Friday 24 September 2010

The Other Side

Starting work on the opposite wardrobe. As before, I need to build a frame from which to hang the doors. This one is much more complicated as it has a step in it where the door to the en-suite opens, and I also have a sloping ceiling to contend with which, as expected, does not slope evenly and is not level in any direction.



More joinery is required too, this bit is where the whole thing steps in to allow the en-suite door to open. Right now, I am clueless as to the best way to go about this.


Thursday 23 September 2010

Undressing Room

A big thanks to Lou for coming up with yet another clever, witty and a little risque title for a part of our house. We like risque. The Love Shack, and now the Undressing Room. I knew we could rely on Lou, who comes up with stuff like the Cattic (an attic where her cats hang out). There's no stopping her.



I have installed rails in both halves, and stashed most of our camping stuff on the top shelf. That's about it for this side for the moment. I'm still using these as tool cupboards while I build the wardrobes on the opposite side, so J9 will have to wait a little longer before she can put all her ball gowns and big girls' blouses away.

Friday 10 September 2010

A Wardrobe of Two Halves

I made a bottom for the right half out of bits of T&G I had left over. Originally, I made it out of a piece of ply I had left over, but managed to cut it too small, and then there wasn't enough left to make it again. I must have forgotten to remember my brother Niels's wise words: "Measure twice, cut once."


The major internal parts have been measured (twice) and cut (all fitted just right) and installed.


On the left, a tall hanging area for ball gowns, wedding dresses etc. On the right, hanging for big girls' blouses (like Lewis Hamilton) with shelf space underneath. The large shelf at the top has no central divider so we can keep a small canoe on it (if we want to).


Thursday 9 September 2010

Doors

Once the frame was in place, it was time for the first trial fit of the doors. I got open louvre doors to allow air to circulate so our clothes don't go musty. I bought bi-fold track kits with totally incomprehensible instructions, but in spite of this, the first pair is up (although not fitting very well at this stage)


Both pairs of doors are now fitted, and it is gratifying to see that my measuring for the gap was spot on. Wise words from my brother Niels: "Measure twice, cut once."


This is how they will open, in two pairs folding flat against each other, taking up as little space as possible in what is a very small room.


Wednesday 8 September 2010

Frame Up

Back inside the house, we're on the case with the fitted wardrobes in the bit between the master bedroom and the en-suite, which for want of something better to call it, I will refer to as the dressing room. (Please feel free to come up with something better, like Lou's now famous "Love Shack," which has been officially adopted.)

First job is to bung in a bit of skirting and build the frame for the wardrobe doors to fix on to.


Seen within the frame is one of the doors, and some other materials whose destiny will become clear later.


Being as neither my joinery skills nor my toolbox was up to making really strong and tidy corner joints (which would inevitably get broken anyway during the fitting) some crude but effective engineering was employed.


The main difficulty with all this was the fact that none of the walls was exactly flat or vertical, and the ceiling and floor were neither flat nor horizontal thus requiring much incremental shaving of all parts. In a length of a mere 1.6m, the floor drops over 40mm, and it curves like a banana too. The wood is level, the floor is not. Very not.

Tuesday 7 September 2010

Chicken Run (it's done)

Let's drag you up to date with the chicken run.

After putting in all the poles and planks along the bottom to prevent the chickens from chucking mud all over the paths, I wrapped the electric fence around, with some netting from an old trampoline around the top. I cleared the path all the way round, laid weed barriers and covered with gravel.


A chicken's eye view: Looks like a palace to me.
Thanks to Rich for the use of his post shovel.

Friday 3 September 2010

Arne's first Day


Nothing to do with the house, but here's Arne ready for his first day at secondary school. More on the house soon, I promise.