Home projects and other musings

[Gan]

Big carpentry adventure this weekend in that I"m installing crown molding in the formal dining room, living room, and entryway foyer this weekend. We got some estimates from a carpenter, then I strategically told my wife that I would install it for half the cost. That strategy entailed me using some of those funds to upgrade and add new tools necessary for the job (w00t! more wood/power tools).

Had to devise a jig to use as the backstop on my 10" power miter because the factory backstop stuck out too far to allow for a complete cut of the 4 5/8" molding. So far the cuts look great, the paint is going on and we should start nailing up some this afternoon with my new nail gun and new(replaced the old) compressor.

Next project is to replace the carpeting in half the house with hardwood flooring... wonder if I can squeeze a few more trips to the tool section at Home Depot out of that too.:cool: (I've got my eye on a fancy new table saw)

Then its custom shelving in my son's room, designing a new entertainment center, and the list goes on and on and on.

How many of you folks like doing home projects? Are you also a power tool (nonsexual) fanatic? Feel free to discuss your home project endeavors here.

[Brattt8525]

Posts pictures when your done!

[Gan]

Oh noxorz! That means my work is to be judged!!!

I'll get some up, probably by next weekend after I get it all up, caulked, and the paint trimmed. This is an older house without crown molding so I'm really looking forward to the new 'look' when this project is complete.

[Tsa`ah]

I'm home project(ed) out.

We have re-roofed, resided, deck built, hot tub installed, land scaped, paved, grill islanded the outside.

We have de-suspended cielinged, decarpeted, dewallpapered, kitchen and bathroom remodeled, old oak door refurbished, door frame replaced, window refurbished/replaced, heating and air installed, the entire fucking house in the past year.

I'm taking a break. No more wood, putty, nails, hammers, or saws for at least another year.

[Jazuela]

I love home improvement stuff. Home Depot is one of my favorite stores. I painted a mural on the wall of my office, free-hand, of flowering vines spilling down from the windowsills. I helped put up the crown molding in our bedroom, painting each length and using our electric nail gun, and spackling and painting the walls, and putting the molding down on the floor...

Hubby and I both worked together to put in the patio in the back of the house - we got some gorgeous stone for it. Oh oh oh and my new herb garden, with its very own 18" high stone wall!

Now if I could just get hubby to finish the bathroom, we might actually have a wall, and a ceiling, and a floor for the first time in the 3 years we've lived here <cough>

But hey - the new toilet and sink and shower work just fine with just plywood on the basement beams, and the exposed brand-new fiberglass insulation keeps the bathroom warm in the winter even without the wallboard. We just have to be careful not to inhale too deeply or we'll cut our lungs on the fiberglass dust in the air.

Home improvement projects are great fun. It's finishing them that's the drudge.

[Dwarven Empath]

I love it when my wife said.."lets paint the front porch". So I took her out there and showed her all the work each spindel needed.

Then of course I said, lets replace the spindels and railings. Because I needed a new nail gun, yanno the 45 degree angle one.

Home projects = more tools.

Just don't let them know the real truth.

[Gan]

Yea, I scored a new Husky compressor and a very nice finishing nail gun (Bostitch) that will work for the crown molding as well as the other shelving projects.

Looking to score a nice table saw next to compliment my radial arm saw, 10" power miter, and band saw. (Other hand held power tools will have their own shelf made soon).

The tradeoff is that the wife gets custom stuff made for the house, and I get new toys... at least until I acquire all the basics. Then I'll start replacing the ones that need upgrading.

And let me just say that installing crown molding (angled) requires a very interesting set of angles being cut in order for it to fit correctly into inside corners. I need to find me an angle cheat sheet in the future that has preset angles listed for inside and outside corners that work for all the different widths of molding.