What Did the Dog Know & When Did He Know It?

What a treat for a Monday morning--as I entered the garage to leave for work at 5:30 a.m., I nearly stepped into a huge puddle of dog pee, right on the tarp under my hutch-in-progress. For some strange reason, my Sheltie decided it was preferable to pee on my stuff vs. the grass in the huge backyard. (I had fed him in the garage this morning because it was so cold outside.) Perhaps this is his commentary on the quality of my workmanship. Or maybe, it was just his way of affirming the appalling nature of Monday mornings. In the latter case, I wholly agree with him. In fact, I would take it a step further and say, "Mondays are crap!"

Female TV host to leave Hometime

Robin Hartl has left her job as co-host of the home improvement TV show, "Hometime." This would've been her 13th year. She apparently decided to go for the bigger bucks working for one of the show's sponsors. Her last show was taped in August.

Here's the scoop on her departure:
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=81487

According to the "Hometime" web site, her female replacement is Miram Johnson. Miriam's shows are supposed to start airing in March.

I noticed that the "Hometime" site still calls the male, Dean Johnson (no relation to Miriam) as "host."

On the homefront, I got what I hope will be my final coat of paint on today. It was mainly touching up the desktop and doing the back sides of the remaining shelves. I beat the light rain that started this afternoon. Maybe one day after work this week I can at least get the desktop installed :-)

Painting weather

Perfect weather today, so I got a second coat of paint on the hutch. I need to get a third set of sawhorses so I can do more at one time, though. I still have several shelves that need a second coat of paint but have nowhere to put them.

We went sofa shopping today, and I looked more closely at the way the desk/hutches in the store are designed. The ones I saw had a cutout at the back bottom of the hutch, covering most of the hutch width. There was only about 2 inches of the back on each side, so it's kind of like a curved opening. It might work better for me, too, rather than using the undershelf cabinet lights I had planned to use. That way, my daughter could use the lamp she already has. We'll see.

We got the sofa; husband's choice this time. He gave in to me last time (10 years ago), and he's hated it ever since. Of course, he didn't give in on EVERYTHING last time, so the chairs we got 10 years ago never really matched the sofa that well. Since I ended up giving in on the coffee table, end table, and the chairs--suffice it to say that the living room is rather mismatched.

The new sofa is brown leather--typical man's choice. It does sit comfortably, but I hate spending money on something when I'm happy with what I already had.

The free sander from Makita came today. It was a bonus with the table saw I got for Christmas. Such a difference from the cheapo Black & Decker model I'd been using. This one cut right through to the chase when I used it. I had to be careful not to overdo! It also has a dust bag, though I apparently didn't attach it well enough because I saw a lot of dust covering the outside of the sander by the time I finished.

I had the luxury of spending a couple of hours this afternoon browsing the local antique malls (while the paint dried). I love to do that, just to get ideas. I see so much I could make if I just had the time! Maybe that's another career--get an antique booth and have fun making/painting things to sell. Of course, I'd probably want to keep them all :-)

Washing machine repair

Our 15-year-old washing machine flooded the laundry room again last weekend, which made about 4 times it had happened over the course of a couple of years. After some internet research, my husband decided the crux of the problem and launched an hours-long project to disassemble the machine. While I would have loved to watch and learn, someone had to do the grocery shopping/cooking/kid stuff. That was me.

I was amazed, though, that he figured out the problem. He pulled the offending part and purchased its replacement on Tuesday (Monday being a holiday). His intent was to install and reassemble the machine Tuesday night before dinner, but the best laid plans . . . Turned out the bracket for the new part didn't fit the old site exactly (isn't that always the way it is?). He had to drill some new holes and jiggle a lot here and there. But he got it in. Unfortunately, he forgot to reattach the timer, so when he ran a test cycle after reassembling, it didn't work quite right. He had to take it apart yet again and attach the timer. Now, it seems to work fine! And the replacement part was only $26--far cheaper than calling the plumber.

It amazes me that there are so many relatively minor repairs out there that homeowners can do, if they have the right part, time, and good information. The internet has certainly been a boon to DIY-ers. I've often had to look up the repair or installation manual on an appliance, and it's always there online. Once, we borrowed my father-in-law's carpet shampooer, for which he no longer had the manual. He wasn't here when we used it, either, and we couldn't figure out how much shampoo to put in, where to put it vs. clean water, etc. I just typed in the product name and number online, and poof! We had the operation instructions.

Same thing happened when I first used my power miter saw. We bought it from an individual, so it was used and without product manual or instructions. For the longest, I couldn't figure out how to release the handle to raise the blade. I finally thought to go online, and sure enough, there was a simple diagram with the parts marked. I found it immediately!

My dad would've loved the internet. He wasn't a repair guy (far from it!), but he loved to look up things in the encyclopedia. Here's to you, Daddy!

Well, yesterday's rain held off long enough for me to get one coat of paint on the hutch and desktop. It takes 24 hours to dry under the best conditions, but the late evening and overnight rain didn't help. And it's cold AND rainy today, so I guess one coat is all I can hope for this weekend.

Interesting thing about painting--some people are scared to death of it. I was listening to a discussion the other night about how expensive it was going to be to have my church's foyer and hallways professionally painted. We're in a bit of a financial crisis right now, and every penny counts. We're a small church, mind you, in a rather plain building that has no fancy soaring ceilings or architectural ornaments that would be hard to negotiate when painting. (Inside, at least.) Knowing our financial situation, I broached the idea of painting it ourselves. Seemed rather simple to me. Ironically, it appeared to be the men on the committee who rejected the idea immediately. "We're terrible painters!" they said, almost in unison. "We can't cut a straight line," "We get more paint on ourselves than on the wall," etc. (There's a new-fangled tool for sloppy painters; it's called "painter's tape.")

Fine, I responded. Let the women do it. (Having had a paint brush and roller thrust in my hands at a young age, I never even knew there were people who did this professionally til I was grown.) Well, suffice it to say that the majority decided it was more important to have a "professional" job done than "take a chance" on any of us poor volunteers. Too bad. We could've saved ourselves a chunk of dough and gotten just as nice a job, if you ask me. If I hadn't known these folks so well, I'd have thought they were being sexist in their remarks. But I don't think that even entered their minds. They just figure if they're terrible painters, everyone else must be, too.

Me Jane?

I ran across an interesting web site today for female home improvement enthusiasts. There's not a lot of meat there yet, but it has potential. The tips and tools, projects, etc. so far are minor repair-related (paint, faucets, etc.). The "store" has nothing but a Jane t-shirt and bag. I thought it might have a good tool belt/apron or other useful products. Maybe they'll add those if there's enough demand.

The site does, however, have an interesting profile each month on a "Jane" who has successfully completed a major DIY project. (Hey, maybe I can submit my desk/bookshelf project, that is, when I finally FINISH IT!)

I give the site kudos for at least trying to design something for female DIY-ers.

Check it out:
http://www.be-jane.com/

The weather forecast for tomorrow is NOT good. Looks like 60% chance of rain tomorrow AND Sunday. Pooh! How am I ever going to get this thing painted if it keeps getting cold and rainy? Of course, the weekdays are sunny and pleasant. Go figure.

Ryobi tools for Mother's Day

A Mother's Day 2003 survey conducted by Ryobi of home improvement store female shoppers found that 88 percent would love to receive a power tool as a Mother's Day gift. Yeah!

The scoop now is that manufacturers are more likely to introduce lighter, easier-to-handle power variations of their regular tools to meet the female market vs. special designs tailored just for women. They don't want to alienate the men :-)

Read more:
http://houseandhome.msn.com/Improve/TheX-FactorStormsHomeImprovement.aspx

Business Week on Retooling Home Improvement

Interesting article from Business Week about the growing market of women in home renovation, tools, carpentry, etc.

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/feb2005/nf20050214_3207_db_082.htm

Caulk it up to experience

Okay, okay. I figured out the caulk gun. I was pressing on the wrong lever to release the pressure and stop the flow. I got it now :-)

I received my first Woodworking for Women free e-newsletter today. It took a while to get to the point, but it was ok. It included a free project for a storage bench--a little too "frou-frou" style for me, with pickets on the back and sides--but the concept was easy to understand. I look forward to reading future issues to see what other kinds of projects will be featured.

It's 70 degrees here today, but can I paint?? No, of course not. It's called a "job." Forecast for Saturday is--rain. Gimme a break!

Happy Valentine's Day to me!

What a Valentine!

My husband--what a Valentine! He knows what kind of woman I am :-)

For Valentine's Day, he got me my own toolbox, complete with level, stait-line, and angle measurer. (He knows about those slanted ceilings and my bookshelves!)

What a sweetheart! Beats candy any day!

Caulk and drip

What nut invented caulk guns? Why are they so hard to use when you want to stop the caulk from coming out? I ended up with caulk all over myself today. Thank goodness for paper towels.

I finally glued and nailed the trim to the desktop today. I had a couple of bad hammer hits, but otherwise it went ok. The nails set into the trim fine. I caulked and primed the top, so it should be ready to sand and paint later this week--or whenever I have enough time to start it. I also caulked the seams to the hutch pieces. (I made a mess of one, though, because it was a bit too thick and "shed" when I tried to clean up the edges later.)

My husband is desperate to have his entire garage back. My project is taking up half the space, but I can't help it if it takes time for paint and caulk to dry! If I didn't have a full-time job, I'd be able to do this faster :-)

This Old House features tools for women

I was happy to see in my new issue of This Old House magazine that they had a full-page feature reviewing tools designed for women. It was interesting to read the pros and cons of each one. Tomboy Tools was one of the brands reviewed. In each case, the reviewers had some excellent suggestions for improving the tools, which I hope the manufacturers will sit up and notice. I need to write TOH to give them kudos on their coverage. That's a great magazine. I always get something out of it. I like it better than the TV show because I can focus on the things that interest or apply just to me.

More info on TOH magazine at:
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/magazines

This shelving thing is slow as Christmas. Today, I finished priming the individual shelves and touched up the hutches. I also worked on getting the center hutch more square by removing the back and cutting a new middle shelf. (The first one I cut and primed turned out to be a bowed piece of wood from Home Depot.) I was proud that I cut it myself on the table saw, without my husband's help! It took me a couple of tries, though, because the fence wasn't tight enough the first time.

Tomorrow, I hope to glue and screw the center hutch shelves, then caulk and get one coat of paint on everything. It's supposed to rain, of course, which won't help things.

Lowe's special web page

I didn't know that Lowe's had a special web page just for pros. It's got some good information and resources for us newbies, too.
http://forpros.lowes.com/

Lighter cordless tools to debut?

Milwaukee brand tools will soon introduce a new cordless line of 28-volt lithium ion battery powered tools that offer "40-50% more power and up to twice the run time" of current 18-volt models. The line, to be introduced in the second quarter of 2005, initially will include a cordless band saw, circular saw, hammer drill, reciprocating saw, impact wrench, worklight, and charger.

While the original press release indicated the batteries would weigh "slightly less," further research into the company’s promotional material says the tools have "batteries that weigh the same as or less than competitive 18-volt batteries and are of equal size" compared to traditional 18-volt models. (My emphasis.) Yet another release says the batteries simply add no extra weight to current models.

So, while my first thought was that this might be a boon for handywomen, it now sounds like the tools will probably be just as heavy as current ones. The advantage, however, will be the greater power and longer battery life. That’s great, but I’d still like to see a lighter battery.

Milwaukee sells tools at Home Depot and Lowe’s, among other places. I’m not sure if they’ll carry this line or not. I also don’t know the manufacturer’s suggested price, but since Milwaukee sells heavy duty tools, it won’t be cheap.

They’re supposed to launch a web site on March 1 with more info at V28Power.com. In the meantime, here’s the press release, which includes pictures of the debut tools: http://www.ttigroup.com/fileLibrary/R050113b.pdf?PHPSESSID=bec7ea9f46ac5d4283c8fe67bf7f2e24

Fluorescent vs. halogen

I can't decide if I should use a fluorescent light fixture underneath the bottom center shelf or some of those kitchen cabinet halogen lights. I need to do more research there. My main concern is safety, but I also want the daughter to be able to see clearly :-)

Where are Candice Olsen and Chico when you need them?

Well, I got all the pieces completely primed, but I noticed that one hutch section was a bit out of square. So I've unscrewed that and am in the process of trying to fix it. If these sections were perfectly rectangular, it surely would be an easier process. But the slanted roof makes it a pain. It shouldn't be this difficult!

Something's better than nothing

The best laid plans don't always go according to plan! I got a late start today on my priming, so I only got the back and sides of the hutch primed before I had to run errands. I had hoped to flip the pieces when I got back and prime the insides, but I didn't get home til after dark. And my middle-aged eyes can't see too well in the garage's artificial light at night. So I guess I'll do that tomorrow--after church and before the Super Bowl party. Doesn't leave much time, but better some than none.

Woodworking for Women online

I found Woodworking for Women magazine online. Here's a link to check it out:

http://www.woodworkingforwomenmagazine.com/pages/index.php?maincat=Features

New magazine!

Woo-hoo! A co-worker gave me a subscription form today for a new magazine, Woodworking for Women. It's a special price of $19.97 (plus postage/handling $3.98) for two years. Pretty good deal if you ask me.

I haven't seen this magazine on the newsstands, so I can't vouch for the value of it. But the promotional material looks promising. Here's part of the ad copy:

"Finally, a woodworking magazine designed and written BY women, FOR women that shows you--THE EASY WAY--to build anything for your home, garden, or gift list."

As I read further, I see some of the project types listed: window boxes, plant stands, trivets, music boxes, scarecrows, rocking horses ...........???? Hmm. I also see end tables, bookcases, and magazine racks. I hope there's some beef behind the bun. At least they say the magazine includes info on joinery and routing.

There's no web address included on the promo material, but here's the address in case anyone wants to take them up on their offer of a free issue:

Woodworking for Women
P.O. Box 8000
Big Sandy, TX 75755

If anyone is familiar with this publication, let me know what you think. If I subscribe, I'll post my opinions here. Who knows? If I find it to be a worthwhile magazine, maybe I'll pitch an article to the editors. Writing is my job, after all.

Good News

Despite Punxsutawney Phil's dire prediction today, it looks like this weekend's weather will be conducive to working in the garage. The WREG-TV Channel 3 weather staff made my day! Thanks to Tim Simpson, Jim Jaggers, Todd Demers, and Austin Onek. (Check out their web page at www.wreg.com for the best in news, sports, & weather!)

I need to prime, caulk, and paint the shelving hutch, and I'd like to get the trim cut as well. The crummy cold and rain of the last few weeks has kept me from getting anything constructive done, other than buying some wood.

It's frustrating to be at a standstill because while I'm not working on my project, I'm using the down time to think of all these other projects I want and need to do! I need to paint my bedroom and repair a crack in the wall there, repaint the trim in most of the house, and paint two other bedrooms. I'd also like to put up crown molding in the kitchen, build some photo shelf ledges for the living room, build a desk for my other daughter's room, and construct a planter for the mailbox. Lowe's has a great project plan for that at http://www.lowes.com/lkn?action=howTo&p=HomeDecor/0302_MailboxMakeover.html

So many projects, so little time.

Rough project in progress

Current project

The Router Lady

This woman is an inspiration. Too bad she's retired now and there are no manufacturers interested in producing her jigs.

http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/ezine/archive/115/todaysww.cfm