Baby Stepping
One side of the basement door is stripped!!!!!!!! Ross happy! Now, I have to do the other side. Ross unhappy.
We had to stop working on the shafts of the laundry chute and dumbwaiter as car siding was out-of-stock. But…drum roll, please…I delivered 60 boards to the house yesterday (in 102-degree temperature). Ross melted. But happy.
The return of the long awaited, lost south hall arch! Ross very happy!
The S-curve framing for the south hall ceiling is in! Ross fabulously excited! The arch will get lath and plaster so it will be a perfect curve.
A while back I moved the island in the library to the north a bit. This allowed for a seating area to the south. But, the five pendants hanging over the island no longer centered on the island. Now they do. Ross quite pleased. (The hole to the left will get covered. The hole to the right was for a ceiling fan that y’all yelled at me about so much that I gave up on the idea. The hole will also get covered.)
In 1894, there was a walk-in closet between the Round Bedroom and the Octagon Bedroom, with a door to each room. Circa-1929 the door to the former was blocked over, and the closet was converted into a bathroom. To allow me to move in, the room needs to have a slop sink installed so I can wash my old lights, and a work counter. So, we have now removed everything in the room so all new plumbing can be installed. Note the new PEX coming through the floor. That, along with the drain pipe, were installed under the floor way back in 2014.
Toilet gone. You an see the outline of the 1929 toilet tank (long gone) on the wall. Even though I do not need a toilet and tub in the space, the room is being plumbed for their eventual installation. Ross is clever that way.
Tiny tub…
…gone, for the first time in 93-years. Alas, no treasures were found under or beside it. Ross dashed. The floor is also circa-1929 and will get refinished soon. The tub will then be placed back in the space but covered over with plywood.
11 Comments
Leave a Reply Cancel Reply
Your email address will NEVER be made public or shared, and you may use a screen name if you wish.
Those are like Kindergarten step vs Baby steps! Lots of progress! Awesome! Cant wait to see the curved ceiling and arch in yhe hallway
What wonderful progress!
Love the stain on the basement door & excited about the restoration of the arch. Also the S-curve!
All of these measures are so fun to read abut and to see all the wonderful detailed work!!
Wow. You have stepped a lot more than I have.
So you think the other side of the door will be as difficult as the first side? Pity. But the first side looks fabulous now. I haven’t started on the doors to the toy chest/armoire my Mother promised me but I’m going to pick up the second door on Tuesday, plus, hopefully the mirror and frame and at least one more drawer of my Dad’s old dresser. More if I can fit them in the car.
Please be careful in the heat and hydrate like a madman. I did a little research on the hot weather for a friend in the UK during their record heat and anything above 94 degrees is dangerous, especially if there is humidity.
Drywall can be scored to follow that curve but it is likely as time consuming as lathe and you’d have to tape the whole thing. I think lathe and plaster is the way to go. And a brilliant solution to that ductwork.
I feel for you having to move all those lights. I only moved one in my house. When they did the 1949 renovation there was a light in the kitchen that an upper kitchen cabinet door was always hitting as it was sorts in front of the back door, which swings out. I think my elderly neighbor Bob told me the kitchen used to be the back porch. I assumed it was where a porch light used to be and they never did anything about it. I finally decided to move it (about a decade ago and almost electrocuted myself in the process) and I am so pleased that I did. But I still haven’t finished the final plaster coat on the old location. I’ll bet you finish yours before I finish mine.
I *love* that little tub and am so pleased you are keeping it. You might even find it comes in handy for things too big for the sink. I know there are times I use my tub instead of the sink for some dumping or spraying of stuff with the shower head. I’ve also set a rack in there and hung clothes and towels to dry on the rack. The size is so unusual it would be a shame to lose it even though it is small. (I want a huge one to soak in or even swim in.)
I have only made small baby steps, mostly of carrying things back and forth where they need to be. But this week I will be replacing the original deadbolt I replaced when I moved in 35 years ago with something a bit more decorative and period appropriate to the house. I am also having a catshield installed on my car and all of the dogs are getting baths at the groomers after a romp at the dog park. I’ve also got my watercolor palette set and all of my materials and supplies gathered for a watercolor workshop I’m not attending until September.
My steps may be even smaller than baby but I am getting some stuff done. I’m hoping to increase my stride and perhaps multiply my steps with you as my inspiration.
Hydrate!
That door is so gorgeous, Ross. I just love what I think may be scuff mark scars at the bottom. The picture taken after the removal of the little tub is a priceless document of the many decades of reno this bathroom has undergone.
Wowsa!!!!
So much work being done! Good job outta you!
I love seeing all the progress!
And yes. This damn heat! Ugh!.
So fun to see all the Baby Steps(TM) adding up to big progress. I need to get after that around here! Once again, you are inspiring me.
I’m just here to cheer you on – Go Ross Go! Love the baby steps posts!
Really making progress! Will you move in by years end? I hope so. Can’t wait to see more!
Bigger than baby steps! Great jobs!
Ross, Your tip on using amber shellac was golden as I’m was in the process of doing doors for my 1870’s home!
I have a tip for you! Try Easy Off Oven spray for a less expensive cleaner stain and varnish remover (or paint). You can find how to videos on YouTube.
Actually the harsh chemicals in oven cleaner damage the wood over time and do more harm than good. I’ve heard wonderful things about a paint stripper from the strip club in Australia via a YouTube channel called the 2nd empire strikes back a couple are restoring a 2nd empire home.