Friday, December 30, 2011

Side Table/Stands & an Airplane

 Finished projects....

 ...and an airplane.  The plane was constructed by a friend (Steve),
and I applied the paint & finish coats.
It's a Christmas gift for one of my grandsons.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

More Projects

 I "fell into" a few interesting pieces yesterday...
three windows like this one,
 this little wicker stool/stand,
 this piece (we don't know which end is "UP"),
and almost all the pieces to this stand (below).
Only a part of the lower shelf was in the pile, 
so I  fashioned a new one to insert.
Additional spindles and odd pieces filled a small box.
More "projects".

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Scraps with a Purpose

After cutting down an old chalk board to fit the frame above,
I had a scrap.  
Yesterday, I fashioned a simple frame for the scrap - FROM scraps.
Slowly but surely, I'm finding a purpose for pieces from my scrap pile.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Her (Early) Birthday Present

 She says the pictures don't do it justice...
It's true.
Glass is in the cabinet doors. 
It's ready to move inside.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Easy Peasy

I removed an old chalkboard from its generic frame 
and placed it in an empty one we had.  
This is its current message as it hangs in our dining area... 

Friday, November 25, 2011

She's Moving In!

We delivered the doll cabinet to our granddaughter on Thursday.
 She's making progress moving her dolls and their accessories into it today!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Stripped and Ready

The original finish is removed and the cabinet is ready to be stained. Investigation proved the sewing machine's bobbin case to be damaged and not worth repair....so, I fashioned a bottom to fit the cavity.  This will provide yet another storage possibility to this unique piece of furniture.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Completed...and Just Begun

Just completed!  The small table (to the right).  I sanded down the top
and painted the legs black.  Applied wax over all.
Behind it, an old chalk board in a new, old frame...
 (The small table was a curbside find, i.e. free.)
My next big project--this sewing cabinet.  We bought it yesterday for $5. Rebecca will be checking in re. the price to repair the Singer sewing machine that came with it.  If it's financially feasible, this will remain a sewing cabinet.  If not....maybe a computer desk????

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Finished!

All that's left to do is to find boxes to fit on the shelves.
The doors on "our" cabinet appear narrower than the "model".
Not sure if we'll be able to duplicate the pocketed hanging storage 
but MAYBE the other side????
Any suggestions how to carry this out?

The photo I was working from...

Friday, November 4, 2011

Small Improvements

Replaced the "pulls".  This will be much better for the cabinet's purpose...

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Getting There...

See my previous post for the goal.
Meanwhile, I'm getting there.  
Shelves and divider cut and in place.
Clothes hanging bar inserted....

Monday, October 24, 2011

Possibilities Abound

 Above - a child's tilt-top table...
Thrift store find.  $3
 We also decided to purchase the cabinet above
to fashion into the cabinet below for a granddaughter.
Maybe too big?  We'll see.
Stay tuned.
Possibilities Abound!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Sweet. Very sweet.

Sweet!
"VERY sweet," she said.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Roadside Treasures

 These are two of the four pieces we found at the side of the road last night.
 This afternoon, I began to strip the old finish off the child's chair
 and the table top.
Both of these will be fine pieces of furniture. 

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Flushing and Filling



Flushing and filling...
Doing what I can to address the Low Coolant Warning Light...
Hoping the condition is solved!

I also finished a small project,
repairing this box.
I created a side "handle" to replace a missing one.



Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Mid-September Project

 A friend of mine bought this night stand for $4 at a garage sale.
He asked me to refinish it, and I was happy to do it!
He's done a lot for me.
I stripped the old finish; sanded lightly; stained it (Provincial stain);
applied 3 coats of wipe-on polyurethane; 
and finished the top with a paste wax and buffed it out.

Monday, August 15, 2011

In My Spare Time Today

 I painted the inside of a wagon that had rusted.
 I packed this chest into our car trunk, having found it on a curb this afternoon.
I used fine steel wool and paint thinner to loosen the paint on its top.
removed it; and put on some light oak Restore-A-Finish. 
That's all it needed!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

New Old Shed Decoration

We were the recipients of these two vintage (antique?) tools.  
Rebecca had the idea to hang them on the side of our shed
...so last night I climbed the ladder and fastened them.  (Thanks, Rick!)
The scythe still has some "life" in it.
Not exactly sure what the other one is.
Just found out!  A Hay Knife. The tool has two wooden handles, one for each hand. The right hand stays stationary 'loosely' to allow a swiveling action.

"The design for this style of hay knife was patented by George Weymouth of Dresden, Maine on March 7, 1871. The patent was reissued in 1882 and 1886 and both of those patents were assigned to Hiram Holt. His company, the Hiram Holt Company of East Wilton, Maine, sold them using the name Lightning Hay Knife. The cost for a Lightning Hay Knife was 50 cents in the 1897 Sears and Roebuck catalog."

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Outdoor Projects

Never mind that the bumper of the car needs repair!
I tightened up the four backyard chairs before applying a protective coat.
Out they'll go again to maybe last another season or two.
 If I have any poly left, I'll coat this decorative birdhouse.
I re-roofed it with a piece of scrap metal.