Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Another Cruel Twist Of Fate

I dragged the new counter top up to the house this morning and stuck it in place. It weighs about 180 pounds, but I was able to get it up without breaking anything. It fit just fine until I put the level on it. Actually, the problem was obvious from the get go. The slab wasn't level. I stuck shims between the cabinet and the top in an effort to make it right. No dice. The whole piece is twisted, like a potato chip. When the front edge is level, the back is, almost, 1/2 inch out. A quarter inch, I could deal with. Just split the difference and call it good. When I built the form, I set it on two folding, steel, sawhorses. I made sure everything was level before I poured the mud. I believe that one of the sawhorses shifted, or the legs opened up a bit, and twisted the form. At any rate, the slab is toast. I will trim it down with my diamond blade and make a small table for the patio out of it, so it won't be a total loss. The remainder of the day was spent building a large table, in the shop, to do the rest of the pours on. I used 2X8s with some particle board for a top. I leveled it off, using a digital level that is accurate to .10 degree. The next pour should be good. The table is rock solid and isn't going anywhere. I hate screw ups, especially those that cost me money, but I half expected at least one failure. It was just two sacks of concrete mix and a bit of pigment, so the bank isn't broken.

1 comment:

Tinygami said...

Even twisted it's still gorgeous. Must be so neat to have all the skills and tools needed to be able to make ANYTHING you want! Someday when I grow up (well, I'm already grown up but before I get too old) I want to be able to build things too. Guess I'll get to start soon enough when I build the cabinet and countertop for the trailer.