of the pantry so I can build and install the shelves. So far, I'm going to put shelves on two walls, in an "L" shape. I may put in some drawers or some bins for spuds and onions. We'll see. It's sort of an evolutionary deal or design as you go. Phase Two should begin in a few days. It will involve removal of the old dining counter and cabinets and building the new counter on the opposite wall. Until the final counter tops are decided upon, I'll build a temporary one so we have a place to chow down.

And To Dust Ye Shall Return

I have not begun the kitchen project yet. I got down to the shop to begin some preliminary work and it became apparent that my shoddy housekeeping habits have slowly turned the woodworking side of the shop into a catch all and an overflow area. Three days of cleaning and trash removal have gotten me to the point that I now have a nice, open, workable space. One thing, in particular, that has been an issue for a while is my dust collection system. I ran ducts, a few years ago, but they turned out to be poorly designed, so I yanked it all out and redid them. I now have a dedicated line for the table saw, which is actually a European combination machine with three, 3 hp, motors to power the saw, the planer/jointer, the shaper and the mortiser. There is also a line for the band saw, an 18" Laguna. I also added a drop down line from the ceiling that will be used for all of the portable machines, like the router table, the drum sander, the spindle sander, etc. There is also a floor sweep, for the once every year or so that I grab a broom and clean up. I should now be able to transform a great deal of expensive hardwood into firewood without breathing in too much dust.

Someone's In The Kitchen, But It Ain't Dinah

At least for the time being, the bike is done. I will continue to tinker with it, of course, but the major work is done, for now. It's time for a new project. We've been in this house for 27 years and the kitchen looks like hell. It didn't look that great when we moved in and time has not been kind to it. The floor had numerous divots in the vinyl, the cabinets, which were cheepo builder cabinets, are shot, the sink has no porcelain left on it, the disposer doesn't work, the lighting is lousy, the pantry storage is dumb, the counters are chipped, the grout is starting to fall out and a few of the drawers are sticky. Other than that, it looks great!?!? The plan is to do the remodel in phases, to keep disruption to a minimum. This will be a total redo. The fridge is new and will stay. The dishwasher is old, but it still works, so it stays, also. Everything else is headed for the landfill. Like the bike, there will be no, hands on, outside help. Framing, drywall, cabinets, minor plumbing and electrical are no problem, for me. Wifey has given a, reluctant, thumbs up. She knows that I tend to drag my feet at times. I intend to work on this project every day, all day, until each phase is done. Phase one will be the construction of a walk in pantry, an enclosure for the fridge and a small wall desk. I will begin next week, when she is away so that, hopefully, when she returns there will be substantial progress but more importantly, no mess. Oddly enough, she is far more tolerant of mess and clutter than I am. The new pantry will be in the spot now occupied by the fridge.