I’ve barely made a peep about what I have been up to, but in as few words as possible, I have been building, designing, painting, and in general making quite a mess!
Holy Cow this looks dangerous!
This bit is representative of the construction phase going on in here. And I am relieved to tell you that the view is not this bad today. I have some touching up to do on the shelving, and a really fun surprise for the finish… I’m calling the finish Chinese modern meets Mid Century modern. If you remember Chinese Modern (straight lines and black lacquer) you will get it when I post my finish. 😉
I am excited for the project to be done
I want to get back to quilting again.
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FULL DISCLOSURE: Bob helped with the drafting of the shelving brackets and the lifting of heavy things. He also did the framing of my quilting table/desk to my specifications last year while I was away visiting my Auntie and the Missouri Star Quilt Co in Hamilton, MO.
I had a favorite chair from my classroom in California that never got sold at my teacher’s yard sale after we moved here. It had been sitting in the barn for ten years now and I almost threw it away.
However, after pricing the many new chairs available on the market, ones without arms, I decided I didn’t want to spend the money.
So, I pulled off the old fabric and scrubbed the legs and wheels.
Scary looking isn’t it?
Put on two layers of quilt batting and some upholstery fabric I picked up at *Sir’s in Fayetteville, TN several years ago…
This wasn’t too hard, but I had to be careful to use the right length of staples; not too long.
And Voila! One less item in the landfill.
The old favorite is now reborn!
Note to self: If you change the coverings it is probably best to replace the foam padding too…
Maybe next time?
Regarding Sir’s Fabrics: Sirs Fabrics was one of my favorite places to go shopping for fabric. The owner used to find some of the most beautiful and unique fabrics from all around. Deeply discounted close outs, buyouts from stores that went out of business, and sometimes vintage treasures that, though watermarked or discolored with age along the edges were worth the purchase because the centers of the panels were still gorgeous and useful.
Unfortunately, this past winter the building caught fire and all the bolts of drapery and upholstery fabric, the laces and flat folded fabrics on all the tables burnt to nothing. The heat of the fire reduced the stock and the building to just bricks and rubble.
I often think “I’ll just pop over to Sir’s and see what they’ve got” for my latest project or quilting fabric and then realize they are not there anymore. I makes me sad that they are gone and I hope they are able to rebuild.
My Kitchenaid mixer lays disemboweled upon the dinning room table
I have since cleaned it of nasty grease, installed the new screw-drive gear, repacked it with new nasty grease, and now await the new gasket which arrives this evening. Bob’s homemade cookie withdrawal symptoms will soon be assuaged!
ON THE VIKING FRONT
The incompetent repairman, after three weeks of unsuccessful attempts to procure the needed circuit board bulb (I called him yesterday and gave him what-for) has admitted defeat. I advised him that I had located one at ShopJoya out of Oregon. I asked him if he would like me to order it for him and hand deliver it when it arrived at the end of the week…
Incompetent repairman:No, no, let me check again!
This morning early…
Incompetent repairman: Viking still doesn’t have the item and I have searched and searched and can’t find the bulb. Are you sure you found the correct bulb for your machine?
Me: Yes. I have.
Incompetent repairman: Are you sure? Is the part number 412131201? (Yes!) Well, if you can get it then order it.
I have and it should arrive this Saturday.
Hm… Perhaps I should open shop as an appliance part locator and repair person? Dunno, but it certainly has me thinking.
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NOTES: If you follow the video on PartSelect for replacing your screw-drive gear, be advised that although it is easy, that little pin in the screw-drive rod is soft and may mushroom when you pound it out with the recommended 3/32 drift punch. I think this happened because the drift punch from Harbor Freight wasn’t true to size. Why do I think this? Because the fleeping thing became wedged into the rod’s pin hole and was heck to get out.
If you should venture into this activity and don’t have a true 3/32 drift punch, then the best bet is not to buy the special drift pins and instead just buy the worm-drive installed at the factory. (Under $10.00) This will spare you the aggravation and language, and your heart rate will remain within normal limits. Just three small screws and you’re home free.
Over the course of a year’s time we have had to replace every working part in our washing machine. Sound expensive? It was. And yet, if we paid to have it fixed, well, with all the money we would have spent we could have afforded to buy a new washer and a dryer with all the bells and whistles! (Yes, I repaired that too) . So, I fixed whatever broke and got on with it. Of course, when it came time to replace the drive shaft I gladly let Bob take over, because it was hard work and required strength that I just don’t have…
As we set to work,
we began to wonder if the nut that holds the wash drum in place on the drive shaft would break loose…
Would we have to call the repairman after all?
I’m happy to say it did, and we proceeded to gut the works.
HINT: This is a very good opportunity to remove all the water deposits
and detergent residue that have built up on the drums!!! 😉
No job is complete until it has been inspected by the resident Kitty Inspector Number One!
He is always on the job when there is serious work to be done…
This was a very big job!
And so it was that last week, that the annoying loud hum which had become so familiar to my ear suddenly stopped. (I was washing new apron fabric) The spin cycle started and I could hear the water swooshing in the drum and not going out…
Uh-OH!
The water pump had failed. It finally just gave up and quit.
So, it was off to Parts Select again to buy the part I needed.
I ordered it that morning.
It was delivered next morning!
I fixed it in about an hour.
It was a very easy job.
Unplug the wiring, take out two bolts, and release two hose clamps.
Well, OK, those two blankety-blank hose clamps will be replaced with the screw tightening variety…
If I ever have to do this again.
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If you are new here, then you may be wondering why I am so partial to Parts Select.
Well it isn’t royalties or paid endorsement, I can tell you that!
It is because of fair pricing, ease of finding the parts I need,
and the how to do it videos!
Like this one! 😀
Thank you once again, Steve!
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So, are you a do-it-yourself kind’a person, or do you prefer to let the professionals do it for you?
Life on the Farmlet 