Kitchen probably not done by the weekend

I probably won't get the kitchen completed before the weekend at this point.  We got enough snow last night that I will have to snowblow tonight, and I don't think I will get it all finished tomorrow night.

I did get some more work done though.  I got all the old cruft scraped off the sink.


I also got the cabinet marked and taped off, it is ready to cut.


The cabinets are all attached now.  I went back and forth as to whether I should have cut the holes first and hoped they lined up or just fasten the cabinets together and cut everything all at once.  I decided on the latter, but moving it out far enough to cut the hole for the outlets might be interesting now, since the sink base can't really move much because of the plumbing.


As I mentioned above, I probably won't get to work on it today, since I have a lot of snowblowing to do tonight, but I might at least get the sink cut out.  If not I might leave a little early tomorrow.

No movement on the checklist.

Last cabinet in progress.

Even though the only picture I took was crap, I brought the cabinet inside.  It has been so windy that the 1" thick plywood I had protecting it blew off.  The cabinet was actually full of snow, but thankfully it was below freezing, so no liquid got in the cabinet.  The wind was still going, so I decided it was worth the mess to work on it inside. 

The circular saw was not happy cutting through oak and stalled several times, but I still managed to get the door taken off and the opening expanded.


It really did make a mess.  I spent almost 15 minutes vacuuming out all the crevices and everything that were filled with sawdust.  And I still didn't get it all.


Having the drawer is nice though, it means that these have a home that isn't on the countertop.


The dishwasher in its final home.  This cabinet isn't done yet, I still have to cut holes for the plumbing in the sides, a larger hole so that the outlets are accessible, and possibly some holes so I can get the extension cord out to the front (having floor outlets in the kitchen is more handy than you might think).  But the cabinet is in place at this point. 


No movement on the checklist, but the big counter, the sink, and the plumbing is all that is left for the kitchen.  I also need to fasten all the base cabinets.

Weather didn't cooperate to finish the kitchen.

Saturday wasn't bad weatherwise, but I spent a whole lot longer installing the microwave than I expected.  It took most of the day, and I must have lifted the microwave a couple dozen times.  The cord was a problem as well.  My first attempt was just to run the cord down the side.  It was tight, but would have fit.


After that attempt failed, I ended up modifying the microwave.  The cord no longer comes out the top.


It now comes out the bottom.  Thankfully there was enough empty space that rerouting it was fairly easy.


Once I got that sorted out, I ran into another issue: the template that they give you was wrong.  All the holes were off by a half inch.  So I now have extra holes in my cabinets.


It took most of the day, but the microwave is installed.


This means my microwave is now on the free table. 


I then moved onto counters.  Apparently I need to learn to read.  Each pack contains both ends.  So I have a lot of spares, since I bought twice as many as I needed.  D'oh!


That led to more agony.  They are the specific ones for the counters that I bought, but they don't fit worth a damn.  Considering you are supposed to use a file to do the final smoothing and alignment, it means each counter took a long time.




I did get the appliances counter done, and had a steak cooking in the Foreman.


I also completed the small counter next to the stove.   Before that, I did some power management.  This is what I came up with.  This also puts power on the counter next to the stove.


That counter is now complete.


All that is left is the big counter, which I plan to finish during the week.  I wanted to finish the last cabinet today, but it rained all day despite it supposed to stop early in the morning (and supposed to be snow).  The cabinet is still outside, but it is covered at least.  Hopefully I can complete it during the week.  No movement on the checklist.

Ready for the weekend

I went out and picked up the last of the materials for the kitchen last night.  I did decide to get an other the range microwave.  Dad's idea about the microwave inside a cabinet was interesting, but I am not sure I would like the usability implications of it, having to reach down every time I use the microwave, which is something that I use a lot. 

The new microwave.  It is a GE.  If someone is in need of a microwave, I won't need my old one anymore.  It is a 1100W 1.1 cubic foot Hamilton Beach.  It works fine, needs cleaning.


I also went and picked up the last cabinet.  It is on my work area ready to be modified.  I need to cut the opening a little wider, remove the door, cut a hole for the water lines, and a hole for access to the power outlets.


This one didn't quite make it all the way home undamaged.  This is the back though, so it won't be visible.


The other night (after the prior post was written) I finally got the last set of shelving installed in the bathroom.  I need to cut more shelves, but the framework is complete.  This should allow me to finish unpacking the box that is currently on top of the fridge. 


I also picked up the other pieces I need, like the toekick plates and the side panels to make it look more pretty.  I should be all set to finish it up this weekend.

No movement on the checklist.

1. Install bathroom fixtures.
2. Get hot water heater installed.
3. Install some form of cabinets in the kitchen.
4. Install kitchen sink.
5. Install kitchen appliances.
6. Get propane installed.
7. Build bed frame.
8. Build closets.
9. Install table.
10. Smooth driveway enough to plow/clear
11. Fix snowblower.  
12. Winterize equipment (mower, undercoat the truck, etc).
13. Clear slab
14. Shed work
1. Extend roof to prevent snow pushing on the side.
2. Fix pilings

Kitchen finally unpacked.

I completed the unpacking for the kitchen.  The wall cabinets are now full.


Over by the fridge is now empty.  That was the last tote, and it is now unpacked.


After thinking about it some, I think I am going to stick with my current dishwasher.  While in terms of square footage I have almost as much counter as I had before, my countertop is now broken up.  I have 42" between the sink and stove, 18" on the other side of the stove, and 24" over by the fridge.  The far side of the stove doesn't have an outlet, so I won't be running appliances over there. 

I also was thinking, and I think I might get one of those above range microwaves.  I was intending to run my kitchen appliances over by the fridge, but the microwave is tall enough that it will block a good chunk of the window.  There is an issue here as well though; I don't have an outlet above the range either, so it looks like I will be running a cord down behind the stove and down the wall.  D'oh!


I did a walkthrough video of the kitchen, but I am not sure if I can upload it, it is kind of large.  If it doesn't work, I will take another shorter version tonight.

I was hoping to go get the last cabinet tonight and try to get it installed, but it looks like the weather isn't going to cooperate, so I will have to pick it up tomorrow.  I should have the kitchen completed this weekend I hope.

1. Install bathroom fixtures.
2. Get hot water heater installed.
3. Install some form of cabinets in the kitchen.
4. Install kitchen sink.
5. Install kitchen appliances.
6. Get propane installed.
7. Build bed frame.
8. Build closets.
9. Install table.
10. Smooth driveway enough to plow/clear
11. Fix snowblower.  
12. Winterize equipment (mower, undercoat the truck, etc).
13. Clear slab
14. Shed work
1. Extend roof to prevent snow pushing on the side.
2. Fix pilings

Counters cut.

I didn't get as much done today as I was hoping.  I had to go shopping this morning, and didn't get up as early as I should have. 

I did get the other piece cut, so I have my pieces for the 2ft counter over by the fridge and the one next to the stove.


The new blade did a really nice cut, it was as good or better than the factory cut.  Unfortunately I realized that I don't have an iron to install the endcap.


I did get another tote unpacked, but not the pots/pans tote.  I did note that the countertop dishwashers do seem to be fairly standardized in size, so it isn't going completely nonstandard if I stick with my current dishwasher.  I think as far as drawers are concerned, if I put a vase on top I could put the spatulas and stuff on the counter instead of a drawer.  I should finish that up tonight. 

18 x 18 isn't as big as I thought

Today's big project was the pantry.  The framing went without a hitch.  I also got to use a bunch of wood I had lying around.  I had a couple of 2x3s lying around that have been used up.  I also moved the fridge where it belongs.


I attached them by pocketing the screws and using the 3 inch screws.


I used the small boards I got from Tim for the rails.  There were more boards in that bundle that I thought.  I didn't even use half of them.  Which is nice, it means that I have more of them for the cabinets.


I also put a new blade on the circular saw.  The saw is dying, but the new blade worked wonders.  It is amazing the difference a good blade makes versus an old worn out crappy blade.


The pantry is mostly complete though.  I do have sides for it, I can use the press board that I originally bought for the ceiling, but I will probably wait until I pull out the table saw for it.  I used up the 3/4 plywood I got from Dad from Masco for the shelves. 


I unloaded all the wall cabinets onto it.  It turns out that 18 x 18 wasn't quite as big as I expected.  I still have empty space, but not as much as I expected.


The boards I got from Tim are maple, and when drilling through them, my drill died.  So I finished up the micro computer.  There isn't much free space in it.  I think it would have worked better if I had gotten an M.2 SSD instead of a 2.5" one.  I don't like how much of the CPU fan is covered, but it should be ok. 


No movement on the checklist.  I will probably finish unpacking some more tonight so I know what the final state of that cabinets is.  I hope to finish up the counters tomorrow and install the sink so I know if the dishwasher will fit under the sink.  I don't think it will the more I look at it, but I will find out for sure tomorrow.

More kitchen work

I have unpacked another couple of totes this week, I am only one tote away from being able to shift the fridge into its proper location at this point. 

An idea I had when I was unpacking: use my current dishwasher.  I have been using this dishwasher for years, it is adequate.  It would be nice to have a full size dishwasher, but this one is sufficient and allows me to keep the drawer and not lose the cabinet for it.  It is a compromise, but one that is more appealing as I run out of cabinet space.  I am not sure if it will fit under the sink once the plumbing is in place, but it should also fit in the cabinet the dishwasher was intended to replace if I need more space for it.  I probably won't make a decision on this until after I get the pantry installed though.  That will clear out the wall cabinets and allow me to make sure I need the extra drawers before I compromise on a non-standardized appliance.


Along those lines, I also designed the pantry.  I hope to build it this weekend.  There is nothing too special about it, just a 2x3 frame.  I will probably permanently affix the middle shelf, and the others I will make adjustable.  I have a bunch of 1x1 boards from Tim that he got from work (he is a drafter/designer at a furniture company these days) that I intend to use to set the shelves on.  I also have some leftover


No movement on the checklist. I am hoping to finish up the cabinets this weekend.

1. Install bathroom fixtures.
2. Get hot water heater installed.
3. Install some form of cabinets in the kitchen.
4. Install kitchen sink.
5. Install kitchen appliances.
6. Get propane installed.
7. Build bed frame.
8. Build closets.
9. Install table.
10. Smooth driveway enough to plow/clear
11. Fix snowblower.  
12. Winterize equipment (mower, undercoat the truck, etc).
13. Clear slab
14. Shed work
1. Extend roof to prevent snow pushing on the side.
2. Fix pilings

Unpacking... Again.

So the last couple of days I haven't done much, but I have started unpacking my kitchen totes.  I have gotten two totes and the box done so far.


This system seems to work pretty good.  I can stage things on the dishwasher, have the tote up and out of the way. 


Looking at how much I have left, I might need to finish the pantry before I can finish unpacking everything; I have two of the wall cabinets full of food at the moment, and I have a couple cabinets fewer than I used to. 

I also got the shelf put up in the bathroom finally.  This should help alleviate the issue of not having any counter space.


We are in the middle of getting a decent sized snowstorm (as I am writing this, thus the 4PM post when I normally work until 5), so I had to bring everything in.  I managed to fit the uncut piece of the countertop behind the couch, which is nice and out of the way.  It can be a pain in the winter working on the place as I live in it.


Despite the snowstorm however, the days are getting longer, spring isn't too far off at this point.  I can sometimes see the sunrise when I head in, and when I go in later it is light before I leave.  Won't be too much longer before it is light when I leave too.


Just some odds and ends, no real update on the checklist. 

More cabinets

Yesterday was cold and extremely windy, so I didn't do too much. I caught up on some sleep and chores, and also did another water test.  Despite how it looks, this is technically a negative.  There are no bubbles, and the gel was on the bottom.  Which is very good, it means I don't need to chlorinate the water unless that is how I end up dealing with the sulfur.


The rest of the results were the same as before.


The wall cabinets are now complete. 




I finally got this one placed.


I can finally unload my dishwasher for the first time in 4 months.


A quick video version

The countertops aren't fastened and cut yet, but I did pick up a new plywood blade so I can get that cut this afternoon or tomorrow.  I am visiting Tim tonight to drop off his hand truck, so I might not get to it tonight.  No movement on the checklist

1. Install bathroom fixtures.
2. Get hot water heater installed.
3. Install some form of cabinets in the kitchen.
4. Install kitchen sink.
5. Install kitchen appliances.
6. Get propane installed.
7. Build bed frame.
8. Build closets.
9. Install table.
10. Smooth driveway enough to plow/clear
11. Fix snowblower.  
12. Winterize equipment (mower, undercoat the truck, etc).
13. Clear slab
14. Shed work
1. Extend roof to prevent snow pushing on the side.
2. Fix pilings

More cabinets. Starting to look like a kitchen.

I went up to Concord last night and got the rest of the base cabinets.  I might still have to pick up another couple wall cabinets, but all the base cabinets I need are now in my possession.  I also picked up the countertop too since they had some on closeout. 

If I didn't like how the last set was tied down, I liked this even less.  Like before though, no damage. 


It is starting to look like a real kitchen.  The middle 2' cabinet won't stay there (that is where the dishwasher goes) and nothing is fastened, but I did make all the necessary cutouts last night since I didn't have anywhere to store them otherwise. 


Speaking of not having space, there is supposed to be another 18" cabinet here...


For right now it is just holding my garbage can.


This, in conjunction with receiving all the parts for the miniature PC (you can see that it is barely bigger than my hand) I am building Dad for his birthday will give me something to do when it is miserable for the next couple of days.  I got the first round and most of the PC built over the weekend.


Nothing completed yet, but I am hoping the kitchen cabinets will be done enough to mark off soon.  Once I get what I have complete, I should be able to more or less unpack the kitchen and move the 2' cabinet where it belongs.  From there I can finish the wall cabinets.  My only complaint with the cabinets is that all of them are a shelf short of what I think they should have.  There is only one shelf in the wall cabinets, and there are none in the base cabinets.